only 3 sessions left to watch new guys

[GrizZAG]

Quit spending time in Arizona and do your job!!!

Ok Tex, Southwest has cheap tickets from Texas too ya know..

[Reborn]

I think the best way to approach the answer to the question about whether team disunity may cause the team to spiral downwards because some players are not getting the playing time they believe they deserve. The answer to that question is easy to come to. Of course not. Mark Few and Tommy do not recruit players like that. They just don't. They are careful to make sure that first and foremost recruit young men who are TEAM FIRST type of guys. Incoming recruits must also pass inspection by the team. It's a great process, and I'm sure that it's one reason that Gonzaga is Gonzaga. Every player knows what a Zag is and what's expected of him in terms of that.

Now the other question is a little harder to answer, "Will Few play more players this year?" That's up to the players. Few and Tommy know exactly what they look for in their player at every position, and if they believe that a player is not ready for the role the coaches want him to play than they just won't. None of us really knows what these players will be like when November rolls around. I've only seen one of the players play, and that is Ravet, and I don't worry about him at all. He will play. I have not seen any of the other incoming freshmen play, not even Watson. I know that many fans in the Spokane area have seen him, and I believe them when they say he's really good. So I'm sure he'll play. I think we all have seen enough video of Timme to know that he's going to play too. He's got the body and the energy and attitude to be an NBA player. We know that Tillie, Petrusive and Kispert will play. I think it's a sure thing that Gilder is going to start, but how much he will play is an unsure thing. We know he's coming off an injury, and so there is a question mark about how much he will play. The Zags will need a backup point guard, and my guess is it's Woolridge. So I feel pretty secure in saying that thee eight players will be seeing a fair amount of playing time.

So will Few go beyond what he normally does? I feel he will if he and the other coaches believe that others are capable of playing within the Zag system this year. We know they are all talented, but are they ready to play at the highest level in college basketball. That is the question. I think that the person who has the best chance of getting substantial minutes of playing time is Ayayi. Joel has played at Gonzaga two years now, and he knows Few's systems and expectations really well. I have always liked Ayayi, and I'm excited to see what he can do. Also, because he is the only guard that has experience as a Zag, I'm sure that that is going to help him a lot. Ravet is an inexperienced freshman, so I feel there are a lot of questions about his abilities at the D-1 level and he will need to answer them.

So there are ten really good players that I think will play, especially early on. But then we have other players who come to Gonzaga with a lot of talent and a really good resume: Ballo, Zakharov and Arlouskas. Arlouskas and Zakharov are ranked in the top 50 (44 & 46) of incoming freshmen. Both are ranked ahead of Timme who comes in ranked 55. And Ballo is ranked 64 I think. These guys are all really good, and that's why this is such a good thread, because really, the question, "What will Few do with these three guys" is such a great thing to think about. First, because all three of these players come from other countries and other cultures, is there a language barrier? If there is it could be a problem. I think about Rui. Rui was a great player in the FIBA 16 and under tournament. Yet, when he came to Gonzaga it became evident that there was a language barrier, as well as an understanding of what it takes to play at the level that Gonzaga plays at. Rui became a first round draft pick in the NBA, but he had to wait until it was his time to shine. I think that Ballo could fit into the same category as Rui. And because Arlouskas and Zacharov are ranked so high, they could certainly find plenty of playing time. Or because of certain barriers they may not see much playing time at all.

So the question, What is Few going to do is such a great question. But it's certainly one that he and his coaching staff are looking forward to answer. Right now, for me it's all a guessing game, but it's fun to guess. My analysis could be absolutely wrong, because honestly I really don't know what's going to happen because I haven't seen the team play yet, and certainly I haven't seen them play enough. There are so many new players that it's going to take time to figure this all out. One thing is certain, it's going to be an exciting and fun non conference season. I can hardly wait.

[TexasZagFan]

Ok Tex, Southwest has cheap tickets from Texas too ya know..

Won't argue with you on that point...American has five nonstops daily to Spokane, too.

Family matters come first, though. My oldest son's getting married on 9/6, at a venue 2 hours east of Dallas. We've made two excursions out there to find an appropriate place for the rehearsal dinner. It's a small town of about 15K, so our options are limited. As you might expect, there's a few dozen details to handle, so it's keeping us busy.

School starts next week, and band practice started two weeks ago. The good news is that my son now has his drivers license, so I no longer have to ferry him on that 45 minute round trip. He's also playing football this year, so we're all going to be even busier than normal.

I've also been advised that Big D will be participating in 3 sports over the next two months: football, baseball, and hoops. I don't know what his mother was thinking.

I spent one of my free mornings last week at the Irving Police Department, to ask them to focus more attention on schools opening next week. In addition to the elementary school Big D attends, a new elementary school (probably large enough to handle 800 kids K-5) has just been completed, across the street from our house. Our area has an epidemic of drivers that blow through 4 way stops, and jaywalkers during school hours. Last year, I saw several instances where kids were nearly hit, because they were nowhere near crosswalks.

Apologies for the attempted thread hijack. Hopefully, I'll get the approval from Big D's parents for a trip to Spokane next summer, and extensive reporting from summer scrimmages.

[zag buddy]

Tex, I would question your priorities. Best wishes to all.

[Bogozags]

I think the best way to approach the answer to the question about whether team disunity may cause the team to spiral downwards because some players are not getting the playing time they believe they deserve. The answer to that question is easy to come to. Of course not. Mark Few and Tommy do not recruit players like that. They just don't. They are careful to make sure that first and foremost recruit young men who are TEAM FIRST type of guys. Incoming recruits must also pass inspection by the team. It's a great process, and I'm sure that it's one reason that Gonzaga is Gonzaga. Every player knows what a Zag is and what's expected of him in terms of that.

Now the other question is a little harder to answer, "Will Few play more players this year?" That's up to the players. Few and Tommy know exactly what they look for in their player at every position, and if they believe that a player is not ready for the role the coaches want him to play than they just won't. None of us really knows what these players will be like when November rolls around. I've only seen one of the players play, and that is Ravet, and I don't worry about him at all. He will play. I have not seen any of the other incoming freshmen play, not even Watson. I know that many fans in the Spokane area have seen him, and I believe them when they say he's really good. So I'm sure he'll play. I think we all have seen enough video of Timme to know that he's going to play too. He's got the body and the energy and attitude to be an NBA player. We know that Tillie, Petrusive and Kispert will play. I think it's a sure thing that Gilder is going to start, but how much he will play is an unsure thing. We know he's coming off an injury, and so there is a question mark about how much he will play. The Zags will need a backup point guard, and my guess is it's Woolridge. So I feel pretty secure in saying that thee eight players will be seeing a fair amount of playing time.

So will Few go beyond what he normally does? I feel he will if he and the other coaches believe that others are capable of playing within the Zag system this year. We know they are all talented, but are they ready to play at the highest level in college basketball. That is the question. I think that the person who has the best chance of getting substantial minutes of playing time is Ayayi. Joel has played at Gonzaga two years now, and he knows Few's systems and expectations really well. I have always liked Ayayi, and I'm excited to see what he can do. Also, because he is the only guard that has experience as a Zag, I'm sure that that is going to help him a lot. Ravet is an inexperienced freshman, so I feel there are a lot of questions about his abilities at the D-1 level and he will need to answer them.

So there are ten really good players that I think will play, especially early on. But then we have other players who come to Gonzaga with a lot of talent and a really good resume: Ballo, Zakharov and Arlouskas. Arlouskas and Zakharov are ranked in the top 50 (44 & 46) of incoming freshmen. Both are ranked ahead of Timme who comes in ranked 55. And Ballo is ranked 64 I think. These guys are all really good, and that's why this is such a good thread, because really, the question, "What will Few do with these three guys" is such a great thing to think about. First, because all three of these players come from other countries and other cultures, is there a language barrier? If there is it could be a problem. I think about Rui. Rui was a great player in the FIBA 16 and under tournament. Yet, when he came to Gonzaga it became evident that there was a language barrier, as well as an understanding of what it takes to play at the level that Gonzaga plays at. Rui became a first round draft pick in the NBA, but he had to wait until it was his time to shine. I think that Ballo could fit into the same category as Rui. And because Arlouskas and Zacharov are ranked so high, they could certainly find plenty of playing time. Or because of certain barriers they may not see much playing time at all.

So the question, What is Few going to do is such a great question. But it's certainly one that he and his coaching staff are looking forward to answer. Right now, for me it's all a guessing game, but it's fun to guess. My analysis could be absolutely wrong, because honestly I really don't know what's going to happen because I haven't seen the team play yet, and certainly I haven't seen them play enough. There are so many new players that it's going to take time to figure this all out. One thing is certain, it's going to be an exciting and fun non conference season. I can hardly wait.

Reborn, I only count nine players (hi-lited) that you feel will get PT but I've said this before, the sleeper on this team is Ballo...if he is able to grasp the offence and can learn how to play "D" at the D1 level, then he will be the surprise. I watched him in the FIBA 19 this summer and he is scary in a very good way...I feel he can dominate on both ends of the court but only time will tell...he just has tremendous skills and I'll bet that "IF" he can stay out of foul trouble when he plays defence, then the sky could be the limit for this team...yes, there are a lot of "IF's" but he could be the best to leave GU since Adam...IMO

[tyra]

Wikipedia lists Arlauskas as a “shooting guard”. He’s “only” 6’6””. For those who follow this, any chance he can play some 2?

[Reborn]

Reborn, I only count nine players (hi-lited) that you feel will get PT but I've said this before, the sleeper on this team is Ballo...if he is able to grasp the offence and can learn how to play "D" at the D1 level, then he will be the surprise. I watched him in the FIBA 19 this summer and he is scary in a very good way...I feel he can dominate on both ends of the court but only time will tell...he just has tremendous skills and I'll bet that "IF" he can stay out of foul trouble when he plays defence, then the sky could be the limit for this team...yes, there are a lot of "IF's" but he could be the best to leave GU since Adam...IMO

I'm glad I miscounted because that could mean Few could possibly play one more. I feel that that would be a position that is wide open. It sure will be interesting.

[willandi]

Which ones will NOT see playing time?

[Malastein]

I can’t wait for Jalen Suggs to commit...

[JPtheBeasta]

Wikipedia lists Arlauskas as a “shooting guard”. He’s “only” 6’6””. For those who follow this, any chance he can play some 2?

My first impression is, why not? It will be interesting to see if Ravet, Ayayi, or Arlauskas get the minutes there. I’m trying to remember if Micah Downs got more minutes at the 2 or the 3...

[DZ]

My first impression is, why not? It will be interesting to see if Ravet, Ayayi, or Arlauskas get the minutes there. I’m trying to remember if Micah Downs got more minutes at the 2 or the 3...

Just about all I remember about Micah Downs was how good a kid he was and him springing about 15 feet in the air for a dunk.

[Reborn]

A six foot six player could certainly play the 2 in today's basketball. It's amazing how the taller players are picking up guard skills more and more every year. I have not seen video of Arlauskas, but will try to do so today.

Well, I spent a very good half hour watching video and was quite surprised at how good Arlauskas is. And yes, he can play the two or three. I wanted to see how well he dribbled the basketball and handled it, and he certainly met my expectations of a two-guard. He dribbles with quickness and ease, and is very difficult to guard. He has an excellent rocker move. He can shoot out to the 3 point line, but what I was most impressed with was his ability to attack the basket off the dribble. He has a great mid-range pull-up jumper, and it's possibly his favorite shot. And what surprised me the most, is he's a very good passer. Oh! I almost forgot. He seems to like playing defense. He really hustles at the defensive end. Arlauskas is not going to red shirt, and will get playing time. One reason he's so hard to guard is that he's 6'6". I now see why he's ranked 44th among incoming freshmen.

Smiling!!!

[Shooter]

From about the 2012-13 season back Few was playing 10 guys almost every year. And those years didn't have half the talent of next years team. I think if he want's to play 10 he'll do fine at finding them mins.

[DZ]

From about the 2012-13 season back Few was playing 10 guys almost every year. And those years didn't have half the talent of next years team. I think if he want's to play 10 he'll do fine at finding them mins.

Great point.

Post more.

[GonzagasaurusFlex]

From about the 2012-13 season back Few was playing 10 guys almost every year. And those years didn't have half the talent of next years team. I think if he want's to play 10 he'll do fine at finding them mins.

I wanna believe, help my unbelief. Link to site for stats from such seasons?