Day Before Game Day Press

[caduceus]

Kitsap Sun: Gonzaga gets a lift from Carter

"I wasn't sure he was going to come back after Christmas," Few joked.

"I had good teammates and good coaches, people just telling me to keep my head up and continue to work and be coachable," Carter says. "That's what I did, and then everything just started coming to me.

"I started to get more confident and make good plays on the offensive and defensive end. Everything is just going really well right now."

USA Today: 27 schools gussy up for two dances

Gonzaga has plenty of experience when it comes to preparing for the NCAA men's basketball tournament, and the Bulldogs women's program is also no stranger to the postseason. This March, however, has presented a different dynamic to the usual amount of madness experienced by the Spokane, Wash., school.

Philadelphia Inquirer: We'll go with Gonzaga all the way - opinion piece but an enjoyable read about picking favorites


NY Post: Johnnies all business as they journey to Denver


NY Post: Beating St. Johns Put Gonzaga on Map - Relive the 1999 upset and Santangelo interviewed


NWCN.com Video: Zags 'Ready to rumble' in Denver


NWCN.com Video: GU students make lengthy, costly trip to Denver


Post any good finds from today here!

Go Zags!


SAN MAN: In the 2000 tournament, Matt Santangelo and
Gonzaga soared past Lavor Postell and the Johnnies.

[Oregonzagnut]

+1

Dude, very awesome compilation of reads!

Green is coming your way!

But I do not agree with the NY Post, beating Florida put Gonzaga on the map, not St Johns! IMHO.

[Reborn]

ZagNation rocks! It's great to be a Zag! Zags will have a ton of support in Denver. I'm soooooo excited. One more day!

The article about St. John's in the NY Post left me feeling good about the Zags. Big East schools are so cocky when it comes to playing teams out west. I can hardly wait to see how it goes for them. Zags will bring a lot of fire and passion to the contest, and they're not going to back down from these guys one bit.

It's true that St. John's plays a different brand of basketball then is seen out West. But conversely, Gonzaga plays a style of basketball that they don't see back East. It's a game based on intelligence and passing. Two different styles will be on display tomorrow night. That's going to make for a very interesting and exciting game.

St John's reminds me an awful lot of how Memphis played when coach Cal was there. There offense is based on driblle penetration. However, imo, those really good Memphis teams had much better 3 point shooters to balance their dribble penetration with beatiful kick-outs for 3 point shots. St. John's seems to focus on just dribbling inside and shooting mid range shots. I'm not buying into all the St. John's hype.

[ZagLawGrad]

Thanks for the links!

[LongIslandZagFan]

Some of the quotes in there tell me that the SJU players aren't taking the Zags seriously. They already have themselves elite 8 in their minds.

[Zag@LMU]

From the Post:

"Yup you're right"

Make them eat their words Zags.

[caduceus]

NY Daily News: March Madness NCAA Tournament: Gonzaga, Denver altitude stand in St. John's way to open NCAAs

The university's commitment and Few's ability have put the Bulldogs on equal footing with national powers and relegated the Pac-10 to the rest of the West. Because the Zags play in the WCC, the committee can make them an 11th seed and force them to face an uphill climb to the Sweet 16 while giving itself the rationale to take a pass on St. Mary's, which beat visiting St. John's to spoil Steve Lavin's return to coaching in November.

But Gonzaga is a dangerous team that will not be intimidated by a Southeast Region matchup against St. John's Thursday night at the sold-out Pepsi Center.

(...)

Not only did the new kids on the block get a No. 6 seed, but they drew a team that is much better than an 11. The Bulldogs have been on a roll, winning nine straight and beating St. Mary's twice, and continue to get everyone's best shot when they roll into town.

Surprisingly nice article coming out of NY with some Mark Few quotes.


St. John's needs an altitude adjustment in more ways than one in Denver, as Gonzaga's 7-0
center Robert Sacre (r.) - playing for Bulldogs coach Mark Few - presents a sizable challenge.

[gu03alum]

Basketball Prospectus - The NBA Perspective

5 Guys to Watch

David Stockton, PG, Gonzaga - Stockton's father, named John, also attended Gonzaga and subsequently played in the NBA, where he finished his career as the league's all-time leader in assists. His son is a step slower and can be prone to pressure (a possible problem against the Johnnies), which is why he walked on, but the younger Stockton's court vision helped turn around the Zags' season.

[paz]

Some of the quotes in there tell me that the SJU players aren't taking the Zags seriously. They already have themselves elite 8 in their minds.

How dare they believe in themselves! Those #######s!

“We gotta come with our St. John’s mentality — aggressive, hard-nosed basketball for 40 minutes every game.”

“However far we go in this tournament, we gotta do it for D.J.,” Boothe said. “He’s given himself up to St. John’s basketball, and we really gotta give ourselves up for not only for St. John’s but for D.J. as well.”

Same thing you would want your kids saying: play your game, do what you do best and leave it all out on the floor.

[Zag@LMU]

How dare they believe in themselves! Those #######s!



Same thing you would want your kids saying: play your game, do what you do best and leave it all out on the floor.

Actually I would rather hear them say "Were focusing on St. Johns and we will go from there" instead of "See you in the elite eight"

But your overly optimistic board seems to fit your teams personality.

[DZ]

How dare they believe in themselves! Those #######s!



Same thing you would want your kids saying: play your game, do what you do best and leave it all out on the floor.

I, for one, Paz, am concerned about the rallying impact of a severe injury - it can completely mitigate the loss of a player and even increase the level of play. I also think there is nothing wrong with believing in themselves - as you put it - the only thing they should be focused on is "Gonzaga" and not "the tournament" - the tournament is one game until that game is over, then it is the next game.

[paz]

Both Lavin and Keady like to talk about "swag." These kids believe they can be national champions, and that every game is absolutely necessary to get there. Hell, Lavin told anyone who would listen that DePaul(!) was the most important game of the year. Why? It was our first game as a ranked team, first game with that target on our back, and an easy letdown opportunity with Pitt behind us and Nova ahead of us. And these kids responded in a big way.

St. John's has a swagger, no doubt. They also take Gonzaga very seriously. The two aren't mutually exclusive.

[paz]

Speaking of press about the game, this article contains my favorite basketball quote of the year, maybe ever:

After beating Pitt, one of [Lavin's] team’s anchors, Justin Burrell, actually put it this way: “He doesn’t really coach. I don’t know what he does.”

And he said it with complete affection.

[caduceus]

Seattle Times: Matchup: Gonzaga vs. St. John's

Prediction

A slight nod to Gonzaga's strong finish and the absence of Kennedy for St. John's. Zags, 66-61.

Bud Withers

Bleacher Report: Picks from the President: Breaking Down President Obamas NCAA Tournament Bracket

There are a few bold picks though. President Obama has 11th-seeded Gonzaga knocking off 6th-ranked St. Johns in the opening round.

NWCN.com Video: Gonzaga students use their bracketology skills for a good cause


Seattle PI: St. John's prepares for Zags without D.J. Kennedy


Toronto Star: Follow ‘Canuck Bracket’ all the way to the Final Four - kinda silly but has a nice pic


Gonzaga Bulldogs captain Robert Sacre celebrates a win over the
Saint Mary's Gaels earlier this month. The west coast team has
Robert Sacre from Vancouver as its captain.

[NEC26]

Speaking of press about the game, this article contains my favorite basketball quote of the year, maybe ever:



And he said it with complete affection.

Lol, that is truly hilarious. Awesome quote