Giant killers?
Hey Bay Area hoop heads, we got ourselves a top-10 college men's team coming to The City for some roundball. No, it's not Arizona, UCLA, or Washington, it's the eighth-ranked Gonzaga Bulldogs, who are in town to take on the USF Dons tonight in War Memorial Gym.
The Zags are 15-3 overall this year and once again steamrolling through the West Coast Conference (WCC), while the Dons lug an unwieldy 7-10 record into the game. The Men in Robes are a long way from the glory days of Bill Russell and KC Jones, but this game may not be the blowout it would appear on paper.
First, it's a conference game, and whether you play in the WCC or the ACC, every conference game is tough, especially on the road. And you know WarMo', which seats about 5,300, is going to be rocking come tipoff tonight at 8:00 PM.
Second, the Zags aren't exactly lighting it up right now. They have run their WCC record to 5-0, but had to slug it out with Loyola Marymount in Spokane last week and barely got by the University of San Diego Toreros on Saturday. Maybe the Donnies can catch 'em looking ahead to the first round of the Tournament.
Third, USF is showing signs of life. They have won two straight WCC games, including a nail-biter against last year's nemesis St. Mary's and a solid win over Portland on Saturday. USF comes into this game with four players averaging in double figures, led by 13.8 ppg each from junior guard Armondo Surratt and junior forward Alan Wiggins, Jr.. Look out for Wiggins, an impact player who always seems to be around the action.
SFist the Truthmaker, contributing
Fourth, the D-bags own Gonzaga, sort of. Last year they split the season series, and they would have swept the top-10 Bulldogs last season if not for a last-second jumper by Adam Morrison in the game at Spokane. Althouuugh, prior to the win last season, USF had lost 12 straight to the B'dogs and hadn't swept the season series since 1989. But hey, if North Dakota State can do it, why can't the Dons.
USF may have a hard time finding somebody to match up against irresistible force J.P. Batista, but the Derek Raivio--Armondo Surratt action should be intense.
And speaking of Adam Morrison's mustache, he may look like he should be behind the wheel of a 1983 Z-28, but he's being called the "hair" apparent to Larry Bird (not necessarily a good thing). Makeover candidate or not, the dude can fill it up. Second in Division I in scoring, Morrison is averaging a scalp-tingling 27.6 ppg.
There is no doubt Gonzaga has a strong program. The Bulldogs lead all NCAA Division I schools this season in free-throw percentage at 80.5 percent. Since 1999, Gonzo U has gone 92-11 in West Coast Conference regular-season play. They have a streak of seven straight NCAA tourney appearances going. And did we mention that they are the eighth-ranked team in the nation?
But an upset is possible. Maybe, just maybe, the Dons can channel some of the vapors swirling out of the Park and once again knock off the Zag-nuts. It's possible. That's what makes college basketball great.