Once in a while I learn a thing or two from the young crowd, but yeah I probably signed my life away to watch SCU get beat… at least I don’t tiktok.
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Covering on the road, with a legitimate stretch of single digits ball in the 2nd half, is much more encouraging than i would have thought!
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Only team to hold Gonzaga to an effective FG% below 50 all year. Impressive.
It was 66.7% the first time we played them. BYU gave up a 78.2% eFG when they played at Gonzaga. Ha.
Strong game . Hopefully provides some momentum for next week.
I think a key goal for next year is to get the bigs to be stronger . Braun and Holt would lose rebounds and 50/50 balls to strong middle schoolers . Coach Madry looks like he could wrestle in the Olympics - maybe put him in charge of the weight program.
Gonzaga finished with an effective FG pct of 49.3% Saturday against Santa Clara, snapping a streak of 60 games in a row with an effective FG pct of 50% or better.
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) February 20, 2022
That had been the longest streak by any D-I program over the last 25 seasons. pic.twitter.com/4NSklexQI5
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SCU needs SPEED and a fighters mentality (think Massalski) in the post… getting stronger doesn’t hurt, but it really doesn’t help that much either. Unfortunately, Herb thinks defense should be played without touching anyone. He should just let Bediako be Bediako. He’s quick, doesn’t back down to anyone, and goes hard… quit holding him back and let him play aggressive defense.
This is going to sound snarky, but I don’t get what you mean by Herb’s no touch defense. Like you want them to foul more? When I read what you want from our defense I interpret as fouling, but honestly would love more elaboration.
Here are some positive adjustments I saw from our first game to this one, specifically on defense. Gonzaga’s two greatest strengths are two point baskets and high possession games. We made adjustments with that in mind from our first game against GU and this one. This game had 22 less possessions, and we forced Gonzaga to beat us from 3 by packing it in the paint. They shot their second most 3 point attempts on the season (35), and while Timme did still finish with 23 points, holding him and Holmgrem to a combined 44% shooting from the field is overall a win (last game their combined fg% was over 80%).
Rebounding has been a concern all year, but giving up 13 offensive rebounds is impossible to overcome, especially against an offense as good as Gonzaga. Overall, though, I thought we looked like the second or third best team in the WCC, and belong in one of the two real post-season tournaments.
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I agree. SCU has played like an NCAA Tournament team since late December. The difference between this team and 2012 (our next best team in the past decade) is just so apparent. The Foster/Tras team of 2012-13 that won the CBI was capable of some great things but merely a pretty good WCC team. They still were completely outmatched by the Zags, Gaels, and Cougars. This SCU team can stay on the floor with a Zags team that might be a top-20 offensive squad of the past 30 years? That’s killer improvement.
This might be a generational thing, but all I can say is that if you came to SCU long after the Nash years, this is far and away the best SCU team you’ve seen take the court. Decisions or games dropped here and there have been painful or frustrating. But, frankly, if this year finishes out as it should, and SCU makes the NIT with (hopefully) 2-3 starters coming back next year, I’d extend Sendek another 3.
(I said it. Plz don’t kill me bb)
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Yes, I mean fouling among other things. Defense is all about imposing your will. Nobody ever bumps a cutter coming across the key anymore or puts hands on anyone. SCU plays the least physical style of D in the WCC.
If you need a template for that re-watch the Fresno St , UCI, or LA Tech games. All 3 losses were simply because the opponent was way more physical.
I agree with you that SCU packed it in a bit on D last night… but to allow Timmie to still dominate when your flooding the key? That shouldn’t happen. Playing the post is essentially a controlled fight… let the kids fight back. Herb treats it like every time someone touches another player a foul is called, and that’s not even remotely close to accurate.
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I concur with many of the posts and was encouraged with the way the Broncos played last night. I do think we need to get stronger down low and become more physical and stronger as it relates defensively and on the glass. I do love what we’re seeing from Bediako off the bench, and think Holt can become a solid contributor and agree about his enthusiasm.
Pipes was terrific last night, and one must think this team has the mentality that “WE” have a shot to make a statement in Vegas. Take care of Pepperdine on Thurs, and a much improved Portland on Sat, and that would be enough to secure the#4 seed. My question is do the Broncos deserve #3 seed if they play one less game than the Dons. Please correct me if I’m wrong…USF is slated for 3 games this week including GU at home.
Assuming Dons finish 10-6 and SCU finishes 10-5, it wouldn’t seem just in awarding Broncos #3 seed with cancellation of UP game and having been swept by USF.
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I get your point Patty, but I see a really talented team that isn’t reaching their potential (which is frustrating). On top of that I think this is the pinnacle for Sendek. Look at the veteran leadership this team has, and the offensive talent, and here we are at 18-10 wishing that the NIT gives us the nod.
You’re certainly entitled to your own opinion, but from my view Sendek is getting results that are well below the talent level on his team. Contrast that with Randy Bennett (who has like the 5th most talented team in the WCC) and I feel like we are all getting short changed.
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Pipes left it all out on the floor with 27. And this call in a 6 pt game, did not help
Agree with most (not all) game comments above. Random thoughts:
Great game for Pipes…singlehandedly kept it from being a blowout. The rest of the starters had sub-par offensive games.
Defense was decent and clogged the lane well, but some of our ‘success’ was simply a mediocre shooting night for GU. ie- Holmgren has been on fire of late and shooting 3’s in the high 40% but was 0-4 last night until making one late in the game…had little to do with anything we did, his shots just weren’t falling.
As noted, we passed up decent, maybe not wide open, but decent 3pointers multiple times including Justice and Jalen and instead ended up with worse shots later in the shot clock or driving and getting shots swatted or altered by Holmgren.
Was at the game so don’t know what the TV announcers said and maybe this was obvious but worth pointing out that it was Senior night for the Zags and they started two walk-on guards/wings in place of normal front court guys Holmgren and Strawther. Those walk-ons played 3ish minutes and it obviously worked to our favor and helped us keep it close early; very important vs. GU as we’ve been run out of the gym by them in the first 5 minutes of the game on many occasions…then we’re overwhelmed, demoralized with no chance of getting back in the game. Instead this gave our guys a chance to settle down, maybe work through some pre-game jitters playing the #1 team in front of a hostile crowd.
Overall it was a solid game and pleased we held our own…I’ve attended probably 15+ Bronco games @ GU since moving to Spokane 18 years ago, so I’ve experienced 1st hand plenty of embarrassing blowouts including the 50pt+ version Sendek and squad suffered 2 years ago…glad this wasn’t another one of those.
Finally, I gripe frequently about forcing the ball through Vrankic in the post particularly when the matchups aren’t in his favor, but this game had some of the most egregious examples. Mid 2nd half, Vrankic posted up on Holmgren in the low block, as the pass went in to Vrankic, I turned to my friend and said, ‘this isn’t going to end well’. Two seconds and 4 back down dribbles later, Holmgren snuffs Vrankic’s shot with ease. Sigh.
I didn’t realize that you live in Spokane. I have no doubt that it’s mentally exhausting to hear about GU 24/7/365…or what must seem like it, especially for a WCC alum that is not a Gonzaga graduate.
Just curious, how many SCU supporters in the house last night if you had to estimate?
And you expect our players to play with fire in their belly?!?!
Dr Herbert Gloom postgame
Patty- yes a generational thing but your perspective is understandable.
We’re all guilty of the ‘since the Nash years’ reference but important and fair to note there were several solid seasons post-Nash comparable to this season or better (obviously we’re not done yet so jury’s still out IMO).
Other comparable seasons:
- 06/07- Davey’s final, 21-10, beat GU, deserved an NIT bid IMO.
- 00/01- 20-12, 3rd place behind GU and a very good Pepp team (Pepp made the tourney in 2000 and 2002, should have in 2001).
- 96/97 - 16-11 overall but 10-4 and 1st place in the WCC. Struggled in non-con but understandable in the 1st season post-Nash with a true freshmen pt guard in Brian Jones, but turned it around by WCC play w/ Marlon Garnett leading the way as league MVP.
Plus a couple of others seasons not far behind.
Finally, we haven’t made the NIT yet. If we lose 1 of 2 this coming week or lose the 1st game of the WCC tourney and fail to make the NIT then I wouldn’t consider this season to be appreciable better then KK’s two CBI/CIT seasons.
And as BB has pointed out, this is with a veteran team…two 5th year super-seniors (or COVID seniors if you prefer), two 4th years (Justice and Braun), 3rd year and best player Jalen plus a couple of experienced 3rd year players off the bench who have started off/on (Bediako and Giordan)…you can’t draw it up much better than that.
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Honestly Bucky I don’t believe he’s capable of emotion. A parent of a recent SCU player told me that from all her interactions with him she was under the opinion that if Herb was of school age today he’d be considered on the spectrum. It kind of makes sense to me. The lack of emotion, and mono tone/curt responses seem to support that theory.
In the end it’s pretty much the wins and losses that define a coach.
Don’t even get me started on forcing the ball down low to a very over-matched Vrankic as a viable option… and how many times did they try that last night? Take away those possessions and shoot a ridiculous 30 footer instead and this game might have gone another way.
I know that works against D2 teams and SJSU and the likes, but to think that would be beneficial against Gonzaga is just simply ignoring reality.
Pistol-
Tough to estimate and depends if you count the SCU alums who are Spokane natives and have GU season tickets…a lot of those folks are conflicted, root for GU outside the SCU game as they have GU ties/connections and maybe grew up attending GU games. I am not native so not conflicted at all. Nor do I have season tix; had a chance to get them when I first moved here and their new arena was just opening but I couldn’t stomach the notion of giving sizable funds to an opposing WCC school. But maybe that was a dumb move and I should have swallowed my school pride and ponied up given it has been sold out since it opened 17 years ago, there’s a long waiting list, and securing season tix these days nearly requires a 2nd on your home. But I digress…
To answer your question…my guess is maybe ~30 SCU fans split between the dozen+ tix the team itself receives (wives/kids, AD, ‘entourage’, etc.) and dozen+ tix the local SCU alumni chapter receives. Team tix are behind our bench, alumni tix are literally top row, corner though there really aren’t any bad seats in the house. Plus maybe 30 to 50 of the previously mentioned SCU alum season tix holders or people like me attending with friends who have season tix.
And yes, it is hard at times living in Zagville, made a little easier by the fact I’m a hoops junkie and Spokane is a great basketball town, and not just as a result of GU’s recent success. Spokane is home to Hoopfest, the largest 3x3 hoops tournament in the world by orders of magnitude, played on downtown streets on like 400-500 temp courts…peaked at over 7,000 teams and ~25,000 players, and initially rose in popularity in the 90’s PRIOR to GU’s rise. Spokane also regularly hosts men’s and women’s rounds of the NCAA tourney; attendance is much higher than other NCAA tourney venues so they continue to return every 3 to 5 years. It’s also a regional center for youth AAU hoops… lots of teams from Canada, Montana, etc. travel here for tourneys. Just some examples.
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I’ll chime in and say, likewise, you’re entitled to your opinion, but this team and the talent you cite was built by Sendek. These guys were largely 2 star recruits, mostly ignored my P5 programs and other comparable programs, and many of the guys he brought in have stuck around and developed. He’s brought in more guys that can develop, and landed fill in transfers too.
I personally really like this team, I think they’re pretty talented, and while it’s possible RB has done a little more with less, the overall makeup of this team is a reflection of Sendek. I personally get “the grass isn’t always greener” vibes. Again, just my opinion.
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