Checking in on… the WCC
Posted by Michael Vernetti on January 7th, 2014Looking Back
Where’s the threat? Gonzaga was apparently in a fragile position as last week’s conference play ensued. Archrival Saint Mary’s was coming to town, and Zag starters’ Sam Dower and Gary Bell, Jr. were sidelined with injuries, Kevin Pangos continued to struggle with turf toe, and even gritty former walk-on David Stockton was said to be iffy because of the flu. Panic? Meltdown?
Despite a slew of setbacks, Mark Few and Gonzaga keep on chugging along. (Getty)
How about domination? The Zags simply throttled Saint Mary’s, holding the hot-shooting Gaels to a 32 percent field goal performance and a pathetic 1-of-12 from three-point range (supposedly the Gaels’ strength) on the way to a 73-51 romp. Zags’ sophomore Prezmek Karnowski not only got in Brad Waldow’s face, he apparently got in his mind, too, blocking seven shots and holding him to five points and three rebounds.
Gonzaga continued the week with an equally-dominant win over Pacific, 86-64, completing a four-game conference homestand at 4-0 and holding all four teams to fewer than 65 points. The Zags’ injuries? Turns out Dower is okay after injuring his hip against Kansas State; Stockton should contact the medical establishment about a cure for flu; and Pangos limped to 31 points in the two games, playing more than 30 minutes in each. Bell remains sidelined for at least another month with a broken hand, but former subs Drew Barham and Kyle Dranginis have stepped up admirably and the Zags seem strong enough to stay atop the WCC.
Power Rankings
- Gonzaga (14-2, 4-0)
- Saint Mary’s (11-4, 2-1)
- Pepperdine (10-6, 3-1)
- San Francisco (10-6, 3-1)
- Loyola-Marymount (10-6, 2-2)
- Santa Clara (9-8, 2-2)
- BYU (9-7, 1-2)
- Portland (9-7, 1-3)
- Pacific (9-5, 0-3)
- San Diego (9-7, 0-3)
