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Cougar BLOG |
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March 2008
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I've been waiting for the Washington State/Gonzaga matchup since I saw it scheduled months ago. It felt like it would never come, but now we're knocking on the door. The "Clash in The Kennel" is less than two days away. The scenario has played out like everyone hoped (even though I'm sure the Zags would like to still be undefeated). The Cougars are ranked as high as #6 (they dropped to #8 in the AP) and the Bulldogs are #17 (still #19 in the ESPN/USA Today Poll). I really don't know what to expect. The two teams play totally different styles. Wazzu likes to slow things down. Gonzaga loves to run and gun. The Cougs have proved that they can speed things up (they scored 60 points in the second half against Boise State...of course, the Broncos aren't GU) if they have to. The question (in my mind)...can the Zags play a defense-minded, slow ball game? As far as I'm concerned, it'll come down to tempo. Another major factor: The Kennel. The Cougars told me at practice today that they're excited to play at the McCarthey Athletic Center. They think it should help that they just played in front of a rowdy crowd at Baylor (it was the 4th largest crowd in school history (10,193 in attendance)). The Kennel is a whole different beast though (Robbie Cowgill called it the loudest place he's ever played). We'll see if the atmosphere gets to the Cougs. Washington State will use this game to measure how good they really are (another common theme at practice today). The best team they've faced this year (on paper at least) was Baylor (they were undefeated and receiving votes for the Top 25 before they lost to WSU on Friday). I don't need to tell you this...Baylor is NOT Gonzaga (the Bulldogs are 7-1 with wins over St. Joseph's and UConn last week). Finally, it's a battle between regional rivals (I think Washington State needs to be competitive for a few more years before you can call this a "true" rivalry...I'm just being honest). Pride will be on the line when the two teams face off this week (anything can happen when that's the case). I'll be there for the game. If you can't make it or don't have ESPNU (who does?) be sure to stay tuned to KREM 2 News and KREM.com for full coverage Wednesday night. As for my prediction...your guess is as good as mine. Please feel free to leave me comments below...I would love to know what you think. 3 CommentsLeave a comment |
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I'm from Texas and a Longhorn fan. I'm in Spokane stationed at Fairchild, so here's an unbiased prediction from someone who's seen both teams play alot that you should take to heart....
WSU is too strong defensively for the Zags. Lowe and Weaver matchup too well with Pargo and Bouldin. Gonzaga has no one inside that can contend with Banes. He's too big. The only way the Zags have a chance is to get Banes in foul trouble early.
The Zags don't have the personnel to cover Bane's size, Rochestie's quickness, and Lowe's 3's at the same time.
boy Tim, you sure seem like a coug from the blog.
If Low gets in foul trouble early, the cougs will be done. I look for the Zags to shut down and frustrate weaver. It will be a great game, but I pick the zags by 6.