Since Sunday, I have seen one or two true posts about Gonzaga on the two or three major sports sites that I go to (ESPN, Fox Sports, and MSNBC). Gonzaga is used to being a hot topic throughout the college basketball world, but suddenly, we aren't. I haven't seen anybody pick us to really even beat FSU, nor have I seen anyone bring up the fact that we beat St. Mary's twice before they beat us once. 

Most of the articles have Gonzaga as the loser to FSU, due to the fact that we lost to Duke by 35 and that the ACC connection is in automatic loss for us. 

In all honesty, I think this can be a good thing. We have a weight on our shoulders as an 8 seed that is so much different than the other 8 seeds. I don't think Cal can feel the pressure we do coming into this game, but knowing that the media doesn't believe in us could be a total positive. The weight on GU's shoulders right now is our weight and not the media's pushing us downward like before we play Duke, MSU, UConn, Memphis, etc. 

Our team can do a lot and while they may not, (I'm predicting that they'll make it out of the weekend. You have to think positive!), it's not like the pressure from the media is getting to them from being "snubbed", because I think even they know that they deserve that 8 seed after being smashed on the court by St. Mary's. This team is out to prove something to themselves, not just the media who can talk them up through the AP poll and the coaches who REALLY talked them up too much in the Coaches' poll this year. 

All in all, I'm glad that I don't have to read constantly about how we are an undeserving 4/5/6 seed or a seeded too low 10/11/12 seed. Knowing that people other than the students at FSU and Syracuse and the people of Spokane's general area aren't thinking about the Zags... it could definitely be a lot easier to handle stress for the young guys and the couple upperclassmen.

What do you guys think? Does the media not talking about Gonzaga help our guys' mentality going into the game?

Way back in time... A Dan Dickau led GU team was #6 in the nation, and the selection committee gave them a 6 seed! no typo. #6 in the nation got a 6 seed. GU ended up losing to Wyoming, but it still has to be one of the most absurd seedings by the selection committee of all time.

GU will need to get back to its underdog role if the want to upset Cuse in Buffalo. Losing Manny Arop will hurt them but I still think they have a decent shot if they can get past the Seminoles.

Coach few was just on Jim Rome's show on ESPN around 1:30pm today. If you'd like to watch the interview I am sure you can find it on espn. Jim and Coach few  talked about how laid back steven gray is and discussed past and present teams including this weekend's matchup. They also talked about the impact of losing 4 starters last year and how the team has done this year.

We would like to officially welcome everyone to the Slipper Still Fits bracket challenge. We just created an open group for Gonzaga fans with ESPN Tournament Challenge and would like all of our readers (invite your friends as well) to compete for the title of Bracket Champion. In the spirit of this site, I have selected Gonzaga to make the Final 4, but there are no requirements for how far you must pick the Zags to go. We do encourage people to be a little risky and pick the occasional upset, but if you want to choose all the #1 seeds in the Final 4, that is totally fine.

Here is how you join:

1) Go to ESPN Tournament Challenge (Click here for direct link)

2) Create an ESPN account (They are free. If you already have an ESPN account, skip this step)

3) Fill out your bracket

4) Click on Join group

5) Search: Slipper Still Fits (Key Note: The group for this blog is: "Slipper Still Fits, not "The Slipper Still Fits)

6) Join Slipper Still Fits

7) Sit back and enjoy this terrific competition.

If you have any questions or something isn't working, please feel free to email us, and we will do everything we can to help out.

You are the Gonzaga Coaching staff.  You have a chance to say one thing to each of the five starters...your one-liner to them before they head out to play Florida State.  What do you say to each of them?

As for me:

Sacre: Play with that fire you had against SMC!  Take it to them!

Bouldin: We got rid of the softness, now go out there and show the Nation who Matt Bouldin was meant to be.

Meech: Fast and relaxed and under control, take what they give you and give em' hell back!

Gray: Time to own a game for 40 minutes.

Harris: Play heads up ball looking for ways to make them pay for not respecting you all over the court.

So "Coach" what would you say?

I was just listening to the BS Report, and Bill Simmons did a mega-March Madness podcast.  One of his guests was a Vegas insider, Chad Millman.  They were discussing the Vegas trend in the NFL of steering away from coaches that can influence games in negative ways, like Norv Turner.  This is starting to leak into NCAA basketball come tournament time, and they began to discuss coaches that fit into this category.

Almost immediately when I heard this theory, I unfortunately thought of Mark Few.  Sure enough, he was the second name mentioned (after Coach K).  It really makes sense.  He is a great recruiter, but as an in-game coach, he doesn't make the best adjustments to help the team win.  His substitution patterns are also very questionable.  I love Few, and am always nervous after every season whether he will jump ship to a bigger program.  But would another coach give the Gonzaga a better chance of succeeding in the NCAA tournament?

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It was very difficult seating behind the kennel club at the orleans arena watching  our zags, watching the gaels score, score and score. We all know how good our team can be and to watch them become oblivious in these games is mind boggling. We all tried to figure it out but the  answer eludes us and our coaches. The teams failure to dial in, in these games, have done more damage then the team realizes, until now. Spokane a fading memory, a # 4,5 seed a distant dream. The damage has been done. Hopefully this team will finally learn from this catastrophic mistake.We know our team has the ability to  rebound  but  can  they do it without a relapse. THERE  IS NO ROOM FOR ERROR!  A DEEP RUN REQUIRES  Tenacious, Unyielding , Relentless, Focused, Basketball. ZAGS you are better  and stronger then you realize. Good teams are not beaten by other teams, they are beaten by themselves. Mental toughness, no matter what occurs during the game, their can be no frustration,no self pity, no self doubt.

ZAGS LET'S SHOW THE COUNTRY THAT THEIR EARLY SEASON PRAISES AND ACCOLADES WERE NOT MISPLACED. SEE YOU AT THE ELITE EIGHT!

I'm not jumping off the bandwagon but after watching the Zags this last month i would be shocked if they win 1 game in the NCAA. This team is very young and now has lost their 6th man for the rest of the season. I think they will get a 7 seed. Will the real Matt Bouldin please stand up...Please stand up...And who was that guy in a Will Foster costume making 2 FTs?? Meech has NO outside game at all. Sacre can look like a superstar with his soft touch in the paint and his powerful dunks but most of the time he falls apart. Sacre will be a force in the future. Gray is a little stud that can sometimes be a dud. And we all know what Elias can do SOMETIMES. Kong may be our best 3 pt shooter but when he plays you never know what you will get, 12 pts or 0 pts. Each player on this team could have a night where they could have a 20 pt game. I dont hink i have seen a game all year where ALL the players were playing well. If we are to do anything in the NCAA this year we need a strong performance from Sacre 10+ pts and 8+ reb. Bouldin 16+ pts and 5+ apg. Gray 15+ pts. Harris 16+ pts and 6+ reb. And Meech no TOs and make some FTs. I really think next year will be even better.

This really isn’t sour grapes for losing to St. Mary’s last night. They wanted this game 100x more than we did and hit the shots to put us away.

That being said, I have always thought the WCC tournament was a little redundant. I can understand it more in conferences like the Big East where not every team plays each other twice but I just don’t think it makes much sense in the WCC. We were already conference champions, we had already swept St. Mary’s and Portland in conference play, why have a tournament to basically recreate a mini-season all over again? I really like what the Ivy League does in giving its regular season conference champ the auto-bid. I think it makes much more sense for the smaller conferences like the WCC. Definitely like to hear some other thoughts on this. I can see some benefits to it like being able to play another week so we don’t have a LONG break till the NCAA’s and giving the league some TV exposure…

I have my NCAA first round tickets in a manilla envelope on my desk. I could hear zombie nation softly playing in the background every time I looked at them the past week. I thought it was a lock. Me, watching the zags in the tournament in Spokane! Am a fool for still hoping a tiny bit that it is possible? Could it be? Am I just trying to soften the blow or is it still possible that they could play as a 5 seed? What do you think?