DAVE BOLING

“I saw the opportunity for (Dan Monson) to come back here and do something special, like he did at Gonzaga,” Frahm said. “This Eastern opportunity with Mons sparks that same kind of competitiveness in me.”

Of the millions of words in ether and print that analyzed, lamented or derided the Zags’ competitive sag, we may pinpoint the four most incisive and relevant words, voiced by coach Mark Few.

SEATTLE – Okay, I’ll take the blame for this.

PARADISE ISLAND, Bahamas – Oklahoma had just beaten Louisville for the title of the Battle 4 Atlantis men’s basketball tournament on Friday evening.

PARADISE ISLAND, Bahamas – In the end, they didn’t win the Battle 4 Atlantis.

PARADISE ISLAND, Bahamas – Gonzaga’s multiple mascot names can be a little confusing. And it seems they carry a little different connotation.

PARADISE ISLAND, Bahamas – Such high-profile early season games are teaching and learning experiences. Buff and polish the good, find and fix the flaws.

This season, the Zags have a roster loaded with diverse and specific skills, who might come down the floor in any game and give the opponent nightmares.

Some three decades ago, Quentin Hall was a young Bahamian guard who turned out to be a gem that would play a key role in establishing the foundation for the basketball phenomenon that Gonzaga would become. And the coach that recruited him – Mark Few – would become the winningest active coach in college basketball.

One week into the season is far too soon for sweeping talent assessments, you say?

This group of Zags has seen everything, done everything, and played against just about everybody. The eight-deep features a nice mix of four guards and four bigs, and looks as talented as any of the Zag predecessors. Play big, play small, play fast. Whatever.