A Grip on Sports: It’s already been a good year in Inland Northwest college basketball and it could still get better
A GRIP ON SPORTS • Here it is, more than a third of the way through the month of March, and all five of the college men’s basketball teams in the Spokane area are still playing. Though, unless something unexpected occurs today, we will be down to three. Just in case, we better check in with all five on this fine Wednesday.
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• On top of the list, and the polls, are the Gonzaga Bulldogs. They exerted themselves last night, pulled away from an obviously worn-down Saint Mary’s team and rolled to an 84-66 victory in the West Coast Conference title game.
Once again all is right in Las Vegas.
We say that because the Zags earned a measure of revenge, seeing that the Gaels had put it to them last season in the finals at the same place – albeit on a different court. When you think about it, though, few of this year’s team had much impact on that game.
Killian Tillie? A reserve who played 12 minutes. Corey Kispert? A starter who played 20. He and Tillie split a paltry 10 points. Joel Ayayi? Filip Petrusev? They never got off the bench. Ryan Woolridge, Admon Gilder and Drew Timme? They were probably wandering around Texas, looking for an open Whataburger.
Those seven are the Gonzaga stalwarts this season, headlining a team that is a surprising 31-2 and headed for another top seed in the NCAA Tournament. Don’t forget, Saint Mary’s won the WCC tournament title game by 13 last season despite GU featuring four starters who were paid by NBA teams at some point in the past year and two reserves who played overseas.
No wonder Mark Few registers his surprise at this team’s success at every national opportunity. No matter what happens down the road, and Gonzaga will be playing in the Spokane Arena in the NCAA (though there might not be any fans with them), this team has reached its potential.
And more.
• Down the street in Vegas today – actually, there are a couple turns involved – are the Washington State Cougars. They will try tonight to do something they haven’t done since Tony Bennett was on the sidelines: win a Pac-12 Tournament game. Actually, they have never won a Pac-12 Tournament game. The last time WSU won in the conference’s postseason tourney, it was still the Pac-10.
That would be 2009.
Kyle Smith has a chance today to become the first Washington State coach since the younger Bennett to have a winning record in the tournament. Sure, it might only last a day, as it always did three consecutive years with Tony, but he could do something neither Ken Bone nor Ernie Kent could accomplish.
The task at hand isn’t an easy one. The opponent is Colorado, a team that has been ranked off-and-on this season, though, mired in a four-game losing streak, it is off right now. That’s either good – the Buffs are struggling – or bad – Colorado is due – depending on how you look at it.
Whatever, Smith is probably more focused on his team’s trek. And, hopefully, boldly going where no WSU team has gone in a decade.
• Idaho is also taking the floor today in Boise, facing a Southern Utah squad that won both meetings this season. However, the Vandals enter the Big Sky Tournament having won their final regular season game.
Can they make it two in a row?
• The regular-season Big Sky champions, Eastern Washington, doesn’t begin tournament play until Thursday, facing the winner of Weber State and Sacramento State.
The Eagles have been on a roll but, despite winning 23 games this season, know they have to win three more to earn an NCAA berth. They are capable.
It should be an interesting weekend once again.
• Finally, Whitworth went to Texas last weekend and won two NCAA Division III Tournament games. That’s impressive. What’s even more impressive is the Pirates won the second one against Texas-Dallas on the opponent’s home court.
They’ll have to repeat that feat – and then some – to move on. The Pirates head to Philadelphia, where they will face top-seeded Swarthmore on Saturday night. Like the Whits, Swarthmore lost its conference title game – its first loss of the season – but earned an at-large berth. Pull the upset and Whitworth will have to make another cross-country flight a week later, facing the winner of Brockport/Tufts in Fort Wayne, Ind.
UPDATE: Swarthmore announced this morning the game will be played but no fans will be allowed in the gym. Thanks to SWX’s Sam Adams for the information on Twitter.
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Gonzaga: We start, as usual, with Jim Meehan’s game analysis and then move quickly to his keys to the victory and a notebook he wrote before the game on honors earned by Petrusev and Kispert. … John Blanchette put Gonzaga’s tournament title into perspective, something he’s uniquely qualified to do. … Theo Lawson, waiting for the Cougars to play tonight, added a story on Few’s technical (you could hear Few yelling on the broadcast, but what he said was nearly impossible to discern) and on Ayayi being named the tournament’s MVP. … Tyler Tjomsland has the photo report. … Larry Weir previewed the game with Justin Reed and then talked Whitworth hoop with Bud Nameck on the latest Press Box pod. … The folks in the office have their recap with highlights. … Finally, I put together the usual TV Take, though the game was rudely interrupted by multiple texts midway through the game due to some name-dropping. … The women’s loss may not end up costing them a home game or two in the NCAAs, according to a national prognosticator. Jim Allen has more in this story. However, I wonder if the NCAA will worry about possible coronavirus restrictions in 10 days and ultimately site the games away from the state. … Portland followed up its win over Gonzaga and won the WCC’s automatic bid over San Diego. … The baseball team routed Washington State, 15-3. … Around the WCC, with its loss to Saint Mary’s in the semifinals, BYU now just waits to see what will happen. So do the Gaels after their championship game defeat.
WSU: We linked Theo’s story above but we do it again here. Could he become the first S-R reporter to cover a Washington State conference tournament win since someone we all know did it in 2009? It’s a record I hold that I would not be adverse to seeing broken. … Standing in the way is Colorado, hoping to turn around its recent fortunes. … Elsewhere in the Pac-12, Washington is hot entering the tournament today. The Huskies could win this darn thing. … Oregon State hopes the same thing can be said about it this week. … Utah has done well in Las Vegas already this season. … UCLA knows what it has to do this week. … So does Arizona State. … Arizona knows it is playing the hottest team. … In football news, even defending champion Oregon made coaching changes. … USC has made coaching changes as well. … Utah will have to make changes at linebacker.
EWU: Ryan Collingwood will cover the Vandals today (both games), as the Eagles don’t begin until tomorrow. However, he has a story on one Eastern starter who is returning home this week. … Ryan also covered the Big Sky Conference awards, which included Shantay Legans as coach of the year and Mason Peatling as the conference’s MVP. … Around the Big Sky, Idaho State is hoping to reset its season at the conference tournament. … Montana State is looking at things differently. … In football news, Montana’s staff wants to stay together. … Weber State has added a new face to its staff.
Idaho: The Vandal women won again, finding a way to get past Portland State 56-54 in a quarterfinal contest. Ryan has more in this story.
Chiefs: For the first time ever, a Spokane goalie scored a goal. Of course, the Chiefs won. How could they not when their goalie scores? Kevin Dudley has more on that and the rest of the 3-0 win over visiting Kamloops.
Shock: Today is the day we all find out what color the Spokane Arena field is going to be. I’m betting it won’t be green. Just saying.
Mariners: It looks as if Seattle may have to play games elsewhere for a while. It’s the right call. … The M’s, who won yesterday, are trying to make roster decisions. Injuries don’t help that process.
Seahawks: The Hawks received three compensatory draft picks. … They have their own free agents they need to re-sign. … How would they draft if they don’t fill holes in free agency? Here are a couple of guesses.
Sounders: You don’t have to score goals to help your team score goals.
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• Yes, our name was mentioned last night on the ESPN broadcast of the Gonzaga game. And, yes, my phone then blew up a bit. And my wife started giving me a hard time. It was all part of a devious plot I’m sure. … By the way, playing games without fans? Reminds me of my entire college baseball experience. Just kidding. On sunny days, the concrete bleachers were a great place to pick up a tan. Until later …