Gonzaga and Michigan State are less than an hour from tipping off at the MAC. I had some kids' duties earlier today, so I haven't been able to post ex-Zag Jeremy Pargo signing with Memphis and former Zag Ronny Turiaf being traded to Washington.

GU-MSU in-game updates at twitter.com/srjimm.

About an hour to tip-off here at Assembly Hall, a dandy circular facility with 16,618 seats (all seat-backs). GU assistant coach Ray Giacoletti has been a popular man, doing radio interviews and greeting folks courtside. He grew up in Peoria, about 90 miles down the road, and his wife, Kim, has family in nearby Bloomington. Giacoletti expects to have 15-20 close friends and family here to watch.

Ex-Zag Jeremy Pargo is also expected attend the game.

Head over to twitter.com/srjimm for in-game updates.

We conclude the last of our five-part series on collegians from our area who are playing professionally overseas with former Zag Jeremy Pargo. He's played in Israel the last two years and he's headed back in about a month. Pargo was his customary candid self in a 30-minute phone interview.

Here's my feature on Pargo that will run in Sunday's S-R. We'll also have a list of former Zags, their whereabouts and their most recent stats in tomorrow's paper.

Meanwhile, the GU-Western Michigan game will be the annual Ronald McDonald House Charities Classic. Ticket info here.

The student section is filling up — they’re directly across the court from Gonzaga’s bench — at the Chiles Center and there’s a much bigger turnout than I remember seeing a year ago. They’re receiving their instructions from a young man in purple body paint with a ‘P’ on his chest that I recognize from last year’s game. He’s shouting out instructions such as “Ira Brown was born in 1982” and they’re chanting “HEY” everytime a Pilot makes a shot in warmups.  

Anyway, the finalists were released for the Bob Cousy Award, symbolic of the top point guard in the country. Gonzaga senior guard Jeremy Pargo is one of 17 finalists. He’s joined on the list by Saint Mary’s sophomore Patty Mills. More here and here..

Stuck in Seattle because of the latest round of storms, so we’ll get the day after Connecticut post up.