Did Nigel Williams-Goss have the best-ever game by a Zag?

[FuManShoes]

I think you could make the case. Ammo and Burgess threw up crazy points, Stockton crazy assists (though Stepp had the most in a game), and Domas crazy boards (though Dixon!? holds the record), but has any Zag had as efficient and balanced a game as NWG did tonight? According to ESPN, he's just the 5th player in the last 20 years to put up 35/10/5+ while shooting 80% FG. Would love to see him get a triple-double or two this year.

http://www.espn.com.au/video/clip?id=18416789

[CDC84]

Dan Dickau also had a crazy shooting night at LMU during his days. Nigel was amazing tonight.

[MDABE80]

He had a Burgess night. Frank only had 2 pt shots though. Nigel's rebounding and being in the game on both sides of the ball with every fiber in his body is what makes him amazing for us. The game was just so different back then.. Nigel puts a few more of these games together, he'll be regarded as historical. Such a complete player. Tons better here than at UW.

[jazzdelmar]

Maui and Pep at USD were as brilliant with more at stake.

[Outraged]

Nice to see we have someone that can takeover a game again. We have been missing that for a few years.

[Zagger]

One of them - it was so well rounded. Now I have NBA worries when I wasn't so worried before. More power to Nigel though! Hope he overshadows this game ..... a few more times. The guy can shoot!

[Birddog]

Nigel was so smooooth while pulling this off. Nothing looked forced.

[ZagMan in Philly]

Warriors GM was at the game. That crossover behind, step back jumper was a thing of beauty.

[TexasZagFan]

Warriors GM was at the game. That crossover behind, step back jumper was a thing of beauty.

My son and I enjoyed the game last night at the local Twin Peaks. When NWG made that play, we both reacted viscerally. I told my son, "you need to develop a signature move like that, and you'll have no trouble making the team."

[TexasZagFan]

It was an historical game, before another sellout game on the road at USF. But was it better than this performance at WMG (hard to believe it was 11 years ago):

http://www.sfgate.com/sports/article...op-2506002.php

Zags, Morrison too much for Dons / Nation's top scorer torches USF for 41

He was good from the perimeter, hitting 5-for-5 from beyond the 3-point arc in the first half, and was good inside, particularly down the stretch when he took control in the lane and put some distance back between the Zags and a hard-charging USF team.



"You don't want to lose sight of just how amazing he is," Few said. "You've got to kick yourself sometimes because he does it all the time."

In 37 minutes, Morrison went 14-for-23 from the floor (including 5-for-7 from 3-point range) and hit all eight of his free-throw tries. For good measure, he pulled down nine rebounds.

Who could ever forget this?

http://www.eastbaytimes.com/2006/01/...ock-usf-out-2/

The game was played before far more than the Memorial Gym capacity of 5,300 fans, in addition to more than a half-dozen NBA scouts. Announcements were made several times asking that any fans without a ticket — and they numbered in the hundreds — should leave. No one did, and Morrison was the reason.

Every game now looms larger than the one before, and next week Baylor has to travel to West Virginia and K-State. In 2005-2006, Ammo was the story. In 2016-2017, the team is the story.

How does an opposing coach plot a strategy against us? 6-7 minutes into the game, the other guys bring in 3 fresh players who could start for every other team in the WCC, not to mention most schools in the country. You've just fought off a lumbering 7-1 300 pounder who's the best passing center in the land, and now you face another 7 footer with advanced low post moves and shoots over 70% from the field. Their 6th man is one of the best in the land, and is arguably their best defender. You could make a case that the Zags athleticism and speed improves when the lineup consists of NWG, Perkins, Melson, Tillie, and Collins. They shift into overdrive.

You know this Zags team will not have killing scoring droughts like they did last year. Need a bucket or two? Pound it into Karno or Collins, or let NWG drive into the key for a floater. Crowd the paint, and that leaves the arc wide open for several players shooting 40+% from three. The Zags get into trouble when they pass up the open shot, to the consternation of the coaching staff.

Akron's strategy didn't work very well, did it?

Yeah, we'll have our struggles, but this team has responded to every challenge this year. I'm just enjoying the ride.

[thespywhozaggedme]

Warriors GM was at the game. That crossover behind, step back jumper was a thing of beauty.

Yup, as soon as he did that, I said, "Wow, I didn't know he had that in his game". The thing is, he didn't force anything, everything was in the flow of the game. He looked like a man among boys last night.

[TexasZagFan]

Yup, as soon as he did that, I said, "Wow, I didn't know he had that in his game". The thing is, he didn't force anything, everything was in the flow of the game. He looked like a man among boys last night.

I know you're talking about NWG, but why not Karno with the Warriors, as a back up center. We know he can pass and clog the middle on D, and he'd be cheap when it comes to the salary cap.

[thespywhozaggedme]

Here's the clip:

http://www.espn.com/video/clip/_/id/18414440

His behind the back step back jumper was RIDONKULOUS!

[ZagsObserver]

One word: Morrison.

[thespywhozaggedme]

I know you're talking about NWG, but why not Karno with the Warriors, as a back up center. We know he can pass and clog the middle on D, and he'd be cheap when it comes to the salary cap.

I love Karno, his bball IQ is off the charts, but I'm not sure if he fits into the modern small ball NBA. Hope that I'm wrong.

[23zagmd]

This kid is the DIFFERENCE for this team. Last year, every time a team applied pressure and extended their Defense. I would get nervous. It showed in results like Arizona and UCLA and I'm sure a few others. We had guards last year, we just didn't have a PG that demanded the ball and took care of it the way a PG needs to. Perkins is way too lose with his handle and inexplicably would just dribble it off his foot or something similar. I love JP has become more of a two guard and really developed his shooting, it's more his position. With NWG on the court, just get him the ball, get out of the way, and get down court.

[krii]

I love Karno, his bball IQ is off the charts, but I'm not sure if he fits into the modern small ball NBA. Hope that I'm wrong.

If he will work on his jump shots as on his free throws, I believe he has his place. Not as a starter but bench units are still a mixture of role players with many teams focusing on having good post-up bigs. In my opinion, however, Spurs are the best team for Karno. They just love to pass the ball willingly, think on the court (!), play as a team yet utilize players like Karnowski. And they can develop players. Karnowski is still relatively young for a center - I believe he has more than 10 years to play on a really top level. Spurs could invest one-two years to try to develop another Whiteside with lower blocking/higher passing abilities ;-)

NWG is also great but do you really feel that in this draft there is any chance for him? I mean ... it's just stacked with guards and Nigel isn't young. There was this tendency that bigs could be a bit older whilst drafted but 22-yo guards in a draft are quite rare.

[bettingman]

I was at the game at USF when Morrison put up 41. That is the most dominating game I have seen from opposing player in the 25+ years I have been watching Dons hoops. Williams-Goss was certainly impressive last night, but purely based on USF-GU games, I would take Morrison's performance.

[MickMick]

It is time to reopen the "best starting five" discussion again.

[U Zig, I Zag]

I love Karno, his bball IQ is off the charts, but I'm not sure if he fits into the modern small ball NBA. Hope that I'm wrong.

My thought as well. Someone like Tillie has a better shot. Length, hops, long ball shot, handles. He needs some more muscle between now and 2018 (or '19?) but I bet he gets a look.

I watch OKC now and again to check out Domas. He is basically there to spread the floor and knock down threes and then crash the boards. His single greatest attributes are height, some athleticism and his ability to knock down shots. Teams have to respond to him out there and it opens up the rest of the floor. That's more Tillie than PK.

[TokyoZag]

Morrison in Maui stands out to this day. But you can make a reasonable argument for NWG's work last night as top 10 or even top 5.

[229SintoZag]

Here's the clip:

http://www.espn.com/video/clip/_/id/18414440

His behind the back step back jumper was RIDONKULOUS!

Link doesn't work. Links to a Joe Lunardi video on our chances of running the table.

[U Zig, I Zag]

The game link at ESPN shows the highlights for the game, which are all NWG.

[john montana]

My 4th grade son and I watched that step back jumper at least 10 times. So smooth. JJ was begging to get into the gym today to work on it. hah hah

[TexasZagFan]

My 4th grade son and I watched that step back jumper at least 10 times. So smooth. JJ was begging to get into the gym today to work on it. hah hah

My 14 YO son knows that if he can develop a signature move like that, he'll make his HS team next year, at least JV. He's improved from C teams in MS, to nearly making the freshman team this year, where 80+ boys tried out. He's grown from 5'4" to 5'10" in the past year...one more spurt to 6'2", and he's in business. There's always a pickup game at the local 24 hr Fitness Center, and I've seen plenty of guys that played at Division I level, to include Kansas. The guy said he was a "bench warmer", to which I said "so what?" He was head and shoulders above everyone else in ability. He was kind enough to give my son instruction of FT's.