A Grip on Sports: It may be cold outside this weekend but sports on TV remains hot thanks to college basketball

A GRIP ON SPORTS • Don’t fight it. Stay indoors this weekend. Settle in and watch sports on TV. Sure, there is no NFL anymore, but there is a lot of basketball, pro and college, to savor. And there is golf from one of the prettiest courses on earth.

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• Last night’s college basketball was pretty special. Not only did we observe Washington State play one of its best games of the season, live, but we settled in and also watched Eastern Washington shoot down Montana State on SWX, a replay that started, seemingly, just as the game in Bozeman was finishing.

Before that contest, we also watched the Gonzaga women battle past San Francisco, so you can say our Thursday night was full of hoops.

But Saturday should be even better.

You want local games? OK, we offer Eastern Washington in Bozeman for a rematch, the GU women welcoming Santa Clara into the Kennel, Gonzaga’s men playing on the road again, this time in their house of horrors, USF’s War Memorial Gym and WSU hosting Pac-12-leading USC. Those games start at 11 a.m. and will run through 7 p.m.

Just think. You still will have time to run out and buy a Valentine’s Day card.

Oops, forgot Kevin Durant is returning to the Bay Area with Brooklyn, so you might want to watch that. It should be done around 8.

Then again, the Australian Open will be on by then, so maybe you better get out today for that card.

After all, there are also a bunch of college games with national significance scheduled for Saturday – we use “scheduled” on purpose because, you know, the pandemic – with Indiana trying to upset No. 4 Ohio State, fifth-ranked Villanova traveling to Creighton in a Big East matchup (we mention that one just because we still laugh at Omaha, Nebraska being part of what must be a very big east) and No. 9 Virginia hosting North Carolina, if the Tar Heels have put on their masks yet.

Did we mention the golf? Pebble Beach is always the star attraction, not the golfers. It may be wet and cold there this weekend, but that’s OK. That’s part of the charm.

On the nation’s other coast, Sunday also brings us the Daytona 500, which kicks off NASCAR’s year. It starts at 11:30 Sunday morning. It’s not the NFL, but there are fewer yellow flags, so it has that going for it.

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Gonzaga: It was a busy Thursday over off Hamilton. And we’re not talking about the rush-hour traffic, though that was bad as well. The women hosted USF, which has turned its season around by playing physically, something it brought against the Zags. It wasn’t enough, however, as Jim Allen’s game coverage tells us. … Colin Mulvany shows us what happened with his photo gallery. … What are the men’s weaknesses? Jim Meehan delves into that today and he had to delve deep to come up with a lot. They are ranked No. 1 for a reason. … A big part of that is their big three, Corey Kispert, Drew Timme and Jalen Suggs. Jim tells us all three are midseason Naismith Trophy selections. … Wait, there still is a Sports Illustrated? Wow. I thought the magazine faded into oblivion years ago. Well, there is and the Zags are on this week’s cover. Justin Reed has this history lesson and we can pass along a visual tour of athletes with local connections on the cover over the years. … Larry Weir’s latest Press Box podcast features a conversation with Tom Hudson. … The Zags are still atop this bracket prediction. … Elsewhere in the WCC, Pacific rolled past Portland in Stockton. … BYU is off all week. That’s not good for a team hoping to earn an at-large NCAA berth.

WSU: Don’t let the Cougars’ final few minutes color your enjoyment of their 81-73 upset of UCLA last night. The win marks a 38-point turnaround from the game in Pauley Pavilion not that long ago. That’s a huge swing. Theo Lawson has the game story. … The volleyball team handed Colorado its first loss of the season. … Around the Pac-12 and college basketball, should the conference raid its athletic director ranks for the next commissioner? The answer is complicated. … Washington tightened up its defense but struggled to score and lost, again, to USC. The Trojans are alone atop the standings. … Chris Duarte’s return helped Oregon run past still-depleted Arizona State. What a lost year for the Sun Devils. … Huh. Arizona got to the foul line 1.7 million times last night in Tucson, a big help in defeating Oregon State. That never happens. … Colorado put a big hurt on Stanford’s NCAA hopes, as the Buffs rolled on the road. … Utah had been playing better. Not last night in Berkeley. Still, the Utes edged California. … In football news, this next recruiting cycle is important for Washington. … Nothing is normal in Salt Lake City. Or anywhere else.

EWU: The Eagles’ trip to Bozeman is a crucial one, as the Bobcats were also tied atop the conference standings. Even with Jacob Davison home sick, Eastern’s firepower proved to be too much for the Bobcats. Ryan Collingwood has the game story. … There has been quite a bit of recent turnover in the Eagle football coaching ranks. Ryan delves into the trio of coaches who have left town. … Elsewhere in the Big Sky, Montana helped the EWU cause by upsetting Weber State in Missoula. … Montana State’s search for a football coach was a winding road. … Idaho State has to rebuild its offensive line.

Idaho: The Idaho State women remained unbeaten in Big Sky play by spurting past the Vandals in the final minute or so. … The men were overpowered in Pocatello.

Preps: Gov. Jay Inslee’s announcement yesterday that Spokane’s region will head to Phase Two starting Sunday is a big deal for high school athletics. Dave Nichols explains what can happen now.

Seahawks: A lot of Seattle stars have left town mid-career. Will Russell Wilson join that parade? … Answers to your questions are available from Bob Condotta.  … The Hawks don’t have a first-round pick – thanks Jamal Adams – but there are always options in the second round.

Mariners: The M’s signed a talented reliever to a two-year contract. The first year, however, will be spent in rehab from Tommy John surgery. … The team also signed a handful of international players recently. How good are they?

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• If you like to read my thoughts on the presentation of the Gonzaga games on television, I’m sorry. Wait, that’s not how I meant to write that. What I meant to say is I’m sorry, but I won’t be writing Saturday. No TV Take. I’m taking the afternoon off. (Actually, I’m officially retired, so I’m just not working that day.) You’ll have to yell at your TV alone, metaphorically speaking, because our smiling mug won’t be on your doorstep Sunday morning to validate your opinions. Until later …