Zags Conference Hurts Them

[rebswin2]

The WCC currently isnt too different than the Big West in the early 90's. St Marys gets ranked here and there, maybe byu too, similar to NMSU or UCSB.

The Zags play a tough non-conference schedule like UNLV used to do, but the difference is UNLV could and would schedule tough OOC games late in the season where GU only does early season.

in 1990 UNLV played at #16 LSU on Jan 28, NC State on Feb 3, Oklahoma St on Feb 10, #20 Arizona on Feb 18 and Louisville on Feb 24 all second semester games, this is after playing Cal, DePaul, Kansas, @ #12 Oklahoma, #16 Iowa and #11 Arkansas before the calendar turned.

This isnt a knock against them but the last tough OOC game the Zags played this season was Dec 18 vs Texas Tech. They played a lot of easy games between then and the Tourney a span of 3 months. Gone are the days when P5 schools would play OOC games in the middle of their conference schedules. UCLA on the weeks that they played SC would always play Notre Dame and the other game vs SC they'd play a tough OOC game, it doesnt happen any longer.

Gonzaga would be so much better off if they would be able to get some of those OOC games later in the season like UNLV used to do but Im not sure it will ever happen but not because Mark Few wouldnt want to.

 

[rebel5280]

I would love to see that tradition come back, 2nd semester OOC games against ranked or tough opponent. If UNLV can turn the corner, they should just do it that way again!

 

[rebswin2]

I would love to see that tradition come back, 2nd semester OOC games against ranked or tough opponent. If UNLV can turn the corner, they should just do it that way again!

The problem isnt schools like GU or UNLV wanting to play those games, the problem is no P5 schools will play these games in the middle of their conference schedules like they once did.

 

[Rebel1986]

The best fix for the MWC and Gonzaga would be to bring Gonzaga into the MWC for basketball which would move the conference up several notches in BB, but we know the leaders of the MWC would never consider doing that!

 

[Rebel1986]

On the other side of things, Houston played only one ranked team all season long, and they are doing great in the NCAA tournament! Gonzaga isn't losing because of a weak later schedule, they have looked bad for the last couple of weeks even against weaker teams!

 

[rebel5280]

I hear you. I just wish some those old school traditions could be a thing again. I loved going to the Mack for those January and February OOC games, it was standing room only!

 

[WarthogRebel]

I hear you. I just wish some those old school traditions could be a thing again. I loved going to the Mack for those January and February OOC games, it was standing room only!

I would love it as much as anyone on this board. But I don't think we'll ever see that again. I'd be ecstatic to see 12,000.

 

[Rebel1986]

I have no doubt that the fans would come back if Coach Kruger keeps turning things around and stays. A couple of decent years under Rice and the crowds nearly doubled, it took the rest of his time and two coaches who totally failed to destroy the fan base in the last decade!

 

[rebswin2]

On the other side of things, Houston played only one ranked team all season long, and they are doing great in the NCAA tournament! Gonzaga isn't losing because of a weak later schedule, they have looked bad for the last couple of weeks even against weaker teams!

I wasnt talking specifically about just this season. They have had a great run, two recent NC games, but they have also had some early exits like this season. Playing tougher OOC games later in the season vs a lot of games vs bad teams would definitely help them going into March.

There are plenty of schools that havent played tough schedues that have made runs, St Peters this year Loyola a few years ago. Houston this year is tough as nails, that is a very good team with a very good coach. Their schedule wasnt that week, they played Butler, Oregon, Wisconsin, Alabama, Oklahoma St, SMU a couple of times and Memphis 3 times. They tried to schedule up but played a few schools that normally are better than they were this season. P a better team than that 5 seed, the schedule probably kept them from being a 3 or 4.

 

[Rebel1986]

I question how Houston is tough as nails and Gonzaga is weak because of a weak late schedule, when Houston played a weaker schedule and only played teams in their own conference in the second half of the season which is the same thing as Gonzaga did. While Houston played Memphis and SMU in conference, Gonzaga played Saint Mary's, Santa Clara, San Francisco (who destroyed UNLV), and BYU, so played at least as hard if not harder in conference schedule for the second half of the season.

I can buy that Gonzaga coaching may come up short in the NCAA tournament, but don't buy the Houston being tough as nails difference when Gonzaga played a better schedule on average all year long.

 

[rebswin2]

I question how Houston is tough as nails and Gonzaga is weak because of a weak late schedule, when Houston played a weaker schedule and only played teams in their own conference in the second half of the season which is the same thing as Gonzaga did. While Houston played Memphis and SMU in conference, Gonzaga played Saint Mary's, Santa Clara, San Francisco (who destroyed UNLV), and BYU, so played at least as hard if not harder in conference schedule for the second half of the season.

I can buy that Gonzaga coaching may come up short in the NCAA tournament, but don't buy the Houston being tough as nails difference when Gonzaga played a better schedule on average all year long.

I’m not sure how you can twist my point any more than you already have? Houston’s team this year is a tough group, have you seen them play? It has nothing to do with who they have or haven’t played, they’ve got a bunch of bulldogs out there. I’m not comparing UH to GU but you seem to want to do that.

Gonzaga over a period of time has continuously came up short of their own and their NCAA seeding expectations. I think The Zags have a really good coach, for him to be able to do what he has done at GU for such a long period of time is amazing.

UNLV was able to schedule tough late season OOC games that surely helped them in the NCAA tourney vs playing only Big West schools.

My point that you keep twisting is that if the Zags could play tougher games late like UNLV used to be able to do it would serve them well. If you disagree with that statement that's fine.

 

[RebelSoldat]

The WCC is a bit better than the MWC these days, at least when it gets to prime time. MWC getting swept two years in a row doesn't make us look great.

Not sure why Gonzaga can't get over the hump, but I'm confident Mark Few will get it done eventually. Gonzaga's big weakness this year was post defense without Holmgren on the floor.

 

[1Tripoda]

The best fix for the MWC and Gonzaga would be to bring Gonzaga into the MWC for basketball which would move the conference up several notches in BB, but we know the leaders of the MWC would never consider doing that!

Yeah, the MWC aint better than the WCC

 

[j. spilotro]

Yeah, the MWC aint better than the WCC

It’s not close top to bottom.

 

[billd99s]

The difference between the Zags and other teams was the loose hands of the Zags. They fumbled rebounds, got ripped much more this year than in the past. The Big 10 teams suffered from loose hands (weak grip) but the West Coast refereed by woosies caught up with Arizona and the Zags. Watch the films and see the lost rebounds, poor grip and weak passes. These were all trademarks of the games West Coast and others lost to Houston, TT, even St Peters.

 

[rebel5280]

The difference between the Zags and other teams was the loose hands of the Zags. They fumbled rebounds, got ripped much more this year than in the past. The Big 10 teams suffered from loose hands (weak grip) but the West Coast refereed by woosies caught up with Arizona and the Zags. Watch the films and see the lost rebounds, poor grip and weak passes. These were all trademarks of the games West Coast and others lost to Houston, TT, even St Peters.

Low IQ and soft as charmin is what loose hands translates to in my book!

 

[dcut03]

MWC was actually rated higher this year in the NET.

WCC much much better at the top, but half of their conference is about as good as our bottom 2, which are signficantly worse than the rest of the conference.

Gonzaga joining the MW would be beneficial for both. Now you could make the argument that they are getting 1 seeds in the WCC, but I think playing against some of the defensive minded teams in this league would help them in the tourney a bit more. The refs on the other hand...

 

[Rebel1986]

Considering the record of the MWC this year, it is hard to get anything positive from the MWC!

 

[j. spilotro]

Considering the record of the MWC this year, it is hard to get anything positive from the MWC!

The MWC proved it was a smoke and mirrors year by a no compete in the NCAAT. SDSU competed a bit, but that’s it, 0-4 is 0-4.