Gonzaga to celebrate seniors

There will be a decidedly different feeling to Senior Night at Gonzaga University this evening.

With GU’s McCarthey Athletic Center playing host to the 2006 West Coast Conference Tournament that starts Friday, tonight’s regular-season finale against San Francisco will not – as it has in the past – mark the final home-court appearance for the seniors on the roster.

Still, a ceremony has been planned prior to the six o’clock tip to honor the five members of this year’s senior class.

And even though the fifth-ranked Zags (24-3 overall, 13-0 in the WCC) still have a chance to finish a perfect 14-0 against league foes, coach Mark Few said he is leaning toward starting an all-senior lineup.

“We’ve always done it in the past,” he said.

In this case, such a lineup would include walk-ons Colin Floyd and Stephen Gentry, along with Texas Tech transfer Nathan Doudney, whose contributions in two seasons with the Zags have been severely limited by the devastating knee injury he suffered early last season in a 54-52 road win over Washington State.

Those three would join starting center J.P. Batista and backup shooting guard Erroll Knight in a makeshift lineup that would not appear to match up well against a quick and athletic USF team (11-15, 7-6) that still has a chance to grab a share of second place in the WCC standings.

But it would seem just reward for another loyal group of seniors that has been a bit star-crossed.

Knight, who transferred to GU four years ago after spending his freshman season as a part-time starter at Washington, has also been haunted by injuries.

And Floyd and Gentry simply never had a chance to earn a scholarship – or meaningful minutes, for that matter – as Few continued throughout their five-year stays to upgrade the caliber of his recruits.

Of the seniors who will be honored tonight, only Batista, a junior college transfer, has been a consistent contributor, having started 44 of 56 games in his two seasons with the Bulldogs.

The 6-foot-9, 269-pound Brazilian is averaging 19.6 points and a team-high 9.3 rebounds this year and has been labeled by Few as one of his favorite recruits.

“He’s been a gift,” Few said of Batista, who helped plug a huge hole next to Ronny Turiaf on the Zags’ front line last season. “Relative to the time and position our program was at, he’s probably the most important recruit we’ve ever had.

“He allowed us to not drop off. And it’s been a great fit for J.P., as well. It’s great to see when it works like that for both parties.”

As for his other seniors, Few admits it’s been more about their character and loyalty than the numbers they’ve put up.

“It’s more about off-the-court stuff and what they bring – life-long loyalty and always putting the program first and their personal injury disappointments second,” he explained. “And they’re still contributing every day. They compete and battle every day against our other guys.”

Neither Knight nor Doudney seem bitter about the injury riddled paths their careers have taken.

“It’s sports. Injuries happen,” said Knight, who has battled finger, knee and ankle problems but seems as healthy has he has been in some time heading into post-season play. “As long as I’m here, up walking and healthy, I’m fine. I’m playing Division-I basketball. You can’t ask for much more than that.”

Doudney arrived with a reputation as a deadly outside shooter. But after redshirting during the 2003-04 season, he shredded the ligaments in his left knee just seven games into his junior season. And the brace he has worn this season has limited his mobility and made him a liability on defense.

“The focal point of my career here, I guess, will be the knee injury,” said the 6-4 shooting guard, who has played only 45 minutes this year. “But part of life involves dealing with adversity, and I’ve had to do that.”

Still, Doudney insists there is little he would change about his time at GU.

“I guess I wouldn’t have gone down to Washington State that night,” he laughed. “But I can’t really control the outcome of how the knee thing worked. Ultimately, I may want to coach, and I’ve been on the sidelines plenty to see what goes on there.”

Not surprisingly, all five of the Bulldogs’ seniors expect tonight’s Senior Night ceremonies to be emotional, even though it won’t include the same sense of finality as those of past seasons.

“It’s always something special, because you only do it once,” said Knight, who has ushered out four senior classes during his stay. “I’ve definitely seen a lot of great players come and go since I’ve been here … and they’ve all helped me understand what it means to be a Zag.

“Those guys showed me the way, and if I had one thing to say to someone else who goes through it, it would be to cherish every game and every hour. The year’s gone by so fast, it’s mind-boggling.”