-Greatest "zags" memory you have, that you witnessed IN PERSON-

[GoZags]

I was assigned to work for my company in the bay area for a month. First thing I did was check the schedule, sure enough the zags were scheduled to play in San Francisco at War Memorial while I was there. I submitted a request through the dons website and was thrilled when I got a reply that two tickets would be waiting for me in will call. It was the Adam Morrison tour that year, and the house was PACKED! There were people sitting in all of the aisles and the PA announcer continually was warning that the game could be called off by the fire department. Im sure you all recall that Morrison didnt disappoint that night. Arguably the most "in the zone" he's ever been, one of his three point shots was closer to half court than to the 3 pt line. What I remember most is the crowd everytime the ball left his hands, it was an amazing crescendo of anticipation leading to an eruption when the ball swished through the net. simply amazing! If memory serves me correct he had 28 in the first half and 43 for the game, great experience.

Not sure of all the stats, but here's what the scoreboard looked like a little more than 12 minutes into the game.

[jimmy b]

My top 5 in person

1) Florida - need I say more.
2) St. Johns into sweet 16- Santangelo was awesome and Spink with the dunk..wow.
3) Pepperdine for wcc championship in San Diego. Dickau put on clinic in 2nd half when we fell behind. Unbelievable performance.
4) Dickau again in a blowout game against LMU, dropped 34 in the first half. I think he only shot once in 2nd half and ended with 34.
5) UW game in key arena 2000 capped with a Santangelo reverse dunk.

It's amazing how the program has evolved. Keep in mind, in Stockton's senior year (my sophomore) the team, due to injuries, recruited players from the "noon league" (rat ball) adding Gino Cherchai to the team. Imagine that today.

As a fan, I followed the team casually from the time I graduated, catching games when they were in So Cal. It wasn't until the Clemson game in 98 in top of the world classic when I realized the possibilities the team had and became a big time follower. Favorite year of course was 99 and while I'm sure most of you won't believe I saw it coming...I did - to some extent. Not the elite 8, but I knew how good they were. I travelled to seem them play many times that year. I remember how pumped I got when they received votes in the polls, and then finally snuck in at 24 I think.

It felt like we were on the verge of something special. At the WCC tourney at Toso in Santa Clara, with only a handful of Zag fans there - George Gee was one - the team just took care of business. They were a machine. Frahm, Matt, Nilsen with his D. Getting through Minnesota and Stanford didn't surprise. The following week in Arizona was one of the best weeks ever though it ended badly with the UConn loss - It felt we were going to win that game up until the end, but Rip Hamilton and Jake Voskul were tough.

It's been a great ride and I look forward to more, as do my young boys....My wife is another story, but she's been a great sport through the years and allowed our travels (i.e. Maui) to coincide with games.

woohoo - thanks for the thread.

[77Zag]

I know those guys!!

http://myweb.cwpost.liu.edu/bbyrne/gzpics/ken.jpg[/IMG]


Those are but a few of the highlights I've been fortunate enough to enjoy.

Wow, great pic -- pretty sure that is your freshmen year-- Dave Demo and Kelly Baird? !!

[Martin Centre Mad Man]

1)

It felt like we were on the verge of something special. At the WCC tourney at Toso in Santa Clara, with only a handful of Zag fans there - George Gee was one - the team just took care of business. They were a machine. Frahm, Matt, Nilsen with his D. Getting through Minnesota and Stanford didn't surprise. The following week in Arizona was one of the best weeks ever though it ended badly with the UConn loss - It felt we were going to win that game up until the end, but Rip Hamilton and Jake Voskul were tough.

I stayed up late to watch that 1999 WCC Tournament final on T.V. It was the first Zags game I'd been able to watch on the East Coast, because the Zags were never nationally televised during those years. I was absolutely amazed at how much the program had improved in the short time since I had graduated in 1996. I was amazed that the staff had recruited such an athletic team with so much size without sacrificing the ball handling, hustle and shooting that had marked the program when I had been in school.

When the brackets came out a few days later, I walked into my office with my bracket and told everybody that I worked with in emphatic terms that the Zags were going to beat Stanford in the second round of the tournament, advance past the Sweet 16 and scare UCONN in the Elite Eight. Everybody thought I was crazy, but I stood by the prediction.

I won the office pool.

[rijman]

1) the 2008 WCC finals at USD where I finally met Frank Burgess at the pregame social, a lifelong friend of my dads from the 50's basketball team. I keep the picture of Frank and I, which my dad got signed and framed and presented as a gift, directly behind me on my credenza in my office. My dad passed away later that year, so it was cool to meet Frank when my dad was still around. Hearing Frank tell the same stories my dad told me since I was a little kid blew me away. There was truth to those stories afterall.

2) My first game at the MAC Feb 10, 2007 (my bday, so easy to remember). The Zags had like a 49 home game winning streak on the line and Heytvelt got busted with Davis and missed that game, but the Zags still pulled it out. We got Herak club passes. I was interviewed by KHQ on my way out of the arena and then we headed off to J&D's to for some drinks and watched another WCC game with a raucus Zag crowd. I loved every moment of it.

[gozagswoohoo]

1) the 2008 WCC finals at USD where I finally met Frank Burgess at the pregame social, a lifelong friend of my dads from the 50's basketball team. I keep the picture of Frank and I, which my dad got signed and framed and presented as a gift, directly behind me on my credenza in my office. My dad passed away later that year, so it was cool to meet Frank when my dad was still around. Hearing Frank tell the same stories my dad told me since I was a little kid blew me away. There was truth to those stories afterall.

2) My first game at the MAC Feb 10, 2007 (my bday, so easy to remember). The Zags had like a 49 home game winning streak on the line and Heytvelt got busted with Davis and missed that game, but the Zags still pulled it out. We got Herak club passes. I was interviewed by KHQ on my way out of the arena and then we headed off to J&D's to for some drinks and watched another WCC game with a raucus Zag crowd. I loved every moment of it.

Such great stories, thanks for sharing. Especially the first one.

[Once and Future Zag]

Slc 1995

GU's first NCAA Game.

Just being there for the very first time.

Starting from watching Rille destroy the rest of the WCC during the tourney - to waiting for our name to come up on the NCAA Selection Sunday show - to our first taste of the big dance.

[WestsideZag2424]

1) The first time I participated in Zombie Nation during Midnight Madness my freshman year. I seriously think rooting so hard that night led to Mono hitting me so hard the next week that I lost 15lbs, but it was worth it.

2) The first couple minutes of the St. Mary's game in 2008, when Steve had the 2 breakaway dunks in a row. After a whole week camping in zero degree weather, it was amazing.

3) Ira's dunk; you know the one. Greatest dunk I've ever seen in person, it was amazing. I was 3rd row of the student section on that end so it was right in front of me and I saw the whole thing building up. Gives me chills every time I watch the replay:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lrGQWlxybxQ

Didn't count it in the top 3 because only half of it was in person, but watching Meech's runner with some GU buddies at The Ram in U-Village in Seattle and then walking over to Hec Ed to see the girls win their first ever NCAA tourney game. Everyone in the Ram was rooting for us by the way, so don't say UW fans hate GU

[WestsideZag2424]

And I'm gonna be a Junior this upcoming year, so here's hoping for some even better memories

[MontanaZag]

Not sure of all the stats, but here's what the scoreboard looked like a little more than 12 minutes into the game.

That is awesome! 24 points in 12 minutes, rediculous.

[810Suited]

2006 Gonzaga beats UNC at MSG. The only Zag game I have ever been to in person, sadly. Was an amazing game, sat 7 rows up next to swarms of UNC fans talking mad ish the whole game.

[UberZagFan]

Getting married in the Jesuit House chapel with Fr. Costello presiding

Father Costello presided over Reno's marriage? He baptized Uber. Interesting.

If you are interested, there is a nice article in Gonzaga Lawyer this month about Father Costello and his influences on GU Law over the years. You can read it online at:

http://www.zagsonline.org/s/829/lawInternal.aspx?sid=829&gid=2&pgid=349

[UberZagFan]

Oh, as for the question: Number 1 greatest in person memory has to be the shot hit by Adam in the BIS. The place went crazy. Everyone around Uber went crazy.

Number 2 is College Gameday vs. Stanford. Before the game, 229Sinto's sister tried to get us to go in early with the season ticket holder crew and save her a seat in the student section, as she was in the back of the line. When we got to the gates early and they said we couldn't re-enter (we planned on leaving after she got her seat because it was about 2 hours before tip), we turned right around and went back to Jack & Dan's.

[RockandRollJames]

Jeremy Pargo's speech after the game on senior night. He was hilarious.

[RenoZag]

Uber:

Thanks for posting the link to that article on Fr. Frank !