Gonzaga falls

[Saratoga2]

Gonzaga lost to Tennessee yesterday. Not going to be undefeated this year. Tennessee shot the 3 ball very well.

[CameronBornAndBred]

Gonzaga Falls sounds like a scenic place for a weekend outing.

[Billy Dat]

Grant Williams needs to stop fouling out of these big time games. Admiral Schofield made up for his no-show against Kansas with an epic effort including two huge 3s on the final possessions, one was banked! This squad can win it all!

[scottdude8]

Tennessee looked legit in this game... I didn't realize that Admiral Schofield was such a threat from downtown considering he plays a more old-school forward (i.e. big man) type game, but he certainly showed me. Between this and their performance against Kansas (who, side note, I think is overrated again this year... it is possible to look worse in a win than you do in a loss, and they've had a lot of bad looking wins against inferior opponents, even at home... but this is a side rant that I'm sure I'll bring up come seeding time, lol) they look like legit Final Four contenders, and definitely in the "top-tier" of national title contenders (with, in my view, Duke, Gonzaga, Michigan, and Kansas).

I always find it interesting who I find myself rooting for in games like these, where Duke has played the favorite... i.e. games where, from a pure resume perspective, we may want the favorite to win, but from a "rooting for the upsets" and general moving up the rankings perspective, we want the underdog to win. I found myself pulling hard for Tennessee, strictly because of the unique position Gonzaga always finds itself in come tourney time given the weakness of their conference. It would suck if Duke (or, for me, Michigan) got screwed in seeding because Gonzaga was a one or two loss team that blew through their conference and the committee just couldn't justify down-seeding them. Thus, even though the Zags beat us, I'm hoping that they find themselves with another loss or two down the road so that we (and, again, Michigan) have an argument for better seeding come Selection Sunday. If this was a major-conference, non-rival opponent (like, say, Auburn) I would probably be rooting for them to win and make our resume look better.

Just an interesting situation to find yourself in as a fan. I'm curious if people have different perspectives on that then me.

[UrinalCake]

Anybody can lose on a given night, as the old cliche goes. There's a clear group at the top, and Tennessee made a statement that they belong in that group. I'm undecided on whether Nevada belongs, and UVA still hasn't beaten anyone of note, but those teams plus Kansas, Gonzaga, Duke, Tennessee, and Michigan are going to be fighting for the #1 seeds.

Kansas will be the de facto #1 for now as they are undefeated, but haven't looked great and have survived a number of close games.

[proelitedota]

Another bonus is that the Zags will be motivated to beat the Holes.

[UrinalCake]

I always find it interesting who I find myself rooting for in games like these, where Duke has played the favorite... i.e. games where, from a pure resume perspective, we may want the favorite to win, but from a "rooting for the upsets" and general moving up the rankings perspective, we want the underdog to win.

I've thought about this as well, and decided that I wanted Gonzaga to lose. It does hurt us in the sense that our loss is now against a "worse" team, but it hurts Gonzaga more because they actually took the loss. And if we're competing with them for a #1 seed then I want whatever gives us the best chance at earning it. Now, I suppose you could argue that Tennessee is also contention for a #1 and we are more likely to be compared against them because Gonzaga is in the west, so maybe it would have been better for TN to lose. But that is not supposed to be a factor (even though it feels like it always is). So in general I root for upsets throughout the season because it will help us earn the best seed for ourselves.

Of course, when it comes to the CHeats and Kentucky, that's another story. I always want them to lose no matter what.

[Tripping William]

Gonzaga Falls sounds like a scenic place for a weekend outing.

Bill Walton, is that you?? :o

[HereBeforeCoachK]

Gonzaga Falls sounds like a scenic place for a weekend outing.

Actually, Gonzaga is......located on a river and just few miles from one of the prettiest lakes in the country.......

[scottdude8]

I've thought about this as well, and decided that I wanted Gonzaga to lose. It does hurt us in the sense that our loss is now against a "worse" team, but it hurts Gonzaga more because they actually took the loss. And if we're competing with them for a #1 seed then I want whatever gives us the best chance at earning it. Now, I suppose you could argue that Tennessee is also contention for a #1 and we are more likely to be compared against them because Gonzaga is in the west, so maybe it would have been better for TN to lose. But that is not supposed to be a factor (even though it feels like it always is). So in general I root for upsets throughout the season because it will help us earn the best seed for ourselves.

Of course, when it comes to the CHeats and Kentucky, that's another story. I always want them to lose no matter what.

Add Michigan State and (to a lesser extent in basketball) Ohio State to the "always lose" category and this is basically my mindset! I feel when it comes to our resume versus another major conference team we more or less "control our own destiny", i.e. if we do enough we can earn a better resume. With the Gonzaga, Wichita State, and Memphis' of the world, you're often comparing apples and oranges which means there's a lot less control on our end, so I'm more prone to want them to lose (although funnily enough, at least in the case of the first two teams, I normally end up rooting for them come tourney time since I'm a big fan of their coaches/culture).

[dukebballcamper90-91]

Grant Williams needs to stop fouling out of these big time games. Admiral Schofield made up for his no-show against Kansas with an epic effort including two huge 3s on the final possessions, one was banked! This squad can win it all!

The commentator mentioned Grant should've not fouled there on his 5th but I liked he put his team before himself in that he did not give up an easy layup and they only made 1 free throw. So it could have been a lot different outcome had he not fouled there. I have seen the so called "star" not want to foul to avoid fouling out too many times.

[75Crazie]

Actually, Gonzaga is...located on a river and just few miles from one of the prettiest lakes in the country....
… and is not far from Spokane Falls ...

[szstark]

Grant Williams needs to stop fouling out of these big time games. Admiral Schofield made up for his no-show against Kansas with an epic effort including two huge 3s on the final possessions, one was banked! This squad can win it all!

I’m curious if other people feel this way. It looked to me that Tennessee had a lot of trouble breaking down Gonzaga’s defense and had to settle for long 3s near the end of the shot clock. They hit many of them, but can they count on that happening the rest of the season?

[BandAlum83]

Tennessee looked legit in this game... I didn't realize that Admiral Schofield was such a threat from downtown considering he plays a more old-school forward (i.e. big man) type game, but he certainly showed me. Between this and their performance against Kansas (who, side note, I think is overrated again this year... it is possible to look worse in a win than you do in a loss, and they've had a lot of bad looking wins against inferior opponents, even at home... but this is a side rant that I'm sure I'll bring up come seeding time, lol) they look like legit Final Four contenders, and definitely in the "top-tier" of national title contenders (with, in my view, Duke, Gonzaga, Michigan, and Kansas).

I always find it interesting who I find myself rooting for in games like these, where Duke has played the favorite... i.e. games where, from a pure resume perspective, we may want the favorite to win, but from a "rooting for the upsets" and general moving up the rankings perspective, we want the underdog to win. I found myself pulling hard for Tennessee, strictly because of the unique position Gonzaga always finds itself in come tourney time given the weakness of their conference. It would suck if Duke (or, for me, Michigan) got screwed in seeding because Gonzaga was a one or two loss team that blew through their conference and the committee just couldn't justify down-seeding them. Thus, even though the Zags beat us, I'm hoping that they find themselves with another loss or two down the road so that we (and, again, Michigan) have an argument for better seeding come Selection Sunday. If this was a major-conference, non-rival opponent (like, say, Auburn) I would probably be rooting for them to win and make our resume look better.

Just an interesting situation to find yourself in as a fan. I'm curious if people have different perspectives on that then me.

A 4-loss Duke team will absolutely be the #1 overall seed at the end of the season. I do believe we will finish with 4 or fewer losses.

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

Gonzaga Falls sounds like a scenic place for a weekend outing.

I was thinking it sounds like a nice book by Ron Rash.

[Billy Dat]

The commentator mentioned Grant should've not fouled there on his 5th but I liked he put his team before himself in that he did not give up an easy layup and they only made 1 free throw. So it could have been a lot different outcome had he not fouled there. I have seen the so called "star" not want to foul to avoid fouling out too many times.

Yeah, but it’s a one possession game with 3 to go. He is the best player on the team. When he fouled out near the end of the Kansas game, it was basically over. I’d rather give up the dunk and have Williams, who is both a scorer and playmaker from that frontline spot, in the game to help me win. Plus, he committed fouls 4 and 5 within 30 seconds. He’s supposed to be an accomplished chess player. He’s Tenn’s Queen, he can’t give himself up that easy!!!

I think Tenn is very much in the title hunt. They have a bunch of tough MFers on that team, Bone, Pons, Alexander..

[dukebballcamper90-91]

Yeah, but it’s a one possession game with 3 to go. He is the best player on the team. When he fouled out near the end of the Kansas game, it was basically over. I’d rather give up the dunk and have Williams, who is both a scorer and playmaker from that frontline spot, in the game to help me win. Plus, he committed fouls 4 and 5 within 30 seconds. He’s supposed to be an accomplished chess player. He’s Tenn’s Queen, he can’t give himself up that easy!!!

I think Tenn is very much in the title hunt. They have a bunch of tough MFers on that team, Bone, Pons, Alexander..

I know it was called but that 4th foul was BS, the commentator even said it and was probably court side. I agree, I would not like to face Tenn come March. I was talking with some people during that game and were baffled Grant Williams got out of North Carolina.

[hibby91]

This may not fit in this thread, but it was in Mark Few's comments after this game. Per this ESPN story, he is critical of the NCAA's lack of urgency regarding the investigation. The quote that stood out to me is at the end of the story.

"There's two teams today who were competing who do it right. I know that to be true," Few said, referring to Gonzaga and Tennessee. "And there's a lot of teams who do it right - the national champions two out of the last three years. There's a lot of great things. This thing is worth saving."

I guess we know his opinion of UNCheat.

http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/25501056/gonzaga-bulldogs-coach-mark-says-ncaa-lacks-urgency-investigation

[Billy Dat]

This may not fit in this thread, but it was in Mark Few's comments after this game. Per this ESPN story, he is critical of the NCAA's lack of urgency regarding the investigation. The quote that stood out to me is at the end of the story.

"There's two teams today who were competing who do it right. I know that to be true," Few said, referring to Gonzaga and Tennessee. "And there's a lot of teams who do it right - the national champions two out of the last three years. There's a lot of great things. This thing is worth saving."

I guess we know his opinion of UNCheat.

http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/25501056/gonzaga-bulldogs-coach-mark-says-ncaa-lacks-urgency-investigation

I am all for a guy taking shots at UNC, but then why schedule them? Seems odd.

[MChambers]

This may not fit in this thread, but it was in Mark Few's comments after this game. Per this ESPN story, he is critical of the NCAA's lack of urgency regarding the investigation. The quote that stood out to me is at the end of the story.

"There's two teams today who were competing who do it right. I know that to be true," Few said, referring to Gonzaga and Tennessee. "And there's a lot of teams who do it right - the national champions two out of the last three years. There's a lot of great things. This thing is worth saving."

I guess we know his opinion of UNCheat.

http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/25501056/gonzaga-bulldogs-coach-mark-says-ncaa-lacks-urgency-investigation

He's friends with Ol' Roy, so I don't think you're right.

[hibby91]

I suppose I could have misunderstood, but it is a quote of what he said. Since Villanova won 2 of the last 3 championships, I'm not exactly sure how I could have misunderstood his meaning. Did Villanova not do it right once?

If Few and Williams are truly friends, it is a very odd statement. Maybe it is a misquote in the article.

[devilseven]

I suppose I could have misunderstood, but it is a quote of what he said. Since Villanova won 2 of the last 3 championships, I'm not exactly sure how I could have misunderstood his meaning. Did Villanova not do it right once?

If Few and Williams are truly friends, it is a very odd statement. Maybe it is a misquote in the article.

Everybody is friends with Roy, according to Roy.

[hibby91]

The quote could have meant 2 or the last 3 champions and not 2 of the last 3 years (although the article specifically states years). That would bring 2015 Duke into the discussion. Probably not worrying about on Monday afternoon.

[DU82]

The quote could have meant 2 or the last 3 champions and not 2 of the last 3 years (although the article specifically states years). That would bring 2015 Duke into the discussion. Probably not worrying about on Monday afternoon.

Or, he could have been specifically referring to Villanova.

[brevity]

Or, he could have been specifically referring to Villanova.

I think this is it. Read the quote as just a description of Villanova and nothing else:

"And there's a lot of teams who do it right - the national champions two out of the last three years. There's a lot of great things. This thing is worth saving."

I enjoy the appearance of shade toward UNC, but I think he’s identifying Villanova and not talking about UNC at all.

[JetpackJesus]

I think this is it. Read the quote as just a description of Villanova and nothing else:

"And there's a lot of teams who do it right - the national champions two out of the last three years. There's a lot of great things. This thing is worth saving."

I enjoy the appearance of shade toward UNC, but I think he’s identifying Villanova and not talking about UNC at all.

But in the context of that quote, by not talking about UNC Few is talking about UNC.

[Clipsfan]

Few was quoted saying the following on NCAA corruption:

"There's two teams today who were competing who do it right. I know that to be true," Few said, referring to Gonzaga and Tennessee. "And there's a lot of teams who do it right -- the national champions two out of the last three years. There's a lot of great things. This thing is worth saving."

The last three years were obviously Villanova, UNC, Villanova. I'm hoping that the reason he didn't say four years is simply wanting to be clear that he doesn't think UNC "[does] it right".

[DavidBenAkiva]

Few was quoted saying the following on NCAA corruption:

"There's two teams today who were competing who do it right. I know that to be true," Few said, referring to Gonzaga and Tennessee. "And there's a lot of teams who do it right -- the national champions two out of the last three years. There's a lot of great things. This thing is worth saving."

The last three years were obviously Villanova, UNC, Villanova. I'm hoping that the reason he didn't say four years is simply wanting to be clear that he doesn't think UNC "[does] it right".

This is a funny thing for Mark to say. I routinely see Nova fans talking about their players drive around campus in nice cars and such. And now Nova is winning recruiting battles against Duke and Kansas. So you wonder what Mark's sources are on this. Perhpas he just sees the world as if his program is a David while there are certain Goliaths around. Frankly, begging for justice when the whole of the sport is looking corrupt is not a good look for Few.

[Billy Dat]

Few refuted the interpretation of his comments as anti-UNC

https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/news/court-report-mark-few-continues-to-go-after-mark-emmert-figuring-out-kentuckys-3-point-woes/

[killerleft]

Few refuted the interpretation of his comments as anti-UNC

https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/news/court-report-mark-few-continues-to-go-after-mark-emmert-figuring-out-kentuckys-3-point-woes/

Everybody knows the Cheaters don't cheat.:rolleyes::rolleyes: Mark Few, wake up!

[arnie]

Everybody knows the Cheaters don't cheat.:rolleyes::rolleyes: Mark Few, wake up!

So Few is upset that some schools cheat and still go to the tourney, but thinks Roy is classy and UNC does everything right. How ridiculous is that and how can he be such a buffoon? Is he illiterate?

Wish I knew a Gonzaga fan to try to better understand Few’s comments.

[devildeac]

So Few is upset that some schools cheat and still go to the tourney, but thinks Roy is classy and UNC does everything right. How ridiculous is that and how can he be such a buffoon? Is he illiterate?

Wish I knew a Gonzaga fan to try to better understand Few’s comments.

Perhaps he doesn't want to provide bulletin board material and/or wake up the sheep fans for the game at the dean's myth center this weekend.

[HereBeforeCoachK]

So Few is upset that some schools cheat and still go to the tourney, but thinks Roy is classy and UNC does everything right. How ridiculous is that and how can he be such a buffoon? Is he illiterate?

Wish I knew a Gonzaga fan to try to better understand Few’s comments.

I'm a Duke fan, but I understand it perfectly. He said about UNC pretty much what K has said about UNC for 35 years.....K praised UNLV as a program before the 1990 Finals....
These people are public figures and not hiding behind anonymous keyboard names. They are also in a pretty small exclusive club. This is no surprise at all.

[arnie]

I'm a Duke fan, but I understand it perfectly. He said about UNC pretty much what K has said about UNC for 35 years....K praised UNLV as a program before the 1990 Finals...
These people are public figures and not hiding behind anonymous keyboard names. They are also in a pretty small exclusive club. This is no surprise at all.

Well then, he shouldn’t make any statement about the corrupt program rather than praising that program. Seems to make his trashing of Emmert hypocritical. Sometimes I think Bobby Knight is the most honest coach or ex-coach around, and that’s a real sad statement.

[Indoor66]

Sometimes I think Bobby Knight is the most honest coach or ex-coach around, and that’s a real sad statement.

What is sad about that? He has flaws, as well all do. He also has admirable qualities. Among those is honesty any that one makes up for some of the flaws.

[arnie]

What is sad about that? He has flaws, as well all do. He also has admirable qualities. Among those is honesty any that one makes up for some of the flaws.
I can’t argue with any of the above.