Question and Answer

[J-Mac Zag Forever]

QUESTION?

Without a doubt the current Zags are going to take their game to a new level of success. A 16,8, or Final Four is in their future. Because we have the players that can get them to that level should Few hold back recruiting antcipating several McDonald All Americans begging to be Zags????

ANSWER_______________.

[BobZag]

No.

Gonzaga should hold out for NBA superstars to regain college eligibility so they can be Zags.

Seriously, just do what the staff has been doing. Aim high, get the best kids they can, and make sure they're good Zag fits.

[RebornZag]

Q & A

My hunch is that Few will always go after the best available athletes he can get every year. Why would he not? There are no guarantees in this business of college basketball. You can say we SHOULD make it to Sweet 16 Elite 8 or Final 4 but it's easier said then done. The way things play themselves out in reality usually is nothing like it is on paper. There are so many intangibles involved that don't even have anything to do with talent. If we have 2 scholarships Few will recruit the best 2 athletes that fit into his system. In '09 we will have a minimum of 3 scholarships and Few will recruit 3 or more guys. That's how it works.

[gamagin]

supersizing GU

<< Without a doubt the current Zags are going to take their game to a new level of success. A 16,8, or Final Four is in their future. Because we have the players that can get them to that level should Few hold back recruiting antcipating several McDonald All Americans begging to be Zags???? >>

this program, like all others, and life itself, must continually crawl up a wall of worry, and factor in a ton of luck and a million intangibles, before it can even consider eliminating just one scintilla of doubt about future success.

It has built up a tremendous WCC record, which is now in the crosshairs of that conference. It has at least (3 -- WSU, SDU, LONG beach) new recruiting opponents, besides all the usual suspects, for talent (since WSU emerged from its long sleep and the other two have ex GU disciples eager to spread the word).

On the horizon in the next few years will be additional pressures on the talent pool (UW comes immediately to mind), but virtually every school we face has equal pressure to meet or exceed GU's track record.

And we haven't even gotten beyond a half a dozen states in this United States here. Yet.

Meantime, GU has enjoyed the reality (inside its conference) and the perception (outside the system for those athletes looking in) that those who come here can expect to enter a winning program.

They, more than others, can also hope to reach for the stars where elsewhere, the program may still be a work in process and/or really has no real record to stand on, even if it does have a storied history to try and point out as a hope for the future.

Our future is now.

GU players can also dream of and hope to succeed in leading the team through the WCC & and further into the ncaa's as long as they continue to take care of business. But its NOT a given.

Individually, a GU athlete who stars in this program can expect at least a shot at playing beyond college in europe, and dream for and possibly see a long shot at being considered eligible for a job if not a career in the NBA.

So far, at least in the WCC, even a second place team star, or coach, has no such hope for a shot or even his job (see SCU's story).

All that said, GU is a program that tries to find the best athletes they can get and grow them into NCAA caliber players. Some make it, some don't.

But I would posit all who have competed on this team during this current run have seen the best, played with and against the best and been beaten on occasion by the best competition one could hope for at any school in the nation.

I'm not sure what else a talented, developing athlete could hope for while he is still learning the craft and attempting to aim higher. This is their program and Few's coaching team is ready, wiling and able to show them the way.

This could include a McDonald's All american some time, but not exclusively or especially at the expense of the program as developed.