Confetti Time
Sorry this is late, but I am just now arriving home from our trip to Las Vegas and getting a chance to write something up. First, a little background on what went wrong, then I'll get to some pictures and the reason for going in the first place, the Zags.Why the late return? Alaska Air oversold our connecting flight home from Seattle to Spokane. So, we were stranded in Seattle, along with about 25 other unhappy Gonzaga fans. To make matters worse, my laptop and phone were stolen early on during the trip. Although I did manage to get some pictures and tweets out with a borrowed phone, the coverage I expected to provide was not anywhere near what I had hoped for. I apologize for that. Not only am I a huge fan, but I want to be able to share insight with people that are unable to attend. Without proper equipment, I found myself more of a spectator than a reporter. That was not the plan. However, now that I have experienced a WCC Tournament, it will be much easier to fine-tune some things that went wrong, which will help in next year's coverage.
Gaz hanging out in Upper Media Area
View from room in Vegas, 53rd Floor -Where the oxygen masks?
First, the Orleans Arena might as well be renamed the ZagLeans Arena or something similar. It was filled with Gonzaga fans. Every game the Zags played in was packed, while every game they did not play in had a lot of empty seats. There would have been even more empty seats if Zag fans didn't attend those games as well.
BYU has a good following too, but nowhere near the level as Gonzaga. One thing I enjoyed was the back and forth that goes on between opposing fans during the games. I had never attended a WCC Tourney before so it took me by surprise and I enjoyed it. Especially since we won!
Domas Sabonis After Winning Championship
1st up: USF. I was certainly concerned about the Zags going into the tourney. They had not been playing very stellar ball this past month. Adding to my anxiety was a red hot BYU team, winners of 8 of the last 9 including the Zags on senior night in the Kennel. So, to hold the naysayers at bay and show the nation they are indeed a top 7 team what do they do? They struggle right out of the gate, get behind by 7 to the Dons and are behind at halftime. Karnowski held the Zags together in that first half as he came up big, time and time again. Kyle Wiltjer joined the party in the second half and Gonzaga forged ahead to win. The heavily pro Zag crowd all held their breath when Wiltjer went down. He was getting hammered the whole game by USF. Anyone besides me think that was part of Rex Walters plan? Kyle definitely showed some toughness as he was bloodied, bashed around, heavily iced after the game, yet still came through big time. Coach Few seemed upbeat after the win saying "We were able to get through that first half then we got the pace going in the 2nd half, we stepped up and started shooting the ball, making shots we're capable of, and all the while we played pretty darn good defense." (Zags 81 USF 72)
Team Banners Outside Locker Rooms
In the semi-final game vs Pepperdine, once again the Zags were sluggish and they only led by 2 at the half. In the second half I sensed that everyone settled down, including nervous fans, as they thoroughly enjoyed a proper dismantling. Defensive intensity was key and the Zags scored 10 points off fast breaks. Gonzaga blew the doors off as they ran out to a 20 point lead and coasted from there. This game was a monster one for USC transfer Byron Wesley who scored a team high 25 points. He said "that was easily the most fun we've had in a game all year, just the energy we had, and the crowd was great. From the players in the game to the players on the bench, everyone was engaged and that's what we want." It was also nice to see Wiltjer able to go at it 100%, showing no ill effects from the pounding he took on Friday. He had a great game barely missing a double double getting 17 points and 9 boards. (Zags 79 Pepperdine 61)
Angel Nunez has his Game Face on!
Dustin Triano & Alberts Thumbs Up!
Gonzaga vs BYU for the title. It's odd what a difference a few days make. In their last game BYU led the Zags the entire way. In this WCC Championship game they pretty much never led. Back and forth it went. Every time Gonzaga would start to pull away, say 7 points or so, BYU would come storming back. Try as they might, they would never catch these Zags. It was an offensive onslaught. The crowd was going crazy, it was LOUD, and a lot of fun. Kyle Wiltjer, who was named WCC MVP, finally got his double double garnering 18 pts along with 10 boards. After the game he said "we want to play fast and can score with the best of them. We wanted to push the pace and that's what we did." Ninety one points is a whole lot of points. I heard a fan jokingly say "first one to 100 wins." At times it felt like he might be right. It was an offensive masterpiece with 6 Zags scoring in dbl figures. But, the Zags D played well too, clamping down in the second half and holding the Cougars to just 33 points.
So, the Zags rebounded from their shocking loss at home on senior night and destroyed a red hot BYU team to win another WCC Tournament Title. It looks like they've turned the corner from a month of what looked like lackluster play. It's definitely a good feeling heading into the Big Dance. GO ZAGS!~
Conner Griffin Working that Pen
Odds and Ends-- I talked to Domas Sabonis for a minute and he said his hand feels great and it is now 100% healed. That's nice to know because it had been hampering his ability to get rebounds and hold onto the ball. Of course he's been playing so well people might not have noticed. He is a special player. I cannot remember a Zag "Big" being this polished in his true freshman season. He is also one of the most polite, respectful, approachable, and friendly players you will ever meet. Basically, he's just like all of these Zag players. Good on the coaching staff for recruiting these types of kids into the program. Josh Perkins is still not cleared to participate in practice or play. It looks good for a medical red-shirt. Coach Few- He is letting his emotions show (I mean this in a good way). His voice cracked when he talked about the players and his love for them is evident. Also, people have complained about this in the past so I wanted to address it. He is improving in "on the fly" game management and decision making. Changing defensive schemes, running full court press, player substitutions, and using time-outs to his advantage, and coaching the players on the bench among other things. Television tends to hide these things. You get to see so much more when you are actually at the games. He is doing an exemplary job. Also, once again I had a chance to say a quick hello to our new Director of Basketball Operations, John Jakus, who came over from Baylor. Although it is sad to see Dr. Jerry Krause leaving the fold after so many years, we are in great hands with John going forward. I have a picture I'll throw up below but my "borrowed" camera didn't do very well, sorry about that. In case you're curious, John can usually be seen sitting next to Przemek Karnowski's right during games. Kyle Dranginis- he is becoming more confident. He will be a 5th year senior next year and I expect big things. He can do all things well, thus his nickname "swiss army knife" but let's not forget, he can flat out score. He "draino'ed" 55 points in the Idaho State title game. With the graduation of Byron Wesley, he will most likely be counted on next year to score more.
John Jakus- New Director of Basketball Ops in Blue Suit
All-Tourney Team
Final Bracket
Zags Heading to Hotel- I know where but can't say- It's a secret
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