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Now that's a classy opponent! No whining - just utmost respect for "our boys"
Post subject: props to gonzaga
citygriz
Full time eGrizzer
Joined: 20 Oct 2003
Posts: 763
698 eGriz Bucks
it may be a short bus ride from missoula to spokane, but when it comes to college basketball, gonzaga is in a different universe from us. they were bigger, quicker, faster and deeper than we were at every position. they blasted a team that had just annihiated colordo state, and they did it without three of their players, including their starting center. we were introduced to a genuine star in austin daye, while pargo's dunk on qvale was reminiscent of the one baron davis threw down on karilenko of the utah jazz during last year's n.b.a. playoffs. now i know what it must feel like to be fort looie coming into missoula to play us in football. gonzaga's bench would win the big sky.
in life, we prosper from mentors, and i hope our team will see this as a mentoring experience, and learn from it. here's what i would take from this game:
1.) good teams attack, as gonzaga did relentlessly, as we did when we went after fazekas in the nevada game two years ago. with heytfelt out, i was hoping strait could draw some fouls on their bigs early, but there seemed to be no strategy to get the ball to him. i thought we might get staudacher off early, but i don't think he took his first three till after halftime. if montana had any plan to attack the zags, it was either completely thwarted, or not evident. the first few minutes it was a triumph for our kids just to complete a pass, let alone grab a rebound or get a loose ball. while our kids never backed down, neither did they show that they expected to win, or had any plan to do so. meantime, gonzaga plays like pit bulls. they are relentless in their attack. they play to win.
2.) good teams never stop playing hard, and always go for the jugular. up twenty just before half, the zags were still pressing, and few was still fuming on the bench. the griz need to learn to play with that intensity.
3.) finally, against quality competition, you can't miss free throws, and you can't miss threes. those early misses at the line were exasperating, while we went one for nine on threes the first half. you won't win many games shooting like that.
a few silver linings: martin played exceptionally well, qvale is going to be a wonderful player for us, sharp had his moments, and i thought elgin-taylor showed some much-needed athleticism and ball-handling skill. the team chemistry seems to be much better than what i witnessed in sacto last february. our kids didn't back down, and while they didn't attack like i wish they had, neither did they play with fear. come conference, we are going to be a force to be reckoned with. but all in all, props to the zags, and even to that odious lout lou. daye lived up to his four-star billing, and the zags may well be an elite eight or even final four team. and while we were humbled, we were humbled by the best the country has to offer, not the best of the sub-prime genre.
Post subject: props to gonzaga
citygriz
Full time eGrizzer
Joined: 20 Oct 2003
Posts: 763
698 eGriz Bucks
it may be a short bus ride from missoula to spokane, but when it comes to college basketball, gonzaga is in a different universe from us. they were bigger, quicker, faster and deeper than we were at every position. they blasted a team that had just annihiated colordo state, and they did it without three of their players, including their starting center. we were introduced to a genuine star in austin daye, while pargo's dunk on qvale was reminiscent of the one baron davis threw down on karilenko of the utah jazz during last year's n.b.a. playoffs. now i know what it must feel like to be fort looie coming into missoula to play us in football. gonzaga's bench would win the big sky.
in life, we prosper from mentors, and i hope our team will see this as a mentoring experience, and learn from it. here's what i would take from this game:
1.) good teams attack, as gonzaga did relentlessly, as we did when we went after fazekas in the nevada game two years ago. with heytfelt out, i was hoping strait could draw some fouls on their bigs early, but there seemed to be no strategy to get the ball to him. i thought we might get staudacher off early, but i don't think he took his first three till after halftime. if montana had any plan to attack the zags, it was either completely thwarted, or not evident. the first few minutes it was a triumph for our kids just to complete a pass, let alone grab a rebound or get a loose ball. while our kids never backed down, neither did they show that they expected to win, or had any plan to do so. meantime, gonzaga plays like pit bulls. they are relentless in their attack. they play to win.
2.) good teams never stop playing hard, and always go for the jugular. up twenty just before half, the zags were still pressing, and few was still fuming on the bench. the griz need to learn to play with that intensity.
3.) finally, against quality competition, you can't miss free throws, and you can't miss threes. those early misses at the line were exasperating, while we went one for nine on threes the first half. you won't win many games shooting like that.
a few silver linings: martin played exceptionally well, qvale is going to be a wonderful player for us, sharp had his moments, and i thought elgin-taylor showed some much-needed athleticism and ball-handling skill. the team chemistry seems to be much better than what i witnessed in sacto last february. our kids didn't back down, and while they didn't attack like i wish they had, neither did they play with fear. come conference, we are going to be a force to be reckoned with. but all in all, props to the zags, and even to that odious lout lou. daye lived up to his four-star billing, and the zags may well be an elite eight or even final four team. and while we were humbled, we were humbled by the best the country has to offer, not the best of the sub-prime genre.
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