Gonzaga Team Report

GETTING INSIDE

Few teams in the country could lose as much talent as Gonzaga did and still be considered the conference favorite. But, as usual, the Bulldogs are the pick to win the West Coast Conference.

Certainly, the Bulldogs are vulnerable this season. Four starters are gone from last season’s team. They do not look like a national top 10 power as they have in recent years. Their run of nine consecutive league championships could end.

But there have been similar tales over the past decade, and every year Mark Few comes up with enough to win the conference.

Gonzaga may have the best backcourt in the conference, but its frontcourt has to be rebuilt from scratch.

All three frontcourt starters—Josh Heytvelt, Micah Downs and Austin Daye—are gone, and Daye’s early departure to the NBA was a particularly crippling blow.

So was the graduation of Jeremy Pargo, the WCC Player of the Year in 2008.

The Bulldogs retain one star player, versatile guard Matt Bouldin. Two other guards, Steven Gray and Demetri Goodson, should give the Bulldogs plenty of quickness and defense on the perimeter.

Defense has been one of Gonzaga’s calling cards, and they may have to apply more pressure on the perimeter this season.

Most of the Bulldogs’ points will have to come from that backcourt trio, because Few will be relying on newcomers to fill the voids up front.

Seven-footer Robert Sacre is back after missing all but five games last season with a broken foot. He has some starting experience, but he has never been much of a scorer.

Will Foster, who is 7-foot-5, has shown potential, too, but he does not look like he’s ready to dominate.

The rest is up to the youngsters, and Gonzaga has nine freshmen or redshirt freshmen on its roster.

One of the redshirt freshmen—6-11 Andy Poling—needs to contribute immediately, and several of the true freshmen must develop in a hurry if Gonzaga is to make it through its meat-grinder schedule in good shape.

The fact that the conference in general is not as strong as it has been in recent years gives Gonzaga a little leeway, but it will still have to get quality performances from unproven players to win the conference again.

Another NCAA Tournament berth seems likely, but the Bulldogs could enter the postseason with double-digit losses, especially since they again play by far the toughest nonconference schedule in the WCC and one of the toughest in the country.

NOTES, QUOTES

• The Bulldogs’ nonconference schedule includes a road game against Michigan State, neutral-court games against Duke and either Wisconsin or Arizona, and games in Spokane against Wake Forest and Oklahoma.

• G Matt Bouldin was one of 50 players named to the preseason watch list for the Wooden All-American and Player of the Year awards.

• Former Gonzaga great John Stockton was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame during the summer.

Last Year:   28-6, 14-0 in the WCC, first place; lost in third round of NCAA Tournament.

Head Coach:   Mark Few (career 264-65); 11th year at Gonzaga (264-65).

Quote To Note:   “I’m sure some feel this is the right time to get us.”—Gonzaga coach Mark Few.

STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL

Scouting The Newcomers:   Nine players who are new to the program are on Gonzaga’s roster, and although none looks like an immediate star, several figure to help this season. Three of them are from Canada and one from Germany, which makes it a little hard to assess.

A 6-11  redshirt freshmen (Andy Poling) and 6-11 true freshman (Sam Dower) will be given an opportunity to fill the vacancies up front. Another redshirt freshman, G Grant Gibbs, probably will play some, although there is less of a need in the backcourt. True freshman G.J. Vilarino could get some time in the backcourt, too. The wild card could be 6-6 Bol Kong, a transfer from Douglas College who sat out last season. He could become a star.

Key Early-season Games:   The Nov. 17 game at Michigan State will get a lot attention, but the Bulldogs probably won’t be ready to challenge such a national power on the Spartans’ homecourt. A better indicator will be the Bulldogs’ trip to Lahaina for the Maui Invitational, where Gonzaga will play Colorado and either Arizona or Wisconsin and one other quality team.

Those teams are not out of Gonzaga’s range and will show how much progress the Bulldogs have made early in the season. Somehow Gonzaga convinced Wake Forest to come to Spokane and play at the McCarthey Center, which gives the Bulldogs a chance.

Program Direction:   The Bulldogs will be down this season after being nationally ranked in most seasons, but this is not an indication that the program is on its way to mediocrity. Gonzaga continues to be the West Coast Conference’s dominant program, and looks like it will continue to be for some time.

Few programs are as stable as this one, with Mark Few feeling comfortable at Gonzaga after 10 successful seasons. This season may not compare favorably with many of the others, but the Bulldogs will rise again in the years to come.

Probable Starting Lineup:   PG Matt Bouldin, SG Demetri Goodson, SG Steven Gray, PF Andy Poling, C Robert Sacre.

Roster Report:  

• Sophomore wing Bol Kong, a native of the Sudan who spent most of his life in Canada, was supposed to be at Gonzaga last season, but had his application for a visa denied three times. He finally got a student visa this summer just in time to enroll for the 2009-2010 school year. The fact that the Sudan has been on the United States’ terrorist watch list is probably the reason Kong had such trouble obtaining a visa.

• Freshmen Mangisto Arop and Kelly Olynyk played for the Canadian Under-19 team that finished seventh in the world championships in New Zealand over the summer.

• Freshman guard G.J. Vilarino signed with Kentucky in November 2008, but requested his release after Kentucky made a coaching change. Vilarino then signed with Gonzaga in April.