A Grip on Sports: This winter’s first deep cold snap allows us the opportunity to rough it and attend some burning hot hoop games this week
A GRIP ON SPORTS • When the temperature outside hovers around zero – not freezing, but zero – there is little doubt something warm is needed inside. No, not talking about an extra blanket or sweatshirt or hot beverage. Something warm, like a rivalry game on TV or in a gym nearby. Though, getting the pickup to start might be a chore.
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• There is one event for you that fit both requirements. Two in fact. But by the time Eastern Washington’s men and women’s teams host Idaho on Saturday, it should be a lot warmer. And downright baking at Reese Court.
The cross-border battles have become something worth making time for since the Vandals returned from their ill-fated, more-than-two-decades-long experiment in college football’s stratosphere. Since returning to the Big Sky, the football and basketball rivalries have been a thing of beauty. And have become a 50/50 affair, with one or the other trading the top spots.
The Vandals are on top right now, having won on the football field and both basketball games in Moscow a month ago.
That last note also highlights something the schools have decided to do, a revolutionary idea with its roots in the past. The men and women call back to 30 years ago – and more – when both teams played the same opponents on the same court on the same day. A double-dip that’s gone the way of the Brontosaurus.
In this case, though, it’s fun. Appropriate. And well worth your time.
• Speaking of time, Washington State’s men have some on their hands this week. And that’s a good thing, what with a trip to Moraga waiting for them Saturday.
The Cougars have played Saint Mary’s in the Gaels’ intimate gym before. Once. It was an NIT game in 2009. Tony Bennett’s last year in Pullman. Saint Mary’s featured Patty Mills, who would go on to play for years in the NBA. The Cougars? They had Aron Baynes, who ironically would team up with Mills with the Spurs.
The WSU staff was confident going in. It was misplaced. Randy Bennett’s team ground the Cougs down, Mills’ 27 points trumped Baynes’ double-double (19 and 10 rebounds) and Bennett’s team, even with Klay Thompson, never adjusted to the tight sightlines, hitting just 3-of-15 long-range shots.
Thompson, who would go on to own the Bay Area, was 1-of-5 from 3-point range.
Saturday night’s West Coast Conference matchup could go a long way to helping the Cougars’ postseason chances, though those seem to be limited to the NIT or CBI or something. One thing in Wazzu’s favor against the WCC leaders? The Gaels host Santa Clara tonight. An extra day or two of prep can’t hurt, can it?
• The Zag men have no such luxury against USF, Thursday’s opponent. It’s a game that will help decide the second-seed in the WCC tourney or, if the Gaels stumble often down the stretch, who wins the regular season title.
The Dons come to Spokane sitting in second with an 10-3 mark. Gonzaga is 9-3. Both trail Saint Mary’s, 11-1 after losing by one at USF last Thursday.
It temperature still be in single digits walking into McCarthey, but it will be about 110 degrees on the floor – in college hoops terms.
• The Gonzaga women also play a key game Thursday night, albeit in the relatively tropical climes of Corvallis, Ore. The Zags will put their 11-game winning streak on the line against the Beavers, winners of four consecutive games. If you are wondering, the last time Lisa Fortier’s team lost was against OSU. In late December. In McCarthey. In overtime. In heartbreaking fashion, squandering a late double-digit lead.
• Finally, the WSU women have a less-taxing game Thursday night. They host Loyola Marymount, as the Lions will be spending their weekend in the Inland Northwest. (LMU plays Saturday at GU.)
But Saturday, the Cougars take one of the WCC’s tougher road trips, even if it is not much more than 300 miles. Playing at Portland, with just one day to prepare, isn’t easy. The Pilots play an odd type of defense, one that melds zone and man principles. It is one that can cause issues if the opponent is not well prepared. It will be tax the Cougs’ youngster’s ability to adjust with such a short run up.
The game could be for second in the conference as well. WSU sits 10-5. Portland, which plays at fifth-place Saint Mary’s on Thursday, is 11-3.
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WSU: Around the (current, old and future) Pac-12 and the nation, we can pass along John Canzano’s mailbag from Monday. … We also want to call your attention to Christian Caple’s story on Nate Robinson’s kidney transplant and the donor who gave his left kidney to the former UW guard. … Washington continues to remake its coaching staff. … Oregon State athletic director Scott Barnes shared some thoughts on a variety of subjects with the Oregonian’s Nick Daschel. … Coming to a school near you: A ticket surcharge to help play the athletes. The Beavers are going to do it. … As we love to say, recruiting never stops. Ask Arizona. Or Oregon. … Among the future Pac-12 members in the Mountain West, Colorado State coach Jay Norvell has made major changes at all levels this offseason. And he’s not apologizing for them. … In basketball news, Jon Wilner has his weekly power rankings for the West Coast men’s teams in the S-R. He believes Oregon is still well inside the NCAA bubble. I don’t. We’ll see, I guess. The Ducks are not even sniffing the polls anymore, though that doesn’t mean much going into their game with Northwestern. … Oregon State’s recruiting emphasis has changed. … Danny Manning returns to Kansas as a member of the Colorado coaching staff. … San Diego State didn’t head back home after its latest road loss. The Aztecs are at San Jose State tonight. … The big game in the MWC? Colorado State at Utah State. … New Mexico is atop the conference with a roster that includes a lot of returnees. … What are the postseason chances for the Oregon State men and women?
Gonzaga: There is little more the Zag men could have done last week. They won both games – handily. They shored up their defense. They played the schedule in front of them. But neither LMU nor Pacific are among the NCAA’s best (or pretty good) teams. Thus, as Theo Lawson tells us, the Bulldogs’ metrics stayed pretty flat as did their poll status. … The USF matchup in a couple days dominates the podcast banter between Jim Meehan and Richard Fox this week. You can listen to the Zags Basketball Insiders Podcast here. … Former GU and Gonzaga Prep standout Anton Watson is soaking in everything related to his first pro season. Much if has been spent in the G League, where Watson is learning in a variety of ways.
EWU and Idaho: After a lengthy leave for “personal reasons,” Montana women’s basketball coach Brian Holsinger resigned Monday. He also signed an agreement with the school that includes a six-figure buyout and assurances neither party will sue each other. Holsinger was once an assistant in Pullman under June Daugherty.
Preps: Basketball playoffs are underway, with district battles throughout the week. There were B games last night, all covered in this roundup. … Former Ferris High standout Andrew Kittredge is still pitching in the MLB. He has a new team this season, joining the Orioles bullpen as Baltimore tries to take the next step in the postseason.
Storm: One big offseason goal was accomplished
Seahawks: The Eagles dominated. So much so, it may just tarnish the Chiefs’ legacy. And may send some players into retirement. … Jalen Hurts can play the role of snowplow at times. … Did Tom Brady put you to sleep? Even if he did, that shows who is announcing the game doesn’t have a big impact on the ratings. Sunday’s game may have been the most-watched ever. Though part of the jump can be explained by Nielsen’s new way of judging non-linear viewers.
Golf: Tiger Woods’ mother died recently. It’s no wonder he’s not going to play this weekend in the tournament he hosts, moved to Torrey Pines from fire-ravaged Los Angeles. Still, it’s big news in the golf world.
Mariners: We linked this before. The Times’ story about T-Mobile’s impact on the M’s is on the S-R website. … So is the one on the outfield. … Not sure if it will shock you that the M’s weren’t among those adding payroll or subtracting the same. They just sort of treaded water. … Finally, to the surprise of no one, the Mariners will have Ichiro fire in the first pitch on opening day. Prediction? Mine is 87 miles per hour, up in the strike zone.
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• How cold is it? So cold it calls to mind the end of Jack London’s short story “To Build a Fire.” Find it. Read it. And you will always know how to gauge the temperature in winter by spitting. Until later …