A Grip on Sports: The long wait is over but before we can devote our full attention to conference hoops, we need to get through the bowls
A GRIP ON SPORTS • It’s about darn time. We’ve been waiting since, seemingly, forever for college basketball’s conference season to begin in earnest in this area. And that happens, at least in part, tonight.
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• The Pac-12, as we’ve know it the past decade or so, open its last men’s one with a couple games tonight. The conference’s women, who have interspersed a few games already, really hit their stride on Saturday. The Big Sky is more into a hard opening, with four men’s games tonight and two for the women. The WCC? It’s waiting another week.
Like everything else with college athletics, the conference schedules have changed. No longer is there a single weekend, usually after the New Year, when everyone begins. Travel partners, clean schedules, easy trips. They are all a thing of the past – or rare.
But we’re not complaining. Not today. Not with games like the Portland State men visiting Eastern Washington. Or USC and UCLA starting their final trek in the conference they helped destroy by visiting the Oregon schools.
For one last time we get to tap into the clear memories of the Kamikaze Kids taking down the Bruins or muddier ones, like Ken Bone’s Vikings battling Mike Burn’s Eagles a couple decades ago.
It such things that make conference games so interesting. You never know when a classic might occur, whether it be on the court between young players who go on to bigger and better things, or it’s a coaching matchup between folks in the early stages of long careers.
All we know is this week games pick up a little more pizzazz. More intensity. Importance. Interest. And we’re ready for it.
• We certainly weren’t ready for the first Pac-12 bowl game of the week to go the way it did. Miller Moss? Six touchdown passes? But even more shocking, USC’s defensive backs actually tackling well? The fact the Trojans outscored Louisville wasn’t all that shocking but limiting the Cardinals to four touchdowns was. The 42-28 Holiday Bowl final showed one thing.
If Lincoln Riley had pulled the trigger on the defensive change earlier, the Trojans would probably have played their bowl game on January 1, not December 27.
• It may not have been Babe Ruth to the Yankees for $100,000. Nor was it Scottie Pippen to the Bulls for Olden Polynice and a couple draft picks (nice trade Sonics). But the Seahawks’ fleecing of Denver continued Wednesday, long after the deal was consummated.
It’s not like there are any more post-mortems needing to be done. Nor any more weighing of the sides. Well, maybe one. But we’ll get to the latter in a second. The bottom line of the deal that sent Wilson to the Broncos in March of 2022 is simple: Seattle rebuilt a major part of its roster with the proceeds, Denver acquired a guy who isn’t what he once was, didn’t use him correctly and now, with new coach Sean Payton needing a scapegoat, is getting ready to kick him to the curb.
Noah Fant. Drew Lock. Draft picks that turned into Charles Cross, Boye Mafe, Devon Witherspoon and Derick Hall. Salary-cap flexibility. And more. That was the Wilson treasure chest.
When the Broncos finally release Wilson after it becomes more financially feasible (though it will still be a huge cap hit no matter when), he’ll be available for anyone. And, after having a better season this year than last, he’ll be signed by someone. As a starter.
Maybe even Seattle? No way. Not the way it ended here. Not until Wilson is ready to call it career, when he may be willing to be a backup in a place where he will always be remembered for helping to deliver the Hawks’ second-biggest victory over the Broncos ever, the 43-8 Super Bowl win.
And being the key element of their largest.
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WSU: The hits just keep on coming. As they will in this transfer-portal era. This time it is, as Greg Woods tells us, receiver Kyle Williams entering the portal. But what taketh, giveth, as the good book says. And by the good book, in this case, we are referring to the listing of players looking to transfer. Expect the Cougars to partake soon. … Elsewhere in the Pac-12 and the nation, yes, short-handed USC picked up a win to even the conference’s bowl record at 2-2. Moss was nearly perfect, though his one interception was almost a killer. And the defense played better. … John Canzano salutes all the players who decided to stick around and play in bowl games, even if they had other options. … Washington plays in New Orleans on Monday, a place that produced one of its national title-winning players. … One thing that surprises us about the portal. Players leaving one school like, say, Oregon State, for their rival, for example, Oregon. Sort of like cats lying down with dogs, right? … The Beavers will unveil some new stars against Notre Dame. … Oregon will do the same against Liberty. … Tonight’s Pac-12 bowl game pits up-and-coming new Big 12-member Arizona against up-and-leaving the Big 12 Oklahoma. Should be a fun Alamo Bowl in San Antonio, especially if quarterback Noah Fifita continues to play as he has. … Utah had little fun on offense this season. … UCLA lost another offensive player. … In basketball news, Jon Wilner lists which conference coaches might be feeling a little warm. … Arizona found a creative way to add a basketball legacy to its staff. … The Colorado and Washington men battle in Boulder on Friday night. … USC has a potent backcourt. … UCLA has some questions that need to be answered. … On the women’s side, Arizona has a rich history. … Colorado has enough talent to compete in the nation’s best conference.
Gonzaga: If there is one thing Anton Watson excels at it is taking the ball away from the opponents. You know, steals. He’s second all-time on the GU list behind a guy he’s familiar with, John Stockton, who also happens to hold the NBA record. Jim Meehan traces Watson’s ability in that area. … This Athletic rating of college basketball programs and the place among the sport’s tiers has a separate one just for Gonzaga. … Elsewhere in the WCC, do any of the three Bay Area schools have a shot at the NCAA tournament?
EWU: We’ll start to find out tonight. Find out whether Eastern’s tough nonconference schedule, which still has two games remaining against Summit League schools, has prepared the Eagles for the conference slate. Dan Thompson has a preview of the opening weekend, which begins tonight with PSU’s visit. … The Eastern women open at Portland State against a Viking squad that has turned its season around. … Elsewhere in the Big Sky, the Montana Grizzlies will be playing in their eighth FCS title game (though some were under a different label). … Weber State begins conference basketball with a key weekend at home against the Montana schools. … Northern Arizona’s basketball coach moonlights by coaching another team. … The Montana women enter conference play on a roll.
Preps: There was a plethora of basketball yesterday and Dave Nichols has the roundup.
Chiefs: Dave spent his evening in the Arena watching as Spokane and Wenatchee matched up after the holiday break. The Chiefs pulled away in the third period for a 5-2 victory.
Seahawks: No one practices end-of-game situations more than Pete Carroll’s team. … Wilson’s career has hit bottom. Or at least it looks that way today. … Did a strategy from John Wooden’s playbook help Seattle’s secondary? … It is actually possible for the Hawks to clinch a playoff spot this weekend. But they need a lot of help – and players to get healthy.
Kraken: Seattle seems to have turned a corner, winning again Wednesday night on the road, topping Calgary 2-1. … The Kraken are also getting healthier.
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• We want to keep you up-to-date on our schedule. We won’t be doing a TV Take for Gonzaga’s final nonconference game of 2023 (Friday night at home against San Diego State). But we will be here for you on New Year’s Day. Though we’re trying to decide if we will on next Tuesday, the day we are thinking about heading for home. We’ll let you know in plenty of time for you to re-schedule your morning. Until later …