Back with some leftovers from media day, but these are the good kind (like Thanksgiving). Actually my notebook in today's paper ran so long with items on the schedule and 3-point defense that I couldn't fit in these two.

So read on for Kelly Olynyk's early season struggles and a note on Finals Week.

--Sophomore forward Kelly Olynyk added 20-plus pounds and was coming off a nice summer contributing to the Canadian national team at the FIBA World Championships. Some pegged him as the Zag most likely to have a breakout season, but Olynyk is off to a fairly slow start, even though his numbers have nearly doubled since last season.

Olynyk averaged 12.3 minutes, 3.8 points and 2.7 rebounds as a true freshman last season. He’s at 16.4 minutes, 6.6 points and 5.1 rebounds this year.

“I’m not particularly happy with the way it’s gone,” Olynyk said. “I think it could always go better and I could be playing way better. You just have to keep playing and do what you do. You want to change to get better, but you don’t want to change your whole outlook and philosophy. I just have to keep working.”

Olynyk started the season with 10 points versus Southern and 13 against IUPUI, but he hasn’t reached double figures since. He was scoreless for the first time this season in 11 minutes against Notre Dame.

Olynyk’s shooting percentages are up across the board (56.1% FG, 33.3% 3-pointers, 68.8% FT, compared to last year’s 50%, 22.2% and 59.6%). Unfortunately, so are his turnovers (17, compared with 21 for the 2009-10 season).

“I need to be way more aggressive, get more touches and look to attack more,” Olynyk said. “And then play my game, get on the glass and do the things I can do to help the team win.”

Coach Mark Few agreed Olynyk needs to be more aggressive, but he added “it’s more than that.

“It’s about doing the fundamental things that are going to help you be a really good player. And that starts with getting in a (defensive) stance, as simple as that, and staying on balance defensively and offensively, especially with a bigger kid like him that’s not a great athlete. You have to really make sure you’re down in a stance and in a good position.

“He’s having a problem with that, and in order to react he’s not in a position to really react. It starts with that and it starts with sticking with our plan defensively and not deterring from that. And we need to do a better job of finding maybe where he can be successful on offense. In turn, he needs to be more comfortable in the post. He’s 7-feet tall. Right now, you have to have more than just face-up. He’s starting to really work on that and we need to find ways to put him in positions to be successful.”

--Gonzaga has had a number of tests on the court. Now, the players are going through a bunch more in the classroom. It’s Finals Week at GU.

Center Rob Sacre was smiling at Tuesday’s practice because he was done with finals. Olynyk had one Tuesday morning and three more Wednesday. Guard Demetri Goodson had a final Wednesday.

“I’ve been done since 7 o’clock Monday night!” Sacre said.

It’s one of the tougher weeks of the academic year for the players, made tougher this season by Gonzaga’s trip to Notre Dame on Saturday night. This week players are squeezing in practices and taking exams, with an eye toward games tonight vs. LCSC and Saturday’s biggie vs. No. 9 Baylor in Dallas.

“It’s all about being a student-athlete,” said Sacre, who is in his fourth year at Gonzaga (redshirted one season with broken foot). “We came here to go to school first and play basketball second. It gets much easier. You know how to manage your time better the older you get. And you develop skills on how to handle the stress level.”

Goodson said there was study table for about two hours at the team hotel in South Bend.

“It’s kind of routine now,” Goodson said