Zags Dig Out, Bury Tigers

The Zags shoveled themselves out from under two feet of snow and a lousy last game to completely thunder Texas Southern in their first return to the Kennel in over a month. Texas Southern looked like the Washington Generals to the Zags Globetrotters. It was a 'kick the dog' performance from the Zags, and man did it feel good to double-up a team (84-42), even if it was just Texas Southern.

The Bulldogs are going to have to step up their game if they are going to upset #2 UCONN. The Zags have had the Huskies number in the past, but this UCONN team is their best in years. Heytvelt is going to have hands full with Thabeet, but again, if he plays like he did against Hansbrough, he can definitely get the better of this match up. The Zags are going to need HUGE performances from their role players. Micah is going to have to play lock down defense and find a way to score in double digits. Bouldin is going to have to find easy buckets for himself and create opportunities for Austin and Steven Gray. Jeremy has to redeem himself and not commit stupid mistakes. Austin needs to take this game over, Morrison-style.

The X-factor in this game is going to be the crowd. Look for this to be a tight game down the stretch with the crowd cheering the Zags to victory. The Zags really need the crowd to get fired up.

Go Zags.

Oh, yeah.....Zags Vs. Texas Southern

The Slipper Fits almost forgot that the Zags were back in action tonight, partially due to grief over the loss to Zona, but mostly because the sites are set entirely on UConn. The Tigers of Texas Southern are complete garbage (0-9), so Sorenson should be able to get plenty of playing time (you can't chant Andrew Sorenson in the way you could Marty Wall, can you?). That is, of course, if the game gets played at all. Record snowfall aside, look for the Zags to pummel the Tigers.

Up next: The Battle in Seattle versus number two University of Connecticut.

Zona III, Zags nil

Oh....yeah, now I remember the feeling...that feeling like all the air has been sucked out of the room. Its been awhile, but now I remember. It's that familiar feeling of disappointment, rage and utter sorrow all wrapped up in one crap sandwich that every Zag defeat conjures up for dinner.

The Zags needed this wake-up call. Arizona outplayed the Zags at virtually every level. They simply wanted it more. The Bulldogs didn't play with a sense of urgency or the killer instinct they are going to need in order to put teams away deep in the tournament. The Slipper Fits is never one to point the blame at any one player, but it's hard to ignore Jeremy's performance down the stretch. He fired up a three from John Rillie-range on a crucial possession for no reason, got whistled for traveling and turned it over several times down the stretch. Josh hit the boards, but shot horribly and got absolutely dominated by Hill. He looked like he might have caught whatever Bouldin had last game. Austin was on fire and should have shot every time down the court in the final minutes. Bouldin is stepping in to the Pendergraft role and getting a lot of right-place-at-the-right-time buckets. And speaking of gingers, the Zags didn't have an answer for Budinger or Wise for that matter.

All is not lost. Arizona is a tough team with a good coach, who coached the hell out of it tonight. The Zags needed a reality check before the Battle in Seattle, and they are lucky it came at the hands of the Wildcats and not Texas Southern. They were garbage tonight, but there is a lot of basketball yet to be played and leave it to Few to have these guys ready to take the Huskies to the mat.

Zags/Zona--Part III

The 4th-ranked Gonzaga Bulldogs are in Phoenix today to take on the University of Arizona Wildcats. The Duel in the Desert will be just the third match-up between these programs, Gonzaga having lost the two previous meetings. Arizona, a team regularly counted among the nation's best, is coping with the loss of legendary coach Lute Olson. Gonzaga, fresh off embarrassing WSU on their home court, is looking to make it a clean sweep of the Pac-10. Chase Budinger, Jordan Hill and Nic Wise, a trio of players as good as any three in the country, are raising Arizona's hopes of victory. The Wildcats, however, are outgunned at virtually every position. With Sacre out for 2-4 weeks with an injured foot, the resposibility for shutting down Jordan Hill in the paint is going to fall squarely on the shoulders of Heytvelt. If Josh can stay out of foul trouble and help the Zags win the battle of the boards, look for the Bulldogs to take one on Arizona's home court.

Go Zags.

Good Company

Oh man.

Zags Dominate Cougs

The Gonzaga Bulldogs cruised to an easy victory over the Washington State Cougars Wednesday after shaking off first half jitters. The Zags launched a full-court press to start out the second half, and quickly amassed a double digit lead. The Cougs collapsed under the weight of the Zags pressure defense and could do nothing to stop the Bulldog's offensive surge. Heytvelt was unstoppable and Pargo turned in another solid performance. Daye struggled early on but was able turn it around by the time the game was out of the Coug's reach. Bouldin was a non-factor, again, but rumor has it he had the flu and was getting fluids through an IV before the game.

Not The Cool Kind Of Cougar

The Gonzaga Bulldogs take on the Washington State Cougars in their crap box of a city, also known as Pullman. While the Cougs are not the same team that stole two in a row from the Zags, they are just as deserving of the beat down that is coming their way. If everything goes as planned the Zags will obliterate the Cougs in front of their drunken, cousin-kissing, Palin-loving student body. The Zags are going to have to take the aforementioned student body out of the game early. This is going to be a charged crowd, and by charged I mean drunk. If the Zags can keep the crowd out of the game, they should win easily, if not, look for this to be a tight game down the stretch.

Go Zags.

Zags (yawn) Stomp Hoosiers

The Gonzaga Bulldogs rolled to another easy win over a very sucky Indiana squad despite shooting horribly from the charity stripe and behind the arc. Indiana's program was totally crippled by its former administration, which has led to the worst talent recession in decades, maybe ever. Most of the Hoosiers were walk-ons, which explains why the Zags were able to shoot so terribly and still win easily.

The only thing really worth talking about this game was Pargo's Dominique Wilkins windmill dunk. I don't think there is a doubt in anyone's mind that Pargs has the nastiest dunks in college hoops. There is no one out there who has his ability to posterize people. Huge dunks like Saturday's are one thing when they are on a fast break but quite another when they are in traffic and Pargs would not hesitate to bust out the same nasty dunk regardless of who is around.

Hoosier Daddy?

The 5th-ranked Bulldogs of Gonzaga University (5-0) take on the University of Indiana Hoosiers (4-3) today in the Hartford Hall of Fame Showcase at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.

The Hoosiers are fresh off a trouncing suffered at the hands of Wake Forest, and the Zags, having just been named Old Spice Champions, are looking to avenge their 2007 first round loss to the Hoosiers. This year is all about balancing the ledger and redressing past transgressions. Next up on the Zags retribution hitlist: WSU, Arizona, and Memphis. And hopefully if the tournament plays out just right, they'll have a chance to redeem the ultimate slap in the face.

Well the game isn't nationally televised, so I'll be watching it at some crappy sports bar.

Go Zags.

Zags Climb The Ranks

Upon being crowned Old Spice Classic Champions, the Bulldogs rose to #5 in the ESPN/USA Today coaches' poll. While this is being celebrated on the GU boards and other, lesser Zags blogs, the news has been met with indifference here at The Slipper Fits. Personally, I am not a huge fan of being ranked so highly. I preferred the Cinderella days when we could take teams by surprise and had the nation cheering our underdog status. I miss the days when Gonzahguh was from a little town called Spokain. I miss the days when the only hard game to get a ticket to was when Steve Nash came to the Kennel. I miss the days when a loss didn't invite "Oh-ver Ray-ted" chants. I miss the days when the Zags didn't fly around like Puff Daddy in a private jet because, to paraphrase the late, great Christopher Wallace, "when you make more money, you invite upon yourself more problems that you ordinarily would not have had to deal with."

Go Zags.