Beat-up Zags host revved-up Grizzlies
Gonzaga men’s basketball coach Mark Few has read and seen enough to know his Bulldogs face a significant challenge today from the Montana Grizzlies.
GU opens its season against Montana, which crushed Colorado State 75-39 on Friday, at 1 in the McCarthey Athletic Center. The Grizzlies, 17-15 and third place in the Big Sky last season, are favored to win the conference in a preseason poll of Big Sky media. Big Sky coaches picked Montana second.
“This is the year they’ve been gunning for, I think they’re probably an NCAA tournament team,” Few said Wednesday after GU’s exhibition win over Emporia State. “If you look at a lot of preseason magazines, that’s where they have them picked.
“Their inside guys are phenomenal, they know how to play and they know how to get those guys the ball. They were in Salt Lake with us two years ago and we watched them upset Nevada, really outplay them, and they gave Boston College all they could handle and it’s the same core group of guys.”
Gonzaga, meanwhile, could be short-handed.
Forward Josh Heytvelt, slowed by a foot injury throughout the preseason, had an MRI on Friday and is listed as day-to-day, according to a GU release. Heytvelt, one of 50 preseason candidates for the Naismith Trophy, practiced for the first time Tuesday in a 5-on-5 situation for roughly 15 minutes. He played 5 minutes against Emporia State.
Freshman guard Steven Gray apparently hurt his right (shooting) wrist against Emporia State. The extent of the injury wasn’t known. Gray didn’t practice Thursday.
Forward Theo Davis, who had been sidelined with an infection in his foot, left the team Thursday because of a family medical emergency. It wasn’t immediately known when Davis would return.
Guard Matt Bouldin, who suffered a sprained ankle in Wednesday’s game, is expected to play, according to Gonzaga’s release, but it seems unlikely he’ll be at full strength.
Attempts to contact Few on Friday and Saturday were unsuccessful.
Notes
Montana second-year head coach Wayne Tinkle is a 1984 Ferris High graduate and junior guard Greg Spurgetis is a product of Lewis and Clark High, where he earned All-GSL honors. … Gonzaga has won three straight season openers since falling to Saint Joseph’s to tip off the 2003-04 season. Few is 6-2 in openers, including a 76-61 victory over Montana in 1999 that marked his first win as GU’s head coach.
Saturday’s games
(5) Georgetown 68, William & Mary 53: At Washington, after unveiling a banner commemorating last season’s Final Four appearance, the Hoyas (1-0) and their star center started slowly before Roy Hibbert came alive to finish with 23 points and eight rebounds in a victory over the Tribe (0-1).
(11) Marquette 76, IUPUI 68: At Milwaukee, Jerel McNeal scored 20 points to lead the Golden Eagles to a victory over the Jaguars in the season opener for both teams.
(12) Oregon 100, Pepperdine 70: At Eugene, Ore., Bryce Taylor, Tajuan Porter and Malik Hairston each scored 17 points to lead the Ducks (1-0) to a win over the Waves (0-1) in the World Vision International tournament.
Mercer 96, (18) USC 81: At Los Angeles, James Florence scored 30 points and the tiny Bears (1-0) stunned the Trojans (0-1), spoiling the college debut of O.J. Mayo.
(22) Pittsburgh 88, North Carolina A&T 61: At Pittsburgh, Sam Young proved too much for the Aggies (0-2) to handle outside or inside and the Panthers (2-0) romped to their second victory in as many days.
(23) Stanford 97, Northwestern St 58: At Stanford, Calif., Lawrence Hill and Drew Shiller each scored 15 points and the Cardinal (2-0) routed the Demons (0-2) in the Basketball Travelers Classic.