Zags have already tasted some success
A GRIP ON SPORTS
It's not easy putting a team together from what basically is scratch. Taking less than a handful of returning players and using them as the base, mixing in new faces in the starting lineup and off the bench. It's not the usual recipe for success. But Mark Few and the Zags seem to be cooking already. Read on.
• You may have guessed I'm a bit hungry this morning. My appetite was whetted last night as I watched the second half of the Gonzaga game from the comfort of my Laz-E-Boy. All week long I wondered how this new-look GU squad, purportedly the deepest in Few's long tenure, would meld together. The Sacramento State game? An appetizer. SMU would be the main course, the real deal. The Mustangs have excellent coaching (Larry Brown is among the short list of best coaches in the game's history), talented players and a ranking that is hard to dismiss. But the Zags did. Dismiss them I mean. Or kicked their butt, if you prefer. It wasn't that close. Look, there are a couple key indicators of a team that has "come together:" How they share the ball and how they help each other on the defense end. Gonzaga had 20 assists on 27 baskets. That seems to indicate the Zags were sharing the ball. But the eye test also came up with the same result, as there were more than a few possessions in which all five Gonzaga players touched the ball before a shot went up. The help aspect of the defense is a little harder to quantify – and identify, as Gonzaga played a lot of zone in the second half. But that zone harried the Mustangs into 24.2 percent shooting after intermission. Is that good? Of course it is. Yes, it is awful early in the season. But that also makes how together the Zags are playing pretty remarkable, considering four of the top seven guys in the rotation never played a minute for GU last season. A bulk of the credit has to go to Few and his coaching staff. But some of it has to go to Kevin Pangos as well. With David Stockton gone, Pangos is now running the offense – and defense – most of the time. He's the guy getting GU into its sets, he's the guy setting the unselfish tone and he's the guy who will be handling the ball when the Bulldogs need a big shot. It may not be him taking it, but he'll be charged with making sure the right guy does, at the right time and from the right spot. In other words, he's the head chef in Few's kitchen. It must be nice for Few to know he's got the right guy in that spot. And everyone else, after two games, seems to be in the right spots as well.
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• WSU: Washington State's road trip to Texas was more roadkill than roadhouse, as the Cougars were flattened by TCU last night, 81-54. We have a game story for you and Jacob Thorpe has a blog post. ... Jacob wasn't on the trip, however, so he's able to pass along a football practice report from last night, a transcript of Mike Leach's press conference, some news on Vince Mayle that was released yesterday and a morning post with links. He also has his first look at the Arizona State game as well as a story on the competition for starting spots. ... There is a nice mix of key games and rivalries this weekend in the Pac-12.
• Gonzaga: As per usual, we have you covered on the Zags, with Jim Meehan writing the game story and a blog post, John Blanchette taking care of the commentary with this column and Jesse Tinsley supplying the photographs. ... While Gonzaga was facing a nationally ranked team, its expected WCC competition was prepping for Arkansas-Little Rock (BYU) or facing New Mexico State (St. Mary's).
• EWU: The Eagles have also opened their season 2-0 with two home wins, the second of which came last night against Utah Valley State, an NIT participant last season. Jim Allen has the story of Eastern's 75-50 victory. ... EWU heads to Portland for a key Friday night football game this week. A win and the Eagles are the Big Sky champion, earn the automatic berth to the NCAA tournament and, more than likely, clinch a first-round bye. Jim has an advance of the game, kicking off his week of coverage.
• Idaho: The Vandals came from behind late and got past South Dakota State 82-77 last night in Moscow. ... The Vandal women picked up their first win of the season. ... The NCAA's first- and second-round games – the organization announced yesterday it was going back to those labels in 2016 – will be hosted by Idaho next year in the Spokane Arena.
• Chiefs: No Spokane news but we did find a notebook out of Everett to pass along.
• Seahawks: So is there a problem with Marshawn Lynch, as some seem to be alluding to, or is it just the typical Lynch being Lynch? I guess you'll have to decide yourself because the information isn't complete. Pete Carroll isn't really saying either. ... We do know, however, Max Unger will be out of the lineup for a while. That's not good. He means a lot to the offensive line and to the team. ... Before we move ahead to the Cardinals, who are in town Sunday, we can pass along the grades from the Chiefs game. ... The Hawks are going to sign someone this week, that will happen. Who it will be, we don't know yet. ... The DEA visits just strike me as a bit odd, whether or not anything comes out of it.
• Mariners: The M's added another Cuban left-hander to their system. ... The Rule 5 draft is coming up, so the M's, and every major league team, has to make some roster decisions.
• Sounders: At the end of last season, Sounders ownership had to make a decision: fire coach Sigi Schmid or revamp the roster. Schmid is still in Seattle. And he believes the right decision was made. Of course he does. ... Up this week: the beginning of the conference finals.
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• Another day in the dentist's chair, finishing up my root canal. After I'm done this morning, my teeth will never hurt again. Never. I've been promised that. At least I think I have. Until later ...
