IS IT FINALLY TIME FOR GONZAGA TO JOIN THE PAC 12?

[TexasZagFan]

Most impactful teacher I ever had.

Dr. Erwin Grace
Photo credit: Reed Schifferman

A2960B5A-1570-446F-8486-C1FC40168FCA by tbkd1, on Flickr

Dr. Graue was my advisor when I matriculated. From day one, he was exhorting me to change majors from management to accounting. IIRC, I only had one class with him - macroeconomics, but I learned more than just macro from him. You had to be prepared for each and every class. A wrong answer to a question would bring a strong retort (snowflakes today might call it a vicious and hurtful retort...lol). There was nowhere to hide, as there were only 5 students in the class.

Despite his gruff manner in class, he was a witty and friendly man outside of class...sharp as a tack.

[FloridaZagFan]

Most impactful teacher I ever had.

Dr. Erwin Grace
Photo credit: Reed Schifferman

A2960B5A-1570-446F-8486-C1FC40168FCA by tbkd1, on Flickr

No! on moving to the Pac 12 or any other conference.
In the last twenty years Gonzaga has gone from Cinderella (freak! That wont happen again) - The little west coast school that always seems to get into the tournament - The school with mispronounced name that keeps popping up in the top 25- Gonzaga #1 ranked in the country? What? - Gonzaga yeah they are pretty good But!!- Gonzaga is the favorite to win the National Championship!
I think it would be a great idea to change confrences because the WCC is obviously holding the Zags back!
I think when GU wins the Nat Champ there will still be those who want move confrences. Please stop the insanity!

[jazzdelmar]

With respect to national brand recognition, Gonzaga is on a par with UCLA and USC and way ahead of the likes of OSU, Utah, Wazzu, etc. Not quite America’s team, I guess Duke still holds that crown, but darn close, especially among CBB aficionados. So, joining the P12 adds some luster but is hardly a game changer.

[willandi]

If Gonzaga WAS in the P 12...those other schools could not run and hide. While the Zags probably would not win ALL the games, they would win most, at least with the recent teams and the ones we see coming up.

[TheOtherGreatOne]

One thing about recruiting is Coach Few and Lloyd know what they are looking for and what fits their system. They are the best in the country at this. Most schools just go after the best player available, regardless of fit or not, or not. coaches don't do that. They will continue to get players that fit the system even if we are in the Wcc or not. They have their own recruiting style and it keeps getting better and better. I love it when we keep beating the big boys after they keep yelling the Zags don't play anybody.

[willandi]

One thing about recruiting is Coach Few and Lloyd know what they are looking for and what fits their system. They are the best in the country at this. Most schools just go after the best player available, regardless of fit or not, or not. coaches don't do that. They will continue to get players that fit the system even if we are in the Wcc or not. They have their own recruiting style and it keeps getting better and better. I love it when we keep beating the big boys after they keep yelling the Zags don't play anybody.

Well, THEY won't play us, so I guess they aren't anybody

[CB4]

I would love to see a three tiered West Coast Basketball Alliance, comprised of the PAC 12, MWC and WCC.

The top 12 teams play in Division 1. The next 12 in Division 2. The remaining in Division 3. Each division is essentially it's own conference with its own schedule, tournament and auto bid. The top tier would be your best teams from the three conferences and so forth. Each year the top and bottom 2 teams would be relegated and promoted among the divisions.

The idea would be that the top tier is the country's premier basketball conference with 8-9 at large bids. The second tier would have less but hopefully 3-4 and the third tier would give a chance to have an autobid from a school like USF or Pacific.

It would never work but given how few basketball schools are on the West Coast this is the only way to replicate east coast competition out west.

The idea would be for tier 1

[DZ]

These questions used to be far more compelling when we were working our way up. We are on top now, one of the top 8 (easily) programs in the country. If the nation formed a "super conference" of 12 teams nationwide, we'd be a shoe-in. We don't need anyone, though improving the WCC is always a great goal, and it seems to be happening.

And the Pac-12 has a profile that it won't move. It is for Tier One research institutions. That's why BYU will be forever on the outside looking in. BYU is an excellent academic school, but other than law and a few other programs, it is geared toward undergraduate education, that's their choice and they've done it well.

[TheOtherGreatOne]

Well, THEY won't play us, so I guess they aren't anybody

Yes and the one's that won't play us are the one's that yell the loudest that we don't play anyone.

[TexasZagFan]

Yes and the one's that won't play us are the one's that yell the loudest that we don't play anyone.

Of the Power 5 conferences, I think the Big 12 has been the most accessible OOC league to the Zags. The upcoming games with UT Austin, Texas Tech and Kansas leave only TCU and Iowa State as the programs we haven't played in OOC play.

I could be wrong, though.

[GoZags]

only TCU and Iowa State as the programs we haven't played in OOC play.

I could be wrong, though.

Beat Iowa State during the Final Four/Championship game season
https://www.espn.com/mens-college-ba...meId=400926730

Lost to TCU in the breakout ('98/'99) Elite 8 season (but had beaten them my sophomore year at Gonzaga)
https://gofrogs.com/sports/mens-bask...-university/26

[VaBeachZAG]

Yes and the one's that won't play us are the one's that yell the loudest that we don't play anyone.

So bloody true!

[Bogozags]

Maybe the easier question might be who, in P-5 conferences have we not played.

[willandi]

Maybe the easier question might be who, in P-5 conferences have we not played.

I would not include post season games. Pre conference tournaments are one thing, they know when they accept the invite that their is a possibility. The real determination is which schools are willing to schedule a home and home, or a regional and regional.

[ZagsGoZags]

seems like this topic gets discussed to death every couple of years for the last ten years, Pac 12, west div of Big East, etc.

however about about three summers ago it seemed like a small, but real, possibility we would join the Mtn. West., I think

[gonzagafan62]

seems like this topic gets discussed to death every couple of years for the last ten years, Pac 12, west div of Big East, etc.

however about about three summers ago it seemed like a small, but real, possibility we would join the Mtn. West., I think

Think it was just last year actually. Glad that never happened. Woulda been a total downgrade.

[CPkZagFan]

Absolutely glad that never happened also. The WCC will have an opportunity to prove how good they are this year against the Pac 12.
I have great expectations, not only for the Zags but for some other teams as well. BYU is absolutely LOADED this year and they just picked up a grad transfer guard
that is uber athletic and quick. Don't count our Pepperdine, SF or St. Marys (they had one of their best recruiting classes ever, including 2 great players from the
state of Wash.). I think that WCC is on the rise and it would absolutely not benefit Gonzaga in any way to join the Pac 12. Plus, it will never happen without a D1
football program.

[SorenTodd45]

The only advantage would be that we would play Oregon once or twice per year. Other than that, it's a bad move. And do we really need Uncle Bill Walton calling more of our games?

[ZagsGoZags]

would be be fair to say Mark Few would not enjoy playing Oregon twice a year?
isn't that the only college in the nation toward which he has some measure of childhood, family, friends, and local ties?

as for my memory i would say it is going from bad to worse, was it really just one year ago we threatened to go to mtn west? watzzzzamatter wit me

[kyle dixon]

I was watching YouTube late last night and happened across the Louisville vs gu first round game in 2000 down in Tucson. 7 v 10 matchup. 20 years ago Gus Johnson was the announcer and gu was still the Cinderella program. Frahm dropped 30 on the cardinals and the zags won with 23 turnovers. Few’s first NCAA win. Crazy history. It really puts in perspective how far the zags have come in 20 years