A Grip on Sports: Off the sick list, sort of, and ready to try to catch up as the world of sports, in this area at least, evolves once more

A GRIP ON SPORTS • Where were we? Oh, yes. Thinking about the past. And hoping we still had a future.

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• There is a lot to love about the holidays. Family. Good feelings toward others. Rebirth and renewal. But there is one thing about the holidays in recent years I have come to despise. And it hit me over night on Friday.

For about the third or fourth time in five years, my body rebelled a bit. It has happened often recently in late December. Or early January. Not sure exactly, mainly because I don’t keep physical records of such things.

But I do remember how awful it is. And how awful I felt Saturday morning, the remnants of which are still slowing me down.

That’s the preamble. The main document? Not much. What lies below is everything I could get through before having to call it quits today. Hopefully, tomorrow will be better.

• For the second, and final, season, college hoop fans in the Spokane area can focus their attention on two conferences, not three. Wait, that’s not exactly true.

Yes, this is the last season Gonzaga and Washington State will compete in the West Coast Conference. And, yes, Eastern Washington and Idaho are, and will be, mainstays of the Big Sky.

Next season? The WCC’s presence in the Inland Northwest disappears. WSU and Oregon State’s mission to rebuild the Pac-12 will have borne fruit. And the shiniest apple on the men’s basketball side will be the Bulldogs. Instead of three college conferences dividing up the area’s fanbase, as was the norm for decades, the attention will stay with two.

Only the names have changed.

But that is for tomorrow. Today, the WCC tips its conference schedule. And Theo Lawson has a look at what’s ahead for the men – by delving into what happened in the nonconference portion of the schedule.

Gonzaga is, as per usual, the team to beat. The 12-1 Zags are ranked seventh nationally (the only school that can say that). Saint Mary’s is 11-2 but have played just two of the nation’s top 60 NET schools. And lost both times. Seattle University (11-2) and Santa Clara (9-4) have been the biggest upside surprises. Washington State (5-8) and USF (8-5) are on the other end of the spectrum.

The sorting hat begins its work today.

• Today’s game may be the Zags’ final trip to Firestone Fieldhouse, which means this could be Mark Few’s last chance to top former mentor Dan Fitzgerald’s all-time halftime rant.

Neither Few nor Fitz spoke highly of the gym, mainly because it is just that, a gym – not an arena. To get to the locker room at half, visiting teams have to get through the crowd headed to the concession stand and bathrooms, a circumstance not conducive to sportsmanship. Ever.

Fitz had just made that journey back in the late 1980s. Back when the Waves were the class of the WCC. He wasn’t happy when he left the court. He was even less happy when he walked through the locker room door and banged his foot into a Gatorade bucket.

As related by someone who was there, Fitz picked up the bucket and threw it. It wasn’t empty. The bucket flew through the air. Hit the top of some lockers. Crawled over the top. And deposited its contents on the other side. Where the players were sitting. Yes, there was lime-ish stains on the Bulldogs uniform for the second half. And, no, they didn’t ride the shower to a victory. They rarely won in Malibu back then.

They do now, having won 49 consecutive games – anywhere – against the Waves. Maybe Few should stop and buy a hot dog and a bottle of Gatorade before heading into the locker room this time. For old time’s sake.

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WSU: The last West Coast Conference basketball season begins today for the Cougars. The men are at Portland, coached by Shantay Legans, one of David Riley’s bosses at Eastern Washington. Greg Woods has a preview of the conference-opening game (2 p.m., ESPN+). … We linked Jon Wilner’s bowl picks when they ran in the Mercury News. They were on the S-R website Saturday morning, so we link them again. … Elsewhere in the (current, old and future) Pac-12 and the nation in football, there is a roundup of Saturday’s bowl results in the S-R. They played out pretty much as thought in a lot of ways. … Kyle Whittingham to Michigan. It seems to be a perfect fit. A Michigan man in everything but diploma. Wilner has his thoughts in the S-R today. They echo the ones I have. Others have their thoughts and opinions as well. … Whittingham’s job change will impact other schools’ coaching staffs and rosters. And Utah’s bowl game. … Roster churn hits everyone this time of year, even schools like Oregon, prepping for Thursday morning’s CFP game against Texas Tech. … One of Boise State’s best defenders is headed out of town. … Colorado is on the opposite end of the success spectrum but players are leaving as well. … Thursday’s Rose Bowl between Indiana and Alabama will be the Hoosiers first game in almost a month. … Arizona has had bowl success, and failure, throughout the recent years. … Arizona State will have new players emerge in its bowl game. … California is building its new coaching staff. … Fresno State ground down Miami (Ohio) as Snoop Dogg once again won the broadcast of the Arizona Bowl. … San Diego State’s defense was not up to the task of stopping North Texas’ offense. But the Aztecs kept the New Mexico Bowl close despite playing a backup quarterback. … How much are Pac-12 schools paying their coaches? … Just so you know, the House settlement NIL spending cap seems to be more of a suggestion than a reality.

• In basketball news, Colorado’s men look to get back on track against Northern Colorado. … Stanford picked up a win Saturday. … Utah State is off to another good start. … Oregon faces Omaha today. … The USC and UCLA women are both ranked heading into the core of the Big Ten season. … Colorado has a powerhouse freshman. … Arizona State has a powerhouse new coach. … The Athletic took a look at college basketball’s best players and coaches of the past quarter century. The stories ran in the S-R on Saturday. There are some Inland Northwest folks on the lists.

Gonzaga: We linked Theo’s preview of the WCC men’s race above. And do it again here. He also has a preview of today’s game at Pepperdine and the key matchup. … The women also begin conference play, tipping at McCarthey Athletic Center at 2 p.m. (SWX). Greg Lee will be there. (I may be, if I feel better than I do now.) Greg has a preview. (I link it.)

EWU and Idaho: Around the Big Sky, Montana State is the only school still with a football game on its schedule. One more. For the FCS title. Again. … Montana’s roster is starting to change. … In basketball news, Weber State’s men are trying to improve on the margins. … Sacramento State is leading the conference in attendance.

Preps: I never saw Jadon Bowton play goalkeeper for Ferris High’s soccer team. I did, however, watch him play youth basketball on a team that included Tommy Lloyd’s son Liam, Ryan Moffet, who would set a WIAA career scoring record at Odessa High, and other high school and college-bound players. Yes, the team I coached lost to that group in the Spokane AAU finals. Bowton may not have been the best basketball player of the group but he was one of the most athletic. And ultra-competitive. That’s why nothing Colton Clark wrote in this story about Bowton’s run to a national soccer title as UW’s goalkeeper surprised me. … We can pass along a roundup of Saturday’s basketball action.

Chiefs: Dave Nichols was at the Arena last night and chronicles Spokane’s tough 5-4 loss to last-place Wenatchee. The Chiefs gave up three goals in less than three minutes to start the third period.

Mariners: The offseason changes are not over. Seattle’s near-miss last season is the main motivating factor. … The newest signing is worth the money. Though you have to follow his career arc – it is headed up – to really understand why.

Seahawks: The Hawks are in Carolina today (10 a.m., CBS) for key game. As they all are from now until the end of the season – whenever and wherever that is. … Sam Darnold makes another appearance against one of his former teams. … One of his backups, Jalen Milroe, has been making progress throughout the season while watching on game days. … Injuries will limit Seattle some. …The Hawks’ special teams are special this season.

Kraken: The team’s prospects have a key period ahead.

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• There were about 48 hours there in which I was worried I was not going to see the New Year. That doesn’t seem to be an issue anymore, though the way my head, shoulders and innards feel, we’re not on a party path, that’s for sure. Not sure I will be partaking in much of today’s meal. A Carolina country breakfast is on the menu, with biscuits, gravy, ham and such. I’m sure it will be great. I may just take in the aroma. Nothing proves how poorly I feel than that. Or maybe how poor this column is today. Until later …