Gonzaga Mens Scrimmage, Gaz's Take
by gaz-tastic on Jul 29, 2011 1:56 AM PDT
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PrintGreetings Zag Fans!!~ Just wanted to interrupt everyone's summer for a minute and pass on some tid bits relating to the scrimmages currently taking place at Gonzaga's campus in the McCarthy Athletic Building.
The Zags have been having open scrimmages at the McCarthy Athletic Center after the basketball camps end, which is usually around 9 p.m., and lasting until approx.10 p.m. There are no coaches, refs, timeouts, or fouls called. It is simply a scrimmage. No set plays, no scoring is kept. It is the skins vs the shirts with players rotating in and out as needed for breathers. There are a few days left to go see it if you are so inclined and it is free of charge. Enter South side West of the MAC into the Martin Center, turn right and follow the corridor over to the MAC. There were only about 100 or so people there, mostly campers, you can sit anywhere you like.
Who was there: Everyone except Kelly Olynyk, Mathis Monninghoff, and Guy Landry. Chris Sarbaugh was there but was a DNP. He has a wrap on his knee and is still recuperating from his recent knee surgery.
Oldies Present: Adam Morrison and Abdullah Kuso. It was so good to see Amo again in the MAC. He hit some threes and looked like an NBA player. The best player on the court no doubt. Everything he threw up seemed to fall for him, just like old times, lol.
Vets who stood out: Robert Sacre. He is a freak. He was basically unstoppable. Nice floaters, soft hook shots. He is improved from last year. Looked like a man among boys. It would not surprise me if he wins the W.C.C.POY. Marquise Carter is much more confidant and seems faster than last year, hit some threes, floaters in the lane, took it right to the rim and finished strong several times. Elias Harris looked slimmed down quite a bit from last year. Faster, lots of energy, and hit some nice mid range shots. He missed most of his shots from deep.
Newbies who Stood Out: Gary Bell Junior is very polished already, crisp passing, fast, and sees the court very well, dishes, slashes and takes it strong to the hole, nice mid range jumper, very athletic, nice smooth stroke, he is going to start right out of the gate in my opinion. Ryan Spangler is a work horse. He gave Sam Dower and Kuso fits all night long. A real hustler, lots of rebounds, very strong. After practice he hit 7 threes in a row so he can also hit from deep. How we ever snuck him out of Oklahoma is unreal to me. Kevin Pangos... He looks like David Stockton 2.0 already. I would start him at the point at the beginning of the season. Bigger, stronger, faster, can dish just as well, and a much better looking stroke.
I'll finish up with more regarding Kevin Pangos. He was the last person to leave the building. He was shooting over a bit net contraption that he set up after the scrimmage. He was hitting shot after shot, after shot. A very hard worker, even when he was taking a breather from the scrimmage he was on the side lines practicing dribbling with two balls. We had a chance to visit with him for about 5 minutes. He is a very approachable guy, as a matter of fact he approached us! He said that the people of Spokane are very friendly. He is almost finished with summer school. I asked him if he had any news regarding K.O. and he did not. I asked him if he was going to redshirt...he is not. He said initially he thought about it but he likes the way he is progessing and expects to play. I asked him if he could help influence Anthony Bennett into coming to G.U., he laughed and said the coaches are asking him that too. He said that we are in Bennetts top 5 schools, he hopes to talk him into an official visit and would love for him to come here, but also that Bennett likes all the attention he has been getting and has some pretty big schools recruiting him. Florida, Kentucky. So we will see. We thanked him for his time and left him alone, practicing. Who knows, he may still be there! Really nice guy and I would not be surprised to see him starting at the pg position come fall along side Gary Bell and Marquise Carter sharing time at the two.
It was interesting to see everyone up close and personal, and not in a game situation. If you can make it down it is well worth the time. It leaves me anticipating the new season even that much more.
If any one has any questions feel free to ask and I will try to elaborate as I can.
Now, carry on and back to summer.
Gaz, Out.
This post does not reflect the views of the blog authors or SB Nation.
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Thanks Gaz
Nice to hear some updates on the team..
Also how much longer are these scrimages going on? I want to get down there..do the scrimmages end this week or last through the weekend and in to next week at all?
JSH
Great Update
Thanks Gaz.. I was really wondering about Spangler. Had a feeling he could be a sleeper.
Great stuff, Gaz
Really, really appreciate the first hand insight.
The Slipper Still Fits - SB Nation's home for the Gonzaga Bulldogs!
sweetest write up in quite awhile,, thanks gaz
I second Scotthen’s question about how many more days//?,, I have 5 days in a row coming up, and haven’t watched them scrimmage informally for a few yrs,, would love to this year!1
Advanced Skills Camp
…runs thru Sunday the 31st….then the Fundamentals runs Aug 1st – 3rd.
If you don't like my fire then don't come around...
Correctamundo
Scrims start right after camps end at approx. 9 p.m….Only thing I would add is that the camp Aug 1st through 3rd shuts down earlier, I think 5 p.m. Not positive that they will scrim afterwards.
But hey, it’s not to late to check it out….you have 35 mins to get down there for tonight’s action. And then there’s Sat and Sunday. If you can get down you will be very pleased at what you see! I don’t know…I always love going to the games but there was just something really cool about being up close and personal in an informal way.
Final 4 or Bust!!~
Now that's what I'm talking about!
Greatly appreciated. Sounds like the kids will be competetive this year. We need more……….leave the pups at home and head back to the gym. Nice report!
This was great!
had the chance to go last night and passed….was kicking myself…but your write up made it like I was there! nice!
I second the question on KD….how did he look?
If you don't like my fire then don't come around...
Thanks for the Report.
But how come all of the “reviews” of the pickup games are so glowing? Every player is amazing, perfect, much improved, ready to break out, etc. I was reading the other board, and “Abe” was basically canonizing every player. Then I looked at some of his earlier posts and he said the same things about Grant Gibbs, Manny Arop and Theo Davis. And we all know what happened to them.
It is fun to read about the new players, but a pickup game can hardly compare to real D-1 action.
"It is fun to read about the new players, but a pickup game can hardly compare to real D-1 action."
Absolutely. Fun read, Gaz!
The Slipper Still Fits - SB Nation's home for the Gonzaga Bulldogs!
Agreed
Just saying that the players are talented..also you can get a taste of the style of play these players will bring…
The real fun starts soon!
JSH
Abe didn't canonize Gibbs, Arob or Theo...
All had potential when they came. They were the best we could get at the thime. Gibbs is good but he hurt his wrist and his shoulder. Didn’t do much thereafter. Mr Basketball in Iowa didn’t do well when he came. Theo hurt himself right from the beginning with his rotator cuff tear. He was a spectacular player in the NW leagues. He could have been something…he then got nuked for pot. He then lost his will to excell…..who could predict??
Arop….well he wasn’t the second coming. I don’t think anyone thought he’d be spectacular. Serviceable yes…AA nope. He didn’t develop.
I never thought any were amazing…except I’m still plagued by Theo. He just quit on us. He quit on himself. The new kids are well above these three in talent excepting Theo. If they quit, I’d be surprised. The top three ( Spangler, Bell and Pangos) are well beyond the kids mentioned above. They all bring major credentials. SO far, I can’t see any reason they won’t have memorbale careers with us. The jury is still out of Dranginis….as it is on Landry and Sarbaugh. Big jump to D1.
Huh?
Grant Gibbs was never Mr. Basketball in Iowa. Theo Davis in the “NW Leagues”? He played HS ball in New York City.
Arop? “I don’t think anyone thought he’d be spectaclar”? You must not have read GU Boards. He was touted as a future NBA’er by many, many fans.
Not sure what you’re talking about, but I really doubt your ability to evaluate the current players.
Sorry...NW typo meant NY.
Grant was a good kid rated 22 at his position and was near the top 100. I don’t remember being his champion or making big time claims. My claim of Mr basketball shows how well I knew him. I think someone else may have been super high on him. I didn’t know him enough. Got something contrary? Show it. Calling you out. Show it. Somebody thought he was well above average.
http://www.slipperstillfits.com/2009/9/25/1053561/player-previews-for-grant-gibbs
Arop? Nope not me. Good kid and he should have panned out. I never knew if he would… apparently he didn’t.
Theo was a killer in HS…well such as it was. BZ loved him as did some others. As I explained in my comment above…he had all the talent he needed. Just didn’t put it to good use.
I’ve had a chance (this past week or so) to look at the new kids every night. All very good…the top 3 anyway. Why? Because as new kids just out of HS, they more than held their own with established kids presently in the program and some very decent kids from the past. Each kid in his own way comes to us with superior credentials. After watching them, I see why. For some balance, still not sure of the other 3 newcomers. Check in new Jan or Feb and see what YOU think.
Best wishes with your opinion SanJose. To be clear though, I don’t boost a kid unless I’ve seen em work on multiple nights.
by MDABE80 on Aug 1, 2011 12:11 AM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
Oh, well if BobZag loved him...
What’s with the deification of BobZag and his opinions by many, anyway?
Talented players for a pickup game..
The players scrimmaging are all talented D-1 Level players..not any scrub that wants to play… Guys like Grant Gibbs Manny Arop and Davis were all great players just didnt mesh well @ Gonzaga so I dont believe that is a fair comparison…
Its nice to get a gauge on the new additions and the veterans…You can get a feel for the style of play that these new guys will bring..also updates on the vets..Sacre and Harris…I appreciated the post!
JSH
Jazzed for the 2011-2012 Season!
I’ll send in my thanks to Gaz as well. It would be great to hear comments from the other Spokane area fans that are able to attend this scrimmage and get thier impression of the players as well…..
GO ZAGS!!!
Good to hear about Pangos and Spangler
Spangler seems like a Jon Brockman 2.0 with a shot. I was initially very skeptical, given he comes from a smaller market and the competition level is generally low. Now, it remains for me to see him with my own eyes.
Ditto for the glowing comments on Pangos. Again, I’m from Missouri when it comes to Canadians, given the recent disappointments, and teen memories of my inflated ego after crushing Abbotsford and other Canadian teams and getting crushed by others in Seattle Metro League competition.
Couple of things:
A big thank you to everyone for your kind words. I was just doing what every Zag fan would do.
I did not go into any negatives because MIKE SEQUIM was being kinda grumpy. Sooo I kept it positive. That was for you Mike, you owe me. LOL
If forced to complain about anyone in particular, I would say Keita and Dranginis were disapointments. They sort of disapeared on the floor. Missed most shots, had numerous turnovers, were falling on the floor, and generally looked like they did not belong. I would red shirt Kyle Dranginis in a heart beat. Stockton also did nothing to stand out, which surprised me. It was not a game and there were no set plays. This can have a lot to do w/ how one fares and not be indicative of real gamesmanship potential. I am not an x- coach or basketball scholar, just a huge fan so I cannot be blamed for any failures to produce as it relates to my glowing report. Did I mention Sacre?…WOWAZ!! ;o)
Lastly, I want to thank Zach for the shout out. I appreciate it more than you could possibly imagine.
This next season is going to be something very special folks….book it.
GO ZAGS!!~
Final 4 or Bust!!~
Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa?
Lots of good stuff and funto read. Grump says….hey!
My view mostly the same, but I have some different thoughts
This is my first post, so I will try to keep it positive. I don’t want to put anybody down so I mean for these to be constructive thoughts, based upon my view of the scrimmage on July 29.
Gaz is spot on re: Sacre – he made almost every shot, and lots of them! Most of them were not dunks, and yet they seemed effortless. Is that because he had nobody his size guarding him? Hmmmmm. We all have been waiting more than 4 years for Rob to flourish… this is his last year, so I’m wishing the best of the best! I think he can be better than Josh H. and maybe even Ronny T.
Carter looked great. Didn’t do anything spectacular, but you could tell he had more confidence and showed his ball handling skills. Bell looked great… he is very fast, even faster than Goodson. Spangler looked great. Some have suggested he’s a mix of Calvary and Violette… I think for now that’s a good place to start. I doubt he will redshirt. What he is missing in my opinion is that killer look, but give it time.
Pangos looked great. He is taller than Stockton by 3 or 4 inches. But I felt Stockton looked as good or better than Pangos. Stocks made most of his shots, especially when he drove into the key and flipped the ball in the hoop over the big guys, literally threading the needle. Don’t get me wrong, I’m very impressed with Pangos, but I won’t be surprised if Stockton holds his own.
Dranginis will redshirt… there is no way he’ll be ready to play, and as Gaz indicated. But I think Keita played quite well and hustled more than just about everyone else, except Kuso. Keita reminds me of Arop and I wonder if he’ll play much… time will tell.
It was fun to see Ammo, but I didn’t think he showed his best; he missed most of his shots, though he did make at least one from way, way out that got the crowd cheering. I thought Adam played a team game, passing to others a lot to help them get shots, rather than hogging the ball, kinda like a coach would do.
Harris did look slimmer, but didn’t look dominant… it was just a scrimmage so hopefully when he gets into the season we will see his potential blossom. Oh, one other player that looked great was Dower, a scoring machine.
Well, that’s it for my first post… hope my input is helpful.
by ZagFanDave on Jul 31, 2011 11:02 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
Don't read too much into a scrimage
They are what they are but they are not a ‘game’ situation.
Still must be fun to watch.
mjc
mjc
LOOK OUT
I was getting drunk in Cheney this evening, and I heard Jeffrey Forbes (EWU guard) say: “we will beat Gonzaga this year, look out.”
to which i replied: “hahahaha yeah f***ing right, dude.”
Welcome to the Sound Pound...
Great read Gaz
good to get some basketball talk going once again. How was Few’s substitution patterns? Did Sacre stay out of foul trouble?
Huh?
Did you really ask those 2 questions after reading the post? LOL I love ya man but that’s funny.
Final 4 or Bust!!~
Great write up.
Kudos, kudos, kudos. Thanks for the time and effort.
How many other programs can pull together open-door scrimmages....
with former All-American POYs like Adam Morrison? Getting this kind of off-season attention in a player-friendly atmosphere is something that really sets Gonzaga apart from other programs. It’s not like Ammo is being paid or on the coaching staff. He seems to have treasured his time as a Zag and now that he has some time on his hands (albeit unfortunately), this is how he chooses to spend it. I think that speaks volumes about what it means to be a Zag. I can’t wait for the season to start and see these guys whoop on MSU in the MAC.
Zagnificent - GU Class of 2010
Coach Adam??
I haven’t read about him playing anywhere, but I know he loves the game. I could see him coming back as an assistant.
That is one of the coolest things about these scrims
Not only do you get to see all the current and new players, you get to see AMO, Kuso, Batista, Calvary, ect.
An older article by Casey Calary worth reading right here: http://www.lostlettermen.com/casey-calvarygonzaga-ten-years-and-one-tip-shot-later/
Final 4 or Bust!!~
Open Door Scrimmages
Lots of colleges have alums come back in the summer. UCLA has legendary pick up games, sometimes with 10 or more current NBA players. I have seen multiple NBA players at Stanford, SCU and even USF in the off season.
While I love Casey and JP coming back, the games that were played at GU did not have one current NBA player. Just lots of former Zags going at it. I wish I could see it.
Dissapointed...
I went to watch scrimmage tonight,I arrived @ 9pm..all doors locked and nobody around…damn.
JSH
Same thing happened to me Saturday night
When I walked up and saw the food catering truck pulled up next to the Martin Centre I knew something was amiss. When the players eat early….no scrim later. Bad sign indeed.
Ran into Robert Sacre and got a great PIC, but not the best time to bother the Big guy when he has a plate of food in his hands though, lol!
Monday night may well be the last chance to watch. The camp after that ends at 5 p.m. nightly so not sure if they will be playing. I will ask Marquise or Pangos if they know.
Final 4 or Bust!!~
I will attempt tonight
So the camp tonight ends @ 9 again? I am going to make it that way again tonight…for some reason i thought that the camp today ended @ 5pm.
JSH
Woops....I messed up...it does end at 5 p.m.
Not sure if they will play then either.
Sorry for the confusion, late nights at the IQU will do that to you.
Final 4 or Bust!!~
Pargo agrees with you Gaz
Did you see the article in the Spokesman today? Pargo had a very similar assessment of the scrimmages. Sacre couldn’t be stopped, Spangler is an athletic Pendo, etc…
Good job Gaz.
A skinny Matt Bouldin who shoots better than Matt did at that age!
Matt’s 220lb frame was the difference in his playing as a Freshman. From day one, I’ve said I hope they redshirt him, not because of his talent but his physique. He’s a 4-5 year player and will be a star! Of course, JMO and no proof but I do get Social Security.
Well Mike,
you are “all in” on Draino. One thing is for certain, we are gonna find out if you are correct, and I certainly hope so.
Hi to grumps for me. Enjoy that SSI while it’s still there…sounds like I aint gonna get any
Final 4 or Bust!!~
nice...
The only other differnces are: Pangos was not brought up..stockton was, pargo liked lil stock..and KD was a shooter…a lil different review from Pargo..
Thats a good thing though, especially when pargo states we will be good, he dosent have to worry now..
JSH
Not sure where to "reply" this comment to in regards to couple of above posts but...
Look, it was just a scrimmage. Maybe if I attended on a different night someone else would have stood out. You cannot get a clear cut absolute from one scrim.
Pargos "interview’ was probably an impromto thing where he throws up what comes to mind. Do the same interview again and maybe he throws it up a little different. Maybe he didn’t see Pangos dribbling 2 balls during breaks or working after until past 10:30 p.m. all alone, driven like that. Plus, I actually talked to Pangos for a few mins and perhaps that clouded my take on him, lol.
I have gone over it in my mind a few times and if pressed, all things considered, based on what I saw, someone told me I had to cut ONE PLAYER, it would be………………………….Mathis Keita.
Now, I am sure this will upset someone…….tough.
Final 4 or Bust!!~
Keita?
I think I’d cut Monninghoff. Aside from his outside shooting, he’s really shown us nothing else. I initially had him pegged as a Micah Downs clone, but I don’t think he’s ever driven into the lane or gone in for a dunk. I don’t know whether that is from a lack of confidence, or a lack of ability, but things need to change for him to see the court. Keita can at least operate within the arc. He tries to do too much, but at least he attempts to be part of the game and make plays. He’s tough and a wide body with some potential…
Zagnificent - GU Class of 2010
Fair enough
IMO the verdict is still out. Perhaps we will see things differently after this season, and in a good way. I hope so.
Final 4 or Bust!!~
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