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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It's all about the flow: A season worth of ridiculous hairdos

The golden rule of athletic competition is as follows: "To play good, you have to look good." Everything from color coordination of your shoes and socks, to how many buttons you snap up on your warm-up pants. Being a male-dominated sport, you would think that hair care would be one of the appearances that isn't strongly taken care of by guys running up and down a court for 40 minutes. Needless to say, hoops players are expressing themselves more than ever via the hairdo.

In the 1970s, hoops was dominated by black players with afros and white players with crew cuts and flowing locks. The 1980s saw the rise (and subsequent fall) of the fade, the mustache and afro. The 1990s were an era of change. The early part of the decade was dominated by the gheri-curl and high top fades. But sometime exactly after Allen Iverson entered the NBA, cornrows became the hairdo rage throughout the Association. I'm not going to say A.I was the developer of the cornrow, but he definitely was a pioneer. Yeah that's right, Allen Iverson was a pioneer of athletic hairstyle.

But Something happened in the new millennium. Players started to not give a damn, and thus, we were given some of the most bizarre hairdos we had ever seen. Maryland's Bambale Osby and Illinois State's Osiris Eldridge immediately come to mind. This season has been no different. Players from across the country are spending time off the court preparing their domes for game day. Some of the hairdos are cool, some intriguing, and others are down-right hilarious.

We here at BIAH pride ourselves on researching the unnecessary or unimportant. That is why it gives me great honor to present you with our list of the most ridiculous and intriguing hairdos of the 2009-2010 season. If you find any hairdos that you think deserve recognition, email contactBIAH@gmail.com or hit us up on Twitter.


Alex Richman - Prairie View A&M

Alex Richman has the most ridiculous hairdo in college basketball. End of story. Take a look at this guy, and come back to this post and convince me that you didn't fall over laughing when looking at this guys picture. I mean no disrespect to Mr. Richman whatsoever, but this is just ridiculously absurd. What are those? dreadlocks? cornrows? extensions? If Alex Richman wasn't born in a hippie commune, then we have some serious questions that need to be answered.


I mean first of all, he's white. Now, not that white athletes cannot sport cornrows/dreadlocks/extensions, but if you are going to go that route, you have to be damn sure you can pull it off, and unfortunately, I don't think our friend here can. Second of all, even if he were not white, this hairdo would still look ridiculous. It looks like he has beads woven in at the bottom of each dread a la the Williams sisters in the late 90s. But despite what we think about Alex Richmond's hairdo we must be able to recognize that his is the best in all of college basketball. It doesn't matter if he got it braided on a spring break cruise to the Bahamas or not. It's just ridiculous.

But in all fairness, Richman should get some recognition for his basketball skills. He hit eight 3-pointers in a game last year against, wait for it, Southwestern Assemblies of God University. I'm not sure if he takes that as a compliment or an insult.


Sean Atupem - Mt. St. Marys

Ladies and gentlemen, it is an honor, nay a privilege, to introduce you to Sean Atupem. If you are unfamiliar with Atupem's work, don't be discouraged because, as the fourth leading scorer (which actually doesn't make you a leading scorer at all) for Mt. St. Mary’s his game doesn't exactly get him nationwide recognition. However, Atupem is the owner of the one of the best heads of hair in the entire college hoops world. A cross between Nino Brown from New Jack City and the Fresh Prince of Bel Air, Atupem's hair is single-handily bringing the mid-80's signature hairdo back in style. I had a chance to see Atupem live in action, and I spent 40 minutes staring at nothing but his awe-inspiring hairdo. Seriously people, it's a sight to see. Somewhere in the world Wesley Snipes is shedding a single tear.


The hairdo phenomenon that swept through college basketball last year was that ridiculously stupid fo-hawk that everybody and their mothers had. But this year, we are seeing a surprising amount of flat-tops, a much more appropriate hairdo selection for college hoops, hearkening back to the age of hi-socks, hi-tops, and booty shorts. Sean Atupem could never score another basket for the rest of his career and I would be totally satisfied with the contribution he made to college basketball.


Stanley Robinson - UConn

If it not for our previous two entries, "Sticks" would be in total control of "Best Head of Hair". He has a combination of creativity and style. He likes to mix up his hairdo, sometimes rocking long cornrows that run down his neck, the "Allen Iverson" cornrow swirl, and even his current concoction, "the thoroughbred". Seriously, I saw Robinson up close earlier this month and his head looks like a manicured mane of a race horse. But "Sticks" does just about whatever he wants on the court, so I won't further question his style.



Steven Gray - Gonzaga

Often confused for Lionel Ritchie, Gray has one of the more impressive heads of hair in the country. At the beginning of the season, he chose to wear his hair out, in a lightly-picked afro/beard combination that got two thumbs up from yours truly and made some question how long he's been secretly starring in the Geico caveman commercials. Currently, Gray is experimenting with some sort of LeVance Fields-esque cornrowed dreadlocks. Nonetheless BIAH supports all decisions made concerning hair follicles of Steven Gray.


Gary McGhee - Pittsburgh

When the Panther's big man stands on the court, people notice him. Not because of his boxed 6'10, 250lb frame, but because he has the same head of hair that made Medusa famous. Seriously it looks like he has garter snakes coming out of his head. One would think a hairdo like this would become troublesome trying to control it on the court, but McGhee seems to be doing just fine. He does keep his tuft of hair wrapped up pretty tight, and it almost looks like a big broccoli stalk you get at the grocery store. I like McGhee's 'do because he keeps it under control. If the braids were any longer, they would sway back and forth and get in peoples eyes and other not-very-fun aspects of playing sports against people with long hair.


Take a good look at McGhee, and tell me you don't immediately think of the "predator".


Kenneth Faried - Morehead State

Kenny Faried has more hair per volume than anyone in the country. I used to confused him with Whoopi Goldberg. From a far it might look like Faried has the full "Steven Segal" jet-black pony-tail. But up close, his head of hair looks like it belongs on a Marley.


Matt Bouldin - Gonzaga

Steven Gray's partner-in-crime is also the owner of the trademark Gonzaga shag. If you are white, a good shooter, and play at Gonzaga, you are responsible to carry on the tradition that is the Gonzaga shag. Dan Dickau had it, Adam Morrison had it, and for what seems like 7 years, Matt Bouldin has had it. The hairdo is about as much of a staple of the Gonzaga program as winning the WCC is. Bouldin's hairdo is somewhere to the right of the lacrosse flow and to the left of the Frodo Baggins bowl cut.


My problem with his hairdo is that it always looks like a wet mop. I mean, I sweat a lot, but I swear, Bouldin's hair is soaking wet well before tip-off every game. But I don't know, maybe he's just a sweaty guy. As somebody who perspires just waiting for take-out food, I can tell you, some people don't need a reason to sweat. It just happens. There is no answer for the question "why do you sweat so much?" I don't know, can you direct that question towards my endocrine system? My personality isn't in control of that function. This seems to be the same case with Bouldin, I think. But I digress. No more lecturing on perspiration. I swear.


Edgar Sosa - Louisville

The senior guard at Louisville makes this list for one reason: his shape-up. Over the years I have become enamored with Edgar Sosa's head. I kid you not, every time Sosa steps on the floor, he has a brand new, freshly-cut shape-up. Sosa's guard play has been shaky at times, but we cannot question his loyalty and commitment to making sure he looks fresh-to-death when he steps on the court. Often confused for hip-hop sensation Drake, Sosa is "last name ever, first name greatest" when it comes to looking fresh on the hardwood.



Brock Young - East Carolina

I'm not going to lie to you. I don't know that much about Brock Young. I stumbled across his name doing some research and I was pleasantly surprised. Young has a lot of hair, like some of previous entries. What makes Young different is that he decided to not really do anything special with it. Young is clearly being economic. He knows it costs money and time to have his hair done, so he instead slicks it back, tightly supports it and goes to work. I like this guy's style.


Greivis Vasquez - Maryland

Vasquez just recently re-adjusted his hairdo so he is some-what of a late addition. It appears that he is now rocking some sort of reverse mullet/mohawk. Perhaps it was the change in hairdos that has sparked Vasquez's resurgence as one of the best guards in the country. I've never been a fan of Greivis, but this new hairdo of his gets two thumbs up from yours truly. Now I won't be as hesitant to change channels when the Terps are on. Plus, Cristiano Renaldo would be very jealous.


Michael Dixon Jr. - Missouri

Here we have a more controlled version of Alex Richman's disaster. Mr. Dixon sports nine thick cornrows that run from forehead all the way to his neck. I've never been a fan of these type of cornrows, as I would prefer a picked-out afro instead. But whatever, it's not my decision. If Michael Dixon wants to look like Da Brat, that’s fine with me.


Alex Tyus - Florida

I imagine this is what Gary McGhee's hair would look like if he didn't keep it under control. Tyus makes the list because he has added a nice goatee to go along with his wildman hairdo. I would not want to have to fight for a rebound with this guy, for fear of getting whipped in the face by 20 pairs of shoelaces. But the best part about the Tyus mane is his receding hairline. Seriously, at some point, some has to sit down with this young man, and explain to him that he is losing his hair. I find myself wondering if they fall out one braid at a time.


Marquis Navarre - Montana State

Oh man is this an awesome hairdo. It slightly resembles Sean Atupem's but clearly, Mr. Navarre's hairdo is much taller and more extravagant than Atupem's. I mean, this guy has the gusto to use this haircut as his everyday hairdo, and I commend him for that. I imagine that Kid n' Play do as well. Anyone up for a House Party?


I mean, Sean Atupem's hairdo is awesome, but Marquis' might actually be better. It's got to be at least five inches in height, but it stays the same thickness the whole way, plus he's got the solid delineation between scalp and hair line. I didn't go to barber college, but in my best guesstimation, I'd say that Marquis Navarre has terrific hair.


Doneal Mack - Memphis

Mack has become the NCAA poster boy for shaved head designs. It is very hard to keep up with Mack, because it seems like every game he has a new portrait etched onto the back of his skull. If anyone has insight as to what exactly is on the side/back of Doneal Mack's head please let us now, as it is likely to change soon.


Ater Majok - UConn

In his second year as a member of the Huskies (first as a contributor), Majok decided to step his game up. Not only on the court, but in the presentation department. He got rid of his tight afro in favor of a cornrow style once supported by Stanley Robinson. But Majok's dome is much larger than Robinson's so the hairdo looks completely different.


At a first glance, my initial reaction was that Majok played the alien alongside Sigourney Weaver (which made his matchup with Gary McGhee last week Alien vs. Predator, how did ESPN not market this?!?), but after watching Majok play more often, I have determined that he best resembles another killing machine: DeeJay from Street Fight II. Then again, DeeJay hails from Jamaica, and Majok is from Australia via Sudan. So once again my reference is not at all close. Oh well, I tried.


Derrick Caracter - UTEP

By no means is Caracter the only player in the country sporting this hairdo. In fact, too many players are sporting this hairdo. Caracter makes the list because his mohawk is more defined than any other in the country (of course, I challenge you to prove me wrong). I hate these "fo-hawk" hairdos. If you are going to rock the mohawk, you have to give it 100%. Great Americans like Mr. T represented the mohawk with dignity and class. You wouldn't want to piss off Mr. T, would you?


Derrick Caracter pities all you fools for doubting his comeback.


Devin Booker - Clemson

The younger brother of power forward Trevor Booker, Devin has done a tremendous job stepping out from behind big brother's shadow. How you ask? By sporting one of the coolest hairdos of the season.



(I couldn't find a better picture, but either trust me or watch a Clemson game, because the party is definitely in the back.)

Like I mentioned early, fo-hawks are pretty lame, but properly done mohawks can be spectacular. What Devin has created on his dome-piece is of spectacular design and quality. B.A Baracus would be very very proud of what Devin has done to his head. I'm a big fan of eccentric mohawks having tried one myself during my sophomore season in college. In Fact, Booker's haircut is probably the closet thing I've seen that resembles the mohawk I created. The one knock on Booker's hairdo is that the actual 'hawk on the top isn't that defined. Regardless, I commend Devin for even attempting something this bold, so I will look past the meager 4 ppg that he's averaging and just applaude him for his rediculously awesome haircut.


Renaldo Woolridge - Tennessee

The man they call "Swiperboy" has been playing tremendous basketball as of late, not to mention laying down some pretty popular tracks. But it wasn't his lines or his jumper that caught my eye. I'm not sure exactly how Woolridge got his dreads so small yet compact, but I imagine it took a considerable ammount of work.



I have so far been unable to think of anyone who has ever had a hairdo like this. Maybe Hasheem Thabeet? Baylor's Tweety Carter had small dreads, but they were a still allot longer than Woolridge's. Well regardless of it's originality, Renaldo's hairdo is pretty dope, to go along with his rising popularity and court pressence. I'd say that it's pretty good to be "Swiperboy" the past week or so.
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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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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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