Demetri Goodson the latest to leave Gonzaga

Demetri "Meech" Goodson has ended his basketball career, as the now-former Gonzaga point guard has decided to transfer -- possibly to Texas A&M -- to play football. The Bulldogs put out a press release on it Tuesday, but we're giving credit for the scoop to The Slipper Still Fits.

"I have decided to pursue football next year," said Goodson. "I would like to thank my coaches and staff for the opportunity to play here. I also want to thank the city of Spokane and all of the Zags fans who have supported me over the years. It's been an awesome experience."

The writing was on the wall for Goodson.


A lightening quick point guard, Goodson was never really able to live up to his athletic prowess in his time at Gonzaga. He started 35 games last season, but he averaged just 5.2 ppg and 2.6 apg while seeing his playing time severely diminished late in the year thanks to David Stockton's emergence.

Goodson is the brother of Carolina Panther running back Mike Goodson and was a good enough player in high school to be recruited by some Pac-10 schools. That said, Meech hasn't played football since high school back in the state of Texas. He will have two years of eligibility remaining in football and can play immediately since the Zags don't have a football program.

While Gonzaga will now be losing a lot on their perimeter -- Manny Arop has also left the program while Steven Gray is graduating -- the Zags should be alright on their perimeter. Not only will Stockton be returning for his sophomore season, but they all two very talented freshmen -- PG Kevin Pangos and SG Gary Bell -- as well as JuCo transfer Guy Landry. Goodson's departure also opens up a scholarship for Bryce Jones, a talented wing that transferred out of USC. Jones is considering UNLV, SDSU, and Gonzaga, but had pushed back two visits to Spokane because the Zags did not have an available scholarship.

One thing to note -- Goodson is the sixth player to transfer out of the Gonzaga program in recent years. GJ Vilarino, Grant Gibbs, Andy Poling, Bol Kong, and Arop have all left with eligibility remaining.
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Kelly Olynyk's coming out party

Canada is not known nationally as a basketball powerhouse. While US colleges are beginning to mine some of the younger talent of our neighbors to the north -- Cory Joseph, Tristan Thompson, and Myck Kabongo are all headed to Texas, while guys like Andy Rautins and Kris Joseph made their names on national stage last year -- that success didn't translate at the World Basketball Championships.

Canada was eliminated, after losing all five games in Group play.

There were some positive signs to take out of the trip, however, particularly if you are a Gonzaga fan.

The Zags are losing an all-american guard in Matt Bouldin this season. Despite that loss, many believe that Gonzaga will, once again, but a top 25 team nationally and the class of the WCC. The biggest reason for that is Few's front line.

By now, everyone in college basketball should know the name Elias Harris. He's an super-athletic 6'8" power forward from Germany with post moves and a perimeter game. A rising sophomore, Harris seems destined to be Gonzaga's next NBA Draft early entry. He is already drawing comparisons to guys like Josh Howard, and I don't think anyone will be surprised to see him go in the first round when he finally does turn pro.

And then there is Robert Sacre, who played on the Canadian national team at the WBC. A seven foot behemoth, Sacre was a double digit scorer and a legitimate post threat last season. While he started for Gonzaga, he hasn't been the most impressive Zag this offseason.

That award would go to Kelly Olynyk, the 6'11" rising sophomore who had a bit of a coming out party this past week. After barely playing in Canada's first two WBC contests, Olynyk became a key piece over the last three, averaging 11 ppg and 3.7 rpg in just over 20 minutes per game. He went for 13 against France and had 14 against Spain in the final game.

Now, I don't really care all that much about the WBC. What we should all take out of this, however, is that Olynyk, who plays behind Sacre at Gonzaga, got significantly more minutes and was significantly more effective that Sacre on this Canadian team. If Olynyk can transfer that success back to the Pacific Northwest, Gonzaga will have arguably the best front line on the West Coast, and one of the better front courts in the country.

With Demetri Goodson, Steven Gray, and Mangisto Arop also returning, Gonzaga looks like they are going to just keep on winning.

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Droppin' Dimes: The Slipper Still Fits

Droppin' Dimes is a new feature we are trying out at BIAH this year. A couple of times a week, we are going to catch up with the bloggers behind the best team-specific sites on the web. If the internet really is becoming the new newspaper, then the writers at these sites are the de facto beat writers. They know their teams inside and out, and hopefully will provide you (and us) with some detailed insights. If you would like to recommend a site or pose a question for a certain team, you can reach us at contactbiah@gmail.com or @ballinisahabit.

Today's Droppin' Dimes is with The Slipper Still Fits, a blog dedicated to the Gonzaga Bulldogs. After the jump, get answers about Gonzaga's front line, the state of the WCC, and Bol Kong.


1. During the preseason, we weren't shy about heaping praise on the Zags back court, but it was the front court that really carried the team against Michigan State. Was that a fluke, or is that group really good enough to put the Zags back into the top 25?

I'm happy to say that what happened against Michigan State was no fluke. Gonzaga's back court received most of the praise during the summer months and leading up to the season because that was the only piece of this team we were sure about. We've watched Matt Bouldin for three years, Steven Gray for two years, and Demetri Goodson showed very well for himself his freshman year. With the front court it was completely unknown. Robert Sacre has been hampered by injuries since he arrived at Gonzaga but appears to have healed very well and looks like a completely confident and competent post presence. The first time Gonzaga fans heard about Elias Harris was when the West Coast Conference released a press release about winter signings. There was no recruitment, no star-rating, no Rivals or Scout articles, just a 20 year old freshman with experience playing against men more than five years older than him.

Robert Sacre and Elias Harris form a formidable front court.
(photo credit: ESPN)

Obviously, Harris has proven to be one of the best freshmen out of the gate and I don't think Gonzaga fans have any worry about the front court anymore which is rare. The bench is still coming around but 7'5" senior Will Foster has shown great improvements this year and I think Gonzaga fans are finally starting to believe in him a little bit! The upside for the group in the front court is extraordinary which makes this season as exciting as ever. I think some big tests for them are still on the horizon when you think about Wake Forest coming to town in December. Wake is one of the few front courts that can match the size Mark Few has assembled. We'll know a lot more after that game's conclusion.


2. One of the more intriguing story lines over the summer was Gonzaga's recruitment of Sudanese national Bol Kong. Gonzaga went through some trouble getting him enrolled in school, but we've yet to see him show up in a box score. What are you hearing about Kong?

You know, I think the hype machine, and we're as guilty as any one else of this, kind of got out of control when the news of Bol Kong's arrival at Gonzaga became official. We talked to the former head the Canadian development program, Greg Francis, and Bol's former coach at Douglas Community College, Jamie Oei, and they both echoed similar thoughts about Bol: He's a great scorer, could score at the division one level right away, but will take time contributing in other areas. When you play for Mark Few, or any other top-tier coach, you flat out won't play if you struggle to defend or are struggling to understand concepts. That is what we are hearing with Bol. And this really shouldn't be surprising; Bol hasn't played organized basketball in over a year, and he probably has never really been forced to abide by a "team" concept as strong as the one at Gonzaga. Unlike Manny Arop, Elias Harris, and Kelly Olynyk, Bol wasn't able to play for Canadian or German national teams this summer. Unlike Sam Dower and G.J. Vilarino, Bol didn't play a long summer of AAU basketball leading up to Gonzaga. I wouldn't call him a "project" in the most literal sense but I think he is just going to come along a bit slower than everyone else. If he was able to get in to the states at the start of the summer rather than a few weeks after the school year started, I think Bol would already be a valuable contributor.


3. Gonzaga has a reputation of producing excellent collegiate point guards. Demetri Goodson seems to be the next in line. What are your thoughts on the sophomore?

Demetri, or Meech, is still one of the big unknowns about this team. The funny thing is that no one is really concerned about him. I think he made some major headway with Gonzaga fans by hitting that running layup against Western Kentucky to send Gonzaga into the Sweet Sixteen. As far as this year is concerned, Meech is in an interesting position because he is the starting point guard but the offense doesn't really run through him.

Demetri Goodson may be the next great Gonzaga point guard.
(photo credit: ESPN)

I realize that is an odd sentence but judging from these first two games it is pretty clear what Meech's orders are from the coaching staff. In fast break situations, Meech is comfortable. He is the fastest guard we've had at Gonzaga (although some say freshman G.J. Vilarino is just as explosive) so he is a great guard for break situations which is crucial because with a front line as athletic as Sacre and Harris, there are plenty of opportunities for fast break points. If the fast break isn't there, it is Meech's main job to get the ball to Steven Gray or Matt Bouldin. The offense goes through those two guys and more often than not in half court sets, the ball is out of Meech's hands by the time he hits the three-point line.

I think his future is bright at Gonzaga. As you said, he's only a sophomore and only has two games as a starter under his belt. I think he'll develop into an outstanding point guard for the Zags. Mark Few has shown the ability to get the most out of his guards because he shows a great deal of trust in them right from the get-go.


4. Nik Raivio or Derek Raivio?

Gotta go with Derek but I think we all wished that Derek had Nik's size. People don't really understand how amazing it was for Derek to be as prolific as he was. It was always funny that Derek was listed at 6'3'' while in Spokane. He was probably closer to 6' but had one of the quickest shots I've ever seen in person. Nik, on the other hand, is more of a pure wing at around 6'5'' and plays a different style but has been great at Portland. I think he also plays a little tougher against Gonzaga because they never really showed a great deal of recruiting interest.


5. Is Gonzaga the favorite to win the WCC? St. Mary's looked good in their beatdown of SDSU and Portland received a lot of attention in the preseason.

You're asking a lot of questions where my bias is really going to show through because I absolutely believe that the West Coast Conference still belongs to Gonzaga. I think one of the most surprising teams in the country, not just on the West Coast, is St. Mary's. Everyone assumed when they lost Patty Mills they would vanish and never be heard from again but Randy Bennett just keeps plucking Australians out of the wood work and they are performing at a high level and showing no signs of intimidation. They put a beating on San Diego State and it appears that the guys that really needed to step up are answering the call. Mickey McConnell is now running the show from the back court and is lighting it up from deep and Ben Allen is filling in for Diamon Simpson and is also playing at a high level. They've been so impressive that it has once again kind of pushed Portland to the back burner but that is where they thrive. They have the best point guard in the conference in T.J. Campbell and Nik Raivio is an All-WCC selection. The key for them is whether or not Eric Reveno can get anymore improvement out of his veterans since they returned 12 men from last year's team. I think Campbell will show great improvement but I wonder if the rest of the team has hit their ceiling. Only time will tell but when you look at what Gonzaga did against Michigan State and how physically imposing their front court has become, I have to say they are still the favorite.

Steven Gray
(photo credit: ESPN)

Bonus: True of false - Steven Gray is actually one of the Geico cavemen?

Nothing surprises us anymore with Steven and the hair is just another feature of his personality. You may actually be more right than you know because he is acting now at Gonzaga and recently earned the lead role in a University production. As long as he keeps shooting and attacking the basket, we don't care what he looks like!
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Top 10 moments from 2008-2009 - No. 3

College basketball season tips off today, and in an effort to get you guys (and ourselves) excited, we will be counting down the Top 10 moments from last season. Check back with us throughout the day as we will be posting on the hour until 7pm, when UNC and FIU kick off the 2009-2010 college basketball season.

3. Kevin Harlan provides us with the call of the season as Demetri Goodson's runner puts Gonzaga into the sweet 16.


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2009-2010 Team Preview: Gonzaga Bulldogs

2008-2009 Record: 28-6, 14-0 WCC (1st)

Key Losses: Jeremy Pargo (10.2 ppg, 4.9 apg), Josh Heytvelt (14.9 ppg, 6.5 rpg), Austin Daye (12.7 ppg, 6.8 rpg), Micah Downs (9.6 ppg, 4.6 rpg)

Key Returners: Matt Bouldin (13.6 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 3.4 apg), Steven Gray (9.1 ppg, 3.2 rpg), Demetri Goodson (3.8 ppg, 1.6 apg)

Newcomers: Bol Kong, Mangisto Arop, Sam Dower, Elias Harris, Kelly Olynyk, David Stockton, GJ Villarino, Andy Poling (RS), Mike Hart (RS), Grant Gibbs (RS)

Matt Bouldin will be the man for the Zags this year.
(photo credit: Seattle Times)

The 2008-2009 version of the Gonzaga Bulldogs was probably the most talented that Mark Few has had during his tenure in Spokane. With the majority of that talent - Josh Heytvelt, Austin Daye, Micah Downs, and Jeremy Pargo - gone, Few is left with a line-up full of inexperience and unknowns. That is not necessarily a bad thing, however. The Zags built their program on the shoulders of a bunch of guys that no one had ever heard of - Richie Frahm, Matt Santangelo, Dan Dickau, Blake Stepp.

The next in that line is Matt Bouldin, who will be the senior leader for this group and anchor what could turn into the best back court out west. Bouldin is one of the most underrated guards in the country. There is nothing he does not do well - he scores, he can pass, he can shoot, he can defend, he doesn't turn the ball over. Expect his numbers to make a big jump this year as his work load offensively will increase.

Joining Bouldin in the back court will be point guard Demetri Goodson and sharp shooter Steven Gray. Gray is your prototypical scorer - his game is based on an excellent jump shot and when he is on, he can go for 25. But if he's off, he may go scoreless. For example, against UConn and Tennessee, Gray went for 23 and 19, respectively, but scored just one point in two games against San Diego. With a more consistent role on the team this season, expect Gray to post some more consistent numbers, especially if he continues to improve on his ability to get to the rim.

Goodson, who you may remember as Gonzaga's first round hero, is a tough and quick little point guard. He played behind Pargo as a freshman, but in his limited minutes he showed some flashes. He could be the x-factor for the Zags if he can develop into a play maker offensively, taking some of the pressure off of Bouldin. Personally, I think Goodson is going to have a breakout season, especially if he develops his perimeter jumper to the point where you have to respect it. There aren't many defenders that will be able to stay in front if they have to crowd him at the thre point line.

Beyond those three, the rest of Gonzaga's back court (and their roster in general) will be largely unproven and inexperienced. On the perimeter, the Zags will have three newcomers seeing time - freshman Mangisto Arop, redshirt freshman Grant Gibbs, and sophomore Bol Kong. Arop is a slasher with an excellent mid-range game that was the most highly touted of the three recruits (top 100 by Rivals). Gibbs seems to be a bit of a Bouldin clone - a big, strong guard converted to the two after playing the point in high school. Kong is the biggest question mark of the group. An athletic, 6'7" wing, he posted impressive numbers against sub par competition in his few years in Canada, but he also had big games in scrimmages against DI teams. For Zags fans, I see him being another Erroll Knight.

The Zags front line is loaded with question marks. How good are freshman Elias Harris and Sam Dower? Will Robert Sacre develop into a dominant post player? How good is redshirt freshman Andy Poling going to be after putting on some 30 pounds of muscle? There is definitely some potential along this front line, but three of these kids have never set foot on a college court, and the only one who was (Robert Sacre) played five games last season due to injury and has a career average of 2.8 ppg in 34 games. The Zags play a very difficult non-conference schedule (Michigan State, the Maui Invitational, Washington State, Wake Forest, Duke, Oklahoma, Illinois, Memphis), which means that these unexperienced bigs are going to be thrown into the fire right away.

Outlook: This Zags team is going to go as far as Bouldin, Gray, and Goodson carry them. They are probably still the favorite in the WCC (although Portland looks pretty good on paper), but with a brutal early schedule and such an inexperienced team, the Zags may take a while to find their rhythm. As far as the NCAA Tournament in concerned, I think Few's squad will probably need to win the conference to make it. But the Gonzaga teams that everyone fell in love with in the late 90's and early 00's were just like this - a couple good guards surrounded by a bunch of "what's-his-names that made a run through their league and deep into the tourney.

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Sunday Morning Shootaround: Gonzaga Wins At The Buzzer

Why are the late game always the best games of the day? I happened against last night, as Duke needed the benefit of a couple close calls against Texas While Gonzaga got a last second bucket from Demetri Goodson that allowed them to advance.

GAME OF THE DAY: Gonzaga 83, Western Kentucky 81

The Zags had built an 81-72 lead with just 2:14 left to play, but Western Kentucky was not about to go away. An Orlando Mendez-Valdez three cut the lead to 81-77, and after a Gonzaga turnover, Mendez-Valdez found Steffphon Pettigrew for a dunk that cut the lead to two with 58.7 seconds left. The Hilltoppers would got a stop at the other end, setting up the final sequence.

AJ Slaughter missed a three, but Pettigrew was johnny-on-the-spot and tipped in the rebound, tying the game up at 81. The freshman Goodson took the inbounds with 7.2 seconds left. He went the distance, going around two Hilltopper defenders. The lane opened up in front of him, and the freshman hit a runner off the glass with 0.9 seconds left to send the Zags to their first Sweet 16 since 2006.

PLAYER OF THE DAY: Blake Griffin, Oklahoma

He was beaten up, yet again. Manny Harris undercut him going for a rebound, sending Griffin sprawling on his back. A Zak Novak elbow going for a loose ball bloodied his nose. He hit the floor a number of times. But none of it was enough, as Griffin finished the game with 33 points and 17 rebounds, leading the Sooners to the Sweet 16 for the first time in six years. He scored 8 points in a 12-2 Sooner run to start the second half, opening up a 42-31 lead that Michigan was never able to recover from.

Griffin's effect on the game was more than just the numbers he put up. His presence inside is what allowed Austin Johnson and Willie Warren to get good looks from the perimeter. The two of them combined to go 6-13 from three, and when those two are knocking down shots, it makes Oklahoma near impossible to beat.

Griffin also had the dunk of the day yesterday:



The most impressive part of this dunk is that he doesn't take off going towards the basket. He kind of slides around the guy trying to take the charge, posterizing him while avoiding an offensive foul.

They were good too:

• AJ Price, UConn: Price had 27 points and 8 assists as UConn rolled past Texas A&M.
• JaJuan Johnson, Purdue: Johnson had 22 points, 6 boards, and 4 blocks, including two blocks on Washington's last possession to help seal the win.
• Jon Brockman, Washington: Brockman played the last game of his career, finishing with 20 points and 18 boards.
• Matt Bouldin, Gonzaga: Bouldin helped the Zags hold off Western Kentucky with 20 points, 8 boards, and 6 assists.
  
• Orlando Mendez-Valdez, Western Kentucky: Mendez-Valdez had 25 points and 7 assists, but only had 8 points after the first 10 minutes.
  
• Gerald Henderson, Duke: Henderson led Duke with 24 points.
  

TEAM OF THE DAY: Villanova

The Wildcats put a beat down on UCLA, 89-69. They were up 28-11 ten minutes into the game, and never looked back. It was a complete team effort for the Cats, as they out physicaled and out hustled the Bruins. Villanova is a dangerous team in this tournament because of their versatility. They have so many guys that can play on the perimeter, which allows them to spread out a defense. Against the Bruins, it worked because UCLA was not rotating defensively. It should be fun to watch them go up against Duke, as the two teams match-up very well with each other.

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