They're Back - Gonzaga at #1

[jncuse]

Not always a favourite team here. I tend to like them because they have had a decent Canadian element for some time (not this year however). They do tend to fail more than other mid-majors come tournament time.

With Villanova, Kentucky, Florida St, and Kansas losing this week, Gonzaga will move up to the #1 spot.
I am sure many have differing views on them.

The obvious question is how good are they?

They have beaten a number of fairly good teams on neutral court - Florida, Iowa St, and Arizona. They have also throttled St. Mary's at home. This isn't quite the same as when Wichita St went undefeated and all they had to show for it was a win over St Louis. At the same time there are many 10-25 type's there, but no top 10 wins either. They are #1 in the KenPom ratings, which doesn't mean to me they are the best (I look at KP more for the range a team may be in), but means they are at least one of the 10 best teams in the country.

What I am more interested in is how they got there. They were not a great team last year, they lost Sabonis and Wiltjer, the core of the team, and now they have greatly improved.

It's interesting to note that the biggest apparent reason for their improvement is 3 transfers amongst their top 6 players, including 1 grad transfer, from P5 schools (Washington, Cal, Missouri). Typically with that many transfers one would think it would take some time. But the transition for them, compared to us for example, has been very smooth.

When I saw them around #10 to start the season I thought they were overrated and I did not undertand it. But whether they have proved to be worthy of #1 or a #1 seed, they have proved to be a worthy top 10 team. And given the number of key transfers that is really surprising to me.

 

[Briancuse]

I don't hate them like others do, I like Few, I found Adam Morrison extremely annoying, but who didn't. I think they are a decent team, don't think they are a final four team, but sweet 16, elite 8.

 

[jncuse]

I don't hate them like others do, I like Few, I found Adam Morrison extremely annoying, but who didn't. I think they are a decent team, don't think they are a final four team, but sweet 16, elite 8.

Not that I see any reason for Few to leave, but I think Few would be a great fit as JB's successor. But there can always be more than one great fit, so I hope that fit is Hopkins. Hopkins will always seem like a bad choice compared to someone who has proven themselves, but let's give Hopkins a shot first.

 

[Briancuse]

Not that I see any reason for Few to leave, but I think Few would be a great fit as JB's successor. But there can always be more than one great fit, so I hope that fit is Hopkins. Hopkins will always seem like a bad choice compared to someone who has proven themselves, but let's give Hopkins a shot first.

I would take Few in a heartbeat, not sure if he would come, I see him as a west coast guy.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

It sucks we're crappy this year. If that Gonzaga team is the best in the country, it's wide open.

 

[jncuse]

It sucks we're crappy this year. If that Gonzaga team is the best in the country, it's wide open.

I think they are legit top 10 in my view, which is much more than I expected, but I am not posting this to argue that they should be #1.

But as I said the key thing for Gonzaga is how they used transfers to quickly reshape things. Hopefully we can hit it off with another grad transfer or two next year. It probably did help Gonzaga that 2 of the transfers were the traditional types (like a Wesley Johnson) who practiced for an entire year.

 

[Briancuse]

It sucks we're crappy this year. If that Gonzaga team is the best in the country, it's wide open.

They aren't, Nova,Kansas, Uk, Unc are much better.

 

[SoBeCuse]

They aren't, Nova,Kansas, Uk, Unc are much better.

Probably so but in a one game Tourney setting they have the firepower to beat anybody.

 

[cuseattle]

Unless they're playing SU, it's hard not to root for them. The guys mostly stay four years and improve. They go out and play anyone. There never seems to be a hint of scandal or drama with the program.

 

[jncuse]

Unless they're playing SU, it's hard not to root for them. The guys mostly stay four years and improve. They go out and play anyone. There never seems to be a hint of scandal or drama with the program.

If geography were not an issue, they would be an outstanding fit in with the rest of the Big East. They are sort of lost out west with no one really to join with - BYU, St. Mary's and Gonzaga is a nice little core for a conference, but they need more then that and what options are there?

 

[SoBeCuse]

Unless they're playing SU, it's hard not to root for them. The guys mostly stay four years and improve. They go out and play anyone. There never seems to be a hint of scandal or drama with the program.

Yup, they play anybody. Always a big fan of Gonzaga in general.

 

[cuseinseattle]

Unless they're playing SU, it's hard not to root for them. The guys mostly stay four years and improve. They go out and play anyone. There never seems to be a hint of scandal or drama with the program.

They play anyone until that conference season then they play St. Mary's an no one else. I go there often since my wife is from there and it's like 5 hours from Seattle and it's amazing he can get kids to come there. He does a good job.

 

[Briancuse]

If geography were not an issue, they would be an outstanding fit in with the rest of the Big East. They are sort of lost out west with no one really to join with - BYU, St. Mary's and Gonzaga is a nice little core for a conference, but they need more then that and what options are there?

Creighton is in the big east, at this stage Geography went out the window a long time ago.

 

[two3zone]

How the hell do they lose Sabonis and Kyle and end up being number 1? Jeez.

 

[Madbiker]

Can always count on Zags being over-rated. It's a function of conference.

 

[cliftonparksufan]

Can always count on Zags being over-rated. It's a function of conference.

I'll take either Zona or UCLA as the #2 coming out of the West.

 

[Cowtown]

Creighton is in the big east, at this stage Geography went out the window a long time ago.

Like when they had freaking DePaul, LOL!

 

[Cowtown]

How the hell do they lose Sabonis and Kyle and end up being number 1? Jeez.

Start with a healthy Przemek Karnowski at 7-1 & 300 lbs, whom they lost to back surgery in November last year. If he'd been healthy last year our run might have been a bit different.

 

[Zelda Zonk]

Hate them? I always think they're pretty cool. They're good 'out of nowhere.' I'm sure it's just me, but that's one of those schools where i always have to remind myself where they're located and what conference they're in. Few's one of those coaches that seems to do a lot, consistently, without 'prestige recruits.'

 

[longtimefan]

I think they are legit top 10 in my view, which is much more than I expected, but I am not posting this to argue that they should be #1.

But as I said the key thing for Gonzaga is how they used transfers to quickly reshape things. Hopefully we can hit it off with another grad transfer or two next year. It probably did help Gonzaga that 2 of the transfers were the traditional types (like a Wesley Johnson) who practiced for an entire year.

I think the key has been Williams-Goss, who got to sit out for a year and learn the system. He's a nice scoring point guard, a McD's AA who was rated ahead of Tyler Ennis coming out of high school 4 years ago.

 

[TheGov3304]

Not always a favourite team here. I tend to like them because they have had a decent Canadian element for some time (not this year however). They do tend to fail more than other mid-majors come tournament time.

With Villanova, Kentucky, Florida St, and Kansas losing this week, Gonzaga will move up to the #1 spot.
I am sure many have differing views on them.

The obvious question is how good are they?

They have beaten a number of fairly good teams on neutral court - Florida, Iowa St, and Arizona. They have also throttled St. Mary's at home. This isn't quite the same as when Wichita St went undefeated and all they had to show for it was a win over St Louis. At the same time there are many 10-25 type's there, but no top 10 wins either. They are #1 in the KenPom ratings, which doesn't mean to me they are the best (I look at KP more for the range a team may be in), but means they are at least one of the 10 best teams in the country.

What I am more interested in is how they got there. They were not a great team last year, they lost Sabonis and Wiltjer, the core of the team, and now they have greatly improved.

It's interesting to note that the biggest apparent reason for their improvement is 3 transfers amongst their top 6 players, including 1 grad transfer, from P5 schools (Washington, Cal, Missouri). Typically with that many transfers one would think it would take some time. But the transition for them, compared to us for example, has been very smooth.

When I saw them around #10 to start the season I thought they were overrated and I did not undertand it. But whether they have proved to be worthy of #1 or a #1 seed, they have proved to be a worthy top 10 team. And given the number of key transfers that is really surprising to me.

Always a competitive team. I really liked their frontcourt last year of Wiltjer and Sabonis.

The knock on them is always that their league is weak and they underachieve in the tournament.

I found the most annoying Gonzaga player of all-time to be Kelly Olynyk, not Adam Morrison.

 

[SU2NASA]

Give me the 16-seed