Zags Record
21-5
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Written by JRillie
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Sunday, 15 November 2009 09:05 |
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What We Learned:
Mississippi Valley State is not a very good basketball team. In their two games against WSU and the Zags the Delta Devils were outrebounded by an average of 21. They're undersized and not in the same class basketball skill-wise as their opponents.
For the Zags, they are still experimenting and trying to find the best way to utilize their talent.
Offensively, when Harris and Sacre were both in the game in the first half we saw the Zags have a double low-post look with a weave from the guards on the perimeter and they really looked to get the ball into the paint. Gonzaga was still very reliant on their jump shooters when Sacre was out, as the Bulldogs then looked for the dribble-drive and kick out to the guards.
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Written by MTR
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Friday, 13 November 2009 21:10 |
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The rain/snow mix that began falling Friday afternoon in Spokane was a reminder that Gonzaga basketball is here once again. This will undoubtedly be a rebuilding year for GU as they lost 65 percent of their scoring with the departure of Josh Heytvelt, Jeremy Pargo, Austin Daye, Micah Downs, Ira Brown, and Andrew Sorenson. However, during the last decade Mark Few has been able to reload every time a talented group of players leave, and while Few will be tested once again this season, there is plenty of reason for optimism. Nevertheless, on the eve of Gonzaga's first game the Zags find themselves out of the top 25 with many unanswered questions.
Can Matt Bouldin and Steven Gray provide consistent scoring?
In order for Gonzaga to be successful this year Matt Bouldin (13.6ppg last year) and Steven Gray (9.1 ppg last year) must consistently score a lot of points. Unlike the balanced attack last season, the Gonzaga coaches would like to see Bouldin and Gray team up for 30 to 40 points per game. Last year, Bouldin was second on the team in scoring, but struggled in losses against elite teams such as UConn, Memphis, and North Carolina. As Mark Few has noted, GU's success this season will depend on Matt Bouldin. It is hard to imagine GU winning a game in which Bouldin is shut down.
It will be important, therefore, for Steven Gray to help take the pressure off of Bouldin by consistently scoring points. Last season, Gray had a huge game against UConn in which he scored 23 points on a variety of different drives to the hoop but disappeared in many games down the stretch. Gray needs to finally put it all together and score by both shooting the three and slashing to the hoop.
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Written by JRillie
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Friday, 13 November 2009 10:57 |
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Our next preview features Mangisto Arop.
Arop, who goes by Manny, is a 6'5" wing coming to us from Canada. Arop, who is originally from Sudan, moved with his family to Canada at age 9. Manny, who was arguably the best Canadian hoopster last season, spent a number of years at Canada's National Elite Development Academy, which is essentially the junior national team.
Arop is another new Zag that has international experience, as he represented Canada with Kelly Olynyk in the under-19 FIBA World Championships. In that tournament Manny averaged 16 points and 5 rebounds per game. The year prior, in the under-18 Tournament of the Americas, Arop dominated as he averaged a double-double with a line of 17 and 10.
Arop is a slasher in the same vein as Micah Downs, Erroll Knight, and Tony Skinner. Manny is much more polished offensively than those three were at this point in his career. He has a very smooth style of play and a very reliable mid-range game. Like the former Zags above, Arop is supremely athletic, but will attack the rim and look to finish in traffic.
Manny will undoubtedly get a large number of minutes off the bench in the 2-guard or small forward role. Don't be suprised though if it takes him some time to get up to speed at the D-1 level. Look for him to work hard defensively and create turnovers with his aggressiveness. As his stats indicate, he won't hesitate to rebound and look for second-chance scoring opportunities. If Steven Gray struggles to open the season expect to see a large dose of Manny Arop.
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Written by JRillie
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Wednesday, 11 November 2009 09:56 |
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In an effort to further expand his horizons beyond the hardwood, Steven Gray will be taking the leading role in a Gonzaga theatre production. Gray plays the lead role in "Take Me Out" a play that won a 2003 Tony for Best Play. Catch Gray at the Magnusson Theatre on the Gonzaga campus November 11th and 12th at 7 p.m. or November 13th at 10 p.m.
Read the press release from the school. |
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Written by JRillie
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Tuesday, 10 November 2009 16:25 |
Our next player preview features Kelly Olynyk.
Kelly Olynyk is a 6'11" forward out of Kamloops, British Columbia. He has the skill-set and court awareness of a guard which will make him a perimeter threat. His slender frame could make it difficult for him to finish in traffic; but as we saw in the exhibition game, he is not afraid to attack the rim and finish with a dunk. Olynyk is clearly a scorer as he averaged 35 points per game his senior year and had big games of 54 and 46.
Olynyk is another newcomer that has had international experience. Kelly participated in the FIBA under-19 World Championships in New Zealand as a member of the Canadian junior national team. Against solid competition Olynyk was able to average 11 points and 8 rebounds. Despite his size Olynyk still plays the game like a guard and has shown himself to be a decent shooter. Don't expect much post play out of Olynyk as he prefers to face-up and attack rather than back a defender down. Olynyk's size and athleticism will be a huge plus in terms of rebounding and allow the Bulldogs to fastbreak more than they have in years past.
Assuming Olynyk does not redshirt, as it appears he won't and Sam Dower will, he should play sparingly as he becomes accustomed to the physicality and speed of the Division I game. Olynyk's future is bright at Gonzaga, and he is clearly very talented, but I would be surprised if he gets a ton of minutes though the first part of the season.
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