Grip on Sports: There have been few college basketball teams more efficient scoring than this year’s Gonzaga squad
A GRIP ON SPORTS • Show me 100 college basketball fans and I’ll show you 98 who love offense. It’s pretty much the same in every sport. And it’s why everyone loves the Zags, right? Read on.
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• Someone made up a Rui Hachimura quote yesterday, dressed it up with a picture of him talking with Sam Adams and Richard Fox after a game, and posted it all over social media.
It proved the old quote attributed to Mark Twain about lies traveling faster than the truth, as Twitter and such exploded with anti-Gonzaga anger. But then again, anything that allows many of college basketball’s blue-blooded fans to denigrate Gonzaga is going to explode around the Internet.
Which is odd, considering the Zags play a brand of basketball to which every great program aspires. The Bulldogs can score. A lot.
There is a term in hoops, hard to guard. It’s a compliment. And a quandary for opponents. Everyone Mark Few puts on the court is hard to guard.
As is his scheme.
The combination makes the Zags the most efficient offensive group in the NCAA this season, and one of the most efficient of all time.
That’s the thrust of Jim Meehan’s story this morning in the S-R, in which he speaks with Gonzaga assistant Tommy Lloyd about this team’s place in the program’s history, one that has been filled with hard-to-guard teams.
Even Lloyd, who has seen or been a part of most every one of Few’s best offensive groups, admits this year’s team is something special in that regard. The numbers, which Jim notes throughout his piece, back him up.
In this case, another quote attributed to Twain – “there are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies and statistics” – isn’t true.
• With the Super Bowl just days away, I was wondering if the way the AFC and NFC title games ended is still tainting your enjoyment of the run up?
It’s pretty obvious neither game was adjudicated correctly, with New Orleans being robbed by a game-deciding non-call and New England the beneficiary of a phantom roughing the passer play that led to a key score.
But has the anger, or frustration, rubbed off yet? And will it taint Sunday’s game?
I’m still frustrated with how the Patriots won and angry about the Saints’ loss. And yes, I’m not all excited about the Super Bowl because of those feelings. Then again, I’m usually not all that excited about the Super Bowl. It’s too often an over-produced TV show with terrible dialogue and a bloated script. But it is a great reason to hold a party, so there is that.
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Gonzaga: As we mentioned above, Jim has his story on GU’s offense success this season. … Around the WCC, Jesse Wade, who transferred to BYU this offseason, loved his time at Gonzaga. If you are a GU fan, this story is not to be missed.
WSU: UCLA is in Pullman tonight, a place where the Cougars have played much better. Theo Lawson has a preview of the conference matchup. … Theo also spoke with Larry Weir about Gardner Minshew and the Senior Bowl in this edition of the Press Box pod. … The Bruins have been as up-and-down as any team in the conference. … Elsewhere in the Pac-12, it’s a busy Wednesday night in the conference, with all eyes on Seattle. The Huskies, still undefeated in conference play and earning comparisons to one of their all-time best teams, host USC, which has won three consecutive games and feature Seattle-born freshman, Kevin Porter. … Utah and Colorado host Oregon and Oregon State this weekend. It should show us which of those teams will stay in the race. … Is Arizona an NCAA Tournament team? Sean Miller doesn’t think so. … In football, USC is always in the news. … Will Las Vegas beckon for football?
EWU: The Eagles are well represented at this year’s Super Bowl, mainly because the Rams seem to have a pipeline to Cheney. Dan Thompson has a story about former EWU player Aaron Neary, a Los Angeles practice squad offensive lineman. There is also this Oregonian story on linebacker Samson Ebukam.
Whitworth: The 10th-ranked Pirates just can’t seem to get past No. 3 Whitman this season. They lost 110-98 in Walla Walla last night. By the way, Whitman is undefeated in conference play, so no one in the NWC has been able to get past the Blues this year either.
Preps: It’s not often sports stories restore a little of our faith in humanity, but this one by Dave Nichols does. It’s about Bonners Ferry’s senior night and so much more. … There was your usual Tuesday night basketball action, and we can pass along a GSL girls and a GSL boys roundup, as well as roundups from boys and girls play in the area.
Mariners: Edgar Martinez met the Seattle media yesterday to talk about his election to baseball’s Hall of Fame. As can be expected, it went well.
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• Is it Wednesday already? My goodness, this week is going quickly. It is also nearly February, which means, before you know it, the grass will need to be mowed and weeds pulled. Winter is going. Until later …