By Jeff Faraudo
#WCChoops columnist | ARCHIVES
 
The NCAA’s NET computer seemingly was unimpressed by the outcome of Monday night’s West Coast Conference showdown between unbeaten Gonzaga and second-place BYU in Provo.
 
After an 82-71 defeat that equaled the second-closest final margin the Zags have seen all season, the Cougars a bit surprisingly slipped three spots to No. 30 in the NET ratings.
 
But while Gonzaga (19-0, 10-0 WCC) — No. 1 in the AP Top-25 and No. 2 in the NET ratings — took a big step closer to an undefeated regular season, coach Mark Few was adamant about one thing.
 
“They’re definitely an NCAA team, there’s no question,” Few said of the Cougars (15-5, 6-3). “They have size, they’re really getting great guard play out of (Alex) Barcello all year. And (Brandon) Averette, he’s really playing great as of late. Their shooters are making shots. 
 
“I think they’re going to be a really tough out for anybody who plays them in the NCAA tournament. They’re a difficult scout. They run a lot of good stuff. They run it with pace, the execute it very well. If you’re not totally dialed into your coverages, they can kind of make you look silly.”
 
BYU coach Mark Pope said he was proud of the fight his players brought to the game, with the exception of the game’s start. Just as was the case in Spokane last month, the Zags shot out of the starting game. That produced a 23-2 lead in the first meeting, a 15-2 start in the rematch. BYU couldn’t overcome the deficit either time.
 
“For 30 minutes of the game, we were at least recognizable to ourselves,” Pope said. “But the game is 40 minutes.”
 
Few suggested Gonzaga’s strong starts stemmed from the players' respect for the Cougars, who are responsible for his team’s most recent defeat, last February in Provo.
 
“They know how capable that team is. This team, all year when they feel like they’re threatened . . . obviously they know the guys across from them are more than capable of taking them down,” he said.
 
Forward Drew Timme said the Zags had not forgotten the loss at BYU a year ago. “Still a bitter taste in my mouth and the guys who’ve been here,” he said. “Even the new guys understood the severity of this game.”
 
Few wanted to see his team play with greater pace than in recent games, especially its 76-58 win at Pacific last Thursday, in which he said “we were slogging along.” Mission accomplished on that front after scoring 82 points and forcing 19 turnovers they turned into 26 points.
 
Likewise, he was eager to see how the Zags would respond to perhaps the WCC’s biggest, most physical team. 
 
“BYU is huge and we’ve been kind of worried about our interior defense,” Few said. "I thought Drew Timme and Anton Watson and even when Corey (Kispert) ended up down there a little bit, were as good as they’ve been all year. “It’s the best our posts have defended inside.”
 
The Zags outscored BYU 40-28 in the paint and limited the Cougars to six offensive rebounds and five second-chance points.
 
“They’re deceptively physical,” Pope said of the Zags. “They took it to us again in terms of physicality. Their bigs do that in a surprising way. Their guards are really, really physical and really long.
 
“I was disappointed with us physically in the post. They had their way with us in the post offensively. Timme did,” he added, alluding to Timme’s 20-point, 13-rebound performance. “He’s an elite player. We have to be more physical in our front line. It was not an answer for us tonight and that’s problematic.”
 
LAST WEEK’S BIG THING: Gonzaga freshman guard Jalen Suggs won the WCC Newcomer of the Week award for the eighth time, and we’re going to take a wild guess that he gets No. 9 next week after his 24-point performance at BYU. Alex Barcello said the Cougars did the best they could to limit him. “I thought we did a great job on him in the first half,” Barcello said. “But in the second half, he started to play how he plays — pushing the ball in transition, hitting open shots. He had a great game.”
 
THIS WEEK’S BIG THING: Three of five WCC men’s teams that haven’t played a game since January because of COVID-19 issues are back in action this week. Returning to the floor are USF (home Wednesday vs. Pepperdine), Saint Mary’s (Saturday at Pepperdine) and Loyola Marymount (home Saturday vs. Pacific). Santa Clara and San Diego both must wait until next week.
 
WCC IN THE G LEAGUE: Eleven former WCC players, including eight who played in college last season, are on rosters among 18 teams in the NBA’s G League, which begins its season today.
 
Six different WCC programs will be represented in the G League, which will play all of its games at two arenas in a “bubble” at Orlando, Florida. Gonzaga has four players on G League rosters while Saint Mary’s and BYU have two apiece.
 
Here’s the list:
 
— Agua Caliente Clippers (Clippers): Malik Fitts, Saint Mary’s; Jordan Ford, Saint Mary’s 
— Austin Spurs (Spurs): Nate Renfro, USF
— Delaware Blue Coats (76ers): Jared Brownridge, Santa Clara
— Erie Bayhawks (Pelicans): Yoeli Childs, BYU
— Memphis Hustle (Grizzlies): David Stockton, Gonzaga; Killian Tillie, Gonzaga; Jahlil Tripp, Pacific
— Oklahoma City Blue (Thunder): Ryan Woolridge, Gonzaga
— Salt Lake City Stars (Jazz): Jake Toolson, BYU
— Santa Cruz Warriors (Warriors): Zach Norvell, Gonzaga
 
ANDREWS WINS IT, AGAIN: Portland’s women improved to 7-4 in WCC play after junior guard Haylee Andrews made a shot from the lane with 0.9 seconds left to beat Pacific 69-67 on Monday night.
 
We’ve seen this movie before. In the WCC tournament semifinals last year against regular-season champion Gonzaga, Andrews capped the Pilots’ comeback from 20 points down by making a 10-foot jumper in the key with 3.6 seconds left. Portland won 70-69 and a day later beat San Diego to capture its first WCC tourney crown in 23 years.
 
NINE BLOCKS, NOT 10: BYU senior Sara Hamson blocked nine shots against Pepperdine on Tuesday night, the fifth time in her career she’s reached that total. That leaves her tied with her older sister, Jennifer, who swatted nine shots twice in her BYU career. Both continue to look up at their mother, Tresa Spaulding Hamson, who had 10 blocks four times, and holds the school record of 11, set against Houston in 1986.