I AM QUAID

BR GRIZ · Post by **BR GRIZ** » Sun Jan 08, 2006 5:42 pm

Go Scats Go wrote:
El_Gato wrote:whatever.

It isn't going to happen for any Big Sky team, no matter how much you dislike that fact.
Idaho State was ranked #8 in 1980 so dont say it can never happen!!!

Unless ISU was also ranked, I believe you are talking about Idaho which was ranked as high as #7 during the 80-81 season.

El_Gato · Post by **El_Gato** » Sun Jan 08, 2006 7:54 pm

2002,

If it's simple as you "laying out" a scenario, I hope you've shared it with Larry.

Swilly3224 · Post by **Swilly3224** » Sun Jan 08, 2006 8:50 pm

Listen gato, if we win out then i wouldnt be surprised if we were getting votes for the top 25 but first we have to do that and that is a long time away from now...

Griz/Cats on saturday

GrizinWashington · Post by **GrizinWashington** » Mon Jan 09, 2006 6:44 pm

I'm going back to my earlier post: Everyone laughed when Gonzaga said the same thing.

Then gato wasts a post stating the obvious, that they not only said it, they did it, but BSC schools sure won't be able to. As if the WCC was all the shakes when the Zags got hot?? Please. That conference was if anything only marginally better than the Sky at that time. The Zags were a 14 seed in their first touney. If you don't think a BSC school can do what the Zags have done, I suggest you read "Bravehearts" by Bud Withers, who writes for the Seattle Times. Here's a link to it:

The only advantage (and granted it's a biggun') is money; that is, GU is a private school with no football to finance. But that didn't stop people from laughing when they said they were going to become a BB powerhouse.

PapaG · Post by **PapaG** » Tue Jan 10, 2006 5:34 pm

Go Scats Go wrote:
El_Gato wrote:whatever.

It isn't going to happen for any Big Sky team, no matter how much you dislike that fact.
Idaho State was ranked #8 in 1980 so dont say it can never happen!!!

That was Idaho, wasn't it? Actually, their 1981-82 season was the real deal. That was the year they were ranked #8 in January, lost then to Montana and Notre Dame, then won out to peak at #6 come tournament time.

Phil Hopson or something like that was their big time player. The link to Gonzaga? Don Monson coached that Idaho team that ended up 27-3. His son? Dan Monson, the coach who got Gonzaga rolling toward respectability. Any how, that Idaho team got a 1st round bye into the field of 48, beat Iowa in OT, then lost to Oregon State in the Sweet 16.

PapaG · Post by **PapaG** » Tue Jan 10, 2006 5:36 pm

GrizinWashington wrote:I'm going back to my earlier post: Everyone laughed when Gonzaga said the same thing.

Then gato wasts a post stating the obvious, that they not only said it, they did it, but BSC schools sure won't be able to. As if the WCC was all the shakes when the Zags got hot?? Please. That conference was if anything only marginally better than the Sky at that time. The Zags were a 14 seed in their first touney. If you don't think a BSC school can do what the Zags have done, I suggest you read "Bravehearts" by Bud Withers, who writes for the Seattle Times. Here's a link to it:

The only advantage (and granted it's a biggun') is money; that is, GU is a private school with no football to finance. But that didn't stop people from laughing when they said they were going to become a BB powerhouse.

I beg to differ. Santa Clara and Pepperdine both had some success in the NCAA tournament prior to Gonzaga's run. Gonzaga got lucky in that the WSU program fell on its face and Bender scared off good recruits from Seattle.

GrizinWashington · Post by **GrizinWashington** » Tue Jan 10, 2006 5:45 pm

PapaG wrote:
GrizinWashington wrote:I'm going back to my earlier post: Everyone laughed when Gonzaga said the same thing.

Then gato wasts a post stating the obvious, that they not only said it, they did it, but BSC schools sure won't be able to. As if the WCC was all the shakes when the Zags got hot?? Please. That conference was if anything only marginally better than the Sky at that time. The Zags were a 14 seed in their first touney. If you don't think a BSC school can do what the Zags have done, I suggest you read "Bravehearts" by Bud Withers, who writes for the Seattle Times. Here's a link to it:

The only advantage (and granted it's a biggun') is money; that is, GU is a private school with no football to finance. But that didn't stop people from laughing when they said they were going to become a BB powerhouse.
I beg to differ. Santa Clara and Pepperdine both had some success in the NCAA tournament prior to Gonzaga's run. Gonzaga got lucky in that the WSU program fell on its face and Bender scared off good recruits from Seattle.

Papa, I agree Pepperdine had some success (although I think stating SC did is a stretch). But that was well before the Zags run. Neither of those programs were on the national scene when the Zags began their rise.

PapaG · Post by **PapaG** » Tue Jan 10, 2006 5:56 pm

GrizinWashington wrote:
PapaG wrote:
GrizinWashington wrote:I'm going back to my earlier post: Everyone laughed when Gonzaga said the same thing.

Then gato wasts a post stating the obvious, that they not only said it, they did it, but BSC schools sure won't be able to. As if the WCC was all the shakes when the Zags got hot?? Please. That conference was if anything only marginally better than the Sky at that time. The Zags were a 14 seed in their first touney. If you don't think a BSC school can do what the Zags have done, I suggest you read "Bravehearts" by Bud Withers, who writes for the Seattle Times. Here's a link to it:

The only advantage (and granted it's a biggun') is money; that is, GU is a private school with no football to finance. But that didn't stop people from laughing when they said they were going to become a BB powerhouse.
I beg to differ. Santa Clara and Pepperdine both had some success in the NCAA tournament prior to Gonzaga's run. Gonzaga got lucky in that the WSU program fell on its face and Bender scared off good recruits from Seattle.
Papa, I agree Pepperdine had some success (although I think stating SC did is a stretch). But that was well before the Zags run. Neither of those programs were on the national scene when the Zags began their rise.

A good point, but I also think we have to consider population bases in this argument. Gonzaga isn't in a huge market, but for the reasons I mentioned before (WSU and UW having inept coaching staffs) they were able to increase their recruiting pool. Now they have a pipeline, and as long as Few stays in Spokane they should be able to continue being a Top 25 program.

Santa Clara may have been somewhat of a stretch, but the fact is they did win a few NCAA games and the larger fact is that they are located in the Bay area. Pepperdine is located in an even better recruiting area and I frankly can't figure out why they aren't an even better program. If you have been to Malibu, you know what I am talking about. I could also throw LMU into the not-too-distant past, but they were a team that had two U$C transfers pulling the wagon (Gathers and Kimble).

Long story short? I would be VERY surprised if a Big Sky program can ever have even a three year run like Gonzaga's, let alone a six or seven year run. The odds are much longer the more removed from the players a school/conference is.