|
Post by ALioninWinter on Jan 26, 2019 23:06:14 GMT -5
Waves beat the Gaels in overtime tonight. Sounds like the Gaels fell apart in overtime. I watched them against BYU the other night and I’ve gotta say, I’ve never seen a Randy Bennett team play so disjointedly. They have talent but aren’t working together AT ALL.
|
|
|
Post by LIONS90045 on Jan 27, 2019 12:24:48 GMT -5
Equally as surprising (to me) was USD’s win over USF. Given how tough USF played Gonzaga, I thought they would roll over the non-top-3 in the WCC.
|
|
|
Post by ALioninWinter on Jan 27, 2019 12:36:01 GMT -5
Sometimes, game results just make no sense.
I’ve played in games where I thought, “Man, we’re going to get slaughtered.” But we won. And there were other times when I “knew” we had a cakewalk, but ended up losing. That’s what makes the game so much fun.
|
|
|
Post by ironlion on Feb 4, 2019 18:42:14 GMT -5
|
|
|
Post by LIONS90045 on Feb 4, 2019 18:59:49 GMT -5
Another great signing for the Waves. “Rated” 2-* but I think that’s the default rating when they don’t really know a player’s actual skill level. Looks like more than 2-* from the clippings. The Waves will make noise in the coming years.
|
|
|
Post by LIONS90045 on Feb 6, 2019 16:54:52 GMT -5
Gonzaga Recruiting Class Ranked 10 in the Nation (by ESPN) "Mark Few's recipe for recruiting has been fairly simple: Lock up some in-state prospects and then go overseas. He did the same to start his 2019 class. ESPN 100 forward Anton Watson goes to Gonzaga Prep in Spokane; it was only natural he would choose the Bulldogs. Watson is versatile and can do a little bit of everything -- including stepping out and making shots. Four-star point guard Brock Ravet will help, while Lithuania native Martynas Arlauskas has created some buzz and should make an immediate impact. Few punctuated the group with another ESPN 100 product, Drew Timme, who is an inside-out big man with a very efficient floor game, and should blossom into a star." All national recruits are ranked 4*, the first three are 6'9", 6'9" and 6'10". The fifth player is from overseas and unranked: D. Timme #12 C A. Watson #12 PF P. Zakharov #20 C B. Ravet #25 PG Martynas Arlauskas SF (Lithuania) www.espn.com/college-sports/basketball/recruiting/school/_/id/2250/class/2019 You may need to be an ESPN member to access link.
|
|
|
Post by LIONS90045 on Feb 9, 2019 16:51:29 GMT -5
Watching Waves-USD game. It looks like the players have to leave Firestone fieldhouse to get to locker rooms at half time?
|
|
|
Post by thx4leavinjimlynam on Feb 10, 2019 13:10:59 GMT -5
|
|
|
Post by LIONS90045 on Feb 10, 2019 15:34:48 GMT -5
After this blowout of a decent Gaels team (not a good team but decent), the Zags fans are looking to depart the WCC. In my opinion, it would actually be good for the rest of us if they did. No fun playing this Goliath every year and hoping for a top 5 finish. A Zags departure opens up the conference for the others to excel (in our own way).
|
|
|
Post by cs17 on Feb 10, 2019 17:08:37 GMT -5
After this blowout of a decent Gaels team (not a good team but decent), the Zags fans are looking to depart the WCC. In my opinion, it would actually be good for the rest of us if they did. No fun playing this Goliath every year and hoping for a top 5 finish. A Zags departure opens up the conference for the others to excel (in our own way). 100% agree with you. I've always been in the boat that having a dominant Gonzaga is absolutely a disaster for the smaller fish (us and ALMOST everyone else) in the WCC. You have a team that is consistently just head and shoulders ahead of every other team in the conference, recruiting and reloading 4 star prospects guaranteed every single year, 'forever' (until Mark Few retires). And with the new WCC tournament structure, they essentially get a bye to the semifinal every single season on the way to the WCC tourney title or at least an at-large bid. It eliminates any chance of ever having fresh blood win the WCC tournament and get at-large bids out of this conference. Gonzaga would dominate the Mountain West, and they'd probably win the Pac-12 this season. I shutter to think of the final score this Thursday at Gersten as they come in #4 in the country. Having Gonzaga be awesome has done NOTHING to help LMU basketball. I really hope they are re-considering staying in the conference. I'll throw a party when they leave.
|
|
|
Post by lmuseniorfan on Feb 10, 2019 18:28:56 GMT -5
I must admit I don't know whether Gonzaga staying or leaving is better for the WCC. I first thought about it when they contemplated leaving in the Spring of 2018, and I couldn't make up my mind at that time.
I understand the frustration with having to compete against a basketball team who would be elite in every conference in the NCAA. Right now, nobody in the WCC can realistically expect to win the WCC basketball regular season race or the conference tournament. However, every team in the WCC is better because Gonzaga is a member. I do not believe any other school could recruit nearly as well if it didn't have Gonzaga to use as an example of the level of play in the conference. Recruits want to compete against the best because most of them think they are also one of the best. Also, BYU's basketball is almost at the level of many teams in the Power-5 Conferences. They would leave the WCC almost immediately after Gonzaga's departure, further weakening the conference.
So we seem to have two choices --- Gonzaga goes and we become a Big Sky or WAC level conference; or Gonzaga stays and we annually hope our team can at least become the runner up to Gonzaga. Having watched WCC basketball for a long time, I'm sure I'm watching much better basketball than I saw before Gonzaga's ascension to elite status; but at the same time, I am annually frustrated by never having the slightest expectation of winning the WCC championship.
The presidents of the WCC schools must really make a value judgment. Do they want to invest sufficiently to build decent arenas and hire elite coaches, or do they want to limit what they spend (although it's still a considerable amount of money) to have basketball programs that attract no national and even very little local interest?
One final thought. Gonzaga's basketball success has led to a major increase in applicants for admission to the school, which has resulted in a larger and probably better qualified student population. With that success have also come significant increases in donations. In fact, I believe their arena was funded with private donations that followed their rise to elite basketball status. Just maybe investing more now will result in contributions and income that will eventually lead to lower athletic department costs borne by student tuition.
|
|
|
Post by lmuseniorfan on Feb 10, 2019 18:54:04 GMT -5
One additional observation about the LMU athletic program. I looked up the number of teams of some of the schools in the WCC. The results:
LMU 9 men and 11 women
Gonzaga 8 men and 8 women
St Mary's 7 men and 9 women
Santa Clara 8 men and 10 women
BYU 9 men and 10 women (Remember they have a major football program)
I don't know if some of LMU's sports are financed by private donations or by funds from the ordinary budget. If private funds, my point here really loses its validity. However, I at least wonder if we might be better off sponsoring fewer sports with enhanced budgets. I know that means fewer student athletes getting a chance to compete, but that's life. There is no sense in stretching your budget so thin that you can't be very good at anything.
|
|
|
Post by pumpfake on Feb 10, 2019 20:37:21 GMT -5
As frustrating as the disparity between the Zags and the rest of the WCC is, I think we are better off having them in the conference. Yes, it sucks playing for some type of consolation prize (almost) every year but there is no doubt that all the teams are better than they'd be if the Zags were in another conference. Still, when the NCAA tourney starts, I am proud to have the Zags represent the WCC. At some point they will come down to earth and we will miss their dominance. At the same time, we will be relieved to know that making the field of 64 will be a lot easier. In the meantime, we can dream of a magical conference tourney run or a chance to play in Madison Square Garden in the NIT. Loyola of Chicago proved last year that a middling program can rise and do great things. It takes luck, vision, and a little bit of magic. Also, as much as I like to watch cinderella teams in the tourney, I think a case could be made for the NCAA to have a mid-major post season tourney. It will never happen because they wouldn't want to mess with the current formula but it would be a great tournament with schools who have comparable enrollments and resources - a level playing field.
|
|
|
Post by kemo66 on Feb 11, 2019 14:23:24 GMT -5
One additional observation about the LMU athletic program. I looked up the number of teams of some of the schools in the WCC. The results: LMU 9 men and 11 women Gonzaga 8 men and 8 women St Mary's 7 men and 9 women Santa Clara 8 men and 10 women BYU 9 men and 10 women (Remember they have a major football program) I don't know if some of LMU's sports are financed by private donations or by funds from the ordinary budget. If private funds, my point here really loses its validity. However, I at least wonder if we might be better off sponsoring fewer sports with enhanced budgets. I know that means fewer student athletes getting a chance to compete, but that's life. There is no sense in stretching your budget so thin that you can't be very good at anything. For the record; University of the Pacific has 7 Men's programs and 11 Women's! BYU has over 1 Billion trust fund.... GU's is quite a bit larger than most all of the other WCC schools (save for BYU). Pacific is under a 'budget over-expendenture crunch...as well as sanctions... Next year we will have our full compliment of scholarships and recruit visits. Title IX does play a roll... and IMO it isn't necessary applied 'equally' among the schools..... but each school will have to decide on its programs.... sad to say, UOP dropped a very successful women's field hockey team this year.
|
|
|
Post by lionlife on Feb 11, 2019 15:08:58 GMT -5
Thanks for the addition Kemo, I recognize your username as the reigning WCC Pick Em champion.
|
|