The Slipper Still Fits: An SB Nation Community

Navigation: Jump to content areas:


Pro Quality. Fan Perspective.
Login-facebook
New Blog: Anonymous Eagle covering Marquette!

Jay Bilas wraps up Maui 2009

The great ESPN color commentator has more praise for Gonzaga after his time in Maui:

http://insider.espn.go.com/espn/blog/index?name=bilas_jay

A team wrap:

Gonzaga is tough and talented. While the Zags are not deep, the first five are really good. Big men Robert Sacre and Elias Harris could start on any team in the nation, and Mark Few has two complete guards in Matt Bouldin and Steven Gray. I was most impressed with Gonzaga's defense. The Zags guarded the ball well, limited penetration, and outrebounded Cincinnati in the final. If the Zags stay healthy, this team has a good chance to play past the first weekend of the NCAA tournament. And watch Harris and his emerging post game. He is one of the few post players that can catch the ball well off of the lane and make a credible move. He is still raw, but he pursues the ball as well as any player I have seen all season. Harris has the chance to be special.

Some awards:

Tournament MVP: Steven Gray, Gonzaga. He was assertive and multi-dimensional -- and you had better watch him on inbounds plays. He scores on a lot of them. Runner-up: Robert Sacre, Gonzaga

Keeps Playing Award: Matt Bouldin, Gonzaga. Cincinnati decided that it would trust its big men to defend one-on-one in the post and double-teamed Bouldin and Gray off of ballscreens. Bouldin was taken out of the game offensively, but still managed to grab 11 rebounds. He is a strong guard and can post up most any guard that draws his assignment. Runner-Up: Jordan Taylor, Wisconsin

Best Post Scorer: Robert Sacre, Gonzaga. Runner-Up: Derrick Williams, Arizona

Best Passer: Matt Bouldin, Gonzaga. Runner-Up: Brad Tinsley, Vanderbilt

Fastest Player: Demetri Goodson, Gonzaga. Runner-Up: Nic Wise, Arizona

Best Motor: Elias Harris, Gonzaga. Runner-Up: Mike Bruesewitz, Wisconsin

And my personal favorite:

Gonzaga Comparison: With Butler's success, asking whether the Bulldogs have reached the same level as Gonzaga is inevitable. Instead of simply stating that Butler is an outstanding team and a great program and why, we seem intent upon comparing the Bulldogs and the Zags and asking whether the two occupy the same sphere (as if that really means anything substantive). That is certainly a deserved compliment to Butler, but I don't believe the comparison is quite fair to Gonzaga.

Even though Butler has been to eight NCAA tournaments since 1997 and has twice been to the Sweet 16, Gonzaga has been to 11 straight NCAA tournaments and has won its league crown for nine straight years. No other team in the nation can boast such incredible consistency at such a high level within its own league. You have to go all the way back to John Wooden's UCLA teams and Adoph Rupp's Kentucky teams to find others that have. For any program to win its league nine straight times is beyond remarkable, especially when there is complete player turnover every four years. Butler has done an extraordinary job and is one of the nation's best programs, but what Gonzaga has done is simply off-the-charts and incomparable.

Great stuff from Jay as he was obviously impressed with the Zags in Maui.  I've always been bothered by the Butler comparison and never totally understood why they got so much hype so it's nice to see Bilas put it so eloquently.

This post does not reflect the views of the blog authors or SB Nation.

0 recs  |  Comment 2 comments |

Story-email Email Printer Print

Comments

Display:

I don't buy that this team isn't deep...

Seth Davis said the same thing. I don’t think their depth was in play as much in Maui because those were close games at the beginning of the season. Few was trying to run Kong and Manny out there, and GJ got standard freshman point guard minutes, plus KO played plenty as the sixth man. Once we get deeper into the season, this team will prove to be as just about as deep as anyone.

by MarshallMcCard on Nov 28, 2009 9:58 AM PST reply actions   0 recs

Comments For This Post Are Closed


User Tools

Welcome to The Slipper Still Fits, a blog dedicated to Gonzaga University athletics. Get updates from TSSF via Twitter
Start posting about the Bulldogs »

Join SB Nation and dive into communities focused on all your favorite teams.

Connect_with_facebook

FanPosts

Community blog posts and discussion.

Recent FanPosts

Small
THE LEARNING CURVE HAVE WE REACHED IT ?
Small
One and done
Small
Why even play a conference tournament?
Images_small
why why why why....
Small
Tourney placement? See the RPI
Small
Motivation
Small
Who should replace Coach Few?
Xbox1600_small
WCC Tournament
Small
Playing with fire
Small
Another possible guard for 2010?

+ New FanPost All FanPosts >

SBNation.com Recent Stories

Duke students cheer prior to Duke's matchup with North Carolina in an NCAA college basketball game in Durham, N.C., Saturday, March 6, 2010. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)

Bracketology FAIL: How The NCAA Tournament Selection Committee Botched The Field

Iowa coach Todd Lickliter calls to his team from the sidelines in the first half against Illinois in an NCAA college basketball game Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2010, in Champaign, Ill. (AP Photo/Heather Coit) +1 updates

Iowa Makes It Official: Fires Todd Lickliter As Basketball Coach

Charlotte coach Bobby Lutz directs his team during the second half of an NCAA National Invitation Tournament Tip-off second round college basketball game against Duke in Durham, N.C., Tuesday, Nov. 17, 2009. Duke won 101-59. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)

Charlotte Fires Coach Bobby Lutz Following 49ers' Late-Season Meltdown

More from SBNation.com >


Managers

Kc_small Zach Bell

Bestpargopic_small Max Mandel

Official Partner of CBS Sports