High hopes for Gonzaga

No pun intended. :) Anyway, Seth Davis has a nice article about the Zags and their thoroughly admirable head coach, Mark Few, as well as the team's prospects for this upcoming basketball season.

I really think Gonzaga could do some special things this year. In fact, of my three teams -- USC, Notre Dame and Gonzaga -- I have the highest hopes for the Zags, despite the hype surrounding the Trojans' O.J. Mayo and the return of Kyle McAlarney to an Irish team helmed by the reigning Big East Coach of the Year (ahem). If Gabe Pruitt and Nick Young had stuck around at USC, I'd have more faith in the Trojans to live up to the hype, but as it is, I'm not so sure. As for the Irish, well, I just don't sense that this is a team ready to show off some heretofore unseen greatness; I think last year was pretty much their high water mark, and against a tougher Big East schedule this season, I expect them to suffer a return to mediocrity. I hope I'm wrong, of course. But anyway, Gonzaga... with Josh Heytvelt back, Jeremy Pargo taking over point guard duties full-time, and Micah Downs injury-free and in the lineup for a full season, I really think they could make some serious noise. I'm particularly excited about the ascendancy of Pargo, who is a freakin' stud (or "Grown Ass Man," as La Rev likes to say). Derek Raivio was very talented, but inconsistent to the point of being a liability his junior and senior years, IMHO. Pargo, I think, can succeed where Raivio failed: leading his team to achieve greater things than anyone expects of them. Well, if Heytvelt can stay healthy and away from the 'shrooms, that is.

The Zags are ranked #14 in both preseason polls. That ranking will be tested early, given that they have games against Texas Tech (probably), #28 Butler or Michigan or Virginia Tech (possibly), #10 Wazzu, #32 UConn, Oklahoma, #7 Tennessee (in Seattle, alas) and Georgia, all before 2008 is a week old -- and a visit to #3 Memphis on January 26, to boot. (If I wasn't going to be the father of a one-month-old at that point, I'd totally be trying to get tickets and planning a road trip.) I almost hope the Zags do well, but not too well, against that early schedule. Not that I'll be rooting against them in any particular game, mind, but generally they seem to do better when they come into the NCAA Tournament with low expectations (last year notwithstanding), so an early record that's better than last year's 9-6 start, but also not insanely good, would probably be ideal.

Ah, screw it, I hope they start 15-0 en route to an undefeated national championship. :) Go Zags!

Comments

[Kristin]

Brendan, I don't have anyone to watch games with anymore, and considering my total lack of any channels which *might* carry GU's games, I may be out of luck entirely. :(

But still, GO ZAGS!

[La Rev]

Jeremy Pargo is very nearly the love of my life. In a purly plutonic way, of course, but love nonetheless.

[Brendan]

I think the word you're looking for is "platonic." Which I normally wouldn't make fun of you for -- after all, teasing people for blog misspellings is generally quite lame -- but I mention it only because I kinda like the idea of "plutonic" love. :) I'm not sure what it means, though. Is it love of deep igneous or magmatic origin? (MAG-MA!) Or is it the love between Mickey Mouse and his dog Pluto? Or is it the love between the planet Pluto and its moon/sister dwarf planet Charon? The Dwarf-Planet Love That Dare Not Speak Its Name!

[La Rev]

My plutonic love for Jeremy Pargo has twisted my brain. How's that for an explanation?

[Aaron]

No pun intended.

Liar.

;)