Let's talk about UCLA, Utah & Duke....this is a week of great entertainment and fun

[MEZAG]

I appreciate the good vibes! Thanks brotha! That would be something. Regardless, the season has been a wonderful ride.

I also never mentioned this, but before the season started I just started talking again to a kid i grew up with who happened to be my best friend as a youngster. I told him also to put a few hundred on the Zags as I thought they would have a chance. The guy knew nothing about this team, but we used to have our parents follow the Zags bus around to the local hotel and ask for autographs as 8 year olds so he did it for nostalgic purposes. Neither of us are big timers with a lot of $$ but we thought what the hell. Even if we lose, we are still living with our parents. He has shared this ride with me, and its renewed a friendship from long ago. LETS GO ZAGS!

Wife goes on a ladies trip to sin city every summer, I have had her throw $20 on the Zags every time for 12 or 13 years. This last summer i had her throw $50 down at 50/1. GO ZAGS!

[Reborn]

I have really been wondering how much better UCLA really is then they were earlier in the year when they played Gonzaga at home. I began to think that maybe it's just a myth that's been created to justify them being selected to play in the tournament. I began to question this idea when I heard about them playing UAB earlier in the year. And basically they won by about the same margin. So just a minute ago I finally decided to do some research on the BRUINS. Looking at their year I do not see that they have played any better at the end of the year. Like so many teams this year the Bruins had difficulty winning on the road, and were really good at home. If it had not been for the Zags they would have been undefeated at home this year. I have heard about this win streak that they were on so I just checked it out. Yes they did win four games in a row coming into the tournament. But the teams? They beat WSU and the Huskies (at home) and USC at home, and then the beat USC in the first game of the conference tournament. I would not call these quality wins. They have one quality victory and that was Utah at home by ten. That was in late January. When they played Utah on the rode they lost by 31. And then also lost a road game to Kentucky by 39. People have talked a lot about this loss to Kentucky but I haven't heard a word about them losing to Utah by 31. They lost two road games in Feburary, losing to Cal on Feb 2nd and to Arizona St on Feb 21. I would say that those two losses were fairly recent. Yes they did beat Oregon at home and did not play them on the road; so that's pretty standard in conference in the Pac 12. I don't really see a good win in February at all, and like I just explained the have one good win against Oregon but because it was at home I would not say it was significant. Honestly, I definitely feel that there could be a better argument made for UCLA to NOT get into the tournament then the one made for letting them play. I can see why so many were upset.

So honestly, I am not buying this current myth that UCLA IS that much better now. In my opinion Iowa has a much better resume then UCLA, and I believe that if the two had been matched up that Iowa would win. And honestly, I was surprised when UCLA beat SMU. I was watching the game and actually left because I believe that UCLA had no chance of winning late in the game. They must have had another incredible finish to that game too, and of course another lucky call.

[seacatfan]

Reborn--totally agree, UCLA's schedule was cake at the end of the regular season. Picked up 3 home wins against bad teams in conference. Don't see how that boosted their resume at all. Ditto for beating USC (again) in the conference tourney. I honestly thought their Tourney hopes were completely DOA after they dropped consecutive games on the road against ASU and Arizona. I think their close loss against Arizona in the conference tourney semifinals more than anything else is what got them in. I'm not quite sure how a loss, no matter how close it is, worked in their favor, but it did. Wins against Utah and Oregon count as quality wins, but as you noted they were at home and they didn't do very well on the road in conference. They swept Stanford but the Card nosedived at the end of the year and missed the Tourney (after being considered a near lock at least halfway thru the season). They did play Oregon twice though, and of course lost on the road. Not only did they lose in Eugene, they also lost in Corvallis to OSU. Both losses were by double digits. They were only 2-7 on the road in conference games. They beat NOBODY in OOC. They did not have a tourney worthy resume, and it really wasn't even close.

[Zagceo]

They called it “Hell Week,” and at the time, Utah basketball players hated the experience in September.
How many college kids want to spend three days with two U.S. Navy SEAL commanders? Who wants to sleep on a weight room floor and get phones and watches taken away so there's no sense of time? Why would you want to roll through the sand and get tormented physically and emotionally?

LINK

[Zagceo]

.

1. Sabonis emerges as a star in Gonzaga’s win against Utah, first Final Four berth:It’s more than the genes. Yes, Sabonis is the son of the former Portland Trail Blazers big man. You can see it with his footwork, his court awareness and his focus on the floor. He’s so precise in his actions. Here’s the thing, though. Sabonis is so selfless that he’s essentially lingered in the background throughout this remarkable season for Few’s program. But we’ll see Sabonis take another step in his growth during the Sweet 16 and Elite Eight as he builds on Sunday’s 18-point (6-for-10), nine-rebound effort in Gonzaga’s win against Iowa. He’s legit. Sabonis will be the headliner in a memorable weekend for the Gonzaga program.

Myron Medcalf

.

1. Gonzaga beats UCLA by 20: When these teams played in December, UCLA shot 47 percent from the 3-point line and still lost by 13. The Bruins were the most controversial addition to the field of 68 on Selection Sunday. A questionable finish against SMU in the opening round didn’t change that. But they played well in a win against UAB to reach the Sweet 16 for the second consecutive season. They are better than the team that lost to Gonzaga three months ago. But Gonzaga is better, too. Domantas Sabonis is slowly evolving into a Kelly Olynyk-like monster for Mark Few’s program. Gonzaga will get the win and advance to the Elite Eight for the first time since 1999, and the second time in school history.

[Reborn]

totally agree with him

[GrizZAG]

Utah clobbered UCLA early in the year by 32 and to UCLA's credit they beat Utah by 10 late in their season. I think they have improved and I think Utah is a good team.

[seacatfan]

Utah clobbered UCLA early in the year by 32 and to UCLA's credit they beat Utah by 10 late in their season. I think they have improved and I think Utah is a good team.

To be a bit contrary, Utah was truly awful in the game at Pauley Pavilion and struggled on the road throughout the Pac 12 season.

[Zagceo]

UCLA by the numbers

[Zagceo]

Its Alford Looney

[Reborn]

Larry Krystkoviak is the new coach on the block. He is from Montana (Born in Missoula and grew up in Shelby). He played for University of Montana, and later coached there. He played nine years in the NBA. He took two U of Montana teams to the NCAA Tournament. In 2006 the Grizzlies defeated 5th seed Nevada. He became the head coach of Utah in April of 2011. This is his 4th year at Utah. My thoughts about Krystkoviak when I watch him on the sidelines is that he's a pretty intense person, and his team plays like him. They are perhaps the top defensive team in the South region.

[Zagceo]

Larry Krystkoviak is the new coach on the block. He is from Montana (Born in Missoula and grew up in Shelby). He played for University of Montana, and later coached there. He played nine years in the NBA. He took two U of Montana teams to the NCAA Tournament. In 2006 the Grizzlies defeated 5th seed Nevada. He became the head coach of Utah in April of 2011. This is his 4th year at Utah. My thoughts about Krystkoviak when I watch him on the sidelines is that he's a pretty intense person, and his team plays like him. They are perhaps the top defensive team in the South region.

Intense……… only if you consider bringing in seal instructors and putting players through hell week in pre season training.

[Zippyzaggy]

Gonzaga vs UCLA in the Sweet 16- Preview http://www.zagaholic.com/2015/03/gon...-sweet-16.html

ZagUp!