We’re not all basketball today, though that’s mostly it
A GRIP ON SPORTS • If you expected anything else other than college basketball news today, you will be, well, satisfied. Believe it or not, during the best college hoop week of the year, there was other news worth passing along. Read on.
••••••••••
• A lot? No. There was the surprising announcement yesterday out of San Francisco in which one of the 49ers' up-and-coming linebackers, Chris Borland, decided to retire at the young age of 24, citing health concerns. And there is a Mariners' story or two, but otherwise, it's all about the hoop. Men's hoop and, with last night's selection show, women's hoop as well. When Gonzaga's name came up on the board, headed to Corvallis as an 11 seed, it was a bit shocking. Not just to me, but to the Gonzaga coaching staff as well. The way the season ended (three losses in the final five games), it didn't look good for the Zags. But here they are, headed to the big dance again, just two upsets away from returning to Spokane next weekend for regional play. And how ironic GU wing Elle Tinkle is going home, in the sense her dad, Wayne, is the Oregon State men's coach, though he only took that job this year and home for Elle would really be Missoula. The only bummer for Gonzaga? The game is Friday afternoon, the same day as the men play in Seattle that night, making it impossible for a GU fan to see both games live. Those without a private jet I mean.
• One of the more interesting aspects of the NCAA tournament is how the sport ends up being cross-seeded around the country. For example, in today's Washington Post, the newspaper of record in our nation's capital, has a story today on Tyler Harvey, who plays his basketball in far-off Cheney, Washington. How often does the Post do a story about something in Cheney? Well, how long ago was Tom Foley the Speaker of the House? That's my guess. ... By the way, UC Irvine is excited – in a typical, can't-it-wait-until-finals-are-over Irvine-sort-of-way – to be in the tournament.
•••
• WSU: After the women's NCAA field was announced, and Washington State was not included, despite wins over four NCAA-bound schools, including a No. 1 seed, Maryland (on the road), there was a bit of a wait until the Cougars' inclusion in the WNIT field. But they are in and will host Eastern Washington on Wednesday.
• Gonzaga: There are quite a few stories, of course, from John Blanchette's column covering some of the ground we explored last week – the lack of satisfaction with Gonzaga's 17 consecutive tournament berths – to Jim Meehan's look at North Dakota State (pictured). There was off-the-court news as well, with GU getting a commitment from a 2016 player, which Jim outlines in this story and blog post. ... The women's berth is also in the news, with Tom Clouse writing this story about their postseason. There is also this piece in the Register-Guard, though there is a mistake near the bottom concerning Tinkle. ... The Gonzaga baseball team lost a rain-delayed series finale yesterday. ... BYU's men and women are in the tournament, with the men playing tonight and the women, WCC tournament champions, receiving a low seed. ... Wants some tips filling out your bracket? ... Finally, some sad news. Former Gonzaga assistant Billy Grier was fired yesterday by USD, which is already looking for a replacement.
• EWU: Georgetown has a lot of size, including former UCLA post Josh Smith. But the Eagles will counter with quickness, according to Jim Allen's story in today's S-R. That's their formula for an upset. ... The Eagles were not only discovered in D.C., they were also covered in the Puget Sound, which doesn't happen often. There are a couple of columns expressing surprise that Spokane County is the state's current hotbed of college hoops. However, it is Seattle hosting the NCAA first round this year. ... To get to this spot, the Eagles needed some surprise contributions. ... Both schools are mentioned in this ESPN article on hot-shooting teams. ... No one around here has much of a problem with the NCAA selection committee's work, but some do, including this famous writer.
• Chiefs: Tri-City is going to need some help to make the playoffs.
• Seahawks: Borland's announcement was met with a discussion about football's future, but most Hawk fans probably wondered how it would hurt the 49ers' defense. That being said, it seems everyone had an opinion on a 24-year-old giving up the game. ... The second, not-the-stars, phase of free agency is upon us and those signings take a bit longer. The Hawks are visiting with a lot of players all the while still working to sign their own to extensions.
• Mariners: No exhibition game yesterday, which made it a good day to catch up on the statistics. ... It was also a day to look at players trying to make the team and others trying to improve. ... The M's will be in Los Angeles in mid-April and will play the Dodgers in a spotlighted game.
• Sounders: The big news yesterday wasn't on the field but about the field. The Sounders agreed to an extension with the fine folks who run CenturyLink Stadium – though I'm sure by the time the new agreement runs out in 2028 it won't be called CenturyLink. The new lease calls for new turf to be installed every four years, minimum, among other things.
•••
• Hey, it's St. Patrick's Day. When I was a boy, attending a Catholic grammar school populated by a lot of folks from Irish descent, it was a really big deal. Pity the poor fool who didn't have some sort of green accouterment on their brown and white uniform. It was ugly if you didn't, as in possibly bruises and, even worse for a grade school boy, a Dick Vitale-like kiss from a girl who was six inches taller than you. That's how the girls acted at St. Rita's, circa 1964. Until later ...
