GU: Nothing easy about WCC grind
With Gonzaga a few days away from its conference opener against Portland, I put together a look at the WCC for the debut of the Four Corners page that will run every Thursday in the S-R.
Gonzaga has won 10 straight WCC titles, tied for the second longest streak in NCAA history behind UCLA's 13-year run (1967-79), but the Zags don't expect an easy path to No. 11.
Read on for more.
First, a glance at Portland, GU's opponent Saturday
GONZAGA BULLDOGS
RECORD: 10-5 overall, 0-0 WCC
COMING UP: Saturday vs.
OUTLOOK: Many expected
Now, the article...
The Gonzaga Bulldogs have almost made it look easy at times while winning 10 straight West Coast Conference basketball titles, perhaps adding to the national perception that the conference slate is essentially the softball portion of their front-loaded schedules.
That’s not the message veteran GU players are passing on to the newcomers about to embark on their first trek through the WCC.
“We’re not going to see the ranked teams we’ve been seeing, the athleticism across the board we’ve been seeing, but these games are the hardest games we’ve played all year,” senior guard Steven Gray said. “We let them know that when a team walks in here they want to beat us more than most teams. When we go on the road, their crowds are going to be into it and they’ll play better than they’ve played all year.”
That goes with the territory for Gonzaga, which again carries the label of favorite as it opens WCC play against visiting Portland on Saturday. The Bulldogs (10-5) have responded to a three-game losing streak in early December with six consecutive wins.
“I knew they’d be fine,” Portland coach Eric Reveno said. “It’s a process and they’re willing to risk taking some losses as part of that process. They’ve proven they’re all about what they can do in the post-season and where they’re at at the end of the year.”
Saint Mary’s, Portland and Loyola Marymount appear to be GU’s primary challengers. The Gaels (12-2) have finished tied or solo second six of the last seven years. Portland (12-3) has been in the hunt the last two seasons. The Pilots are No. 37, Saint Mary’s 41 and Gonzaga 44, according to collegerpi.com.
LMU (7-7) has a chance to send an early message when it entertains Saint Mary’s tonight.
“Saint Mary’s has all those guards back that lit us up,” Bulldogs coach Mark Few said. “They’re great passers, shooters, decision makers. They’re kind of similar to what they’ve had – good inside guys and deadly shooters on the perimeter. (Loyola’s Drew) Viney and (Vernon) Teel are as good of players as there is in the league. They’ve been banged up inside, but it sounds like they’re getting healthier.”
Few called Portland a “very legitimate threat” in the WCC race.
Fully staffed
For one of the rare times this season, the Bulldogs had every available player participate at practice. After early-season stretches with Elias Harris limited by shoulder/Achilles’ problems and Steven Gray’s recent bout with back spasms, GU had 12 players at Tuesday’s practice, as well as three walk-ons who weren’t around over the holiday break.
“No more eight guys in a drill, 4 on 4s and 3 on 3s,” Few said.
Freshman forward Mathis Mönninghoff returned from a two-game absence due to tendonitis in the back of his ankle. He said his ankle is improving every day, but he’s not quite full speed.
Gray seemed to return to form against Wake Forest, though he opted for a layup over a dunk on a first-half breakaway.
“I was out of gas when I reached the other end of the court,” he said. “My legs were just like Jell-o. I went up and thought, ‘Nope, I’m not going to get up there.’ ”
