SB Nation Denver: All Posts by Max Mandel

Gonzaga Eyes Elite Transfer: Mike Moser Set To Visit

2013-04-25T00:00:09Z

After the graduation of Elias Harris, and the departure of Kelly Olynyk to the NBA, the big question for Gonzaga fans was how would this team be able to fill the void of two of the elite post players in program history. While the return of Sam Dower and Przemek Karnowski is a boost, it became clear that the coaching staff might look towards brining in an elite talent.

Luckily for the Zags, an elite talent has presented itself in Mike Moser. The former UNLV star is immediately eligible to play after graduating from UNLV, and Gonzaga has made his final 3. Moser has already taken visits to UW and Oregon, and according to his mentor, Kumbeno Memory, all three schools possess similarities that make them attractive.

"For a few different reasons.," Memory said of Moser's interest in the three schools. "Those three schools above are the schools who immediately contacted Mike and have continuously recruited him the hardest. Also, with all of those schools being located in the NW and close to home that was very important to him as well. I believe all three programs have need for Mike and a great opportunity for him to make a big impact while being there as well."

There are a few key criteria that Moser is focusing in on to help make his decision for next season.

"Opportunity to play major minutes," emphasized Memory. "A focal point of their team, winning tradition and culture, to make an impact in the NCAA tournament, great coaching & to be close to home."

It should come as no surprise that Gonzaga became an even bigger player for Moser after Olynyk announced his departure for the NBA.

"Yes, that definitely impacts Mike's interest in Gonzaga, that is paramount," Memory explained of Kelly's decision to turn pro.

Gonzaga was one of the initial schools to contact Mike and the Zags have been on him hard since.

"The weekend that Mike received release from UNLV," mentioned Memory of when GU first made contact. "Gonzaga requested a copy of his release & contacted him."

With Moser set to be in Spokane next weekend (Sunday and Monday), a decision could be coming soon if he finds the right fit.

I know that he is in no rush. As soon as the decision feels right and he's found the perfect fit for him, he will make his decision.

Survive and Advance: Zags Focus On Wichita St.

2013-03-22T23:37:42Z

As the final seconds ticked off the clock, I began to realize that Thursday provided one of the least pleasant victories since I have started following Gonzaga. The typical excitement that comes with a Gonzaga victory was replaced by a feeling of relief that the Zags didn't make the worst kind of history. While the reaction on Twitter was dismay and frustration, my main thought after letting the game settle was that Gonzaga was now in the position to make the run that many fans hope is coming.

It became pretty clear just minutes into the game that the weight of being a No.1 seed was impacting this team. Instead of the typical flowing offense and consistent fast break, we saw a team that was hesitant to take big shots and made numerous mental mistakes. Every minute the game stayed closer, you could see the team tighten and the neutrals in the crowd begin to start root for history. However, the second the final buzzer went off, all the pressure of being the No.1 seed evaporated.

With the Round of 32 set to kick off tomorrow, GU can return to the team that we all enjoyed watching this season. Instead of focusing on doing everything possible to be the team not to make history, the Zags can return their focus to making program history. As, Matt Norlander pointed out in his story today, the team is doing its best to not feel the pressure that comes with the historic seeding:

"We know people are talking," Gonzaga center Kelly Olynyk said. "People have their own expectations, their own insights about what we should and could accomplish -- and we have our own. ... We're just a big family right now and none of us want to stop playing with each other."

This comes off much different than Kevin Pangos after the Southern game:

"I’d be lying if I said it didn’t," Pangos said, when asked if doubt was creeping into his head. "Of course, it did a little bit,"

This emphasizes the fact that many of us were caught up in celebrating being a one-seed, but didn't realize the pressure and expectations that come with it. While fans were focusing on the program accomplishing something it never had in its history, the team and coaches were dealing with the pressure of a brand new level of expectations.

When the Zags tip off tomorrow, sit back and enjoy the team that many of us think (including this author) can take the program where it has never been. If this team can capture the swagger and fun that they exhibited for the first five months, there is no reason the Southern game won't be the first step in a tremendous journey we all remember.

Gonzaga Faces Mental Challenge With Visit From BYU

2013-01-24T16:00:05Z

Four years ago, the No. 7 ranked Gonzaga Bulldogs suffered a heart-breaking loss at Key Arena to UConn. This was a game that the Zags led by 11 and ultimately lost due to a costly turnover near the end of regulation. Instead of bouncing back with two very winnable games, that team suffered an embarrassing home loss to Portland St. and a last-second loss to Utah in its next two games. While it finished the season strong, those three losses played an integral role in Gonzaga being a 4-seed in the NCAA Tournament and facing an unfortunate matchup with UNC in the Sweet 16.

On the heels of a "tough" loss at Butler, this team heads home for two key WCC games that will reveal a lot about their mental toughness. At this point, the Zags are still a Top 10 team that has an impressive non-conference resume and has the potential to be a two or three seed with a strong finish over the next six weeks. However, this BYU team is going to be hungry for a signature win when it comes to Spokane.

This game became even more important for the Cougars after their buzzer-beating loss at home to St. Mary's. BYU was able to show strong resolve by bouncing back from that defeat with a convincing win over USD. While I would have preferred to have Gonzaga face a lower-tier WCC team on Thursday, this game will give a great glimpse into the mental fortitude this group has. If this team is as special as many of us think it might be, the hope would be that it comes out and delivers a dominant performance that proves the Butler game was nothing more than extra motivation to dominate the WCC.

Mental strength and toughness has been a question mark for this Gonzaga program. Despite the tremendous success, many national pundits have long-believed that when it gets tough, the Zags will fold. This team has a chance to dispel that notion tonight. However, if BYU comes into the Kennel and leaves with a victory, we may be wondering if this is just another soft team.

Game Thread: Gonzaga at Oklahoma St.

2012-12-31T22:00:22Z

Welcome to The Slipper Still Fits game thread for Gonzaga at Oklahoma State.

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Welcome to The Slipper Still Fits game thread for Gonzaga at Oklahoma State.

For more in-game commentary, be sure to follow us on Twitter!

Zags Add Intriguing Transfer In Angel Nunez

2012-12-31T16:00:17Z

Along with an excellent performance against Baylor, Gonzaga fans received a piece of intriguing news on Friday night, as Louisville transfer Angel Nunez committed on his visit to Spokane. While Gonzaga has had some very strong success with transfers over the past 10 years, Nunez presents a very different option down the road for the Zags.

Nunez is the second transfer from a Big East team to join Gonzaga in the 2013 recruiting class. Gerard Coleman, who will be eligible at the start of next season, established himself as a strong scorer and contributor during his two years at Providence. There is little doubt that Coleman will step in to the starting lineup with Kevin Pangos and Gary Bell Jr to form an impressive trio on the perimeter.

While we have a sense of what Coleman will bring to the court, it is not the same situation with Nunez. The former Louisville Cardinal was highly-regarded coming out of high school and had offers from Arizona, Indiana and UConn. Coming out of high school, he drew some comparisons to former Louisville star Francisco Garcia, who was a first round pick in the 2005 NBA draft. However, Nunez never really had a chance to make an impact for the Cardinals. As a freshman, he played sparingly on a very talented team that advanced to the Final Four. Throughout this season, Nunez has battled an ankle injury and then a severe concussion, which has kept him sidelined and ultimately led to his transfer.

With the lack of production at the college level, some Gonzaga fans may be wondering why the staff took a chance on Nunez. Although he hasn't put it all together at this level, it is hard to pass on a 6'7 wing that can shoot it from the perimeter and is extremely athletic. The best comparison I can make at this point is Micah Downs, who transferred to Gonzaga from Kansas and had a very productive career. This comparison was also made by Tommy Lloyd in a story from Jim Meehan that ran today:

Nunez will probably play the ‘3', but he said he's capable of playing any position except center.

Assistant coach Tommy Lloyd said Nunez has similarities to ex-Zag Micah Downs, who transferred to GU from Kansas. "He's a talented player," Lloyd said. "He's long, skilled and athletic."

The big challenge for the coaching staff will be turning the potential into production. Dave Telep, who is the lead recruiting analyst for ESPN, chimed in on Twitter with the following:

The clear takeaway from this is that Gonzaga has landed an extremely talented prospect that can fill it up on the offensive end. He won't take the court for over a year, as he won't be eligible until the end of the Fall semester next year. This gives him plenty of time to get in the weight room and bulk up, as well as work to grow mentally on and off the court. If Nunez can figure everything out and become a Micah Downs type contributor, the SF position immediately goes from a question mark, to a position of extreme depth. It's hard to not get excited when you think about Gerard Coleman slashing from the perimeter and Angel Nunez spreading out the defense from the perimeter.

Zags Disappoint In Home Loss To Illinois

2012-12-09T17:01:13Z

When Selection Sunday arrives in a couple of months, this Gonzaga team will look back at a home loss to a very impressive Illinois team and cringe. There is certainly no shame in losing to this explosive and well-coached Illini team. However, the way in which the Zags lost should raise a couple of flags, as this was a team that really struggled defensively against the athleticism of Illinois.

While execution certainly was a part of the struggles, it's very hard to look at the rotation and minute distribution and not have a handful of questions. The use of Mike Hart over the first eight games of the season was about as perfect as it gets. He played spot minutes at the end of each half and typically overwhelmed a fatigued opponent with his energy. Unfortunately, over the past two games, the coaching staff has fallen back into a cycle of not utilizing him properly. Although Hart was essential in the win against WSU, one performance is not a reason to change the rotation that propelled this team to eight consecutive dominant wins. Against Illinois, Hart scored two points in 21 minutes, and also kept the more explosive Kyle Dranginis on the bench. If the logic is to have Hart on the court to play defense, why not have him match up with Brandon Paul, who ended the night with 35 points? If your trying to rally from a deficit, what is the point of having a guy on the court who doesn't take a shot in 21 minutes?

Heading into the game, the one area that Gonzaga clearly had advantage was with the size in the paint. Despite the clear advantage of size and skill in the post, there were numerous times where the Zags ignored the paint and settled for shots from the perimeter. With Przemek Karnowski putting together arguably the best performance of his young career, the staff only managed to find him nine minutes on the court. This is despite the fact he scored nine points and grabbed two rebounds. As the second half progressed and Karnowski continued to sit on the bench, I have to imagine that most Gonzaga fans were wondering when the freshman was going to get back on the court. In the first eight games, Karnowski played double-digit minutes in all but one game. However, over the past two games, the staff hasn't been able to find minutes for him.

Later on this week we will take a look at what happened defensively, as Gonzaga seemingly forgot how to defend the screen-and-roll. The key takeaway from this game is to not forget what got you to the point of being a Top 10 team. This is a deep and talented team and stripping down the rotation to eight guys doesn't make sense. This team will bounce back and should pick up a win next week in Seattle, but the real key is to see improvement both on the court and on the sideline.

Taking A Shot On Talent: Why Gonzaga Should Look At Josh Smith

2012-11-29T16:30:05Z

While I was a student at Gonzaga, I spent the summer in Spokane heading into my senior year. On one warm Spokane day, I was walking across campus and saw Joshua Smith. At that point, Smith was one of the top recruits in the country and was in town playing with his Kentwood teammates at a Gonzaga team camp. Later on in the camp, I had the opportunity to watch Smith play on a small court against some team from Central Washington. While he is an enormous human being, the thing that jumped out to me was how he caught everything thrown to him. I left that small court assuming Smith would be an NBA player after a year or two in college.

I reminisce on this experience because on Wednesday, Smith announced that he was transferring from UCLA after a stint that showed flashes of dominance mixed with bouts of weight issues. Despite immense offensive talent and a strong skill set, Smith was never able to fully commit himself to basketball and all the sacrifices that come with that being a Division I athlete. Sure, there are a lot of obvious reasons why Gonzaga shouldn't take a chance on Smith, but I believe he is a risk worth taking.

If Smith were to transfer immediately, he would have 1 1/2 years of eligibility left per this report from the Seattle Times (note: I have seen it reported in the Sporting News that he would only have one year, which wouldn't change my tune). With the departure of Elias after this season, the only big men on the Gonzaga roster that could contribute next year would be Sam Dower (SR), Kelly Olynyk (SR), and Przemek Karnowski (Soph). Imagine adding Josh Smith to that group as a big off the bench that could spell Karnowski. There probably wouldn't be a bigger and more talented combo at the center position in the country. Should Karnowski have as big of a jump as some may expect next season, that could setup for Smith to start during his last year of eligibility. This would still leave Gonzaga with one of the most talented big men in the country. It would also give incoming recruits Ryan Edwards and Lucas Meilke plenty of time to develop before being thrown on the court.

I would guess that many people would be wondering why I think Smith would get in shape at Gonzaga if he couldn't get in shape at UCLA. The answer to that question is that Gonzaga would be his last chance. Each year at UCLA, Smith knew he had a spot to come back to and that sense of security probably hurt him. If you look at the remarkable body transformation Karnowski has already started to make, it isn't hard to imagine Smith being in shape after a year with the trainers and a diet plan. This is especially true since this will be the last chance for a former Top-50 recruit to play college basketball at the highest level.

Whatever team ends up taking a chance on Smith knows all the risks that are in place. However, the potential reward is a true big man with NBA talent if he can get in shape. With Gonzaga having open scholarships and a good history with transfers, this seems like a risk worth taking to me.

Gonzaga Hosts Southern Utah To Kick Off 2012/2013 Campaign

2012-11-09T16:30:19Z

With expectations at a fevered pitch, the Gonzaga basketball team will finally kick off its 2012/2013 campaign when it hosts Southern Utah. The Zags enter the season with four returning starters and a talented and deep rotation. After pushing Ohio St. to the limit in the NCAA Tournament last season, there is a genuine belief that this is the team that could really push for a deep tournament run in March.

While many people are already looking forward to the signature matchup with West Virginia on Monday night, the Zags should find this tune up against Southern Utah incredibly valuable. The Thunderbirds enter this season on the heels of a 14-17 performance in 2011-2012. This will be a new era for the program, as former Stanford forward Nick Robinson will make his debut as the head coach.

Southern Utah returns its leading scorer from last year in Jackson Stevenett. Stevenett averaged a team-high 14.1 ppg and shot over 50% from the field. He has shown the ability to his a shot from behind the three-point line, but most of his offensive game takes place closer to the hoop. The only other returning starter is Damon Heuir, who averaged 10.8 ppg and 3.1 assists.

This is a young opponent that Gonzaga will be facing, with seven underclassmen on the roster. It will be interesting to see what the Zags are thinking in terms of a rotation, but if this game gets out of hand early, we may not get much of a sense for what the minutes will look like against West Virginia. Although it might not be pretty, expect Gonzaga to cruise to an 85-55 victory.