A Grip on Sports: The holiday weekend features sports venues ranging from the mountains of Italy to the ocean shores of California

A GRIP ON SPORTS • It’s a long weekend. For most folks. A really long one for some. At least there are some sports to watch on TV.

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• Before delving into a big weekend of college basketball matchups, I want to once again express my love for the golf courses featured this weekend on the Golf Channel and CBS. And it has less to do with golf than the location.

The Monterey Peninsula is one of my favorite places in the world. In fact, Point Lobos State Natural Reserve is among my top five. The views are extraordinary in a place that perfectly illustrates the connection between the land and sea.

And was a tight connection between my favorite golf buddy, my father-in-law. Fred and I always planned on playing golf together for years before cancer grabbed him and took him way too soon. The last family photo, which has a place of honor in our living room, was taken at Point Lobos. It’s more than a memory.

But my favorite golf photo? From my 40th birthday get-together at Qualchan, with Fred and others. His smile never fades. Nor did his love for Pebble Beach, a course he played almost yearly for decades. He was a good enough golfer to win the California State Firefighters’ Olympics on the course with his best friend. And good enough person to suffer through rounds with me.

Whenever Kim and I are in the area, we park in Carmel and walk the beach at low tide as Fred and Kay used to. Up to the area beneath the 10th green. And pay homage not to the course or the game but to the importance the place had in their lives. It’s something we don’t do enough.

But thanks to the yearly tournament, the memories are triggered just by watching the TV broadcast. Today’s rounds, which also are held just up the road at Spyglass, begin at noon on the Golf Channel. The main coverage Saturday and Sunday starts at noon on CBS.

• The Olympics also continue all weekend on NBC and USA, with the U.S. women’s hockey team in the medal round today at 12:10 p.m. on USA.

• There are some really good college hoops games on this weekend as well. The best, locally, for the men? No. 12 Gonzaga’s WCC first-place showdown in Santa Clara (7:30 p.m., ESPN).

The Zag women also have a showdown for the conference’s top spot that day. They are at Loyola Marymount (2 p.m., ESPN+).

The best from around the nation? I’ll go with No. 9 Kansas at No. 5 Iowa State, with Lake City High star Blake Buchanan (10 a.m., ABC). Also, somewhat rejuvenated Kentucky, ranked 25th, is at completely rejuvenated Florida, ranked 14th (noon, ABC). Later, No. 16 Texas Tech is at top-ranked Arizona (3:30 p.m., ESPN).

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WSU: The reason behind men’s basketball player Emmanuel Ugbo’s suspension? Coach David Riley termed it a violation of team rules. That violation may stem from an application for a civil protection order filed by a WSU volleyball player against the Boise State transfer in late January, though the school would not comment on the case. Greg Woods has this story. … The Washington State women led 14-2 against Portland after one quarter Thursday night. At the half, the Pilots led 31-27. At the end? WSU fell 68-61. … Elsewhere in the (current, old and future) Pac-12 and the nation, John Canzano looked back yesterday on the two years the conference spent in the wilderness. And how it just refused to go away. … Have you noticed how the Big 12 men’s basketball schedule seems to be packed with showdowns right now? Jon Wilner has. And found out the reason. Money. Of course. TV money. … The Oregon State men found their touch from beyond the arc and routed host USF 90-63. … Colorado is trying to regroup before visiting No. 22 BYU. … Boise State is playing well but tonight’s game with UNLV is crucial for it hopes. … The Oregon State women led by 17 at one point but fell apart in the second half and lost their third consecutive game, this one to Santa Clara 83-70 in Corvallis. … Oregon hopes to heal up before the stretch run. … California has won three consecutive games. … USC is on a five-game winning streak. … Arizona State clamped down defensively to top Utah.

• In football news, Wilner’s column about the Pac-12’s unique football schedule, which we linked yesterday, is on the S-R site today. … Wilner also has a column in the Mercury News concerning the Big Ten’s NIL contract template that was airtight enough to keep Washington quarterback Demond Williams Jr. from leaving. After reading it, I had one question. Why would any player agree to some of the terms of the contract? It is obviously tilted toward the school. … Recruiting never stops at Washington. … Oregon State’s new coaching staff is complete. … Utah athletics turned an almost $5 million profit in the 2025 fiscal year. But is still looking for more revenue. … USC’s new defensive coordinator is hoping to make sweet music with the Trojans. … Fresno State’s first Pac-12 schedule has a tough road component. … Jim Mora is embracing his new role with Colorado State football. … Finally, another high-profile athlete, Mississippi quarterback Trinidad Chambliss, will be allowed to play a sixth season.

Gonzaga: Saturday night’s game in the Bay Area will mark the Zags’ last conference visit to Santa Clara. The two programs have quite a history of exciting games, many of which featured the visiting team ruining streaks for the hosts. Jim Meehan delves into that in the S-R’s latest look back at a WCC series. … The women also have a key game in California on Saturday. After defeating USD 66-56 Thursday night in San Diego, the conference-leading Zags head up to L.A. to face second-place LMU. Greg Lee covers the win over the Toreros and looks ahead a bit. … Graham Ike would be a backup on this imaginary college hoop Western All-Star team from The Athletic. … Elsewhere in the WCC, the Broncos are ready to take on the 12th-ranked Zags.

EWU: The Eagle men have won three consecutive Big Sky Conference games after Thursday’s 88-75 victory over visiting Idaho State. Dan Thompson was at Reese Court and has this game story. … Colin Mulvany was also in Cheney and has this photo gallery. … The women struggled to keep up with host Idaho State in the second half and fell 77-65. … Elsewhere in the Big Sky, Montana and Montana State meet in Missoula on Saturday in the second leg of this season’s basketball brawl games. The Bobcat women are fighting for first place. … The Northern Colorado men have won five consecutive games. … Portland State remains on top of the standings. … Bobby Hauck had his reasons for stepping back from his head coaching spot at Montana and heading to Illinois as a defensive coordinator.

Idaho: Before getting to the basketball games Thursday, a football event was held in Boise yesterday. It included the governor, the Boise State and Idaho athletic directors and the schools’ mascots. The occasion? Announcing the schools will meet again. In 2031. Which seems like an eternity in this era of conference realignment. … The Vandal women stayed atop the conference standing by winning handily at Weber State. The men fell to the Wildcats, who started fast to earn the road win.

Preps: There were four District 6 basketball play-in games Thursday night featuring 4A and 3A Greater Spokane League schools. The GSL won three. All are covered in this roundup. … Dave Nichols not only previews Saturday’s top 3A girls matchup with this story on Ridgeline hoops, he also uses it as a time to update the college plans of the GSL’s leading scorer, Madi Crowley. They are different but not unique. I did a story more than 20 years ago about WSU rowing recruiting the State basketball tournaments. 

Seahawks: Yep, I linked Matt Calkins’ column yesterday when it ran in the Times. It runs in the S-R today and still contains the dynasty reference. … Jason Myers was so calm before the Super Bowl it made him nervous. … The offseason madness is already underway.

Mariners: I also linked the Times’ story on newcomer Brendan Donovan. And do it again as it is on the S-R site. … Cal Raleigh is a cover boy. … A new relief pitcher dazzled in his first spring bullpen.

Sonics: Is there a timetable set for the team’s return in Seattle? We may just find out more this weekend as the NBA gathers for the All-Star Game in Los Angeles.

Olympics: The hockey is in full swing as the men began their tournament. … The Ukrainian skeleton competitor is appealing his ban but knows his Games are over. … Figure skating always seems to have at least one judging issue.

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• Enjoy the holiday weekend. It’s a long one for the Spokane schools, with the students getting today off and not returning to the classroom until Wednesday. Not that I can remember, but I don’t believe such stretches were every in play in mid-February when I was in school. Until later …