Senior Night in Spokane

Rob Sacre and Marquise Carter were honored tonight as they played in The Kennel for the last time. Somewhat strangely though no member of the 2008 recruiting class made it to their own senior night Sacre was a 2007 recruit and Carter a junior college transfer in 2010. Sacre will be missed not just for his size and strength down low, but the size of his smile. Even during what was a disappointing season for the big man that smile could be seen from the top row of the MAC in every home game.

Carter's time as a Zag was less than half that of Sacre's, but his contributions were much larger than most junior college transfers can achieve. Much like Sacre stepped up and led the Zags thru the first half of the season this year, Carter stepped up and led the Zags thru the second half of last season. Without Marquise's determination down the stretch last year there would be no talk of the streak ending this year, it would have ended last year. While Carter has struggled quite a bit this year for a former WCC Tournament MVP and Newcomer of the Year, he secured his place in Gonzaga lore last year with his timely takeover of the team.

This game was all Gonzaga. It is meant to be, after all. Coach Few schedules these games each year so the team's seniors can be celebrated without interfering with a high stakes game. This year, the BYU game on Thursday, would have been senior night had Longwood not come to town tonight. I prefer a light game to honor the seniors than a game that overshadows the seniors accomplishments. Plus this keeps the Zags loose going into the post-season.



So about the game itself. The Zags set a season high with 92 points scored which is a great omen heading into March. Marquise Carter got the start at the 2 tonight and played 29 minutes, scoring 13 points. Robert Sacre played only 19 minutes and scored only 5 points in the easy win. The big man did attempt two threes, which without looking at the stats has got to be about as many as he's taken all year.

It was senior night but the Freshmen stole the show, which much like the score is a very good omen for the future. Gary Bell Jr rode the bench at the beginning allowing Carter to get the start, yet Bell managed to set the game high with 20 points in only 15 minutes! Bell also set a personal best with six makes from long range, he attempted nine. Kevin Pangos hit four of five three point attempts. The Zags freshman backcourt accounted for nearly 1/3 of the teams' points, just from behind the arc. Ryan Spangler, who has seen limited minutes since injuring a finger a few weeks back, had the best game of his young career. The freshman forward pulled down 10 rebounds and put up 12 points for his first collegiate double-double.

This class for the Zags should have also included Demetri Goodson, Grant Gibbs and Andy Poling.
Goodson transferred to Baylor after 3 years with the Zags. He will know doubt be remembered for his game winning runner against Western Kentucky in the 2009 NCAA tournament. Goodson is now a defensive back and return man for the Baylor Bears football team. Since he moved to a different sport he gained a year of eligibility, so best of luck on the gridiron this fall.
Gibbs redshirted his freshman year with the Zags and transferred to Creighton after his Sophomore year. Gibbs is a Junior for the Bluejays and is averaging 30 minutes a game, significantly more than he would be getting as a Zag. So despite being a defector, he defected wisely.
Then there's Poling, who's name I remember seeing on the roster, but beyond that I remember nothing about. So, much like Gibbs, transferring was very much in his best interest.
A whole recruiting class was lost before any of them made their senior year yet that very year the Zags are a lock for the NCAA tournament and arguably better off than they would have been had those players stuck around. Not many programs have that luxury.

Best of luck to Robert Sacre and Marquise Carter in the rest of their lives (which includes the WCC and NCAA tournament, start the rest of your lives with a bang, guys).