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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

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Olynyk changes body, game

Gonzaga's Kelly Olynyk dunks home two of his team-high 31 points. The junior also had eight rebounds. (Colin Mulvany)
Gonzaga's Kelly Olynyk dunks home two of his team-high 31 points. The junior also had eight rebounds. (Colin Mulvany)

I've only covered Gonzaga for five years, but I've followed the Bulldogs to some degree since the late 1990s. I can't think of a Zag that has changed his body or his game more than junior forward Kelly Olynyk. Gone is the skinny, perimeter oriented 7-footer, replaced by a sturdy, confident player who can score inside and outside. The marked change has put Olynyk squarely on NBA mock draft boards.

I wanted to know more about Olynyk's training regimen so I visited with men's basketball strength coach Travis Knight, who came up with an assortment of drills and exercises, beyond the customary weight-lifting, to help bring out the best in Olynyk during his redshirt year last season. The results speak for themselves.

Here's a link to my Olynyk feature that will run in Thursday's S-R.

By the way, it's been an entertaining night of college basketball. Watched some of WSU's win and Boise State's loss. As of this post, BYU, which led by 16 early, is up 63-62 on Saint Mary's with 3:17 left and San Diego is down 35-30 to LMU.



Jim Meehan
Jim Meehan joined The Spokesman-Review in 1990. Jim is currently a reporter for the Sports Desk and covers Gonzaga University basketball, Spokane Empire football, college volleyball and golf.

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