A Sign of the Times

[SLOZag]

OK, am I the only one here who has been perplexed as to how to describe where GU fits into the array of talented collegiate basketball teams? We complain when a "blueblood" out-recruits us, and we chafe at being called a "mid-major." So if we aren't either of those things, what the heck are we? I think The Boston Herald has come up with an acceptable term. The B-H published an article about Derryck Thornton (remember him?), a fifth-year senior transfer from Southern Cal. "Two games into his final season, Thornton’s averaging 22.5 points, four rebounds, three assists and two steals, and has made 50 percent of his 3-pointers in leading BC to victories over Wake Forest at home and South Florida on the road."

The B-H goes on: "Thornton’s maturity helps him make good decisions on the court, and it helped him to choose the right fit in BC. After transferring from Duke, he chose USC over Kansas because Trojans assistant coach Tony Bland had been a friend of the family for years. Bland lost his job and was the first to be sentenced (two years probation, 100 hours of community service) as the result of the FBI probe into college basketball corruption. For his second transfer, Thornton chose Boston College over nouveau blue blood Gonzaga."

https://www.bostonherald.com/2019/11/12/a-basketball-star-is-reborn-at-boston-college-third-college-the-charm-for-derryck-thornton/

There it is, for me at least -- we are nouveau blue-bloods. Blue-bloods without the organizational stagnation, spoiled fan base, and dusty trophy locker. Does anyone else share my acceptance of the term nouveau blue-bloods?

[TexasZagFan]

LOL, I find denizens of large East Coast cities to be myopic about the rest of the country. I didn't follow Gonzaga's pursuit of the young man, but I'm sure there was consternation regarding his association with his former coach.

FWIW, those of us in Texas don't pay much attention to what happens beyond our borders, especially during football season.

I did enjoy the two days we spent in Boston last summer, my first trip there. It was impressive to find they have 18 colleges within the city, and I loved Fenway Park.

[Birddog]

Gonzaga is more like Fromage Bleu IMO.

[jazzdelmar]

GU is an outlier. We could sure use Derryck, the first of several Whelping Board whiffs.

[Zagger]

Blue bloods - Meh! We're red-blooded spunky slipper wearers
The pundits can go pound silicon dioxide! Go Zags!

[bartruff1]

I could care less......seems to me that Gonzaga is a outlier..... to quote Jazz...... and as such...... is a national media favorite....

[FloridaZagFan]

Gonzaga or as ESPN sometimes refers to the Zags as "America's Team". No question they are a national media favorites. I'm in Florida surrounded by SEC and ACC fans. 10-15 years ago used to get abused by friends who were SEC & ACC fans and not with superlatives! They would always refer to the WCC as a weak cofrence and no way could Gonzaga sustain its upward trend.
GU is definitely an Outlier. It dosen't conform to the "system". No football, small Jesuit university from the west! 3 strikes in the power basketball world.
I no longer take jabs from friends because i've collected tooooo much mony from them over the years.
GU is truly amazing in what it has created. There is noting like it!

[BayAreaZagFan]

If there has to be a descriptor at all, I prefer "new bloods", but I will gladly accept just "blue bloods" when it becomes appropriate. I don't see "nouveau" catching on in Spokane (I actually had to refer back to the OP to ensure I was spelling it correctly).

[Mantua]

Twenty years later, an arriviste?

Is Keegan hinting that BC is a Brahmin team?

[Zags_Fanatic]

I was just checking out AP poll streaks and saw that Gonzaga has now been ranked in 60(!) consecutive AP Polls behind only Kansas, UNC and Duke. The previous record for Gonzaga was 34 consecutive weeks and it doesn't look like this streak will be ending any time soon.

[gonstu]

I was just checking out AP poll streaks and saw that Gonzaga has now been ranked in 60(!) consecutive AP Polls behind only Kansas, UNC and Duke. The previous record for Gonzaga was 34 consecutive weeks and it doesn't look like this streak will be ending any time soon.

Impressive streak. Thanks for sharing.

[Goshzagit]

GU is an outlier. We could sure use Derryck, the first of several Whelping Board whiffs.

Thornton is averaging 23 ppg after the first 2 games (vs USF & Wake).

53% FG too.

He looked unstoppable in the game I watched, and played with control, tempo, discipline, which he lacked at USC.

Would have loved to have him. His goal is NCAA Tourney & NBA so not quite sure why he didn't choose us.

The moment he passed on us was the moment we pursued Woolridge.