Santa Clara at Gonzaga: Post game recap
by rappell40 on Jan 7, 2012 8:17 PM PST
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PrintHaven't seen one in a while, so I thought I'd take a stab at writing one up:
Kevin Foster, the WCC's leading scorer, has been accustomed to giving GU fits defensively.
Then he was introduced to Gary Bell Jr.
Kevin Foster and Evan Roquemore went a combined 6 for 25 as Gonzaga used tight defense to overcome a slow start to cruise by the Broncos 82 - 60. Gary Bell Jr. guarded Foster for the majority of the game, and it was clear from the get-go who the Zags priority was defensively. Foster finished the night with 9 points off of 2-9 shooting, well below his season average, largely because of the pressure defense applied by GU's talented freshman guard. GBJ added 15 points, including his first dunk in a Gonzaga uniform.
After a slow offensive start, who better to bring Gonzaga out of an offensive slump than Mr. Offense himself, Sam Dower? Dower poured in 17 points, including a three pointer to give the Zags the lead at the end of the first half, and they never looked back. Elias Harris had 12 points, Pangos had 10 points and 5 assists, and Gonzaga owned the boards in the second half to cap off a good defensive effort. The Zags are now 3-0 in conference with St. Mary's lying in the wake on Thursday.
One thing that is particularly interesting about this team has been their commitment to defense. Sure, there were a few plays when GU fell asleep and gave up some open looks, but for the first time since I have been watching Gonzaga play, I can actually say that the perimeter hasn't been killing us this year. I am aware that we are still a long shot from "great" defense, but it is progress that I am excited to see. Elias Harris, in particular, has shown great strides in his ability to guard ball screens up top as well as his man one-on-one, and has had several nice blocks, defensive rebounds, and overall hustle plays over the last 2-3 games.
Seeing this team play good defense is something that will allow us to overcome slow nights offensively, but at the same time we cannot spot the St. Mary's and BYU's of the league 10 points as we did tonight with SCU. Gonzaga's biggest issue on offense has been finishing around the rim this year, and it was present again early on. Given our strength inside and our significant size advantage over WCC teams, this has been confounding, but Gonzaga has made up for it with excellent perimeter shooting and consistent pressure defense so far. The depth of our bench, especially with the addition of Edi, has been one of the more apparent differences between us and every other WCC team this season.
Another promising sign from the night was the play of Marquise Carter. Marquise has been struggling this year on both ends of the court, but is beginning to show some of the confidence that made him such a huge part of last years team. His great transition pass to Stockton for a lay-up in the second half capped off what I felt was an overall solid game for Carter. Continuing to get him minutes and help him find a groove again may be key for continued success into March.
Here's to another good weekend for the Zags. Given Saint Mary's strengths with ball movement and perimeter shooting, Thursday will be the real test to see how far we have progressed as a defensive unit. Hopefully we can continue the strong play and come out as fired up from the start against SMC as we did in the second half against SCU.
Go Zags!
This post does not reflect the views of the blog authors or SB Nation.
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I was there. The game was awesome!
Especially the closing of the first half when we (the fans) got on our feet and started yelling. You could just feel the mood of the game change right there on the spot. I’ll be glad when the student section comes back though, as the regular crowd can be pretty quiet at times.
GU has seemed to start slow the last couple games but has kept their collective noses to the grindstone and played tough the whole way. They will need to play some of their best ball at Moraga next week to pull out the win. I for one, believe they are up for the challenge.
Thanks for the post game thread rappell40!
Rappel40, Great job on the recap!!~
Much thanks.
Lots of top 25 teams lost (some twice) since the last polls came out, so I would expect Gonzaga to move up a couple of slots.
Who lost?
Mizzou
Gtown
Uconn x 2
Florida
Louisville (to Notre Dame…our win is looking better)
Wisconsin x 2
MIss State
Marquette x 2
Michigan
K State
Harvard
Did I miss anyone? Lots of losses, we keep winning and positioning for a better dance seed.
Not to get too far ahead here because St. Mary’s house will be rocking and we will finally get a chance to see if all their cupcake wins mean they are for real….or not.
GO ZAGS!!~
Final 4 or Bust!!~
I agree! (Don't forget Mizzou, lost to K State- That won't help us much.)
Some folks say the polls don’t mean much because the NCAA selection committee doesn’t care about the rankings. I still think they’re huge- build up to regular season games, recruiting, etc. Who are the best teams at any given time are what the polls give us. If one team plays another, the rankings help us predict the winner. To the credit of the voters, rankings are not based totally on record. For that reason, I think we should think more about solidifying our position in the rankings, rather than necessarily moving up the rankings. I think a solid 22-25 ranking is fantastic at this point. I think it is more than fair. We’re into league play at this point, and even with a monster game on Jan 12, we shouldn’t be worried too much about moving up in the polls. Top 20 is a 5-seed. 1 mild upset and we’re in the sweet sixteen. (More than that- Butler, VCU, George Mason) Go Zags!
Curious about your thoughts...
- Michigan beats #18 Wisconsin by 18 at home today, making Wisconsin 12-5. Does a game like this reverberate down the rankings to affect us? Should it? We have nothing to do with either team. Our 2 losses have come to teams in this league, one ranked above these guys and one below. Wisconsin beat BYU by 17 at home and lost at home to Mich St by 2 in overtime.
I think it’s interesting to analyze the rankings.
Good Win..Slow Start
Had me worried for a minute but we played great D and poured it on when we had to, and took the game over…Next week will be tough as it is evident this is going to be a 3 team race for the title!
BYU pummled SAN FRAN tonight, one of ther players was 6-6 from the perimiter, and the team stacked up 27 assists, # 5 overall in the nation in that category, so they play great team ball. Hartstock is a beast and will definately provide a challenge for our bigs…
First things first though, lets go down to Moraga and whoop some ASS!
JSH
SMC will be a very tough game.
We probably won’t win there if we waste 13-18 minutes of 4-5 playing time. However, if those minutes are used to OUR advantage, we will win. If GU continues to win with starting a player with #30’s stats for the past 10 games, it will have to be ranked as one of the most talanted teams ever assembled at GU. That’s possible because of our Freshman guards but not likely! I personally would rather spot the other team the 10 points and start the game with GLE, Sam, Stocks, MM or RS. I think we could make up the 10 points quicker with any of those guys in…………………………………just kidding….ahem….just kidding! Go Zags win big at SMC.
Pangos & Bell
Well, what do ya think there Mike, is this backcourt to your liking?
I think I may go with a 3 guard lineup to start the St Mary’s game, they are going to be tough down there.
I thought it was funny, we were watching the game last night and my wife says to me: “Why do they keep playing Hart?” I don’t really have an answer but am too excited about the prospect of watching this guard tandem for the next 3 years to care much. This team is better than I thought they would be and I’m betting they are a load come march. How about the string of stops put up by GB, can’t wait to see what he can do with Delly. Enjoy the ride.
by Yakazag on Jan 8, 2012 5:54 AM PST via mobile up reply actions
Love this recruiting class!
Remember when we talked about Tony Wroten last year? Well, he is probably the best in the Country but look at what he has caused at the UW! Its amazing what ego will do to talent. Have you made any HS games this year? Went once to see Zach Lavine…..slim pickens this year but I’ll get around. Good to hear from you.
by mikesequim on Jan 8, 2012 9:06 AM PST up reply actions 1 recs
Wroten
You got that right, the dogs are a mess, I’ll take our guards over any of these 1 and done ego trips. Very impressed with the maturity and patience of the 2 freshman guards, especially the way GB has just let the game come to him on the offensive end, he hasn’t taken a bad shot all year.
I haven’t been able to get out to see Levine yet but am planning to, been pretty tied up with parents health issues. Love this team though, that team chemistry stuff is kind of important.
Enjoy the ride.
by Yakazag on Jan 8, 2012 9:38 AM PST via mobile up reply actions 1 recs
Mike...
interested in your take on Zach Lavine….how is he compared to Steven, Bell at same stage?
Anything you can share is great as I know very little about him at this point.
If you don't like my fire then don't come around...
Wow, what a tough comparison!
Three different peas, three different pods.
Steven, for all intents and purposes, IMO, only got bigger and stronger, not any better in College. GB is a great work in progress. GB has become better every year since I started waching him in the 9th grade. Except for experience, he’s as good at all facets of the game or better than all the 1/2 guards I’ve watched at GU since 1996. IMO, KP may score more this year but GBJ is the glue!
As for Zach, he’s a flat out scorer. To the rim, straight up, off the screen or on his own, this guy can put up the points. One thing only on his mind……….shoot the rock! He’s very quick and fast. His release is as quick as anybody I’ve seen in this State in years. He also plays on a team that looks for him ALL the time and that makes it difficult, IMO for him to develope like GBJ did. He’s a shoot first look around second player with get open talent. I would place him at UW, Arizona, UNLV styles out here and maybe Memphis, Kentucky and other up tempos back East. Somewhere, where defense is not at the top of the list. I guess I would be shocked to see him in a Zag Uniform just because of his style of play and how, IMO, its not a good mesh with Mark Fews Coaching Philosophy. I don’t know, maybe he would fit here but………………………I think he looks elsewhere
Awesome analysis
From afar, I don’t see Few having an aversion to scorers. I know I don’t. Flashback to Ammo days: wasn’t it fun knowing that there were some easy points out there. I’d argue that Pargo was more disappointing as a player, not because of his deficiencies as a point guard, but that he couldn’t score consistently. Good job!
Didn't mean to infer that Few didn't like scorers.and thanks!
I was evaluating it more from Zach’s position of playing for Coach Few vs Romar, Miller or Coach Cal and so on. I hope I’m wrong and Zach does choose GU. My experience’s in watching him play and Coach Few coach, just tends to lead me to think he fits better under someone else that coaches more to his style. Nothing sinister here just opinion.
Thanks Mike!
Awesome as usual.
So…just trying to get a clear picture….would you say that he may not fit with GU in the same as Wroten wouldn’t fit…..I ask because after seeing him play this year, it is obvious he and the Mark Few styles would not mesh…..same type of deal here with Zach?
If you don't like my fire then don't come around...
I Really Like Our Rotation!
Where’s all the Coach Few bashing on this site that we usually have? I personally think the rotation has been masterful so far. We’re seeing players getting better as this season is progressing. I agree with many here that speak of our depth. With our substituting we’re not only getting zero drop off, we’re getting contributions from everyone. Few has also let some players develop on the floor, such as Pangos, Bell, and Stockton. I admit to being dead wrong about Pangos and Stockton this year. Stockton occasionally tries to do too much, but I now think our guards can play at a big-time college level.
Obviously Sam is on fire. I like him off the bench- I still question his defensive consistency, although he makes plays away from the hoop, and his stamina. He’s the perfect 6th man. Carter is progressing. Still waiting for the emergence of E Landry Edi.
Let’s hear some Few props. Are we afraid we’ll jinx it? The kids are buying in. We’re uptempo, with defensive pressure too, not just fast-break offense. I think Few is having the time of his life. No enigmas- Pargo, Heyfelt, even Daye. Go Zags 2011/2012.
by MdZagFan on Jan 8, 2012 6:01 AM PST reply actions 1 recs
do you just not watch Few and the Zags in March?
Few doesn’t have problems in the regular season, he has problems in March against teams like Mich St and Illinois.
What are you saying? I watch every game just like you do.
I remember us whooping teams like Mich St and Illinois in March- last year that team was named St Johns. Did you credit Mark Few with pulling an inconsistent squad together to wear out a really solid St John’s team that had about 10 huge regular season wins last year? The previous year, we beat a physically strong Florida State team. I was disappointed with our performance against BYU, but the 2 previous years we lost to juggernauts- UNC and Syracuse.
I’m not so sure it’s a March thing. What is your point by saying Few has problems in March? Does he choke? What do you mean? I have always thought of a season as a day-by-day journey with many ups and downs.
I’m not a Mark Few disciple but I was just trying to provoke a response or two as to why no one is giving him any props for how this team is developing before our eyes.
I think all of us give props for his development abilities, and his recruiting abilities....
The fact is the regular season in both the NCAA and the NBA is almost meaningless. Mark Few can go undefeated every year in regular season play, but when he fails to get past the second round with quality teams and never passed the sweet 16 in his tenure as HC, don’t ask for props. No one wants him gone, he’s the best coach we could ever hope for, but don’t start giving him all this praise for meaningless regular success.
The fact of the matter is when it comes to March he chokes against teams we should beat (Indiana, Davidson, UCLA) and he’s never been able to compete with the big dogs (UNC, Syracuse, Mich St, Illinois) despite the great talent he’s coached. My only point is, we’ve had just as good of teams as Butler has had the past few years, yet for some reason we can’t even get past the second round, while they are playing in the NC game in back to back years. I know what that reason is, and all i can hope for is that Few keeps learning and tries new things. But don’t tell me he’s some amazing coach.
Don't put words in my mouth.
Reread if you need to. I am giving him kudos for how this team is developing. That’s all. I’ve criticized him plenty in the past. I think that an interesting thread here always is: what we need to do to take the next step and/or what happens to us in the tournament.
You suggest that you know the answer; please share.
“all of us acknowledge his development abilities”- Not. That’s one thing we criticize him most for.
sorry if i put words in your mouth
I thought we criticized him most for in game adjustments?
My only suggestions, with my admittedly small amount of knowledge, is to get as many of the best talented players on your team as possible (which means stop giving me this bullshit about how so and so is a head case, or what does it say about him that he’s transferring, or we dont want him because he might go to the NBA early)…and 2 to do what we recently have been doing, which is schedule the hardest non-conf schedule we possibly can…I’ve been clamoring for that for a long time and Im glad to see it.
other than that i got no ideas and i just hope Few is as harsh on himself as we are on him. Because he’s the best we’re ever going to get and I just hope he continues to learn and evolve.
by TGood '07 on Jan 8, 2012 7:01 PM PST up reply actions 1 recs
I agree about the schedule.
I think the luck with the schedule we got this year confirms our opinion. Usually about this time our guys are beat up, mentally drained and deflated, with post traumatic disorder from all the frequent flyer miles.
I was wondering why there seemed to be so many games at the Kennel
where the students were gone. Then, I got the answer when I watched the Mark Few Show Sunday night. It is because we are usually on the road. This is definately an anomaly and we should be enjoying it. As you said, we are not beat up and worn out from all of the travel.
Few said playing at home w/out the students is better than playing on the road. I think this is something we can all agree on.
Final 4 or Bust!!~
"don’t start giving him {Few} all this praise for meaningless regular {season} success."
Without regular season success, there is ZERO chance at post season success. So, please, don’t tell us that the regular season is “meaningless” or “basically meaningless”.
Yeah, we ALL want to go deeper into the Tourney, I am thinking all of the Gonzaga coaches are doing the best they can to get there. There have been some remarkable improvements so far this season, team defense, stopping the three point barrages, substitutions and in game decisions, much improved. Watch out…we may get there yet!
Final 4 or Bust!!~
I am telling you the regular season is meaningless....points in case
28-10 Butler and 32-9 UConn.
My point is you can lose a bunch of games in college bball during the regular season and it doesn’t really have that big of an effect on how you ultimately end up….just don’t end up with a 14 seed or lower and you have a chance to go deep
it's not meaningless
but the best regular season teams are not necessarily the best postseason teams. those were both 20-win regular season teams, so the regular season isn’t meaningless but it also doesn’t dictate the postseason.
Welcome to the Sound Pound...
NICE write up, Rapell!
We are defending the perimeter!
We are shooting more, and more effectively, from the perimeter!
What a diff a year makes.
Defense
is the best I’ve seen from a Gonzaga team ever! I think the key to the perimeter D is the great on-ball D, by the likes of GBJ, GLE, Hart, and Pangos, who doesn’t get a lot of credit for his D but he always stays infront of his man. The better on-ball D you play the less others have to help stop the drives in the lane and leave their man wide open at the 3pt line. This has made a huge difference in the overall team D.
by suzag on Jan 8, 2012 10:41 AM PST reply actions 1 recs
Great Point about On-the-Ball D!
I totally agree! I would add that not only are we keeping the ball in front of us, but we’re pressuring the ball too. Not only leads to turnovers, but makes the passer pass under duress. We occasionally get steals at the wings and more often our athletic bigs step around and steal the entry post pass. You’re right, all we saw last year was a bunch of guys desperately trying to closeout on 3-point shooters after they slid over to stop the ball. Good stuff!
Totally agree
what was the stat………held every team under 65 pts? If we hold st. marys to 65 a W for sure. The other stat (I think I heard it from Fox) was about our 3-point attempts and makes. More options from the perimeter.
These 2 areas are the biggest difference this year and could take us far in march.
"Average is as Average does"
The Zags have only given up an ave of 57.1 points per game during this eight game winning streak... WOW!
Defense is right. Remarkable.
Final 4 or Bust!!~
by gaz-tastic on Jan 9, 2012 7:29 PM PST up reply actions 1 recs
totally rec'd!
Completely agree! Normally GU has to pack it in because they cannot keep their man in front of them…this is was, in the past due to lack of effort more than anything.
So far, what sets this GU team apart from the last 3-4 years is sustained effort on both sides of the ball. I see a large jump in their ability to play the full 40 minutes….and to respond when they are found wanting of this.
Harris, Carter and Dower have all improved their D and it is due to moving their feet and playing with intensity. That is to say, they seem to be committed to executing the fundamentals and are playing with a level of pride on the D end. “you are not going to score on me” type of mentality. From the outside looking in, it seems like they are playing way more like GBJ and way less like the “O’lay matador defense” they have been in the past. Happy to see this.
If you don't like my fire then don't come around...
With the exception of Few
putting Hart on Draymond Greene, it’s hard to complain about anything this year. We’ve been pretty damn good with the exception of Draymond Green and some 2nd half turnovers to Illinois
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