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Gonzaga is the blueprint

AZDoc

Well-known member
DONOR
So yes it's hard to watch a team that starts out 3-7, but it's what you gotta do to dig out of the second tier NCAA basketball. Play anyone on the road and take your lumps.

It would have been easy to schedule 4 cupcakes, but what does that really do?

Our team is good, and these games (which they have not been embarrassed) will in the long run benefit the team and the recruiting of players.

Travis and the Grizzlies are following the Gonzaga blueprint, let's hope in a few years UM is at the same level as the #5 Zags.


This was a good post. I wanna talk about getting to the Bulldogs level, so I'm posting this again. As many have mentioned before, you take lumps initially and that makes you stronger. With the way Webs has been playing, this conference could be wide open. Weber does this regularly by playing Utah, Utah St., BYU regularly, which probably helps them come conference time. This new schedule is also exciting for the kids. They can say that they've played Kansas (last year), Oregon (tomorrow), or hopefully some other big names in the near future. Taking lumps will bode well for the conference regardless.
 
Would love to see the Wyoming games continue, Gonzaga, Utah, BYU, Arizona, ASU, CSU, Colorado State would all be good games to schedule.

WSU is only 4 hours away.
 
Paytonlives said:
Would love to see the Wyoming games continue, Gonzaga, Utah, BYU, Arizona, ASU, CSU, Colorado State would all be good games to schedule.

WSU is only 4 hours away.

I was thinking WSU as well. How about Oregon State? I know it won't happen...but still. Colorado, USC, UCLA, Cal...any of those as well. I think Utah doesn't happen as long as K is there. I'd also love to have the yearly "Big Boy" game. Kentucky, Duke, UNC, Kansas type game. Would be cool for the BSC to have a "Conference Challenge" similar to bracketbuster type games a few years ago. BSC vs WAC or something like that. Even Mountain West or MVC. Top 8 teams get to play in it...something like that. I'm glad things seem to be going in the right direction overall.
I also think in reality, we are about the same caliber as Wyoming this year. would be a benchmark to say "we'd do about as well as Wyoming in the MWC" and by the end of the year say 3rd or 4th place in MWC for comparison. I'd love to be 8-2 non conference next year with an upset or 2 headed into conference season.
I forget the rule...teams can play in a preseason tourney every 2 years? I think there's something...but hope that TD continues to get the kids into some type of preseason tourney every year. Great fun, and excellent exposure to variety of teams in a tourney type atmosphere.
 
Paytonlives said:
Would love to see the Wyoming games continue, Gonzaga, Utah, BYU, Arizona, ASU, CSU, Colorado State would all be good games to schedule.

WSU is only 4 hours away.

Zags motto when starting their run was anyone, anytime, anywhere...Griz are scheduling like the Zags use to, need to win a few of those bigger games, make a couple tourney runs and you've got yourself a kickstart...

Glad to see UM scheduling tough...Eastern is 7-2 this year, but besides two road games hasn't played nearly the competition...
 
marceagfan5 said:
Paytonlives said:
Would love to see the Wyoming games continue, Gonzaga, Utah, BYU, Arizona, ASU, CSU, Colorado State would all be good games to schedule.

WSU is only 4 hours away.

Zags motto when starting their run was anyone, anytime, anywhere...Griz are scheduling like the Zags use to, need to win a few of those bigger games, make a couple tourney runs and you've got yourself a kickstart...

Glad to see UM scheduling tough...Eastern is 7-2 this year, but besides two road games hasn't played nearly the competition...
It was Fresno State and Jim Sweeney that first used that, anyone, anywhere thing..Gonzaga was a bball power in the 60s and has stayed relevant. The real problem with building a solid long term rep is winning in the NCAA tourney, and no 16th seed has yet to beat a one seed. The BSC is flirting with play in and a 16 seed...sorry, but that is the truth. Now, should UM upset Oregon, which they are capable of doing, a 13 or 12 could be conceivable.
 
Why Montana and Gonzaga don't play every year in alternating venues is a tragedy and is what is wrong with big-time basketball today. Gonzaga was on the Grizzly schedule for about 50 consecutive years, including many years when Gonzaga was in the same conference and years after when Montana was,by far, the more prominent program nationally (70-80's). Gonzaga is the 3rd or 4th-closest D1 school to the U of Montana,behind only the U of Idaho and Wazzu, and about the same as MSU. This was a beautiful symbiotic relationship for (again) about 50 years. Now, the Zags are too cool to play the Griz or anyone else in the Big Sky? They didn't even play EWU this year. Before you say "Well Gonzaga is a big-time program now and they can't play peons like the Griz anymore or their power rating will be affected", let me point out that they did play that "powerhouse in all sports" Mississippi Valley State and Quinnipiac and Bryant this year, so they are not playing an "all-elite team" schedule.
 
Zirg said:
Gonzaga was on the Grizzly schedule for about 50 consecutive years, including many years when Gonzaga was in the same conference and years after when Montana was,by far, the more prominent program nationally (70-80's). Gonzaga is the 3rd or 4th-closest D1 school to the U of Montana,behind only the U of Idaho and Wazzu, and about the same as MSU. This was a beautiful symbiotic relationship for (again) about 50 years.
The games with Gonzaga were always great games; there was a terrific rivalry between the schools and they always seemed to have great coaches, lots of personality, great interviews. One of the few venues that made sense for fans of either school to travel.
 
Well, the Zags have played some non-elite teams this year. That is true. But, Gonzaga can never be "the blueprint" for the Griz because UM has a football team ... and GU does not. End of discussion.
 
I wish Griz fans would quit looking at Gonzaga as the path. The Gonzaga blueprint is outdated and has passed UM by, just like the move up dreams of some Griz football fans. The powers to be sat around and watched the ship sail away. Montana is more BSC than anything greater.
 
HelenaHandBasket said:
I wish Griz fans would quit looking at Gonzaga as the path. The Gonzaga blueprint is outdated and has passed UM by, just like the move up dreams of some Griz football fans. The powers to be sat around and watched the ship sail away. Montana is more BSC than anything greater.


What makes you say that, HHB? I'd argue UM's potential (and admittedly it's only potential at this point) is greater than it's been in history. We're getting better recruits; we're going to have facilities that are the equal of nearly any mid-major; the administration is committed. Why do you think the opportunity has passed UM by?
 
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