Bulldogs kick off December gantlet
PHOENIX – The Gonzaga Bulldogs kick off perhaps the most difficult December in the history of their men’s basketball program today at noon when they take on the young, but considerably talented, Texas Longhorns in the opening game of the inaugural Hall of Fame Challenge doubleheader at the U.S. Airways Center.
The 22nd-ranked Zags (7-1) come in off a lackluster 69-51 non-conference home win over Portland State Thursday night, hoping to rediscover the energy and unselfish approach that served them so well in New York’s Madison Square Garden last week, when they dusted off an equally inexperienced – albeit No. 2-ranked – North Carolina team in the semifinals of the NIT Season Tip-Off.
Texas (5-1) is expected to start four freshmen and a sophomore in today’s game, which will be followed by a matchup between Illinois and Arizona.
But GU coach Mark Few knows more than to read too much into the Longhorns’ glaring lack of experience, noting that UT coach Rick Barnes assembled one of the top recruiting classes in the country after losing his top six players from last year’s 30-7 team, which tied for first place in the Big 12 Conference and advanced to the Elite Eight of the NCAA tournament before losing to Louisiana State 70-60 in overtime.
“Rick has done a great job at Texas,” Few said. “Not only has he recruited incredibly well, but the style of play he has implemented, and the way he has developed their players, has been amazing.
“I know they’re young, and (Barnes) has been playing that card hard. But they’re really, really, really talented.”
Among Few’s foremost concerns are the Longhorns’ freshman forward Kevin Durant, a 6-foot-9 budding superstar, who is averaging 22.3 points, 9.5 rebounds and 2.7 blocks per game, and sophomore shooting guard A.J. Abrams, who is averaging 19.7 points per game.
Few said Durant, who was the MVP of last year’s McDonald’s All-American game and the No. 2-ranked recruit in the nation, might be the “best talent” we face this year.
“You have to be impressed by how hard he works,” Few said. “You can really see his game coming to fruition.
“And Abrams is another guy who is at the top of our scouting list.”
Barnes, in his ninth year at Texas, admits this season has been somewhat of an adventure.
“We lost our whole team from last year,” he said. “We basically had to start all over. Obviously, we’re continuing to grow, but this has been a fun group to coach.”
Barnes seems as impressed with Durant as Few, saying, “Obviously, when you watch him play, he’s got unbelievable talent – a 6-9 kid with a 7-4 or 7-5 wingspan,” he said. “And the game is starting to slow down for him.
“He’s special. You don’t get them like that very often.”
When asked about Durant’s future in the Texas program, Barnes added, “I don’t think he’ll be here for four years. I don’t know if he’ll be here after one year.”
Barnes said this year’s UT team, which features a three-guard offense, has a much different character than those of the immediate past.
“We’re a totally different team,” he explained. “Last year, we were more of a strong, power team. This year, I don’t think power fits anywhere in the equation.”
As for his take on Gonzaga, Barnes said, “We do some of the same things. We love the wide-open style of play, and we both want to play as fast as we can. Mark has done a great job with his team, and he’s already told us he’s going to beat us by 30.”
To which Few replied, “Isn’t he amazing?”