Gonzaga Now the Hunted

Gonzaga will face Connecticut in the Hartford Hall of Fame showcase this afternoon, and it's amazing how this game is perceived. There was a time -- in the not too distant past -- that Gonzaga would be the team looking to prove themselves among the big boys of college hoops, while U Conn was a fixture in the rankings and on ESPN.

Now the Huskies find themselves looking for respect, looking to take aim at the Bulldogs who continue to build an impressive resume of non-conference opponents. A look around the New England papers and some of the U Conn message boards show that the fans are looking at this contest against No. 19 Gonzaga as some sort of barometer game.Said Connecticut coach Jim Calhoun in the Courant, "It gives us an opportunity to make a statement about ourselves."

Imagine that. For years, Gonzaga has been trying to prove that it belongs. Now one of the big shots from the Big East -- nestled in the bosom of ESPN -- wants to use Gonzaga as a statement game. That's quite a testament to what Mark Few has done with the program he took over from Dan Monson.

Part of that success seems to be that Few has really taken pride in the program. So many times you get coaches who come to a program like Gonzaga with their eyes already on their next job. Like the way Jeff Bzdelik used Air Force to jump to Colorado.

A program like Gonzaga was once a stepping stone for bigger and better things. But now the Bulldogs are the bigger and better thing. Instead of sending a resume across the country, Few has built a program that looks to be around for a while and has drawn the envy of long-time coaches such as Calhoun.

The most admirable thing is that Gonzaga still embraces that mentality of playing anybody, anywhere. Just look at the names on the schedule, Texas Tech, Virginia Tech, Washington State, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Utah, Georgia, et al. That's pretty impressive. Some would reason that the Bulldogs still need to play a tough schedule for a possible at large bid (which they may need because St. Mary's is good) or a quality seed.

But that just doesn't wash. The Bulldogs are one of those teams that should not have to worry about getting an at-large bid. They just don't schedule like it. Gonzaga, as I've mentioned before, could easily take the Duke route by playing a ton of softies at home, and springing for maybe a couple of tough non-conference games.

No, these kids still feel like they have something to prove. Though, winning this game against U Conn will be pretty tough. Especially without center Josh Heytvelt who has a stress fracture in his foot and all of the traveling Gonzaga has done going from Alaska to Boston.

This also is a statement game for U Conn. They can't afford to lose this game, and in situations like these, going against the desperate team isn't wise. So look for the Huskies to eek out a win.