Exposed and Exploited

by Zach Bell on Feb 8, 2009 2:03 PM PST

Memphis_medium

I did not see this one coming.

Gonzaga was handed a beautiful, golden opportunity last night in the Spokane Arena and they refused to capture it. It's really impossible to even attempt breaking down this game because there was not one thing that went right. I understand that teams come out flat every now and again and this season has been full of parody but when you are a team like Gonzaga that doesn't play a lot of big time games, you have to come up big in the few chances you have.

Gonzaga was flat out terrible last night in every phase of the game. Kudos to John Calipari who gave Mark Few a first hand look at what it means to be a big game coach. Memphis looked like the best team in the nation last night. They enforced their will and their type of game on the Zags and it was really never even close. Just like the Portland and Gonzaga game was men vs. boys, so was last night. That might be the most disappointing aspect of the game because everyone thought Gonzaga was clicking on all cylinders after the Pilots game. The three guard lineup of Jeremy Pargo, Steven Gray, and Matt Bouldin was phenomenal on Thursday and then last night it was nearly unbearable. Jeremy Pargo had two more points than I did last night. Matt Bouldin continued to be Memphis' favorite opponent and Steven Gray was nowhere to be found.

Gonzaga showed it's immaturity as a team last night and their was absolutely zero leadership shown. On the other side of the court, Memphis was led by their two best players, Robert Dozier and Tyreke Evans. They were both absolutely phenomenal. While Josh Heytvelt and Austin Daye were trying to find their games, Evans and Dozier were absolutely exposing Gonzaga. They were able to get the rim with relative ease and utilized the kick out to perfection. And I'm not a coach and don't pretend to be one but I feel like zone defense can hurt you in two ways: rebounding and defending the three point shot. The Tigers hurt Gonzaga in both ways but Mark Few chose to stick with it. Why? I have no clue but the amount of putbacks last night was just mind boggling.

Positives? I guess Micah Downs who was the only person that looked like they cared.

There is really no other way to put it, Gonzaga was exposed last night. I am as guilty as anyone. I bought in to the great defensive field goal percentage and I bought into thinking that this team was playing as well as anyone in the nation. It's pretty clear now that Gonzaga might be destined for another deflated seed in the NCAA Tournament and probably an early exit.

So, Gonzaga fans, kiss playing in Portland or Boise goodbye. Say hello to a 6 or 7 seed against a very good team.

Up next is St. Mary's, thank God they don't have Patty Mills.

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Comments

PLEASE stop playing the “its few’s fault” card. It is really getting old. He is a great coach and the reason for the success we have achieved in the last decade. How about calling out the Kennel club for one of the worst crowds I have ever been a part of. Yeah we didn’t have a lot to cheer for, but that is when our team needs our energy the most…not just after the big plays. I even witnessed students leaving early. These are the people that camped out for these tickets. If you have that much dedication, then support your team through the good and the bad.

by middleofthekennel on Feb 8, 2009 3:33 PM PST reply actions

???

So you want to call out the Kennel Club for losing the game??? Let’s get realistic. Even if this were a road game you would expect Gonzaga to play better than they did. There is no excuse for their performance last night. The blame goes entirely on the players and coaching staff. You go to any site in America, Cameron Indoor included, and they are not going to be cheering like crazy when their team has turned the ball over 7 of 8 times down the court and is showing no life. Period.

by desmet on Feb 8, 2009 4:55 PM PST up reply actions 1 recs

I in no way blame the Kennel Club for the loss but expect more from one of the best student sections in the nation. If your screen name is desmet you are obviously a freshman or sophomore who has never experienced the true potential of the kennel. Cheer for your team even when they are losing and stop being a fair weather fan.

by middleofthekennel on Feb 8, 2009 10:56 PM PST up reply actions

Memphis just wanted it more...

The way they played defense, they way they rebounded, they way they moved on offense; they were just flat out better. At one point, Gonzaga had 7 turnovers in 8 possessions in the first half. A multitude of missed lay-ins and decent looking shots gave way for Memphis to build a lead (not to mention 13 offensive rebounds). This team looked bad all-around; coaching and playing. The zone defense needed to stop much earlier and there was no rotation on the zone by the players. Offensively, no one came to play. Memphis did a tremendous job of pressuring the ball. Thanks God we play in the WCC and will hopefully at least make it to Minneapolis.

by James Buchanan on Feb 8, 2009 4:03 PM PST reply actions

Sigh

I’m just at a loss for words. There is no possible way for me to describe the way I felt last night or even today. It’s going to be a long time before I forget this game. A sweet 16 appearance just seems like more and more of a long shot the more I think about it. I don’t see the Zags getting above a 7 seed in the tournament and after last night it just makes you wonder. It’s not like we can even say we lost in style or that it was a good loss. We got absolutely crushed and to be honest I am worried about Thursday. That’s all I have to say right now, I’m sure there will be more but I’m gonna need some time before I can fully comprehend what happened last night. Oh one more thing. IT WAS A HOME GAME FOR CRYING OUT LOUD!!!! COLLEGE GAMEDAY NATIONAL TV WITH EVERYONE WATCHING!!! At least you guys are all the same up there with everyone sad and pissed off but now I get to go to school tomorrow and get laughed at. I don’t think I’ve felt like this since the UCLA game.

by coltinjespersen on Feb 8, 2009 8:07 PM PST reply actions

Senior Leadership

I know it wasn’t exclusively their fault, but I have to put the weight of the blame on Mr. Jeremy Pargo and Josh Heytvelt (especially Mr. Pargo). Pargo has the speed, build, and athleticism to play with ANYONE in the nation. He certainly showed that last year in Seattle against Memphis, posting some astounding numbers and taking the game into his hands when everyone else went cold. This time around, I barely even noticed his presence outside of the first five minutes and first five or so turnovers. It would be unfair to put this loss on his shoulders, but as a senior point guard who formerly held NBA ambitions, you can’t just pack it in and turn over the ball the way he did—you need to lead the team and infuse some enthusiasm within them. Whether thatt means grabbing Austin’s jersey and telling him to man-up or b****-slapping Boldin into shape, you need to do something beyond watching Evans drive the lane and score at will.

Zagnificent - GU Class of 2011

by Zagnificent on Feb 8, 2009 10:22 PM PST reply actions