At around 8:30 p.m tonight, Gonzaga fans can finally count down until the debut of this Gonzaga team. Sure the Zags will have played eight games following this match up with Oral Roberts, but this Saturday will mark the debut of Guy-Landry Edi. No longer will Gonzaga fans have to scratch their head at certain lineups that were thrown on the floor because of the absence of an athletic SF. Teams will have to respect every player on the court for the Zags, because with the debut of Edi, every player on the court will be a scoring threat.
I am not saying that Edi is going to average 20 ppg and emerge as one of the top players in the country. Instead, I'm merely pointing out that starting on Saturday, Mark Few and his staff will have the full roster to work with. This point can't be overstated, as it's vital that the coaching staff can work on different lineup combinations and rotations as WCC play approaches.
So while I am clearly looking ahead to Saturday, the Zags do face a tough test against Oral Roberts. ORU returns a lot of talent from last season and is off to a 7-3 start this season. The Golden Eagles don't have any bad losses and I expect will provide Gonzaga with a stern test. Part of me thinks we are going to see a replay of the 09/10 team that after falling to UConn had a pair of surprising losses to Portland St. and Utah. This game will not only be physical on the court, but will also serve to test the mental toughness of this group. If Gonzaga can pull this out, I look for this team to put together a good run of victories heading into the game against Xavier. While I don't think it will be easy, I think the Zags find a way to pull out a 69-60 win.