All the Gonzaga haters

[STL_Cat]

Look at it this way.. if Cal was still in good standing with the entire fanbase.. if its 2014.. would ANYONE here be rooting for Gonzaga to go undefeated?

No.

And thats the difference.

If we were actually in the tournament? Of course no one would be rooting for Gonzaga to go undefeated.

And I'm not rooting for them to go undefeated. I just enjoy watching them play and it's not going to break my heart if they do. I'm not rooting for it to happen. I'd definitely rather that happen than UCLA get another title at this point, though.

 

[Bobio]

So your point was, why can't pepperdine do it?

Look at the schools.. if anything it just says how rattling off 30 wins in that conference isn't too difficult.

Even WSU plays in a more substantial conference.

What are you not getting? If it's so easy why have no other teams in the WCC been able to do it?

 

[Bobio]

It’s easy to win 30 games a year in a crap conference if you are the “it” program. I don’t see that as an outlandish statement. It is much more difficult to win 30 games a year in a power five conference. Mark Few has built a nice program that dominates a mid major conference nothing more nothing less.

You're missing the point; why aren't other teams the "it" program to use your phrasing, if it's so easy?

 

[LineSkiCat14]

What are you not getting? If it's so easy why have no other teams in the WCC been able to do it?

You're missing the point; why aren't other teams the "it" program to use your phrasing, if it's so easy?

Clearly it's YOU not getting it. It's a garbage conference when you remove Gonzaga. It's a lame-duck argument: "If it's so easy why can't everyone do it!?" Gonzaga has little bearing on what that conference does, and vice versa.

And once again, Gonzaga did it in part because there were no road games. You're completely underselling how important that is when attempting to go undefeated.

 

[LineSkiCat14]

If we were actually in the tournament? Of course no one would be rooting for Gonzaga to go undefeated.

And I'm not rooting for them to go undefeated. I just enjoy watching them play and it's not going to break my heart if they do. I'm not rooting for it to happen. I'd definitely rather that happen than UCLA get another title at this point, though.

UCLA's title isn't as big of a deal to me because I don't think we were catching them anytime soon. Chances are, UCLA was going to be the king of titles for decades.

Don't think being or not being in the tournament matters. When Cal is in favor.. or rather, remove Cal all together and put someone else in, doesn't matter... no one wants to see any team go undefeated when we were 38-0.

 

[STL_Cat]

UCLA's title isn't as big of a deal to me because I don't think we were catching them anytime soon. Chances are, UCLA was going to be the king of titles for decades.

Don't think being or not being in the tournament matters. When Cal is in favor.. or rather, remove Cal all together and put someone else in, doesn't matter... no one wants to see any team go undefeated when we were 38-0.

I mean I disagree .. it obviously means a lot if we are in it or not because if another team goes undefeated, that means we have to lose lol. So yeah, whether we are in it or not makes a pretty damn big difference to me.

I'd much rather see Gonzaga go undefeated that UCLA add another title. That has nothing to do with my feelings on Calipari, why would it.

We won't be going undefeated, that ship has sailed. It doesn't matter. 38-0 is long gone.

 

[Lempface]

I agree it would be more difficult. I also think they could have gone undefeated in the PAC12 this year. Their natural geographic fit.

I’ve seen plenty of people stating on here that going undefeated in a weak conference is easy. Fact is, it’s been nearly impossible.

Well your stats presumably include undefeated in out of conference games too, I'd wager that many more than 11 have finished their conference unbeaten but dropped some OOC games which just further proves the point.

 

[LineSkiCat14]

I mean I disagree .. it obviously means a lot if we are in it or not because if another team goes undefeated, that means we have to lose lol. So yeah, whether we are in it or not makes a pretty damn big difference to me.

I'd much rather see Gonzaga go undefeated that UCLA add another title. That has nothing to do with my feelings on Calipari, why would it.

We won't be going undefeated, that ship has sailed. It doesn't matter. 38-0 is long gone.

Maybe for you.. but I don't buy that for a lot of the other anti-Cal folks. It's pretty clear from this thread and several others that some here are rooting for Gonzaga/UCLA to spite Cal.. or at least, it's a cause to root for them. I mean, this forum has always given Gonzaga the side-eye, and always talked about their weak conference. But this year it changed for some.

Not buying that the masses would root for ANY team to go undefeated, regardless if we were in it or not, had we not been in the dump of a season we are now. I mean, if you're someone who bumps the "I want Cal gone" thread multiple times a day, as we've seen from the usual anti-cal folk, clearly there's some unhealthy disdain.

 

[bthaunert]

Where did I say anything about being undefeated? That’s an impressive accomplishment for anyone. I’m not arguing that at all. I do believe our 38-0 in 2015, was/is more impressive than their 30-0 to this point based on their conference. I’d argue that.

I would agree with that.

 

[SandyBell'sFaxMachine]

The 2 teams i want to lose play each other... obviously one will lose but the other will play for the title. This year has been awful

 

[bthaunert]

Well your stats presumably include undefeated in out of conference games too, I'd wager that many more than 11 have finished their conference unbeaten but dropped some OOC games which just further proves the point.

I’m speaking of going undefeated for the entire season. 11 teams in the entire history of the NCAA Tournament.

 

[UK90]

I don’t know why there are so many anti-Gonzaga people on this board. I see nothing to dislike about that program. Seems like some of y’all just love to hate.

 

[senonesy]

I don’t hate Gonzaga but the constant love affair with them is nauseating when you consider their **** conference. They are fun to watch this year but really 30 win seasons in their conference means little. With that being said, Baylor/Zags final will be fun to watch.

I don’t hate Gonzaga but the constant love affair with them is nauseating when you consider their **** conference. They are fun to watch this year but really 30 win seasons in their conference means little. With that being said, Baylor/Zags final will be fun to watch.

They beat Kansas, Auburn, Iowa, West Virginia, Virginia, Oklahoma, Creighton this year. Why is it nauseating? This is the best team I have seen in years. COVID shortened season or not. They are the gold standard in CBB right regardless of conference. Shouldn’t make some people so mad to admit it.

 

[KyFaninNC]

Clearly it's YOU not getting it. It's a garbage conference when you remove Gonzaga. It's a lame-duck argument: "If it's so easy why can't everyone do it!?" Gonzaga has little bearing on what that conference does, and vice versa.

And once again, Gonzaga did it in part because there were no road games. You're completely underselling how important that is when attempting to go undefeated.

You are talking about a small school in Spokane WA.

 

[LineSkiCat14]

You are talking about a small school in Spokane WA.

What does a small school matter if they take basketball seriously.. while the other programs don't. Gonzaga has been making tournament headlines for 20 years.

 

[LineSkiCat14]

I don’t know why there are so many anti-Gonzaga people on this board. I see nothing to dislike about that program. Seems like some of y’all just love to hate.

It's the undefeated season. Had Gonzaga had 1 loss, I bet people would be rooting for them against Baylor.

Nobody wants to see another team reach immortality. Case in point, the majority of the nation rooting against the Pats in 2017.. ESPN trying to manufacture ways for Kentucky to lose in 2015.. That's sports.

 

[TheOtherGreatOne]

It’s easy to win 30 games a year in a crap conference if you are the “it” program. I don’t see that as an outlandish statement. It is much more difficult to win 30 games a year in a power five conference. Mark Few has built a nice program that dominates a mid major conference nothing more nothing less.

So it's easy to win 30 games and go undefeated in a small conference is it ? How come no one else does it ? Kentucky's dream coach Brad Stevens coached in a weaker conference than the wcc, and he never entered the ncaa tournament undefeated, nor did he win 30 games a year. I can't believe some of the posts on this board. I guess jealousy is a strong instrument. You probably need to worry about the Cats instead of trying to downgrade another team just because they are undefeated. This weak conference had 4 teams in post season play, where were the cats ?

 

[NavyCat88]

It is just funny to me that the things some are saying about Gonzaga (weak conference/easy path to stacking up wins/high seed in the tournament) are the same thing fans from the ACC, B1G, etc have been saying about Kentucky for years. "SEC is weak, UK doesn't have to play more than one or two decent teams in conference, Kentucky is one good BB program in a conference full of FB-first teams, no one in the SEC even cares about BB except UK, one-team conference, etc, etc, etc."

When we are a normally good UK BB team, we typically respond with "Who we play doesn't matter....let's see you beat us in the tournament."

Well........enter Gonzaga. Good players with a great coach playing top-shelf basketball--a thing of beauty.. Who they play doesn't really matter. Let's see someone beat them in the tournament.

If they win out.....the naysayers will be there, but the banner will say "National Champions." The only thing that matters ....(and the only thing that used to matter to Kentucky fans).

GBB!

 

[bthaunert]

They haven’t played a true road game all year! Literally.

I’m assuming by true road game you mean fans?

I agree with people that say this year is different, and I agree that it was easier to go undefeated this year. What I don’t agree with is that it’s easy to go undefeated in any year, including this year. There is a reason why only 1 out if 357 teams went undefeated this year.

 

[revcort]

#1 I'm sure some would accuse me of hating Gonzaga, but I don't. I just think they usually benefit from being a media darling and from playing in a weak conference.
#2 I wouldn't be surprised to see UCLA beat Gonzaga. The Bruins are very hot right now.
#3 I don't really have much of a preference in this particular game, but I don't want UCLA to win the title. It's a toss-up for me.

 

[Bobio]

Clearly it's YOU not getting it. It's a garbage conference when you remove Gonzaga. It's a lame-duck argument: "If it's so easy why can't everyone do it!?" Gonzaga has little bearing on what that conference does, and vice versa.

And once again, Gonzaga did it in part because there were no road games. You're completely underselling how important that is when attempting to go undefeated.

It's not a "garbage" conference, BYU was a 6 seed this year and St. Mary's routinely gets in. A conference that get's 2-3 in MM isn't "garbage", the WCC isn't the MEAC. They hyperbole here is absurd.

 

[Bobio]

#1 I'm sure some would accuse me of hating Gonzaga, but I don't. I just think they usually benefit from being a media darling and from playing in a weak conference.
#2 I wouldn't be surprised to see UCLA beat Gonzaga. The Bruins are very hot right now.
#3 I don't really have much of a preference in this particular game, but I don't want UCLA to win the title. It's a toss-up for me.

You lost all credibility with this statement. Unless you meant to say that you would be surprised in UCLA beat Gonzaga. I'd be shocked if the Bruins kept it under a 15 point loss.

 

[LineSkiCat14]

It's not a "garbage" conference, BYU was a 6 seed this year and St. Mary's routinely gets in. A conference that get's 2-3 in MM isn't "garbage", the WCC isn't the MEAC. They hyperbole here is absurd.

I's a mid-major conference. There are worse conferences sure..

But still you made the statement "why can't anyone else do it", which is just pointless. Just because Pepperdine can't go undefeated doesn't make Gonzaga did any more special. Other conferences DO have programs that can put up great seasons. Florida went 18-0.

That's the difference. Gonzaga IS a power program (and has been, IMO).. but there's no question they are doing it on the backs of a subpar conference. Kansas, UNC, Duke, Kentucky.. they all have to contend with great teams every year.

 

[Cawood86_rivals]

Sure looks like Gonzaga may be taking a few fans from Kentucky after this season. We could stand to lose some.

Yep....maybe you'll be one

 

[Cawood86_rivals]

Cal danglers hating on Gonzaga is next level devotion to Cal. I guess they would raher UCLA get another title so they can feel better about UK losing to wisc.

 

[420grover]

Absolutely a program accomplishment. Only time Cal enters my mind when thinking of that team is him going stall ball against Wisconsin.

Do you consider this year a program failure or is Cal the reason for the failure?

 

[Bobio]

I's a mid-major conference. There are worse conferences sure..

But still you made the statement "why can't anyone else do it", which is just pointless. Just because Pepperdine can't go undefeated doesn't make Gonzaga did any more special. Other conferences DO have programs that can put up great seasons. Florida went 18-0.

That's the difference. Gonzaga IS a power program (and has been, IMO).. but there's no question they are doing it on the backs of a subpar conference. Kansas, UNC, Duke, Kentucky.. they all have to contend with great teams every year.

It's not pointless when you and others keep saying how easy it is. Again, if it's so easy why haven't any other teams in the WCC been able to do it. As to your last point, they can't pick their conference, that's why they play a killer ooc every year. They're an elite team in a mm conference, it's an oddity of mens college basketball.

 

[STL_Cat]

It's the undefeated season. Had Gonzaga had 1 loss, I bet people would be rooting for them against Baylor.

Nobody wants to see another team reach immortality. Case in point, the majority of the nation rooting against the Pats in 2017.. ESPN trying to manufacture ways for Kentucky to lose in 2015.. That's sports.

It is true that a lot of sports fans for some reason cheer against greatness. I'm not sure why that is. As a sports enthusiast, I personally love seeing greatness achieved. I wasn't one that was rooting against the Patriots in 2017. I wasn't rooting FOR them either ... I just wasn't rooting for them to fail. If they achieved greatness and I got to see that happen, I consider myself lucky as a sports fan. Greatness is fleeting, I enjoy seeing it when it occurs.

 

[TheOtherGreatOne]

#1 I'm sure some would accuse me of hating Gonzaga, but I don't. I just think they usually benefit from being a media darling and from playing in a weak conference.
#2 I wouldn't be surprised to see UCLA beat Gonzaga. The Bruins are very hot right now.
#3 I don't really have much of a preference in this particular game, but I don't want UCLA to win the title. It's a toss-up for me.

They are the media darlings as you say, because they play the game the way it is supposed to be played. You don't see stories about coaches caught on tape paying players, and they do this year after year. They also don't recruit a bunch of aau superstars with no basketball skills, and have a load of hangers on following them every step, and are only worring about how fast can you get me to the league. Last night was a perfect example. The Mobley brothers, highly rated lottery picks with 7' size length, and all the natural talent you could ask for, you know the perfect Calipari recruits, and what happened ? A slow footed non athletic white boy fromTexas that couldn't jump over a phone book took these 2 lottery picks to the cleaners. It is truly amazing what actual basketball skills and IQ can do for a guy. It also helps to play on a team that plays together, and everyone knows their role. That is something that most of these high flying aau superstars with their overblown egos would never do, share the lime light with their teammates.

 

[STL_Cat]

#1 I'm sure some would accuse me of hating Gonzaga, but I don't. I just think they usually benefit from being a media darling and from playing in a weak conference.

How exactly does one "benefit from being a media darling?"

 

[Bobio]

Twitter from John Gasaway: Gonzaga's outscoring NCAA tournament opponents (+0.34 points per possession) by more than it outscored the WCC (+0.32).

No more cracks about the Zags’ conference, please.

 

[Bobio]

Q. Mark, you guys obviously played a loaded nonconference schedule, and then you get to this tournament in a different season, in a different NCAA Tournament than we've ever seen. Is there anything that's surprised you? Or maybe, if not surprised you, what are you most gratified about the way your team has played through these first four games?

MARK FEW: Hey, I'm just most gratified we're playing really, really good basketball. We started with Norfolk State. We didn't let our guards down there, played very, very good. We got challenged by Oklahoma and played great, especially down the stretch in that one. Played terrific defense against just a dynamic and really talented, especially on the offensive end, Creighton squad. Then to come out and put this together on both ends of the floor against a really red hot team.

Gosh, I watched these guys against Kansas, and they looked like an NBA team or something. So I'm just really proud. I mean, they're in a good place, and we'll continue to build on that. These steps get harder and harder, and the next one's going to be really hard, whether we have UCLA or Michigan, it will be extremely hard. You've got Baylor, who looks amazing, and you've got -- I mean, Kelvin's team is so darn tough and so dialed in and so resilient. It's going to make for just an amazing Final Four.

 

[The_Answer1313_rivals]

We would have never known for sure but I think it's entirely possible even with true road games Gonzaga would have gone undefeated this season in the WCC.

They won all of their games by double digits in conference. If you account for the fact that home court is usually 3-4 points (and even without fans there still was a slight HCA), then it probably didn't make a whole lot of difference.

 

[Anon1723990757]

This.

Especially now we know they were bought

 

[Bobio]

We would have never known for sure but I think it's entirely possible even with true road games Gonzaga would have gone undefeated this season in the WCC.

They won all of their games by double digits in conference. If you account for the fact that home court is usually 3-4 points (and even without fans there still was a slight HCA), then it probably didn't make a whole lot of difference.

They won all of their games all season by double digits, except WVU.

 

[LineSkiCat14]

It's not pointless when you and others keep saying how easy it is. Again, if it's so easy why haven't any other teams in the WCC been able to do it. As to your last point, they can't pick their conference, that's why they play a killer ooc every year. They're an elite team in a mm conference, it's an oddity of mens college basketball.

That's not really what I'm arguing, though. I think Gonzaga's title will be justified, the teams they play, OOC at least, were very tough. I'm just saying that an undefeated season should be met with a little more skepticism. Not have away games, only playing 32 games.. those are big factors. I apply the same to Baylor.

 

[Bobio]

That's not really what I'm arguing, though. I think Gonzaga's title will be justified, the teams they play, OOC at least, were very tough. I'm just saying that an undefeated season should be met with a little more skepticism. Not have away games, only playing 32 games.. those are big factors. I apply the same to Baylor.

Ok, fair enough. But again, they can only play the schedule they're given. You can't control what you can't control.

 

[LineSkiCat14]

Ok, fair enough. But again, they can only play the schedule they're given. You can't control what you can't control.

Sure, but that's going down a different path. I completely agree Gonzaga's program tried to erase the mantra of their conference being crappy, and schedule a brutal OOC slate. I applaud them for that. Nothing you can do about playing San Fran and Pepperdine in your conference, that's not Gonzaga's fault.

This is more about, for me anyway, an undefeated season by ANY team this year, having a bit of an asterisks attached. I don't think we realize how hard it is to come away being 8-0 in hostile road games. All your great teams the last few years? Where did their few losses likely come from? tough road games.

Where I took exception from your original post, is that I disagree with, and see no sense, in saying "If it's so easy, why can't other schools win in the WCC?" Just doesn't mean anything for me. All that tells me is how little that conference cares and pays for college ball outside of Zaga and maybe MSM.

 

[KyFaninNC]

It's the undefeated season. Had Gonzaga had 1 loss, I bet people would be rooting for them against Baylor.

Nobody wants to see another team reach immortality. Case in point, the majority of the nation rooting against the Pats in 2017.. ESPN trying to manufacture ways for Kentucky to lose in 2015.. That's sports.

They played every game available to them and beat numerous power 5 schools. Why are you so set against given them their due. Win all games is an achievement.

 

[MakinMusic_rivals]

It's not a "garbage" conference, BYU was a 6 seed this year and St. Mary's routinely gets in. A conference that get's 2-3 in MM isn't "garbage", the WCC isn't the MEAC. They hyperbole here is absurd.

It’s a terribly weak conference and in a terribly weak basketball year. Every single power house team we traditionally see competing for a championship was weak.