They were 3rd in last weeks poll and the two teams above them, Indiana and Miami, both lost this week. Gonzaga has never been ranked #1 but should be this week, as long as they don't get jumped by Duke.

I'm not a Gonzaga fan but that would be quite an achievement for a little school in the middle of nowhere.

_________________

Should be. That team is for real, seen em a few times this year (the wife is an alum).

_________________
RIP ROAD WOES 12/2/2012

Over rated but in the system they absolutely should be.

Man I don't want to be rated #1 as that seems to be a curse for most lol. Also I really hope we get by BYU on Thursday.

_________________

How do you figure? Just because it's Gonzaga?

_________________
RIP ROAD WOES 12/2/2012

I don't know if they should be #1, but they sure look like a damn good team when ever I watch them. So well coached. Then again maybe it's just cause I'm always watching the Huskies flail around on offense.

Led by 2 Canadians nonetheless.......eh.

He's right. the Zags feel like a sweet 16 team to me, nothing more. They're getting good play from olynik or whatever his name is, and their other big forward, but really, they don't have a very tough league schedule out there. they'll win a couple in the tournament, then get dumped out by a proper contender.

But yes, they should be rated #1 on Monday.

_________________
FrankerZ FrankerZ FrankerZ FrankerZ FrankerZ FrankerZ FrankerZ FrankerZ

I disagree that they're merely a sweet 16 team. Olynyk and Elias Harris are doing quite well, but they also have a pretty good backcourt with Pangos, Stockton, and Bell. They've taken care of business, having beaten teams like Clemson, Oklahoma, and Kansas State (you know, the team leading the Big XII right now.) Their only two losses were a heart breaker against Butler (which was an awesome game), and against a hot Illinois team (who subsequently went through a slump, but is back on their feet.). Just because the WCC isn't a strong conference isn't any reason to discount the Bulldogs. It's not like they're lucking their ways into wins; they're slaughtering lesser teams as a great team should.

_________________
My single greatest contribution to the board: "42-13" (formerly 24-14)

We'll see. I don't think they make it past the sweet 16.

_________________
FrankerZ FrankerZ FrankerZ FrankerZ FrankerZ FrankerZ FrankerZ FrankerZ

I'll know more after I get the year end numbers and the Zags get their seed in the tournament. Then I can run their numbers against the stats (really cool site called Bracket Science publishes the stats on CBSSports), and see how they compare historically. If they're not a Final Four team, I'll be more than willing to say so, but from the eye test, I think they are.

_________________
My single greatest contribution to the board: "42-13" (formerly 24-14)

This team will beat most teams on a neutral court. Gonzaga is not only a final four team, but has a legitimate shot at winning it all.

They aren't just getting good play out of Olynyk, they are getting EXCEPTIONAL play out of most of the team. It's simple ignorance to claim that Gonzaga isn't a final four team. Yes, the WCC is a weaker conference, but they have had 0 slip ups. The reason the Big 10 teams are beating up on each other is because there are 4/5 pretty good teams but no exceptional teams. Penn State is horrible in any conference.

The ACC might as well be the WCC of the East this year.

_________________
RIP ROAD WOES 12/2/2012

Because they play in a sissy league! So many rave about out of league games they play and how well they do but in their own league its about like playing in our local Spokane High School league. Its easier to play tough teams when you only have to do it 3-4 times a season and not in your own league at all.

I've heard all the arguments many times before but before a team cracks the top ten they should be playing in a league where other teams are rated in the top 50.



I'm not arguing they aren't a good team where they are but they seem to get credit as if they played in a "real" basketball league. They've been getting these ridiculous ratings so they wind up getting an easy game first round but by the second normally they come back to earth. A couple of years ago they couldn't even win this cheap ass league they're in but still got rated high. What a joke.



That's my one and only post this year about the "faux" #2 team in the country. I live in Spokane so should be able to voice my opinion. Remember a short time ago when Wazzu walloped them and the Huskys in the same season 2 years in a row and still Gonzaga got rated above both those teams that clearly play in a way better league than them.

_________________

Still missing you everyday pal.

Strength of schedule! Strength of schedule! How about watching the game with your eyes?

This is the deepest Gonzaga team, ever and probably the most well built team they've ever put on a court. They play in a weak league, yes, but they also do exactly what great teams do in bad leagues, beat the living hell out of nearly ever opponent.

If you really follow Gonzaga, like, really follow them, you've seen the ups and downs this program has gone through. When they first got good, it was with three point shooters and scrappy guys down low. They were exceptionally well coached, but they won with smoke and mirrors and significantly less talent then a lot of the teams they played in the tournament. Then, they raise the national profile and expand their recruiting base. From 03-08 you saw a lot of really talented Gonzaga teams with NBA quality players and absolutely no character or heart. These were the Austin Day teams, Jeremy Pargo, Josh Heitveldt(sp?). The program lost its identity and has been slowly regaining it for the last three years. Now they've got the scrappy guys, the multifaceted big men, the intelligent point guards, the NBA level athlete (Harris). They have a flurry of guys coming off the bench, everyone knows their role and everyone plays together.

Its easy to write off this Gonzaga team as all the others that stumble in the second or Sweet Sixteen because its convenient and everyone is in "wait and see" mode with them. Depending on who they draw, they could run into some trouble in the second round or Sweet Sixteen, it's all about matchups. When they've lost, its been to teams that pressure the ball and force Gonzaga's point guards into creating off the dribble. On defense, Gonzaga has trouble defending the pick and rolls run by athletic guards, a team like Michigan would give them headaches.

I don't think they are the best team in the country, although they could definitely make a final four run, but this is the best Gonzaga team I've seen.

I'm not hating on the Zags for the hell of it, but strength of schedule DOES mean something. look, they've played very well up to this point, and continue to play well, but like Les said, they're playing cupcakes in league play. They're essentially Boise State in basketball. the best team in their conference by a large margin, and *can* beat bigger teams on their night, but it just seems like eventually the train is going to come off the rails with these guys.

_________________
FrankerZ FrankerZ FrankerZ FrankerZ FrankerZ FrankerZ FrankerZ FrankerZ

Relevant link for the discussion:

http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketb ... rs-gonzaga

Also, Les's comments mean very little. He has an admitted disdain of college basketball (and all college sports), so his animadversions aren't based on facts or first hand experience, but based on where he lives and a pre-existing prejudice.

_________________
My single greatest contribution to the board: "42-13" (formerly 24-14)

Yes Les for many years has been bored to tears with college basketball. (much like NFL) But I used to follow them like crazy, knew the players, watched the Wizard of Westwood, and rooted for the Wolf Pack. But I did outgrow it like I outgrew the stupid passion for sports over all other things. Oh yeah,,for another sport, drag racing. But in the early days it was easy to be a Gonzaga fan cause they were the little guys struggling to make it in a league they were barely competitive in.

Well they've grown up no question, have a great program and a great coach. But along the way they got over being Gonzaga but became media darlings only interested in one thing...themselves. They are now such arrogant pukes it hard to be in the same room with them.

The only good thing that's happened is the National Media can pronounce their name correctly.

And stop using my dislike for an excuse. You witto bitty boys have your opinion and get all pissy when someone has a different one. Are you so unsure of your own position? Me thinks you protest to much.

_________________

Still missing you everyday pal.

Pissy? No. I just find your hypocrisy on the matter to be a little bit much. You tell others to ignore what they don't like, but when it comes to the things you don't enjoy, you've still got to put your two cents in about it. And in this case, it's just an opportunity to complain without adding anything to the conversation, which is really, really annoying.

_________________
My single greatest contribution to the board: "42-13" (formerly 24-14)

Does playing in a good conference and losing show that you are a superior team? I mean Penn State plays in the Big Ten and even managed to beat Michigan last night but that doesn't mean they are better than the Zags. At some point you have to give credit to a team for winning ( especially when they do play quite a few good teams throughout the year).
If Indiana, Michigan or Michigan State had the same record as the Zags I would say you'd have a point but they don't. In fact the only team that has an argument would be Indiana (who lost to the very same teams the Zags did plus more). At some point you have to win those hard games to get credit for playing that tough conference schedule. I realize that those teams have good wins as well but so do the Zags and they would have more if they were in the football conferences as well(6-0 verses big 12 this year).

Well peaches,

Here's your ammunition. The below is to figure out which 1 seeds won't make the Final Four:

1 seed pretender qualifiers:

A scoring margin of 10.5 points or fewer per game

18.4 - Check

Imbalanced scoring, with more than 73 percent of points from either the backcourt or frontcourt (forwards and centers)

50.4 from frontcourt. -Check

A strength of schedule ranked higher than 80

61 - Check
A "snake-bitten" coach (more than four tourney trips without an Elite Eight run)

Sweet Sixteen is Few's best run.

A coach with fewer than seven tourney appearances leading a team either without an All-American or that didn't go to the previous dance.

12 appearances in a row - Check

A couple others which I can't calculate yet.


If Gonzaga bails out before the Final Four, the bolded might be way. I had thought Few made an Elite Eight on one of the cinderella runs, but I was wrong. Only 1 team that's been a 1 seed has made a Final Four with a snake bit coach, and that was Texas in 2003. Few would need to break out in a big way this year.

_________________
My single greatest contribution to the board: "42-13" (formerly 24-14)