Weekly Zag Briefing

As we roll through the third week of Gonzaga being ranked No. 1 in the country, let’s peek at all the news snippets surrounding the Bulldogs before Selection Sunday is upon us.

• The main highlight from this week is obviously the Zags’ performance in the WCC tournament. After blowing out tournament sweetheart Pepperdine 100-74, they turned around and had a rough loss to St. Mary’s, losing 60-47. To be completely honest, this did not look like the team we have been watching this year at all. While we wait to see if the Zags will still earn a top seed in the NCAA Tournament, here’s to hoping that we won’t see this type of performance again - it was disgusting.

• We can’t discuss this past week without reveling in the return of Killian Tillie. He had a monstrous reappearance in the Pepperdine game - he hit three 3-pointers, grabbed three early rebounds, had one assist and a steal all within the first half. Needless to say, we’re glad he’s back.

• Referencing Tillie’s return during the Pepperdine game, Dick Vitale commented that Gonzaga is his pick to win it all this year (of course, this was before the Saint Mary’s game *cringe*). He specifically drew attention to GU’s chemistry, defense and their willingness and unselfishness in sharing the ball - all of which greatly convert on the scoreboard.

• Mark Few has been named one of the 11 semifinalists for the Naismith Coach of the Year Award - an honor definitely deserved. He collected the accolade in 2017 when the Bulldogs reached the NCAA championship game. The winner will be announced April 7, however we’re thinking/hoping/assuming Few has other awards that he’s focused on right now.

• After a thrilling double overtime win against Saint Mary’s, the Gonzaga women were unfortunately unable to hang on in the championship game. They fell 82-68 to BYU. During the Saint Mary’s game, both Laura Stockton and Jill Townsend left the game in visible pain. The Zags were definitely missing their physical and emotional leaders during the BYU match.