Grip on Sports: Gonzaga, Arizona make this area the capitol of college hoops tonight
A GRIP ON SPORTS • This is an area filled with pride due to its four seasons. Four? Heck, there are many more. There’s duck season (also known as rabbit season if you’re Daffy). There’s a lengthy and deep pothole season. And yesterday marked the official start of my bete noire, mud season. Luckily, it’s still basketball season as well. Read on.
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• And what a basketball season it is. Did you know the No. 1- and No. 5-ranked college teams in the nation both spent the night in Spokane?
You know about the top-ranked team. Gonzaga has held that spot for three weeks. And the Bulldogs reside here, so that one was easy.
But if you were down at the Davenport last night and saw a bunch of tall young men walking around, that would have been the fifth-ranked Arizona Wildcats.
They are in the Inland Northwest to play Washington State. And, yes, everyone knows WSU is located more than 90 miles south of downtown Spokane.
Staying at the Davenport the night before the game is just the Wildcats’ way.
Sean Miller likes the logistics of staying in the area’s premier hotel, of holding his team’s shootaround at Gonzaga and then busing down U.S. Highway 195 for the game.
He’s not alone. It was the same itinerary former USC coach Tim Floyd used to follow when he was with the Trojans. It almost cost him a win once. It was one of the bad, bad winters in the middle of the last decade. As can happen, 195 was an ice rink due to snow and wind and freezing rain. USC had trouble getting from Spokane to Pullman. The game’s start was even delayed a bit.
But that was the aberration. Arizona has yet to lose in the area since it began staying at the Davenport – five wins against WSU and one against the Zags.
• It’s actually sort of a light night for area college hoops, due to Idaho and Eastern matching up this weekend. Neither the men or women from those schools play the usual Thursday night Big Sky Conference game, so there is less to grab your attention.
That doesn’t mean you can watch the only two games in their entirety. Nope. The Cougars and Arizona begin at 5. The Zags and USF start at 6. Instead of being able to watch four hours of local college basketball tonight, the limit is three.
And we are all the poorer because of it.
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Gonzaga: USF did a bit of a number on the Bulldog defense in the first meeting, shooting nearly than 47 percent from the floor. Yet Gonzaga won handily, 95-80 in the Bay Area. Jim Meehan has all that and more in this advance of tonight’s game as well as a look at USF’s strength, its backcourt. Jim also has a story on freshman Zach Collins (pictured) and the NBA. … As it does with all WCC schools, Gonzaga holds a decided edge over USF recently. … A couple of local players are up for a national award. … Jim Allen has the coverage as GU’s women hit the road with a long winning streak and a chance to clinch the WCC regular season title. … Dave Boling has his thoughts on Gonzaga’s success and the near-term future. … Around the WCC, BYU is trying to put together a winning streak as it preps for the all-important WCC tournament. … USD’s season isn’t going as it planned, in a lot of ways.
WSU: There is a lot of news out of the Palouse, including Jacob Thorpe’s advance of the Cougars’ game with Arizona. But the biggest news comes from the football field, with two WSU players, Shalom Luani (pictured) and Gabe Marks, being invited to the NFL draft combine. Jacob has his story and there is more from around the region. … Jacob also has this story on Kaleb Fossum leaving for Nevada. … Around the Pac-12, almost every football coach has had at least one great season in their career, including Mike Leach. … Spring football is almost upon us. … Markelle Fultz is getting better but is still a game-time decision for Washington. The Huskies host Arizona State tonight. … Oregon State is still trying for its first conference win. Colorado, which has been playing better, visits tonight. … Utah is hanging around in the Pac-12 race but really needs to upset 7th-ranked Oregon tonight to ensure it’s on the national radar. … California hopes to have a key freshman back for Stanford.
EWU: There are two Eagle receivers headed to the NFL draft combine as well, with Kendrick Bourne joining Cooper Kupp at the workouts. One was a given, the other a bit of a surprise. Jim Allen has the story. … In the Big Sky, North Dakota hits the road, hoping to win in Pocatello against Idaho State tonight and set up a showdown with Weber State on Saturday. … Montana just wants to keep winning. … Montana State has been getting great mileage out of a foreign import. … The conference loved the first basketball tournament in Reno but hopes to make it better. … The Bobcats lost their offensive coordinator recently and promoted from within.
Idaho: Spokane native Austin Rehkow is headed to the draft combine as well. Josh Wright has his story. … Josh has another story, this one about the Idaho regents asking for some more information before they go forward on a request by the school to move some money around.
Preps: The basketball playoffs continued last night and we have girls and boys roundups. But it is Thursday, so there is a lot more. Greg Lee has a feature that leads us into the Idaho girls’ state basketball tournaments. He also has stories advancing Washington’s state wrestling and state gymnastics tournaments.
Seahawks: There is a potential pool of left tackles out there, including one we all know well, for the Hawks to dip into this offseason. … With the Richard Sherman situation clarified, Seattle can get moving in the draft. … The combine isn’t the be-all for the Hawks. … There are still questions to be answered.
Mariners: How long can Hisashi Iwakuma continue to pitch at a high level? He’s taken steps to ensure this year, at least, is still a sound one. … Yovani Gallardo is hoping for a bounce-back season. … A couple of relievers have to take it easy this spring.
Sounders: Seattle will have a couple of friendlies this spring and summer. … Portland worked together to win a Cascadia rivalry match.
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• A serious question. Are pothole season and mud season one and the same? Or is there some separation from the two worst experiences living around here? Asking for a friend. … By the way, this is another reminder we won’t be here Saturday. Have to be out and about before 7 and I don’t believe you will want your daily fix at about noon. Or maybe you would be willing to wait. Until later …