Day after IUPUI
Good morning. Back with the day after IUPUI post that you can access below.
My game story here, S-R photo gallery here and John Blanchette's column on Demetri Goodson here.
Check back later for a look at San Diego State.
--I addressed this in the game story, but the starting lineup is always a hot button topic for fans and media. Not so much for Mark Few. GU’s starters have changed in both games against overmatched opponents. GU’s starters changed from the first half to the second half against IUPUI (Mathis Mönninghoff replaced Marquise Carter in the second half).
Few says it’s more important who is playing at crunch time than who gets their name announced just before tipoff. When Manny Arop, Kelly Olynyk, Bol Kong and Grant Gibbs were playing well last season, they were on the court for extended minutes and certainly at key times last year.
The catch with this year’s team will be whether Gonzaga wants to go with two bigs (Rob Sacre and Elias Harris) or three (Olynyk or Sam Dower). The plus and minus is obvious – potential matchup problems at each end, GU holding a size advantage on offense, but bigs having to guard smaller, quicker foes at the other end. Even when GU goes with three guards (Carter), they still have a size in the backcourt with 6-0 Demetri Goodson, 6-5 Steven Gray and 6-4 Carter.
Few has been pretty clear that adjustments will be made on who is playing well and perhaps more importantly, who starts for the opposing team. IUPUI and Southern were speedy with wiry, athletic wings, not much inside. Beyond Gray, Harris and Sacre, Few said the rest of the roster “is pretty tight.”
“We’ve been trying to find different combinations and will continue to do that all year,” Few said.
Olynyk was strong off the bench Sunday with 13 points. He struggled early as a starter Friday.
“Definitely you’ll see at least 4-5 combinations,” Olynyk said, “depending on who is coming in here, who is playing good at the time, a lot of factors will go into it. Sometimes coming off the bench is better than starting. You’re fresh and the other guys are tired. We don’t have five guys, we have nine or 10.”
--There aren’t many 7-footers who can step out on the perimeter on capably defend guards. Sacre handled that task pretty darn well Sunday.
“We were switching every ball screen and Rob did a great job of sitting down and moving his feet and keeping people in front,” Goodson said. “He’s a freak. He’s a freak of nature. He’s 7 feet, and he can sit down and keep a point guard in front of him. That’s crazy.”
At the offensive end, Sacre and Olynyk each cashed in with early post-ups for easy points.
--The 1 p.m. start time and a less-than-full house made for a bit of a strange setting Sunday.
“For me, it was actually pretty weird,” Harris said. “I think the last time I played at 1 was back in
Added Sacre: “We knew the crowd might not have been here but we knew (IUPUI) was going to challenge us and they did challenge us. I’m proud of the guys for bringing their own energy and firing each other up.”
--Harris never quite settled into the game. He picked up three fouls (a couple 30-40 feet from the basket) in the first half, but his teammates picked him up by stretching the lead when the sophomore forward was on the bench. Harris played just 18 minutes, finishing with six points. The limited minutes probably had to do with others playing well and with an eye toward keeping him fresh for
--Gray didn’t leave the court until just over six minutes remained. At that point, Sam Dower was pushed from behind on a run-out, drawing an intentional foul on IUPUI’s Anthony Williams. Gray and Williams exchanged words (not sure you would have seen that from Steven a year or two ago) and both were hit with Ts. Gray led all players with 28 minutes in the blowout over Southern.
“He’s playing amazing right now,” Olynyk said of Gray. “Deservedly so, he works so hard. He’s been such a great leader so far.”
STATS OF NOTE
Sam Dower’s two-game totals: 27 minutes, 30 points, 12 rebounds.
Steven Gray’s two-game totals: 62 minutes, 42 points, 15 rebounds, 17 assists, 7 steals.
Marquise Carter’s two-game totals: 2-8 FG, 1-4 3pt., 4 assists, 4 turnovers
Gray’s second half vs. IUPUI: 14 minutes 4-4 FG, 1-1 3pt., 5 assists, 2 steals, 14 minutes
Goodson’s 6 assists were a career high.
IUPUI: 3 assists, 17 turnovers.
GU’s two-game totals: In paint 98-30, off turnovers 43-21, second chance 34-13, fast break 22-4, bench 99-47, rebounding 94-43.
QUOTES
Sacre on rebounding: “Coach has been harping on me and the other guys all summer. Once we lost to
Sacre on playing three games in five days: “This is like a tourney right now, like a tourney in March. We have to play hard, work hard and just have some fun.”
Few on Olynyk: “He’s pretty smart and crafty at finding the soft spots against a zone. I’ve really been after him to post harder and play bigger and early he made a couple nice seals and posted. He needs to continue doing that.”
