Jim Meehan

All Stories

Sports >  Gonzaga basketball

Former Gonzaga forward Chet Holmgren second behind Wembanyama for NBA Rookie of the Year

UPDATED: Mon., May 6, 2024

San Antonio’s Victor Wembanyama was the runaway favorite as the season progressed and former Gonzaga standout Chet Holmgren was seemingly locked into second.So Monday’s announcement on TNT’s NBA Tip-off Show that the 7-foot-4 Wembanyama was the award’s sixth unanimous winner was essentially a formality.

Sports >  Area sports

Jim Meehan: How Idaho’s Joe Sykes persevered to win Big Sky Conference golf title, join short list of UI champs

UPDATED: Sat., May 4, 2024

The struggle was real for the University of Idaho sophomore, by way of Littlehampton, England. The results didn’t match his meticulous approach. Like every golfer, even high-level ones like Sykes stuck in a rough patch, it thoroughly tested his patience and the math major’s analytical mind. Finally, months of frustration melted away as Sykes regained his form and joined a short list of history makers in the Vandal program.

Sports >  Gonzaga basketball

Gonzaga forward Michael Ajayi receives invite to NBA Draft Combine

UPDATED: Fri., May 3, 2024

Michael Ajayi, who announced his transfer from Pepperdine to Gonzaga a few days before the Zags’ season ended against Purdue in the Sweet 16, has been invited to the NBA Draft Combine.

---

Sports >  Area sports

NIC golf coach Russell Grove comes up just short of qualifying for PGA Championship

UPDATED: Wed., May 1, 2024

North Idaho College golf coach Russell Grove’s bid to qualify for the PGA Championship for a second straight year came up short Wednesday in Frisco, Texas.

Sports >  Gonzaga basketball

Transfer forward Michael Ajayi lone Gonzaga player testing NBA Draft waters

UPDATED: Tue., April 30, 2024

The official list of NBA Draft early entrants was released Tuesday and it contained no surprises for the Gonzaga Bulldogs. As expected, Michael Ajayi, the Pepperdine transfer who committed to Gonzaga in March, is the only Zag among nearly 200 early entrants.

Sports >  Gonzaga basketball

Report: Gonzaga reserve forward Pavle Stosic enters transfer portal

UPDATED: Fri., April 26, 2024

Pavle Stosic, who played limited minutes in Gonzaga’s deep frontcourt rotation, has entered the transfer portal, according to the Verbal Commits.

Sports >  Gonzaga women

Former Gonzaga standout Brynna Maxwell takes her shot with WNBA Chicago

UPDATED: Wed., April 24, 2024

Brynna Maxwell gave a thorough scouting report of her game, a shoutout to Courtney Vandersloot, praised Gonzaga and proclaimed herself a Cubs fan during an introductory press conference with the Chicago Sky.

Sports >  Area sports

Epson Tour’s Circling Raven Championship runs its course after three years

UPDATED: Sat., April 20, 2024

The Circling Raven Championship is no longer on the Epson Tour schedule after a three-year run at Circling Raven Golf Club.

Sports >  Gonzaga basketball

LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant headline U.S. Olympic basketball team roster

UPDATED: Wed., April 17, 2024

Gonzaga coach Mark Few relayed numerous stories to his players and staff about his experiences as an assistant with USA Basketball last summer at the FIBA World Cup.Few should have another fresh batch of stories to tell next season’s Zags after spending time with the U.S. team at the Paris Olympics this summer.

Sports >  Gonzaga basketball

Gonzaga listed as a two seed in ESPN’s way-too-early bracket projection

UPDATED: Tue., April 16, 2024

Gonzaga has been in the top 10 in a bunch of way-too-early college basketball preseason polls so it makes sense the Bulldogs would be projected as a high seed. GU checked in as a two seed in the West Region in ESPN’s Joe Lunardi’s first bracket projection,

Sports >  Gonzaga basketball

Through tears, growth spurts and hard work, Michael Ajayi creates unique path to D-I, Gonzaga

UPDATED: Sat., April 13, 2024

When he didn’t make the varsity team at Kentwood High School in his junior year, Michael Ajayi sat in his room, tears flowing, wondering if he had a future in basketball. It was time for the mother of all pep talks.

Sports >  Gonzaga basketball

‘Just proud of her’: Gonzaga assistant R-Jay Barsh excited to watch South Carolina’s Chloe Kitts at Final Four

UPDATED: Fri., April 5, 2024

Gonzaga assistant coach R-Jay Barsh and South Carolina sophomore forward Chloe Kitts go back so far that Barsh isn’t exactly sure how long. “She was a little kid,” Barsh said. “Nearly her entire life.” Barsh has helped train Kitts on the basketball court and he’s been a mentor away from the game.

Sports >  Gonzaga basketball

Gonzaga rewind: Zags season ‘something we can be proud of’ after Sweet 16 exit

UPDATED: Sat., March 30, 2024

Pride and disappointment, the latter enters every locker room except one after the 67 games of an NCAA Tournament, were on display Friday as Gonzaga players processed a season-ending 80-68 loss to Purdue.

Sports >  Gonzaga basketball

‘We shouldn’t hang our heads’: Gonzaga unable to slow down Zach Edey, Purdue’s shooters in 80-68 Sweet 16 loss

UPDATED: Fri., March 29, 2024

Gonzaga coach Mark Few and player after player described the predicament – trying to crowd 7-foot-4 center Zach Edey inside, but not to the point of leaving Purdue’s capable perimeter shooters open. Gonzaga is familiar with the conundrum because it is essentially what the Zags were able to do to opponents during a surge over the second half of the season that propelled them into Sweet 16.

Sports >  Gonzaga basketball

Gonzaga trying to make history against No. 1 seed Purdue in the Sweet 16

UPDATED: Thu., March 28, 2024

Nine times the Zags have run into No. 1 seeds, nine times they’ve lost. Two of those were top-seeded championship clashes when the Zags lost to North Carolina in 2017 and Baylor in 2021. Next up: Fifth-seeded Gonzaga (27-7) and No. 1 Purdue (31-4) in Friday’s Sweet 16 at Little Caesars Arena, a chance to make history and extend a season that few thought in mid-January would reach the second weekend of March Madness.

Sports >  Gonzaga basketball

Key matchup: Gonzaga faces Purdue’s Zach Edey, who has developed into ‘one of the best in college basketball’

UPDATED: Thu., March 28, 2024

DETROIT – To put Zach Edey’s last two seasons into perspective, consider the company he’s keeping. Legendary players like Bill Walton, Ralph Sampson, Lew Alcindor (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar), Elvin Hayes, Oscar Robertson and Rick Barry.

Sports >  Gonzaga basketball

Gonzaga run as nation’s scoring leader is coming to end, but Zags still making their points

UPDATED: Wed., March 27, 2024

Gonzaga has led Division I in scoring offense each of the last five seasons, but that streak will soon come to an end. Yup, the Zags have slumped all the way to seventh at 85.0 points per game.

Sports >  Gonzaga basketball

‘There’s a reason he’s going to be in the Hall of Fame’: Mark Few’s coaching job ranks with best of his 25 years at Gonzaga

UPDATED: Tue., March 26, 2024

It’s not a stretch to rank the job he’s doing with the current Zags, who face top-seeded Purdue in the Sweet 16 on Friday, at or near the top of his 25-year tenure as a head coach.

Sports >  Gonzaga basketball

Gonzaga trying to scheme up different results against Zach Edey, Purdue

UPDATED: Mon., March 25, 2024

One more time: Zach Edey, Gonzaga. Gonzaga, Zach Edey. Introductions aren't really necessary since Edey, the most dominant player in college basketball the last two seasons, was the center of attention in Purdue’s 73-63 win over the Zags in November and an 84-66 thumping administered in Portland early in the 2022-23 season.

Sports >  Gonzaga basketball

Gonzaga-Kansas series remains on hold in complex college landscape

UPDATED: Sun., March 24, 2024

Gonzaga and Kansas agreed to a two-game series back in March 2020 – not long after the NCAA Tournament was canceled by the COVID pandemic with the Jayhawks ranked No. 1 and the Zags No. 2 – with the first contest 21 months down the road.

Sports >  Gonzaga basketball

Gonzaga notebook: Point guard Ryan Nembhard enjoys record-setting performance

UPDATED: Sat., March 23, 2024

It didn’t take Ryan Nembhard long to join Gonzaga’s fraternity of standout point guards, which includes older brother Andrew. Ryan Nembhard, in his first season as a Zag, dished out 12 assists in GU’s 86-65 victory over Kansas on Saturday, surpassing Josh Perkiins as No. 1 on the program’s single-season assists list.

Sports >  Gonzaga basketball

‘There’s no way I’m not playing’: Gonzaga’s Ben Gregg produces through multiple injuries

UPDATED: Sat., March 23, 2024

Gregg logged 32 minutes – around using an elastic band to stretch his tender right foot/ankle on the bench and limping off for a few minutes in the second half when a Kansas player fell into his right leg – and played a pivotal role in the Zags’ 89-68 blowout win Saturday in the round of 32.

Sports >  Gonzaga basketball

Difference makers: Ben Gregg comes up with timely plays in Gonzaga’s win over Kansas

UPDATED: Sat., March 23, 2024

BEN GREGG

Sports >  Gonzaga basketball

Gonzaga-Kansas notes: Former Santa Clara forward Parker Braun gained insight on Zags during four WCC meeting

UPDATED: Fri., March 22, 2024

SALT LAKE CITY – Call it bad timing on Parker Braun’s part.

Sports >  Gonzaga basketball

Report: Pepperdine transfer Michael Ajayi planning official visit to Gonzaga

UPDATED: Fri., March 22, 2024

Gonzaga’s busy monitoring the transfer portal while simultaneously preparing the biggest game of the year – an NCAA Tournament matchup against Kansas in the round of 32.