Gonzaga sees what must be corrected

Mark Few likely saw this coming – and I’ll bet he really didn’t mind it all that much.

Coaches get nervous when winning becomes too easy, because players begin to think they’re bulletproof.

Everyone on campus tells them how great they are, and after 29 straight wins with most of them never in doubt — who can blame the kids if they start to believe the hype?

In the back of his mind, I’m guessing Few wouldn’t have minded if Gonzaga lost a game – especially to the type of team that would always figure to give the Zags some problems.

Few certainly wanted his group to feel some late-game pressure, the type they’ll face if they get deep into the NCAA free-for-all.

The timing of Gonzaga’s 79-71 loss to BYU on Saturday night, however, would not have been Few’s ideal choice.

I’m positive Few would rather the defeat had occured in the WCC tournament this coming weekend.

THE LATE Rick Majerus used to have his best Utah teams – with an NCAA bid already assured – simply tank a game early in their conference tournament and head home.

Majerus’ reasoning was that seeding, especially moving up or down one spot, was totally meaningless.

He would rather have had his guys get a little rest before The Big Dance, instead of enduring tough but unimportant battles while spending four days in a hotel.

Considering that Majerus once took an unfancied Utah team to the national title game – after a surprise loss in the WAC conference tournament – you might stop and think about his entire approach.

There’s some sense to it.

Back to the present: Gonzaga would have been

better served by surviving on Saturday night and then losing to BYU — the only conference team that possibly could pull it off — in this week’s conference party.

No, not because it might cost the Zags a No. 1 seed. Majerus was right that seeding doesn’t mean much if you’re good enough to play with anybody.

The problem now is that Few needs to iron out the flaws that surfaced on Saturday night during what should be an extended stay among the bright lights of Las Vegas.

Either way, though, the Zags just learned a lot about themselves.

WHAT WE saw in the loss to BYU is the same thing Gonzaga-bashers have been hollering all season: The conference is too weak.

Sad, but true.

The Zags hadn’t trailed in the second half for 15 games, and BYU coach Dave Rose was right on the money when he said: “We hoped to get them in that situation, to see how we’d handle it emotionally. And to see how they’d handle it emotionally.”

As Rose perhaps suspected, Gonzaga did NOT handle it.

Longtime college coach Billy Tubbs used to say: “Two things don’t last long -- dogs that chase cars, and teams that miss free throws.”

Gonzaga was 16 of 29 from the foul line, which was surely a pressure issue because this has been a 73 percent team from the stripe for the season.

The Zags also discovered that they’ll have to muscle up against teams as big and physical as they are.

Przemek Karnowski and Zach Collins have routinely overwhelmed teams in the post, but suddenly it was no picnic against 6-10 Eric Mika (29 points, 11 rebounds) and 6-10, 260-pound super-sub Corbin Kaufusi.

In fact, Kaufusi’s block on Collins down the stretch was a huge turning point in the game.

ALL THINGS considered, this wasn’t a terrible loss.

A week later would have been better, but…

BYU is a rapidly improving team that started a freshman and four sophomores, and the Cougs will be a national force next year. They almost took down the Zags in Provo.

Most of BYU’s losses came early in the season, and they still won 21 games.

In the NCAA tournament, Gonzaga will see bigger and better opposition – not to mention teams that suddenly begin knocking in 3-balls when you can’t. BYU hit nine on Saturday while the Zags were 3-for-16.

This was a good look at where the Zags have to improve if they hope to make a run at the Final Four.

At least now they’ve experienced it, and they really do have the talent to correct things.

Plus, you can bet Few will have their attention this week.

Steve Cameron is a special assignment reporter for The Press and has covered sports at all levels for more than three decades. Reach Steve at [email protected].