A GRIP ON SPORTS • Social media was all atwitter yesterday afternoon with news Gonzaga's Kyle Wiltjer was contemplating leaving school to turn professional. Most comments focused on how the decision could affect the Bulldogs next season. Who really cares? It's more important to focus on how the decision could affect Kyle Wiltjer. That's what really matters. Read on.

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• Years and years ago, my father gave me some advice on how to make crucial, life-altering decisions. Make a list all the pros and cons – pros on one side, cons on the other – and continue writing until you can't think of any more. I'm sure you've received the same type advice in the past as well, because the process isn't one of those secrets handed down from Sicilian fathers to their sons over generations or anything. But there is a little trick to the procedure. The length of the lists shouldn't be the deciding factor. In other words, if there is two pros and 17 cons, the answer isn't necessarily no. The two may just outweigh the 17. It all depends on what your priorities, and goals, are. Take Wiltjer – or anyone in his shoes – for example. If he is tired of school, then one of the pros – I never have to get up for an 8 a.m. class again – may outweigh six or seven cons. Or one pro – I will get paid to play – may be more important than all the other factors combined. Then again, certain cons – I won't see (fill in name of friend here) for more than six months – may have more significance than anything on the pro side. It all depends on priorities. And everyone's are different. And we all believe ours are the right ones. It's pretty simple if you are a slam-dunk NBA prospect, if the league is telling you there is a 98-percent chance you'll be a first-round draft pick. Then the decision gets easier. But Wiltjer isn’t one of those guys. He has some real positives in his game but some huge, easy to see (and pick apart) weaknesses as well. Players with those attributes usually fall out of the draft. It's happened a thousand times before. So leaving a year of eligibility on the table, a year in which you might actually improve your stock with professional franchises, becomes a bit tougher. As does the decision. So put yourself in Kyle Wiltjer's shoes this morning. I'm guessing each and every one of you reading this would have different priorities on your pro/con list. It would be nothing more than a mental exercise for you or me, but even so, if we're honest, it is a tough call. So think how tough it must be for Wiltjer. Then add in the outside influences, everyone giving him advice on what's best for his future, some with his best interests at heart, others with only their own. As he contemplates the most important decision of his life thus far, he's probably being pulled in more different directions than Stretch Armstrong. I may envy his long-range shooting. I may envy his height. But I certainly don't envy this decision. 

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• WSU: Jacob Thorpe held a live chat yesterday and received plenty of questions. You can see about the final half of them here. ... Klay Thompson had another of "those" games last night.

• Gonzaga: Of course Jim Meehan has a story on the Wiltjer reports. You wouldn't expect anything else. ... Gonzaga isn't the only WCC school with players making decisions on their future. BYU expects to have everyone back, though one never knows. ... There are a lot of transfers out there and three good ones have Gonzaga on their list.

• EWU: And, of course, Jim Allen has another chapter in his continuing series on Eastern football this spring. Today Jim covers the tight ends.

• Preps: Spring break is over and GSL baseball teams return to action today, weather permitting. Tom Clouse has a look at the race near the halfway point. ... Jim Allen also looks at the soccer standings.

• Seahawks: The Hawks must make a decision in the next couple weeks. A big decision. I wonder if they have a pro/con list concerning Bruce Irvin and his contract? ... Don't worry. Russell Wilson isn't really going to play baseball.

• Mariners: That one hurts. The M's hit four home runs last night, led 5-1 at one point and lost, 6-5 in 10 innings to the Dodgers in Los Angeles. That makes three consecutive extra-inning games. ... All the free baseball is taxing the M's bullpen, as is a freak injury to Tom Wilhelmsen, who is on the disabled list.

• Sounders: The Sounders thought they played well in their loss at Los Angeles. If they did, why didn't they win? ... Brad Evans will be playing with the national team tomorrow night.

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• As I said yesterday, I am on the radio every day this week. That's means I'm back today with Dennis Patchin and Rick Lukens on 700 ESPN. We start at 3 p.m. and end at 6. You can listen here if you want. Until then ...

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