Grip on Sports: Brandon Clarke came to Gonzaga to become the Bulldogs’ go-to guy
A GRIP ON SPORTS • In life, consistency can be a bit boring. In college basketball, it’s a prized commodity. Gonzaga continued its consistent domination of the NCAA Tournament’s first weekend yesterday, returning to the Sweet Sixteen for the fifth consecutive year. And the Zags did it in style. Read on.
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• Brandon Clarke’s style. The 6-foot-8 junior transfer from San Jose State didn’t play last year, when the Bulldogs went out in the round of 16 against Florida State. He hadn’t played in an NCAA Tournament game until last Thursday’s opener. And he didn’t have to be the go-to guy until yesterday afternoon’s battle with Baylor.
But he was the guy in this one.
The guy that scored a Gonzaga NCAA Tournament-record 36 points. The guy who blocked five shots, joining two players, David Robinson and Shaquille O’Neal, as the only two to reach those numbers since the blocked shot became part of the NCAA’s statistics package in 1986.
And the Zags needed every one of Clark’s contributions.
Usual leading scorer Rui Hachimura just didn’t have it. Killian Tillie is still trying to find it at times. If the Bulldogs were going to have an inside presence, they needed Clarke to supply it. He did.
As a result, Gonzaga was able to hold off the Baylor Bears and move on to the Sweet Sixteen, a spot that was sour for them last season.
And the same school that made it that way, Florida State, awaits again in the major metropolitan area. This time Tillie should be healthy. And Clarke will be in uniform, not watching from the end of the bench.
Of all the players who have recently redshirted at Gonzaga, few have made the same impact as Clarke. Yes, Kelly Olynyk became an All-American. And, yes, Nigel Williams-Goss led them to the NCAA final. But other than those two, Clarke has jumped to the top of the class.
And to the top of their NCAA scoring list. It used to be Adam Morrison’s 35 points. Now it’s Clarke’s 36 (and he missed a couple of late free throws).
It was a performance only a go-to guy can have.
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Gonzaga: The contingent in Salt Lake City had a lot to cover, starting with Jim Meehan’s analysis of the game. Jim also has the keys to the 83-71 victory. … John Blanchette has his postgame column. … Theo Lawson has Mark Few’s most interesting comment from the press conference, a look at a visitor to the GU locker room after the game, and teams with Justin Reed on a notebook. … Tyler Tjomsland has the in-depth photo report. … The guys in the office put together a recap with highlights. … The women began their NCAA journey in Corvallis and, like the men, began with a victory. They bolted from the gate and held off Arkansas Little Rock 68-51. Jim Allen has the game story, three keys to the victory and a piece on Jill Townsend joining the team following surgery. … We can also pass along a photo report. … Next up for the Zags is Oregon State, which rallied to get past Boise State in overtime. … The baseball team lost at Pepperdine again. … Around the WCC, BYU, which defeated Gonzaga three times this season, won its opener over Auburn.
WSU: Another nice day in Pullman, another spring practice. Peter Harriman was there and he has this story focused on the quarterback competition. … Elsewhere in the Pac-12, Washington has its hands full today, as Mike Hopkins’ team faces the challenge of North Carolina. … Oregon has a challenge as well, though UC Irvine isn’t as well known as the Tar Heels. The Anteaters haven’t been hit by an academic scandal either. … There is football news from USC, as the Trojans implement the Air Raid this spring, and from Arizona.
Chiefs: There was a chance for a two-game, WHL-playoff opening sweep, but Portland rallied past Spokane last night. Kevin Dudley has the story.
Mariners: Mallex Smith is getting healthier and should be back by the home opener. … That opener is coming faster than you might think. And kicks off a season of “stepping back.”
Seahawks: The Hawks re-signed one of their defensive backs.
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• If you are wondering why there was no TV Take from last night’s game, the reason is simple. My computer was not working. It was in the shop. Now it’s back. Bad time to take a break. Until later …