Droppin' Dimes: A Sea of Blue

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.

In our newest edition of Droppin' Dimes, we had a chance to catch up with Glenn Logan, the mind behind A Sea of Blue, a Kentucky basketball blog and a must-read for any hoops fan in the Commonwealth. Hit the jump to hear Logan's thoughts on UK2K, Kentucky's freshman class, and the way Calipari has been treated by the media (trust me, it is more than worth the read).


1. Kentucky won their 2,000th on Monday night, the first program to do so. While this is clearly an impressive statistic, there has been some debate around the blogosphere as to whether it matters to anyone other than Big Blue Nation. What does this number mean to Kentucky fans? In your opinion, is it an accurate way to rate the greatest program of all-time?

I think it is a significant milestone, much as the 1,000th victory was. Of course it will be a bigger deal to fans of the UK program than it will be to non-fans, and in a real sense, I don't know if it is a huge factor toward "greatest program of all time" status. After all, North Carolina is only a few games behind, and so is Kansas, so does the fact that UK got there first by eight games mean that they are 0.4% better than UNC, for example? That's not much of an argument.

Kentucky was the first school to wins 2,000 games.
(photo credit: Examiner)

So in a real-world context, winning the race to 2,000 by such an insignificant amount is little more than a reason to celebrate, and UK fans have not had a lot to celebrate in terms of basketball for the last four years. But it is reasonable to assume that winning the race to 2,000 victories is one more small argument to add to the case that the Kentucky program is the best in the country from a historical standpoint.


2. When Kentucky hired Coach Cal, one of the criticisms from media-types was that Kentucky was hiring a coach that has had both of his Final Fours erased from the record books. Big Blue Nation has rallied around their new coach, citing the fact that Cal never actually was implicated at either UMass or Memphis. Are Kentucky fans at all concerned about this happening at Kentucky?

Some are, remembering the horrors of 1989 and the reputation Kentucky has had over the years for NCAA rulebreaking. Make no mistake, UK fans do not want a rulebreaker here who will win a championship only to have it forfeited by the NCAA, nor do fans want a coach who will constantly be answering questions from the NCAA Committee on Infractions. Kentucky has had a record clean of major NCAA infractions for 20 years. At some point, it's time to recognize that.

Calipari gets a very bad and unfair rap for NCAA compliance, and it is becoming a downright witch hunt. People choose not to remember that it was Calipari who reported Marcus Camby to the NCAA, who essentially said that Calipari was a victim of Camby's misbehavior.

When players hide lawless behavior from coaches and get arrested, nobody blames the coach. When players hide NCAA rulebreaking from the coach and the school gets punished, everybody blames him. That's unfair and unethical. Either the coach, as the man at the top of the program, is responsible for both, or neither, and obviously lawbreaking is far more serious. This "coach is responsible for what the players do" is simply a cudgel selectively used by wrong-thinking people to bludgeon those coaches they happen to dislike. If the coach is responsible for everything their players do, then it's everything, not just NCAA compliance.

Kentucky fans have embraced Coach Cal.
(photo credit: Wildcats Thunder Blog)

In addition, I don't get how the Calipari detractors can ignore the fact that Calipari was exonerated on both occasions. Oh, they mention it, but somehow, they decide that it's justified for them to substitute their own judgment for that of the NCAA Committee on Infractions, and fair for them to ignore germane and important facts selectivly under the questionable rubric of "The buck stops here (with the coach)." It's a sad commentary on the Calipari detractors, and not on Coach Cal himself.

As a parting shot on this, North Carolina coach Roy Williams was held responsible by the NCAA for Kansas' going on probation when for giving gifts just as Williams was leaving Kansas for the UNC job. Directly, knowingly responsible. Yet everyone wants to talk about Calipari, a man whom the NCAA has specifically exonerated in both instances of NCAA difficulties, and in the UMass case Calipari was actually characterized as a victim of Canby's shenanigans. That mostly goes unmentioned by Calipari's critics. If that doesn't illustrate a clear double standard, nothing does.


3. A lot of the pundits have said that DeMarcus Cousins is the x-factor for the Wildcats, whether or not he can show the maturity and intensity during games to allow him to live up to his potential. What are your thoughts on Cousins through 12 games?

Well, I hardly think intensity is his problem any more, but I think that the Kentucky team and fans do have to worry about that intensity morphing into behavior that will get him thrown out of games. In the most recent game when UK played Long Beach State at Rupp Arena, one of the 49er players seemed to bait Cousins with a little touch and some smack-talk. It worked, and both he and Cousins got a technical. He nearly got another on a bad block-charge call when he went bounding around in disgust.

So yes, controlling and harnessing Cousins' emotions is a concern. He seems to have gotten well past the lack of intensity that plagued his early games, but now the fear is becoming the flip side -- will his intensity result in on-court demonstrations that get him technical fouls? Cousins is growing up, but he still has some growing up to do.

As far as his game goes, it is still a bit raw. For 6'11"/260+ pound guy, Cousins has astonishing quickness and body control. That's why he gets nearly half of his own misses back for another try. Not only that, Cousins is single-minded around the rim -- he won't stop until somebody gets clear control of the ball away from him, or he scores. Relentlessness is an underrated characteristic in a ball player, and Cousins defines it.

I would like to see DeMarcus pass out of the post more. He is a bit of a black hole in there -- when the ball comes to Cousins in the post, it rarely comes back out. Part of his maturation needs to be passing out of double- and triple-teams to the open shooter, rather than running over or through them.


4. After the UConn game, Cal had a quote where he said that Kentucky was "a 4-5 team", referring to the struggles Kentucky has had this season. A large part of that can be attributed to the fact that so many freshman are playing such significant roles and that everyone on the roster is learning a new, and complicated, system. Will this be a problem as the season progresses? Where have you seen a positive change?

Wasn't it the irrepressible Al McGuire who said, "The best thing about freshmen is that they become sophomores."? The question becomes, then, when do Kentucky's freshman mature into sophomores? Will it be next semester, or next school year? I think that answer will define the Wildcats' success this year.

If Kentucky hopes to win, or even compete for a national championship, they absolutely must defend better. Very few college freshmen at this level have ever had to defend anyone in their lives -- their job in high school or AAU was to score a lot. John Wall, for example, should be a great defender with his size and quickness, but he is absolutely not any good at defense yet. Everyone notices his breathtaking speed and ambidextrous ball handling but nobody says boo about the fact that he still can't defend a decent high-school player.

But Wall is not the only one -- in fact, Darius Miller, a sophomore, has had struggles defensively, and lack of defense has cost Darnell Dodson a ton of playing time. To his credit, Cousins is improving faster defensively than either John Wall or Eric Bledsoe, and that even though that is great, all one has to do is look at Kentucky's defensive 3-point percentage (UK is giving up 36% from the arc, 235th in the nation) to see how vulnerable the Wildcats are to good shooting teams.

Kentucky fans have seen improvement, especially versus Drexel the other day, but then UK regressed against Long Beach State. It is a work in progress, and when the SEC season gets here, everybody will know if that progress has been enough.


5. You knew that I was going to ask a question about John Wall: through 12 games, can you call him the best Kentucky freshman of all time? If he continues to post these numbers, continues to hit as many big shots, and the Wildcats win a national title, where do you see him in terms of greatest Wildcats ever?

It is a little awkward to use the words, "of all time" when freshmen haven't always been allowed to play as freshmen, and the rules of college basketball have been changed so significantly over the years. But if we confine the answer to recent history (let's say since the advent of the 3-point shot), I think I can make an attempt.

It kind of depends how you rate players. Based on the Tendex rating system, DeMarcus Cousins actually eclipses Wall by a fairly wide margin. On the Prouty System, Wall is substantially ahead of Cousins. But I can say, with relative confidence, that the best freshman player UK has ever had is on this team, at least at this point in the season.

Statistically speak, is Cousins having a better year than Wall?
(photo credit: Kentucky Sports Radio)

If this Kentucky team wins a national title, I think Wall will be lauded as one of the best players ever, but I don't know if his jersey will ever be hoisted into Rupp's Rafters, even if he leads the Wildcats to a win. As far as I know, UK has no "one and done" players who have retired jerseys, and for a fact, I believe Wall will be the first "one and done" that I can actually remember at Kentucky.


Bonus: In a number, what are the chances that John Wall returns for his sophomore season? DeMarcus Cousins? Patrick Patterson? Daniel Orton? What are the odds of Coach Cal landing Brandon Knight?

John Wall returning: 5% (injury only) -- It would be irresponsible of Wall to return, and Calipari will not let him barring extraordinary circumstances.

Demarcus Cousins: 60% -- His game is not NBA ready, even if his body is.

Patrick Patterson: 5% (injury only) -- Patrick Patterson will have no reason. He will graduate this year, one year early. See John Wall above.

Daniel Orton: 95% -- Orton is not ready, his knee is still only about 95%, and he doesn't have a pro game. Plus, he is a smart kid to whom a college degree means something, much like Patterson.

Chances of landing Brandon Knight? I am not a recruiting analyst, it isn't my thing, but I would say that our chances are a bit better than 50%. You can never tell what these kids are thinking, and Selby may beat him to the punch. Other factors may also figure in, such as closeness to home, other good recruiters, etc.

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Droppin' Dimes: Troy Nunes is an Absolute Magician

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.

In this edition of Droppin' Dimes, we catch up with Sean Keeley of Troy Nunes is an Absolute Magician, an all-inclusive Syracuse sports blog. Keeley answers our questions about Kris Joseph, the Syracuse zone, and Arinze Onuaku's free throw percentage.


1. The Orange stormed through MSG last week, thoroughly beating two ranked teams in Cal and UNC. Is this now the team to beat in the Big East?

On paper, absolutely. What Big East team has accomplished more against better opponents? Now, we're barely into December and not everyone has had the opportunity to showcase themselves properly. That said, the Orange have clearly gone from being the 6th or 7th best team in the conference to among the top three. And given that we're seeing great things out of West Virginia, Villanova, Louisville, UConn and others, the Big East is shaping up to once again be a fantastic conference.

2. Syracuse's zone was great at creating points off of turnovers and forcing UNC and Cal out of their offensive sets. But the Heels and the Bears are both dealing with personnel issues - youth, depth, injuries, inexperience. Cornell, an experienced group that has won back-to-back Ivy titles, seemed to have much better success navigating that zone and finding open shooters, especially in the first half. Is that a sign that this Orange zone can be beaten, or was it a result of lackadaisical defense being played?

The zone can always be beaten. I think back to the many times Notre Dame shredded the zone with it's outside shooting. Or the way Pitt would manhandle us down low. That said, this is a better defensive team that we've seen in a while wearing orange. Say what you will about the offensive prowess but these guys are locking down on D. Credit the fact that, despite all of the players who left, there's a lot of experience on the court. Rautins, Onuaku, Jackson and Scoop are old hat at this while Wes Johnson and Brandon Triche are filling in nicely.

Wes Johnson's length is a big reason the Syracuse zone is so effective.
(photo credit: SUAthletics)

The true test of this SU defense will be when they eventually do go up against a team that's red hot from outside. If they can hold one and withstand that, then we're talking about something special.


3. The Orange always seem to have about two or three guys that can be impact contributors but never see the floor - Jones and Southerland come to mind this year. Does Boeheim lack confidence in these guys? Are they ready to contribute? Or does Boeheim just prefer a shorter rotation with this group?

Well Mookie Jones had an interesting week in that regard. He sulked and walked off the bench during the Cornell game, later taking to his Facebook page to say that he's frustrated with his lack of playing time. He got what he wanted the next two games thanks to inferior opponents and has proven that he has a great shot...but also has a long way to go on defense.

Mookie Jones has seen inconsistent minutes this year.
(photo credit: Syracuse.com)

Boeheim is a little loose with the rotation in November and December but eventually he always tightens it into a 7-8 man rotation that leaves somebody out. Mookie and Southerland can look at it two ways...they can be frustrated about not playing or they can look to the fact that they will be called on in a big way next year and this experience is only going to make them better.

As for whether or not Boeheim lacks confidence in them...Boeheim's just being Boeheim. He's tough on young players and likes to break them down in order to build them back up. Some guys react well, some don't. We'll see how they do.


4. It seems to me that the x-factor on this team is going to be Kris Joseph. He is versatile and athletic, and will create a mismatch on the offensive end of the floor. If he can be a scorer and a defensive play maker off the bench, it makes the Cuse a real Final Four threat. The question then becomes is he capable of filling that role?

Great point. Wes Johnson gets all the highlights, Andy Rautins is the leader, Arinze Onuaku and Rick Jackson are the notable big men and the Scoop/Triche point guard hybrid make for an interesting situation. But then there's Kris Joseph, lurking in the background, quietly putting together a solid season (9 ppg, 5 rpg, 2 apg, 1.7 spg). He's a special player who's time will come, he'll likely be the go-to guy by the time he's a senior. In the meantime, he's a steady role player who helps weather any storm when one of the top guys isn't performing.


5. Brandon Triche or Scoop Jardine?

Seems to depend on the night. Triche seems to want to prove himself not only as a point guard but as a shooter and that doesn't always work. Scoop has developed immensely since his freshman year and all of a sudden he's become a dependable asset up top. Neither of them are Jonny Flynn but given time, Triche could develop into a top point guard among the many great ones SU has had. As far as I can tell, the two-headed monster is working fine so Boeheim will continue to play them as they warrant it.


Bonus: Over-under on Arinze Onuaku's free throw percentage by the end of the year.

Well let's see...he was an unbelievably atrocious .298 last season. Giving him the benefit of the doubt that he's improving...slightly...I'm gonna go with an even .333. Believe me when I say if AO is hitting one out of every three free throws, SU fans will take it at this point.
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Droppin' Dimes: From The Barn

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, we bring you From The Barn, a Minnesota Golden Gophers basketball blog. They answer questions on everything from Blake Hoffarber's best shot to the legal status of Trevor Mbakwe and Royce White.


1. Minnesota's legal issues have been well-publicized in recent weeks, as Trevor Mbakwe, Royce White and Devron Bostick have all missed games due to legal issues. What is the feeling around the program and its fans regarding Tubby Smith and some of the kids he is bringing into the school? From afar, it looks like he is handling a tough situation pretty well.

Royce White and Trevoe Mbakwe are both local kids, and Tubby Smith had little choice but to welcome them to the program. White came with a bad rap, but seemed to really straighten himself out his senior year in High School. Clearly, there are some real issues that are left to be sorted out.

The general consensus regarding Mbakwe is that he is a victim of mistaken identity, and is a bit of a victim himself in that he is not allowed to play even though he possibly/probably never did anything wrong. Mbakwe, of course, is transfer from Marquette, and had a tumultuous time there, though those issues dealt with his commitment to the program. His legal issues have come a surprise to everyone.

Trevor Mbakwe may be a case of mistaken identity.
(photo credit: Chicago Town News)

Bostick isn't charged with any crime and has no legal issues. He violated team rules, and the latest news is that he made amends and could return to the team this week. The announcement of his suspension on the same day as White's suspension led some to assume that he was involved in that incident, which he was not.

There has been quite a bit of consternation surrounding Tubby Smith's decisions, especially Royce White's suspension, with opinion divided more or less evenly between those that want White kicked out of school, allowed to play, and that the indefinite suspension is the right move. I fall firmly in the indefinite suspension camp. White clearly isn't ready to be a part of the team, but kicking him off the team would end his best, last chance to turn his life around.

Opinion may be shifting though after Minnesota's difficult weekend in the 76 Classic. If the Gophers continue to shoot poorly and have rebounding lapses, the cries for an indefinite suspension of suspension's will grow louder.


2. Let's assume, for a second, a worst case scenario wher both Mbawke and White are forced to miss the entire season. How will the Gophers handle this loss? Without a true four man on the roster, will Tubby go big with both Iverson and Sampson on the floor, or will the Gophers be more effective going small, playing guys like Williams, Carter, and Johnson together?

The Gophers were without a true power forward last season and still made the NCAA tournament. If neither Mbakwe or White play this season, I'd expect the same. Tubby Smith played Iverson and Sampson at the same time in most games last season and the results were mixed. The “Twin Towers” line-up hasn't been used as much this season, but it has been more effective. Colton Iverson had a bit of a coming out party during the 76 Classic with two double-doubles. Sampson has been rebounding more but his defense has been a bit soft.

Carter and Johnson are the closest thing the Gophers have to a power forward, and each bring valuable skills sets to the team, but are incomplete players. Carter struggles on offense and Johnson can't rebound. Coach Smith is still trying to find the right combination, and the power forward position is very situational right now.


3. Speaking of Rodney Williams, he has been fantastic in his first three games as a Gopher. What is the consensus on this kid? Is he just simply more athletic than the kids Minnesota as faced in their three wins, or is he the real deal?

After this weekend it would be hard to call him the real deal, though it remains to be seen if his first three games were the anomaly or if he just had a rough weekend. I don't think he is as good as his 15 ppg average before the 76 Classic or as bad as his performance in Anaheim would indicate. In short, he is a freshman with great tools and a lot of room to grow. The big test will be how he bounces back from the early season growing pains.


4. One of the things that Minnesota was missing last season was a real go-to threat; someone that could break down a defense at the end of a shot clock or half when you really need a bucket. Can Lawrence Westbrook be that guy? What about Al Nolen at the point?

Westbrook can be, but hasn't been the guy. He isn't attacking the basket like he did last year, especially during the Wisconsin games, and hasn't shown much interest in taking the initiative on offense. The senior guard lost about 40 pounds, which may be contributing to his reluctance on offense. When he was bulkier he drove the lane fearlessly. With his weight loss he can't just run through people anymore.

Nolen may never be the guy. He has one of the better first steps in the Big Ten. His problem is the third and fourth steps. He struggles with court vision and finishing at the basket, two skills that any good point guard needs. Instead of making the easy lay-ups or the dump off for the dunk, he gets caught in the air far too often or zips a pass out of bounds.


5. The Big Ten is as good and balanced as any league in the country this year. Michigan State and Purdue both are being discussed as potential conference championships and Final Four teams. Where does Minnesota fit into that equation? Do they have a shot to win the league?

Even with their recent struggles, a top 5 Big Ten finish isn't out of the question. The Gophers will have plenty of opportunities to beat up the bottom third of the league, and Williams Arena always brings out the team's best. How they ultimately finish will depend on their ability to learn from their mistakes. The team started well last season, but never got better. If they don't improve, they'll barely sneak into the NCAA tournament, if they are lucky.


Bonus: Better Blake Hoffarber buzzer beater - from his back in high school, or the miracle shot he hit to beat Indiana two years ago in the Big Ten tourney?

The second miracle shot gets my vote. The shot from his back was a fluke and undefendable. In the Big Ten tournament it was off a set play, the defense was ready, and he still made it. The shot against Indiana wasn't amazing just because of the circumstances, the opponent, or the time left on the clock. It was amazing because he never even had control of the ball. Watch it in slow motion, and try to figure out how even got the ball to go in the general direction of the basket.
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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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