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Old 03-18-2015, 07:23 PM   #1
BlueK
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Default Gonzaga

I actually think we're closer to catching them starting next year than most BYU fans might think. Losing three key senior guards (Pangos, Bell, Wesley) is going to make a big difference. They have about 7-8 players who all complement each other very well on this year's team but the rest of their bench isn't that great. I'm not sure they have the same chemistry next year with the senior leadership and talent they lose. Sure we lose Haws, and I love Haws, but scoring points is the easiest thing for a Rose team to replace and we have several guys coming in who can each add a few points to make up for it. And don't forget we already beat them this year in Spokane as it is. If we can cut out the Pepperdine/USD losses next year we're going to be right there with the Zags chasing the league title.
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Old 03-18-2015, 07:30 PM   #2
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Depends on who the zags bring in.

But I'm on board with you. I think Gonzaga is overrated this year (more than you think).

Things can change quickly. Look at Utah.
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Old 03-23-2015, 03:24 PM   #3
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Gonzaga looked good against Iowa.

I guess that means that they can take care of business against another team with lots of white guys. In other words, an inferior version of themselves.

I don't follow college basketball, so I don't know how good Iowa is/was.

We've both made the point several times. Gonzaga has its issues. But so does just about every team in the country.

The team that will beat Gonzaga will have smart, athletic guards that can penetrate. And bigs that can mitigate Gonzaga's front line. Run on Karnowski. Get Sabonis in foul trouble. Play smart. Overplay Sabonis left hand. Run Pangos off the 3 point line (the only weapon he has).
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Old 03-23-2015, 05:32 PM   #4
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Iowa was ok, not great this year. Typical 7 seed, I guess. They played a really tough schedule and had a few nice wins, but mostly losses against the very good teams. But the only team that beat them up worse than Gonzaga did was at Wisconsin. A 2 seed should beat a 7, but when they destroy them it usually indicates they're pretty legit. Other 2s like Kansas and Virginia are already out.

When Gonzaga is playing well as they are right now I think to beat them would take doing all the things you say. The problem is I think to do all of those in the same game is a pretty tall order for most college teams, even for those stilil left in the tournament. The challenge with playing Gonzaga is that they can win playing in many different ways. You can't just shut them down in one area because they'll beat you somehwere else. They can play fast or half court. They can focus on going inside or hurt you from the outside. The senior year Pangos is his best version yet. He used to be primarily a shooter who could go hot or cold. This year he turned primarily into a facilitator for the rest of the offense who isn't looking so much for his own shot, but who still nails the 3 whenever the defense forgets to keep him covered.

They're headed for the elite 8 because I can't see UCLA beating them. The Zags already blew them out this year at UCLA. I would take Gonzaga over Utah also, but it would likely be fairly competitive because Utah plays good defense and slows the game down. I would expect Duke to beat them, but it would also be competitive, IMO.
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Old 03-30-2015, 10:18 PM   #5
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I intended to watch Gonzaga vs. Duke, but got so caught up watching The Jinx on HBO that I forgot about it. Looks like it was close, reading the recap.

Another year and no Final Four for Gonzaga.

A good accomplishment to get to the elite 8 however. Gonzaga was definitely heads and shoulders better than BYU this year (despite the one loss). We have a ways to go before we can match them. Let's see if we have a talent upgrade next year.
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