WSU VERSUS GONZAGA PREDICTIONS AND PREGAME DISCUSSIONS

[forevershockerfan]

Can you imagine just how many people in our great City and all over the Milky Way that will be watching our Shocks Saturday? Another win and we will be elated to the point of utopia.

[Blackmag]

Great game today for our Shocks, we didnt alow Pitt any easy looks. Now for Gonzaga we have a different beast all togetheir. I've seen the Zags several times on tv this year and they are good, and if you let them have open looks it can get bad quickly. But...we will be the best defensive team they have seen. Olynick is a finesse player with good feet, he likes space to create drives to the basket and Pangos can light it up, contain them two and we can win. Second half we shot well, need to carry that over to this game. Shot our freethrows great, won the board battle and we took care of the ball...all good, lets do that against the Zags also. I like our chances, we are do due to start hitting a few 3's, DW needs to settle down, Baker will deliver and Armstead is on a mission.....lets go Shocks, let the talking heads eat crow

[WUSHOCKBPELI]

Game is 7:40 CT Time.

I'm in SLC right now. What a first game. WOW. we didn't shoot lights out but that was still one of the most COMPLETE 40 minute games I have seen. And that's what it takes to win in this tournament. No droughts, No mental errors back to back, It really is all MTXE. Before I go on I'm just going to say this. I AM SO proud of this team and what they have accomplished. Regardless of the outcome of the end of the year, what a special time to be a Shocker

Ok. My thoughts on Zaga? SAME AS PITT.

WE PLAY HCGM SHOCKER BASKETBALL AND SHOOT THE BALL WELL WE WILL WIN. And than I'm headed to LA!

Shockers-72 Zaga-68

Everyone SHOCKERS UP!

[bunck]

(I posted this in the other thread too and didn't realize we had dueling threads)

Their starters played a ton more minutes today then they probably planned at altitude including Olynik (36), Pangos (38), Bell Jr. (33), and Harris (32), so maybe we can have them a little worn down by the 2nd half since we kept our minutes pretty balanced and low. This is a huge opportunity for us to get where we want to go both now and for our future, I have a ton of respect for Gonzaga and expect a great game to be played.

[Ta Town Shocker]

HCGM is doing a few radio interviews today.

[Kung Wu]

Go ahead Valley, pick us 4th next year. I dare ya.

[rrshock]

Go ahead Valley, pick us 4th next year. I dare ya.

You know that some jackass will. Probably will be third this time.

[SubGod22]

You know that some jackass will. Probably will be third this time.

The only team I could see being picked ahead of us preseason would be the Trees because they return everybody. Because of that, we'll probably be picked 2nd but of course, win the conference by three games :D

[wsushox1]

I don't think the Altitude is going to be a factor for any team at this point, especially not Gonzaga.

[pogo]

Hey Moose, Do you think your uncle will send the plane for us to take us to California next week? I could make the sacrifice and take my clubs and bunk with him and his wife since you would like to party a little. I'm open for a little sunshine and he still owes me a round of golf at Big Horn.

[TheYeti]

We are a six point dog. If the math holds, we win by 17.

[rrshock]

We are a six point dog. If the math holds, we win by 17.

Vegas will probably change that line heavily before tipoff.

[Rixtoy1]

Vegas will probably change that line heavily before tipoff.

which direction? (seriously . . .) I have some money and a friend out there . . .

[TheYeti]

which direction? (seriously . . .) I have some money and a friend out there . . .

opened at 7, slowly trending down, at 6 right now.

[KC Shox]

Southern rosé up to the occasion and gave the Zags everything they had. They overachieved and made the game close. Hitting more three pointers (10) than regular baskets kept them in the game in addition to some very tough shots. But one thing I did notice was that Gonzaga had trouble guarding that 6'4" point guard and Southern's athleticism bothered them all night too.

We don't have an entire roster full of athletes like Southern has, but we make that up with some better skilled players. Edge to Gonzaga's big men, but I think our guards are better athletes than theirs. Just don't give their guards wide open set shots. Gonzaga will be pulling Evansville tactics by screening their guards for open looks since their guards won't get open on their own simply by being quicker and stronger. Edge to our backcourt.

So who will end up being the difference, the Zags advantage down low or our advantage in the backcourt? If we shoot like we did against Pitt we will lose. I don't think the Zags defense is of the quality of Pitt's so that might help our shooting. The pressure is all on them. I'm hoping the Shox understand this, come out relaxed and play with two chips on their shoulders and take it to them.