FanPost

Someone must be held accountable!!!

Very tough loss, but what a hard fought, great, even classic game. Maybe not the most aesthetically pleasing, but two heavyweights standing in the middle of the ring exchanging body blows isn’t beautiful, it’s tough and brutal. That’s what this year’s team proved tonight; they are indeed a heavyweight who can go toe to toe with one of the nation’s best teams, at their house, in front of 15,000 hostile, drunken, gun-toting, republicans. I wasn’t too worried about a loss today. Odds makers had GU a 4.5 to 5 point underdog so they were, according to the professionals, were supposed to lose. I was worried about GU proving they could play with the big boys. The supremely athletic, 4 players in next year’s NBA draft squads who routinely expose GU as the little school who can win their conference but doesn’t deserve a place at the national conversation table. This team, without their 3rd guard, who get another potential star in Eric McClellan next month, proved they deserve to sit at the big boy table.

It’s really a God damned shame we GU fans can’t sit back after a great game like this one and admire what happened. Nope, we immediately have to start assessing blame for the loss. We didn’t lose at Arizona because the odds making professionals who handicap basketball for a living said we were supposed to or because Arizona is a damn good team, it’s always because there is a fundamental flaw with the coach or one of the players. Think about the absurdity of those expectations for a minute, going toe to toe at Arizona for 45 minutes with at least two realistic chances to win isn’t enough. As crappy as we looked in overtime, we even had a realistic chance to go to a 2nd overtime. We, the loyal fan base, start denigrating players and coaches because we came out on the short end of a great game.

Think about the apex of Gonzaga men’s basketball, the ’99 win over Florida. You know, the one this site is named after that proved Monson was a genius and Few is an idiot. Don’t get hung up on the Florida player traveling giving GU the ball with 15 seconds left and a chance to go ahead. Look at the Calvary tip. Now look at a replay of GBJ’s last shot in regulation. I thought it was a shot during the game, but after watching it a few times I’m not so sure he wasn’t trying to lob to Sabonis for an easy lay-up. I think Sabonis would have had it too, even with his legs being cut out from under him, if he doesn’t get hammered by the guy going over his back. I can understand the refs not calling the foul to have the game determined at the line but think about how miniscule the difference is between Sabonis becoming an all-time GU hero, a all-time classic program win, or Few blew the game again. I won’t even go into what happens if Wiltjer sinks the three.

What I really find perplexing is the "what was Sabonis doing in the game crowd." For the last six weeks, I haven’t read one single negative comment on Sabonis. The worst thing said, he might need another year before he’s ready for the NBA. We all thought this kid was the greatest thing since internet porn. Now, playing him was a coaching error costing GU the game? Hypocritical BS. Sure, Brandon Ashley showed him why he will be a millionaire next year, but advocating Wiltjer for his defense? As far as Sabonis double dribbling, I’ve been watching and playing basketball for over 40 years and had to look up the NCAA rule to find out if it was in fact a double dribble. When he knocked down the pass with his hand and if he was in control (he was) it was in fact a double dribble. If I’m not sure, I tend to cut the 18-year-old some slack.

Should Karno have been playing on offense at the end of the game, maybe, but I harken back to how much everyone loved ‘em some Sabonis. I do know that Karno would have been hacked every time he touched the ball. Hell, I’d have held him on the inbounds plays before he touched the ball and put him on the line for a one and one. He was a stud yesterday, best GU player on the floor, but I’ll be damned If I’d want him on the free throw line determining the outcome of a game.

Should Wiltjer have been in the game during the last few minutes instead of Sabonis? With the benefit of Monday morning quarterbacking, 20/20 hindsight, maybe. Without the benefit of knowing what happened, hell no. Remember, prior to yesterday Sabonis had no downside. Now have you questioned Wiltjer missing threes, being out-jumped or being a step slow. I thought so. I’m not putting Wiltjer down, he’s going to have a night this year where he is 7 for 8 behind the arc and even with his faults the kid is playing his ass off. But com’on, before that complete and utter douchebag Dakich mentioned Wiltjer should probably be in the game did that thought ever cross your mind? For two games, yesterday’s and against St Johns, I read post after post about what a moron Dakich is and now the guy is a coaching genius for saying Sabonis shouldn’t be playing. Phuleeze. Think about it, last year the key to victory would have been playing more Coleman or Nunez.

Let’s think about some positives. Karno played his best game of the year against a pretty damn good center. In fact, Tarczewski is probably the 2nd best Polish center in college basketball. GBJ stepped up on the big stage, playing his ass off. Team defense was pretty damn good and we outrebounded friggin’ Arizona by 7 in their house. Would Perkins have helped worn down their guards, drew another foul on McConnell and given Pangos some much needed rest for a potential overtime, you bet he would. Yeah it’s a tough loss, yeah I’m disappointed in the loss, but I’m not disappointed in the team. Geez it must be easy to be a naysaying, I told you so fan. Team wins it’s rah, rah go GU I love it. Heartbreaking loss and you knew the coach and players were flawed and GU would never lose a game if they just listened to you. Despite being total BS, I’ll harken back to the naysayers mantra of why Few’s coaching wins during the year don’t count, "it ain’t what happens during the regular season, it’s March that counts." Funny how that's only applicable to losses in March.




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