The Front Row with MARK NELKE Feb. 9, 2012
If 16th-ranked Saint Mary's (11-0 West Coast Conference) can win tonight at second-place Gonzaga (8-2 WCC), the Gaels would lead the conference by 3 1/2 games with four remaining, and would pretty much wrap up the No. 1 seed to the WCC tournament in Las Vegas in three weeks.
While that might make tonight's game look like a bigger one for the Zags, I don't think Gonzaga is too concerned whether it is seeded 1 or 2 for the conference tournament.
Gonzaga's streak of winning or sharing the last 11 conference titles is in danger.
"There's pride, but I don't think we think about it," Zags center Robert Sacre said. "I think we just focus on playing basketball, and let everything else work itself out. I don't think we think about the conference, and all the tradition behind that ... let's just win games. And if we win enough games, then enough said."
Asked if Gonzaga vs. Saint Mary's was one of the best rivalries in college basketball, Gonzaga coach Mark Few had a one-word answer:
"No," he said.
The only cause for concern might be, say, if Gonzaga and BYU end up playing each other in the semifinals of the WCC tournament, and if the NCAA selection committee decides to only take two teams from the conference, that would basically be a loser-out game.
But even that is a stretch. Gonzaga has enough line of credit over the past 13 years to earn a bid, even if that happened.
"I know that this weekend we're going to have to play very, very well, if we're going to come out with a win against both of these teams (Gonzaga plays host to Loyola Marymount on Saturday)," Few said.
LMU is 8-3 in the WCC, tied for third with BYU.
Gonzaga lost 83-62 at Saint Mary's on Jan. 12 The Gaels' big men hurt Gonzaga the first time, and Few said balance has been the key to Saint Mary's success this season.
“I think our bigs are going to be more prepared this time to go against their bigs,” backup post Sam Dower said.
“We just need to do the things that we can do to be successful — that is, take care of the basketball, ... and get back to rebounding with a passion,” Few said. “That’s definitely when we are at our best.”
On Super Bowl Sunday, rather than huddle around the TV and watch the big game, Gonzaga students lined up their tents outside the arena in hopes of tickets to tonight’s game.
“That’s special,” Sacre said. “That goes to show how special this program is, how special the fans are in this community.”
Something caught my eye when I looked at the all-Intermountain League girls basketball team that found its way into my inbox Tuesday.
The coach of the year award went to the coach of a team that finished the regular season 11-9 — Matt Miller of Timberlake High.
Usually, the award goes to the coach of the league champion, almost by default.
Timberlake made it to the state championship game, but lost four starters to graduation — including its all-time leading scorer, who is now playing NCAA Division I basketball.
So, for Miller to take a team with only one returning starter, and lead them to a second-place finish in the IML, well, it looks like the other league coaches noticed what an accomplishment that was.
Mark Nelke is sports editor of The Press. He can be reached at 664-8176, Ext. 2019, or via email at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter at CdAPressSports.