Tag Archives: canadian basketball

If recent history is any indication, we could be in for a breakout Canadian performance in Pullman tonight…

Posted by gruesomegreg on

When it comes to men’s basketball, Gonzaga and Washington State aren’t exactly bitter rivals.  Sure, they share the same state–in fact, WSU’s Riverpoint campus is just across the Spokane River from GU–though they play in different conferences, and don’t always meet on the court.  But when they do, sometimes magic happens.  One doesn’t have to look any farther than last year, in fact, when a star was born late one November night.

Playing in just his second NCAA collegiate game (third if you count preseason), Kevin Pangos lit up the McCarthey Athletic Center for a team-record nine three-pointers en route to an 89-81 win.  It was a nationally-televised coming-out party for the freshman point guard who calls Newmarket, Ontario home, setting the tone for a 27-7 season in which he’d average 13.6 points and 3.4 assists per game in being named the WCC Newcomer of the Year, All-WCC first team, WCC All-Freshman team and to the WCC All-Tournament team.  Now a sophomore, Pangos leads the way for an 8-0 Gonzaga team currently ranked 10th in the country some 80 miles south to Pullman to face a State squad that’s undefeated (5-0) at home and only scores 64 points per game while holding opponents under 58.  It would appear that another shootout isn’t in the cards, anyways.

That said, I think we could be in for another breakout performance tonight, from another Canadian kid, no less.  Kelly Olynyk, a seven-foot centre from Kamloops, BC, had a rather unspectacular college career coming into this year.  Averaging about 15 minutes and five points per game over his freshman and sophomore seasons, he was a healthy redshirt last year while North Vancouver’s own Rob Sacre patrolled the paint.  But sitting the season out clearly gave Olynyk time to work on his game; though he sat out Gonzaga’s first three contests this year, he’s more than doubled his scoring average to 12.2 ppg since his return to the lineup, while grabbing seven boards a game and shooting an impressive 62.5 per cent from the floor.  In going from waterboy to starting big-man, this late bloomer is about to put Canadian basketball back on the map–he already put up 8.2 points per game with the national team at the 2010 world championships.

And although this game is only on ESPNU, a premium cable network, I think Olynyk could make his mark on the NCAA tonight.  Coming off his best game of the season, a 15-point, eight-rebound effort in just 18 minutes against Pacific, the seven-footer impressed with some deft moves in the paint and a soft touch around the rim.  He’ll need to elevate his game again as he goes up against Wazzu’s best player, Brock Motum, a 6’10″ Australian who’s averaged nearly 19 ppg this season, leading the team by a long shot.  A tough test for the first-year starter, but I think he’s up for it.  After all, the kid played quarterback in high school–says so right here…

Now, I have a confession to make.  As great as Pangos’ 33-point performance was last year, I didn’t actually see any of it.  The game tipped off after midnight on the East Coast on a Monday night, and I was already in bed.  This time it’s only a bit earlier, with an 11 pm tip, but I’ll stay up to watch the first half, at least.  Hey, if Olynyk’s got 20 points by halftime, I might hafta stay awake for the whole thing.  I wouldn’t wanna miss Canadian basketball history in the making, twice!

GO GONZAGA! G-O-N-Z-A-G-A!

UPDATE 12/6: Good thing I didn’t go to bed at halftime.  After a scoreless first half, Olynyk erupted for 22 points in the second, scoring several big buckets in crunchtime.  Pangos’ shot wasn’t falling all night, but he was clutch when it counted, hitting a running bank shot with 2.2 left as Gonzaga pulled out a 71-69 win.  This team’s gonna be fun to watch this year, methinks…

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For Gonzaga, the road to the WCC championship has a great big bump in it…

Posted by gruesomegreg on

In NCAA basketball, it generally doesn’t matter if you win your conference cuz it’s all about the Big Dance.  Y’know, March Madness, the NCAA Tournament–arguably the most exciting event in organized team sports.  But when you’ve won 11 conference titles in a row, and are trying to tie a record set by John Wooden’s UCLA Bruins (winners of 13 straight in the Pac 8), winning the conference does matter.  They’ll likely make the Tourney regardless, but the Gonzaga Bulldogs and their fans (myself included) certainly want to keep this streak alive.

If they get there, it’ll be due in large part to the performance they put in on Thursday, beating the 16th ranked Saint Mary’s Gaels behind a big performance by Canadian point guard Kevin Pangos, who poured in 27 points, hitting five of six three-pointers in the process.  (I still can’t buy his jersey online, though!)  Vancouverite centre Rob Sacre added 12 points and nine boards in a game that should’ve been shown on The Score instead of an ugly Pac-12 blowout that, last time I checked, didn’t showcase the future of Canadian basketball.  But I digress.  Having lost to Saint Mary’s and WCC newcomers BYU on the road, the Zags still need to win one more conference game than the first-place Gaels for a share of the conference title.

This won’t be easy, as Gonzaga definitely has the tougher schedule, with games remaining against the next best WCC teams in Loyola Marymount (tonite at 8 Eastern) and BYU, while St. Mary’s plays LMU at home, but has already dispatched the Cougars twice.  Both teams also travel to San Francisco (not much of a trip for the Moraga, CA-based Gaels), who’ve been known to pull off an upset or two on their home court.  The Gaels also have a big game remaining in Murray, Kentucky against the no-longer-undefeated Murray State Racers that has no bearing on their conference, but should certainly affect their NCAA tournament seeding.  Unlike last year, when a late-season loss to San Diego and a conference tournament setback against the Zags sent St. Mary’s to the NIT, it’s safe to assume that both these schools will be going to the Big Dance–barring an epic collapse by either over the next five games.  And regardless of what happens in the Bluegrass State, the Gaels just have to win out in the WCC to end Gonzaga’s streak.  Furthermore, they (just barely) got San Diego out of the way last weekend, which can only serve as a good omen.

Assuming that each team takes care of the 0-11 (8-16 overall) Santa Clara Broncos and wins heavily-favoured road games in San Diego (Zags) and Portland (Gaels) respectively, it’s going to come down to two common opponents: Home to LMU and @ San Fran.  Of course, Gonzaga has the added onus of avenging an 83-73 loss to BYU as well, but if the Zags match the intensity they played with on Thursday, I think the Cougars will find they’re not the only team that’s virtually unbeatable on their home court.

Likewise, the Zags should still be hyped up from the win two nights ago as they host the 9-3 (16-9) LMU Lions tonite.  It’s definitely worth noting that LMU is 6-0 on the road in conference play, including an upset win @ BYU, and that they took Gonzaga down to the wire in L.A. about a month ago.  If Coach Few’s smart (and he clearly is), he’s not going to let off the gas pedal, knowing this game is just as big as the last one.  On the other hand, the Gaels host LMU three days before they take that much talked-about trip to Kentucky.  It might be easier for them to overlook the third-placed team in the conference…

On the other hand, Saint Mary’s travels across the Golden Gate Bridge on February 25th, when the conference will be all but decided–unless they lose to the Lions.  Looks like the Zags have their work cut out for them these next two weekends, and they’re gonna need a little help as well.  In a conference comprised of faith-based institutions, would it be wrong to ask for a little divine intervention–say tonite in Moraga, where the SCU Broncos are still in search of their first conference win?  Santa Clara, what was she the patron saint of, again? ;)

No matter what happens, I’ll still be rocking my outdated number 23 jersey from here till March Madness…

GO GONZAGA! G-O-N-Z-A-G-A!

UPDATE 10:55 PM: Gonzaga gets the job done, jumping out all over LMU early and never letting up.  Final score: 78-59 Zags.  Saint Mary’s and Santa Clara tip off at 11, but I’m not getting my hopes up…

UPDATE 1:05 AM: And Saint Mary’s wins by 15.  We’re not gonna catch ‘em this week!

UPDATE 2/16: Dunno how I missed this last nite, but LMU came through, beating Saint Mary’s 75-60 in their own gym.  Now the ball’s in Gonzaga’s court.  If they win out, they keep the streak alive!  Go Zags!

UPDATE 2/18: Heartbreaking one-point loss for Gonzaga on the road @ USF.  Forget about the WCC title, they need to beat BYU on Thursday to avoid falling to third place! :( :( :(

For the future of Canadian basketball, look no further than Gonzaga University!

Posted by gruesomegreg on

Personally, I’ve been a fan of Gonzaga Bulldogs men’s basketball since the late 90′s, when they made their first run in the NCAA Tournament.  See, in Calgary, we got all of our American network TV from Spokane, WA–home of Gonzaga U–and this was sort of a big deal.  Ever since then, I’ve kept tabs on the team, even after moving to Toronto.  (Online streaming plays a big part in that.)  I’ve actually got a Toronto Raptors program with Adam Morrison on the cover from his rookie year in Charlotte, and a Number 23 Gonzaga jersey, even though I can’t think of any Zags who wore that number.

But lately, supporting Gonzaga isn’t just a matter of watching the team I used to see on local cable–it’s a matter of national pride.  Robert Sacre, a seven-foot centre from North Vancouver, is playing the best basketball of his career, and if I was the Raptors, I’d take him in the second round next season.  Not only that, but their new starting point guard, Kevin Pangos, is a freshman from the GTA who lit up Washington State for 33 points in his second collegiate game.  Fans of Canadian basketball, your future plays its home games at McCarthey Athletic Center.

I gotta say, Sacre has progressed by leaps and bounds over his college career.  He went from a timid frosh who’d get all his shots blocked to a veteran leader, double-double guy who can shoot the hook with both hands, has a decent mid-range J, and did I mention that he’s an 85 per cent free-throw shooter, at a legit seven-foot, 260+?  Like I said, the Raptors could use his low-post presence, even if he does no better than Rony Turiaf in the show.

Pangos meanwhile is still raw, but he’s shown shades of Steve Nash with his drive-and-dish passing.  He can also hit the three–in fact, he made nine of them against WSU.  While I can’t see him coming out early, in four years’ time he could be the next Steve Nash, if he continues to improve.  In any case, he’s been in the starting lineup in Spokane from Day One.

Need another reason to support the Zags?  Well, John Stockton, the school’s most famous alum, has a 20-year-old son in his sophomore season at GU.  David Stockton, generously listed at 5’11″ and 152, is a redshirt, walk-on sixth man who shows signs of his dad with his court vision, leading the team on the break and disrupting opponents on defence.  In fact, I’d say he’s a better pure point than Pangos at this stage of his career, though his size will likely keep him from playing at the next level.  Still, if you like an undersized underdog–who’s a stellar passer, to boot–look no further than the second-generation Stockton.

After starting the season 4-0, the Zags are ranked 18th in the ESPN poll, but have a tough stretch of non-conference games against Notre Dame, Illinois, Michigan State, Oral Roberts, Arizona and Butler.  If the NBA couldn’t return soon enough, you could do worse than to watch some top-level college basketball.  In fact, all of the aforementioned, aside from ORU, are televised nationally on ESPN2–with the exception of the Arizona game, which airs on CBS.  If you’re north of the border, there are a coupla streams showing the games on the internet, if you know where to look.

If you’re one of those weird Canadian kids like me who grew up playing basketball, not hockey, then you’ll wanna check out a Gonzaga team that displays the most key Canadian content of any major NCAA school.  I don’t wanna say these kids could beat the (C)Raptors, but if Bargnani’s having an off day, you never know…