Weekly Zag Briefing

Another week of college basketball and we’re still alive! That’s something most teams can’t say at this point in the year. Because of that, we still get a steady stream of Gonzaga related articles:

• Mike Rutherford wrote a great piece on the Zags for the mothership, wherein he contemplates the contradiction that is Gonzaga Basketball—a perennially elite underdog.
• Gonzaga’s reputation for its work in developing players is stellar. But part of that process isn’t focused solely on perfecting shooting mechanics or demanding an extra rep in the weight room. Greg Bishop of Sports Illustrated details Gonzaga’s holistic approach to basketball training in a great piece published last weekend. I love that Gonzaga leaves no stone unturned in trying to put its players in the best position possible to have success.
• After the Zags had two of their own close calls with 16-seeds in past tournaments, Tommy Lloyd knew how heavy the pressure felt by Virginia could be during the course of its historic upset against UMBC. Also, Lloyd didn’t hesitate in crowning Norvell’s freshman campaign as one of the best in program history.
• Mark Few identifies Norvell as one of the team’s few extroverts, and the team’s spiritual leader.
• I didn’t know this about Jesse Wade, but not only has he spent the year adjusting to the rigors of college academics and basketball, he’s had to do it as a newlywed!
• Yes, it’s definitely okay for coaches/teams to have fun and celebrate their opening weekend victories in the NCAA Tournament. cc: Jay Williams.
• Rui Hachimura came up big in the win over Ohio State, and is peaking at the right time.
• Myron Medcalf re-seeds the remaining 16 teams in the tournament, and has Gonzaga at #12...I’m going to disagree with you there, Myron.
• Jay Bilas, at least, has the Zags as the 4th best team remaining behind Duke, Villanova, and Kansas. I’m not a believer in the Jayhawks due to their frontcourt that has been a weak link all year, but I won’t argue about the other two teams.
• Over at The Ringer, Shaker Samman considers what’s at stake for each team in the Sweet 16. For Gonzaga, it’s finishing the job after coming so close last season, and validating the program’s position as one of the nation’s true elites.
• KREM2’s Darnay Tripp makes the rounds in LA, visiting with Gonzaga alum turned actor Eric Edelstein before taking a trip to the SportsCenter set to talk Zags with ESPN Anchor and Spokane native Neil Everett. Good stuff, Darnay!