Gonzaga vs Portland: Post game analysis and thought

[Reborn]

Gonzaga 116
Portland 88

The big news of the night was Joel Ayayi becoming the FIRST ZAG EVER to get a TRIPLE DOUBLE. That's just amazing. 14 assists. That's a lot of assists. 12 points and 13 rebounds. Congrats Joel.

Other really news: Watson gets 23 points. Very good game. Season high of course. And Strawther got 12. A season high for him. Gonzaga gets a season high 116 points, mostly layups. Gonzaga had 29 assists, which is just sooooo beautiful. Zags shot 63% for the game, and 80% from the free throw line. And Zags had 7 players score in double figures. Timme led the team with 26.

The bad news. Zags play no defense in the second half. This game was somewhat like the Dixie State game.
Zags gave up 88 to Portland and 13 threes.

I enjoyed the game. I love seeing these guys play. I'm glad I was watching the game where I got to see the first Zag EVER get a triplei-double. That was definitely worth the price of admission. Ayayi is so cool to watch. I thought he had more than 13 rebounds. It seemed like he was getting all the rebounds. the Zags, as usual, played a totally unselfish game. That is another reason I enjoyed the game. So many really great passes.

Ok time to go...Hope you too enjoyed it.

Go Zags!

[HenneZag]

We can score like nobody's business but I don't like that Portland put that many points up against us.

[FloridaZagFan]

We can score like nobody's business but I don't like that Portland put that many points up against us.

I get it. However if you score as fast as the Zags do the opposition will get more opportunities to score. It looks to me like a simple game plan - your going to get lots of opportunities to score but your never going to be as efficient as we are so you cant win.

[bartruff1]

There are very good coaches in the WCC......No one has been able to stop Gonzaga's back screens.....Virginia tried and Kispert lit them up from the three....that may have scared every WCC coach that watches that game.....

I am no coach unless you count 5th grade CYO..... but I would at least try to make Gonzaga beat me with threes..... try to stop the transition like Portland did by sending everyone back....and pack it in with a two three zone.....and limit possessions to less than 70... I don't believe in prayer.

[GonzaGAW]

- ayayi's historic stat line should always be remembers as 12-13-14-0......pts-reb-asst-t.o.

- career scoring nights for watson, strawther, and gregg (shout out to ben for his first basket as a zag)

[zagamatic]

Kinda absurd that the guys put up 116 points going 4-17 from 3. But I'll totally take it

[HenneZag]

I get it. However if you score as fast as the Zags do the opposition will get more opportunities to score. It looks to me like a simple game plan - your going to get lots of opportunities to score but your never going to be as efficient as we are so you cant win.

Portland hit 13 threes against us and scored 1.16 per possession. I get that we play fast but Portland should never score 90 points against this team. That defense won't win in March with the quality of opponents.

[rawkmandale]

What did Neil Everett just say on Sportscenter LA? While praising Joel Ayayi for his triple double, I think Neil said something like "better than a triple whammy at Dicks!"

[23dpg]

Zags weren’t doing much from 3 but from inside the arc they shot ...

75.5%

Amazing.

[sheps001]

You are spot on. It wont work against a veteran team who plays good defense like Baylor. Portland should never have put up so many points and I am sure Few will be moving in this direction. Aaron Cook played some minutes and he is very important in this regard so lets hope he heals up and fairly soon. Cook and Nembard would be a very good defensive backcourt. Toss in Suggs and Ayayi and you have a very good backcourt. The problem is in the front court. After Timme, who continues to amaze with his superb play and Kispert we get thin. Watson??? Ballo, is a work in progress and in about a year he should be OK. He is still growing into his body. Arlauskas and Zakharov may not work out at all. I did notice Ben Greg played some minutes and maybe he will work out. This will hurt us in tournament time. We need more big bodies that are good.

[rawkmandale]

You are spot on. It wont work against a veteran team who plays good defense like Baylor. Portland should never have put up so many points and I am sure Few will be moving in this direction. Aaron Cook played some minutes and he is very important in this regard so lets hope he heals up and fairly soon. Cook and Nembard would be a very good defensive backcourt. Toss in Suggs and Ayayi and you have a very good backcourt. The problem is in the front court. After Timme, who continues to amaze with his superb play and Kispert we get thin. Watson??? Ballo, is a work in progress and in about a year he should be OK. He is still growing into his body. Arlauskas and Zakharov may not work out at all. I did notice Ben Greg played some minutes and maybe he will work out. This will hurt us in tournament time. We need more big bodies that are good.

Watson will be a STUD by tournament time. Ballo is improving, but probably not a stud this year.

[sheps001]

We may get Holmgren for a year and lets see on that. What do you think about Zakhrov and Arlausksas. Is there hope.

[jagwalkley]

Gonzaga 116
Portland 88

The big news of the night was Joel Ayayi becoming the FIRST ZAG EVER to get a TRIPLE DOUBLE. That's just amazing. 14 assists. That's a lot of assists. 12 points and 13 rebounds. Congrats Joel.

Other really news: Watson gets 23 points. Very good game. Season high of course. And Strawther got 12. A season high for him. Gonzaga gets a season high 116 points, mostly layups. Gonzaga had 29 assists, which is just sooooo beautiful. Zags shot 63% for the game, and 80% from the free throw line. And Zags had 7 players score in double figures. Timme led the team with 26.

The bad news. Zags play no defense in the second half. This game was somewhat like the Dixie State game.
Zags gave up 88 to Portland and 13 threes.

I enjoyed the game. I love seeing these guys play. I'm glad I was watching the game where I got to see the first Zag EVER get a triplei-double. That was definitely worth the price of admission. Ayayi is so cool to watch. I thought he had more than 13 rebounds. It seemed like he was getting all the rebounds. the Zags, as usual, played a totally unselfish game. That is another reason I enjoyed the game. So many really great passes.

Ok time to go...Hope you too enjoyed it.

Go Zags!

This is true basketball,someone is open,they are getting the ball.Just beautiful to watch these guys,(TEAMWORK) WOW.

[Zags11]

Amazing by ayayi and glad for watson.

[GonzagasaurusFlex]

Great seeing Zags throw the 1-3-1 trapping zone w Watson up top look at the Pilots despite the big lead at the time. Practice and fine tune these things during conference play regardless of score in prep for achieving their ultimate goal. Putting starters back in also a good move emphasizing need to play the game the Zag way or don’t play: movement, passing, unselfish. Great game all around.

Ayayi is such a classy guy. His immediate response when asked to comment on his triple double was to point out all he did was make the right play. Genuine humility like that reflects the supreme self confidence he has. Dude is skilled, fearless and humble.

[Worthington]

Gotta drop a comment for Watson's continued improvement. I genuinely believe that he's got all the talent that the other starters have, it's just a matter of continuing to develop his confidence and aggressiveness. Can't wait to see the player he becomes when he's really 'figured it out'.

This is a special team. The basketball IQ, chemistry, and unselfishness are truly a joy to watch.

[JPtheBeasta]

One of the crazy things about the triple-dibble is that he got it pretty early in the game.

[JPtheBeasta]

Gotta drop a comment for Watson's continued improvement. I genuinely believe that he's got all the talent that the other starters have, it's just a matter of continuing to develop his confidence and aggressiveness. Can't wait to see the player he becomes when he's really 'figured it out'.

This is a special team. The basketball IQ, chemistry, and unselfishness are truly a joy to watch.

One of the commentators last night said that he defers to the other players, which intend to agree with. He is at least converting his easy bucket opportunities out of the offense. I have yet to see him create his own shot, which isn’t really needed right now, but his team might need it at some point this year.

[ZagsObserver]

Hard to say if Watson can show up against a quality opponent and good athletes. I sure hope so, but the recent sample size is not a good cross section of what we’ll see in the tournament.

[bartruff1]

One of the crazy things about the triple-dibble is that he got it pretty early in the game.

He also got it without being a ball hog like Westbrook......

[GU69]

I am no coach unless you count 5th grade CYO.....

That counts for me.
(ok, as a CYO coach I may be a little prejudiced)

[JPtheBeasta]

He also got it without being a ball hog like Westbrook......

Good point.

[jazzdelmar]

Good point.

Seems to me his teammates relish setting him up. I don’t recall a play where he broke down his defender and scored. And anything past six feet is still MIA. He’s a piece this year, we don’t need more all Americans. We have three in the backcourt.

[Ladyzag12]

I honestly don't think we were bad defensively until we went to our bench lineup. Ayayi for me is the second best player on the team this year. I would like to see us get him the ball more as a primary ball handler, but we haven't needed it so far. Our offense is so impressive considering we are a mediocre 3 point shooting team. Probably the best passing college team I have ever seen by a country mile. Every single main rotation player is a plus passer.

[ZagsGoZags]

Portland put 88 points on our defense.
Top team in nation usually is ranked high in defense as well as offense.
does 88 points mean anything?