Zags face improved USD
SAN DIEGO – Bill Grier looked back on this season’s first San Diego-Gonzaga meeting with a mix of humor and Bud Collins.
“After we got down 15-love, second serve,” cracked Grier, referring to the Toreros falling behind 15-0 last month, “we started settling down and playing better. That gave us confidence for Portland (two days later) where we got a big emotional lift on BJ’s (Brandon Johnson’s game-winning) shot. Since then, we’ve done a nice job of coming together.”
Since then, the Toreros haven’t lost. San Diego (15-11, 8-1 West Coast Conference) is riding a seven-game winning streak and Grier, a Gonzaga assistant for 16 years before taking over the Toreros, is making a strong case for WCC coach of the year.
The hoopla around the first meeting – won by Gonzaga, 80-70 – centered on Grier’s return to Spokane. The hype around tonight’s game is the game and the considerable implications it will have on the WCC title chase and both teams’ post-season aspirations. Gonzaga (20-6, 9-1) and Saint Mary’s (22-3, 9-1) are tied for first with San Diego even in the loss column.
“They’re going to be all excited, they’re going to be playing for first place late in the league and that hasn’t happened there for a long time,” GU senior forward David Pendergraft said. “Toughness, energy and desire, that’s what it’s all about. That’s how you win on the road and hopefully we can get it done.”
San Diego hasn’t allowed anyone to score more than 62 points during its winning streak. WCC player of the year candidate Brandon Johnson, who torched the Bulldogs for 27 points and tied San Diego’s single-game steals record with seven, has seen his scoring average drop during the streak.
True freshman Rob Jones, who is averaging 11.3 points over the last seven games, has become a dependable third scoring option to Johnson (16.9) and center Gyno Pomare (14.2). True freshman Trumaine Johnson has moved into the starting lineup and alleviated some of the ball-handling and defensive burdens on Brandon Johnson.
“When you’re trying to rely on really young players, as the Zags have seen and so have we, there are ups and downs with freshmen,” Grier said. “It’s a combination of defending better than we were earlier, sharing the ball better and some of these kids have stepped up and they’re playing with confidence. Gyno didn’t play that well (nine points vs. Portland on Saturday), and yet Trumaine and Rob get 14 each.”
Brandon Johnson, though, remains the hub of the offense.
“He has a lot of freedom, he gets a lot of dribbles on some of those possessions, taking 7 or 8 dribbles to get a shot off,” Bulldogs coach Mark Few said. “The key is making him take a lot of tough shots.”
In that regard, Gonzaga is coming off a strong defensive effort against San Francisco guard Manny Quezada, who was 2 of 10 and scored just four points (10.4 below his average) in Gonzaga’s 83-63 win Saturday. Jeremy Pargo and Steven Gray are likely candidates to defend Johnson.
“You can’t literally stop a guy in a game, but you have to slow him down,” Pargo said. “They run a lot of sets for him. For him, it’s great. He knocks down shots, gets in the lane.”
San Francisco coach Eddie Sutton gave Gonzaga a slight edge in the matchup.
“We played San Diego in our first (WCC) game and we should have beaten them,” Sutton said. “They’re a lot better than they were then. I don’t think they can beat Gonzaga, but they could. That’s what makes basketball a great sport.”
Grier said San Diego will have to play “dang near perfect” to have a chance because Gonzaga “is smelling the finish line and Mark has always done an unbelievable job of pushing them and getting them to those titles.”