Guy Landry Edi Interview Part I: Is Guy the Answer at Wing?

By: Gaz

Gonzaga appears to have the makings of a very good team for next season. With the backcourt in the very capable hands of Kevin Pangos, Gary Bell Jr., and a frontcourt loaded with Elias Harris, Kelly Olynyk, Sam Dower, and the recently acquired Przemek Karnowski, the Zags look loaded.  

But, what of the wings?  This is the area of the team that is questionable. Hoff may be transferring and even if he stays he has been inconsistent. Hart provides defense, but no offense. Dranginis is unproven and may be a bit small to play the position. So far Gonzaga has had some near misses on wing acquisitions {see: Trent Lockett}. And, it’s getting late in the game to bring someone in with experience that could make a difference next season. 

So, what is the answer at wing? The answer could very well be an experienced, and fully healed Guy Landry Edi. He’s big, 6’6 218 pounds. We know he can jump out of the gym, and he’s capable of highlight dunks. He averaged 40% from the three in high school and in Junior College at Midland, Texas. Guy led the Chaparrels to a national championship where he averaged 16.3 points and seven rebounds during the 2011 National Junior College Tournament. He was instrumental leading Ivory Coast to several wins last summer in Olympic pre-qualifying games for FIBA. He has a lot of talent, so what happened during his first year in a Zag uniform that has led to doubts about him being the answer on the wing? 

He started out his first season with Gonzaga facing an unexpected eight game suspension. {His suspension originally was supposed to be for two games; he played as a 15 year old vs. upper level players in France}. It is difficult enough making the adjustment to Division I from junior College; add in having to be saddled with missing approx 1/3 of the season while the rest of the players were getting into a rhythm, made it even worse. He was also playing with a knee injury suffered in his last game playing for Ivory Coast in FIBA competition. He considered having surgery that might have possibly ended his season, but he played through it. The thinking was that he could have it scoped during the off-season and be good to go for 2012. It may have affected his game more than we know. His shooting percentages were down; he shot a paltry 26% from deep, his rebounding was down, as well as his free throw shooting. In High School at Van Nuys and in Juco ball at Midland, he averaged 40% from three. We know he can shoot, so something must have been wrong. 

This season, things may change for the better. His knee is fully healed and he is staying on campus this summer to work on his game. He is hitting the weights, working hard, and is looking forward to an exciting final season as a Zag. He will not play any international basketball and suffer through another late start. This is his final chance to make a statement. He would like to leave a lasting legacy in a bulldog uniform. 

So, can Guy be “the guy”? Can he regain his three point shot and finish his career on a high note, possibly providing the missing ingredient that propels the Zags back to the Elite 8 or beyond? One thing is for certain, with the start of the 2012 season a few months away, we will definitely be finding out soon.

Some of the information talked about above I gleaned from a recent interview with Guy Landry Edi. I had a chance to ask him some questions regarding his thoughts on what will be his final season. Tune in tomorrow for our complete interview…Part II.