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Yippie! It's starting!
Krem 2:
Jim Meehan, Spokesman Review
Krem 2:
Jim Meehan, Spokesman Review
Zags get down to work
Bulldogs put work ahead of buzz
GoZags.com:
As mentioned, the Zags went to work minus one rather large individual. It's the first time I've spoken in person to the 7-1, 305-pound Karnowski — though he did recall a few of our email exchanges — and other than interviewing Will Foster and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, I can't remember craning my neck quite so much. He comes across as a gentle giant,seems to have a nice grasp of English and, according to his teammates, can flat-out play.
Said senior forward Elias Harris: “He's got a soft touch, can pass extremely well. Sometimes he surprises everybody, even the guards, with his passes. He's going to be a load in the post. You try to front him, but he's so big, so wide and strong, you can't push him out.”
Said senior forward Elias Harris: “He's got a soft touch, can pass extremely well. Sometimes he surprises everybody, even the guards, with his passes. He's going to be a load in the post. You try to front him, but he's so big, so wide and strong, you can't push him out.”
“A lot of people are projecting huge things – talking about the Final Four and being one of the best teams Gonzaga has ever had – but that doesn’t count at the end of the day if you don’t grind in the gym,” senior forward Elias Harris said. “Success isn’t going to come from talking about it.
“After 11 years, we start out not being the (WCC) regular-season champion and not being the WCC tournament champion. We can’t feel cocky. If anybody, it’s Saint Mary’s that should have a smile on their face. Now it’s time for us to practice hard and get back to what we do.”
That’s not to say Harris didn’t like what he saw as he surveyed the 2012-13 Bulldogs minutes before they took the floor Friday for their first official practice. Head coach Mark Few had a similar take.
“We had a heck of a season last year, but we didn’t win the league,” Few said. “Now we have to try to win that thing back, the tournament back, and that’s obviously one of the goals we have. We have a lot of guys returning, we have some nice experience and we have some tremendous depth. It’s right there with two of the (deepest) teams of the last 14 years. And we’re very skilled.”
Karnowski sits out: One of the primary reasons for the optimism surrounding the program is freshman Przemek Karnowski. The 7-foot-1 Polish center sat out most drills with a swollen left hand – it’s not believed to be broken – and he’ll probably be limited for 4-5 days.
“I got elbowed in an individual practice,” Karnowski said. “I will do all the stuff, but just no shooting, rebounding. I hope I can play soon and I’m really excited about it.”
Karnowski has already impressed his teammates and it didn’t take long for him to pick up a nickname.
“We call him Shrek and we also call him Shem,” guard Kevin Pangos said. “He’s legit. He’s skilled, moves pretty well, great hands and he can pass the ball. He has so many tools for his size that a lot of players don’t have.”
Few mentioned Karnowski’s intellect, passing ability and “he’s got great touch. He’s got a ball that hits the rim and goes in. And he’s a good learner.”
Karnowski praised his teammates.
“This group of guys is good on the floor and also off the court,” he said. “I feel comfortable with all these guys.”
“After 11 years, we start out not being the (WCC) regular-season champion and not being the WCC tournament champion. We can’t feel cocky. If anybody, it’s Saint Mary’s that should have a smile on their face. Now it’s time for us to practice hard and get back to what we do.”
That’s not to say Harris didn’t like what he saw as he surveyed the 2012-13 Bulldogs minutes before they took the floor Friday for their first official practice. Head coach Mark Few had a similar take.
“We had a heck of a season last year, but we didn’t win the league,” Few said. “Now we have to try to win that thing back, the tournament back, and that’s obviously one of the goals we have. We have a lot of guys returning, we have some nice experience and we have some tremendous depth. It’s right there with two of the (deepest) teams of the last 14 years. And we’re very skilled.”
Karnowski sits out: One of the primary reasons for the optimism surrounding the program is freshman Przemek Karnowski. The 7-foot-1 Polish center sat out most drills with a swollen left hand – it’s not believed to be broken – and he’ll probably be limited for 4-5 days.
“I got elbowed in an individual practice,” Karnowski said. “I will do all the stuff, but just no shooting, rebounding. I hope I can play soon and I’m really excited about it.”
Karnowski has already impressed his teammates and it didn’t take long for him to pick up a nickname.
“We call him Shrek and we also call him Shem,” guard Kevin Pangos said. “He’s legit. He’s skilled, moves pretty well, great hands and he can pass the ball. He has so many tools for his size that a lot of players don’t have.”
Few mentioned Karnowski’s intellect, passing ability and “he’s got great touch. He’s got a ball that hits the rim and goes in. And he’s a good learner.”
Karnowski praised his teammates.
“This group of guys is good on the floor and also off the court,” he said. “I feel comfortable with all these guys.”
Men's Basketball Practice Officially Underway
...
The four returning starts include the tandem guards of Kevin Pangos (13.6 ppg and 3.4 apg) and Gary Bell, Jr. (10.4 ppg) who had outstanding freshmen campaigns for the Bulldogs; senior guard Mike Hart (3.0 rpg), and senior forward Elias Harris (13.1 ppg and 8.5 rpg).
Other returning letterwinners are junior center/forward Sam Dower (7.6 ppg), senior guard Guy Landry Edi (5.5 ppg), junior guard David Stockton (2.4 apg) and junior forward Kelly Olynyk who redshirted last season. Redshirt freshman Kyle Dranginis also returns to the fold.
Add to that a blend of newcomers.
Drew Barham, a transfer from the University of Memphis who is enrolled in graduate school at Gonzaga, has two years of eligibility remaining. He is immediately eligible because he has already graduated and was given his release by Memphis. The 6-7, 195-pound junior is a native of Memphis. Przemek Karnowksi, a 7-1, 305-pound freshman center, got in his first official practice Friday. He's playing with a heavily wrapped left hand after suffering a bruise on the top of the hand but is expected to get plenty of minutes. Freshman walk-on Rem Bakamus, a 6-0, 150-pound guard, joins the Bulldogs from Mark Morris High in Longview, Wash., and Gerard Coleman, a 6-3, 180-pound junior guard has transferred from Providence College and will have to sit out per NCAA transfer rules.
"We have great depth this year, knock on wood that we stay healthy," Few said. "We have a lot bounce, a lot of guys that can score a bunch of different ways and are pretty skilled. Those would be the positives. The chemistry is really good. We're always blessed with that at GU, but this group is very close. They do a great job of doing things together."
One player the Zags must replace is center Robert Sacre, a West Coast Conference first-team selection a year ago as well as being the conference's Defender of the Year. In addition to his basketball skills, Sacre, drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers, brought an outgoing personality to practice and games.
"Those shoes can't be filled by one guy," Few laughed. "It's a big personality void. Kevin (Pangos) as he gets older, Elias (Harris) as he starts to take a little more ownership and Gary (Bell, Jr.) in his own silent way I think will become leaders. I think it will be done more by committee than anything."
With Dower, Harris and Olynyk already in the fold, the Bulldogs added a fourth big into the mix with the acquisition of Karnowski. Few said you can't pass on bigs.
"Big guys are always so hard to find so anytime you get quality big guys it's very important to building your program, just like great guards," Few noted. "But I think we have a nice foursome in our bigs; they are all different, yet all four of them are very good players."
...
The four returning starts include the tandem guards of Kevin Pangos (13.6 ppg and 3.4 apg) and Gary Bell, Jr. (10.4 ppg) who had outstanding freshmen campaigns for the Bulldogs; senior guard Mike Hart (3.0 rpg), and senior forward Elias Harris (13.1 ppg and 8.5 rpg).
Other returning letterwinners are junior center/forward Sam Dower (7.6 ppg), senior guard Guy Landry Edi (5.5 ppg), junior guard David Stockton (2.4 apg) and junior forward Kelly Olynyk who redshirted last season. Redshirt freshman Kyle Dranginis also returns to the fold.
Add to that a blend of newcomers.
Drew Barham, a transfer from the University of Memphis who is enrolled in graduate school at Gonzaga, has two years of eligibility remaining. He is immediately eligible because he has already graduated and was given his release by Memphis. The 6-7, 195-pound junior is a native of Memphis. Przemek Karnowksi, a 7-1, 305-pound freshman center, got in his first official practice Friday. He's playing with a heavily wrapped left hand after suffering a bruise on the top of the hand but is expected to get plenty of minutes. Freshman walk-on Rem Bakamus, a 6-0, 150-pound guard, joins the Bulldogs from Mark Morris High in Longview, Wash., and Gerard Coleman, a 6-3, 180-pound junior guard has transferred from Providence College and will have to sit out per NCAA transfer rules.
"We have great depth this year, knock on wood that we stay healthy," Few said. "We have a lot bounce, a lot of guys that can score a bunch of different ways and are pretty skilled. Those would be the positives. The chemistry is really good. We're always blessed with that at GU, but this group is very close. They do a great job of doing things together."
One player the Zags must replace is center Robert Sacre, a West Coast Conference first-team selection a year ago as well as being the conference's Defender of the Year. In addition to his basketball skills, Sacre, drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers, brought an outgoing personality to practice and games.
"Those shoes can't be filled by one guy," Few laughed. "It's a big personality void. Kevin (Pangos) as he gets older, Elias (Harris) as he starts to take a little more ownership and Gary (Bell, Jr.) in his own silent way I think will become leaders. I think it will be done more by committee than anything."
With Dower, Harris and Olynyk already in the fold, the Bulldogs added a fourth big into the mix with the acquisition of Karnowski. Few said you can't pass on bigs.
"Big guys are always so hard to find so anytime you get quality big guys it's very important to building your program, just like great guards," Few noted. "But I think we have a nice foursome in our bigs; they are all different, yet all four of them are very good players."
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