A Grip on Sports: Gonzaga and Saint Mary’s meeting may not hold the cachet of recent ones, but expect a typical February battle

A GRIP ON SPORTS • This time of year, just past the ides of February, a few things are givens when talking college sports. Conference races and the upcoming tournaments, for example. Baseball season beginning. And, of course, football. Always football.

•••••••

• It seems odd Saint Mary’s is in Spokane tonight to play top-ranked Gonzaga and the buzz is muted. Where the heck is Omar Samhan, aka the human hype machine, when you need him? The Gaels just haven’t played all that well since the new year, partly because of virus pauses and partly because there just isn’t as much talent in Moraga as usual.

Though, the last time the teams met, in California, the Zags trailed by double digits in the first half and seemed a bit befuddled. Then again, they won by 14. A similar win won’t cover the spread tonight – it’s more than 21 – but it would be another step toward GU’s inevitable-seeming West Coast Conference title. (We only added “seeming” in deference to the weird nature of 2020-21.)

In the other west coast conference, the Pac-12, the race is not only tight – and still not close to being over. USC took another step toward the regular season crown last night by handling Arizona State with ease. The Trojans are in the lead, with UCLA and Oregon nipping at their heels.

Washington State? The Cougars need to reset their values heading into a homestand against California and Stanford. On top of their list? Value the basketball. With Isaac Bonton out with an injury, WSU turned the ball over 19 times against the Huskies in Monday night’s two-point loss. You have to believe if the Cougars had just 15 turnovers in that one, they would have found a way to score at least three more points in those four possessions and win.

Out in Cheney, the Eagles host Montana tonight – weird, huh, Saint Mary’s and Montana in the area the same night and neither are in first or second in their conference – with a chance to really open a lead in the Big Sky race.

March must be just around the corner.

• With that in mind, we have to start thinking about baseball. Pro baseball, sure, as spring training is the ritual rewrite to winter’s wicked blows. That annual rite is getting underway this week.

But college baseball, which hardly made a dent in last year’s spring, is back on this weekend. Washington State is debuting a new facility, albeit one that a bit out of the public eye. And Gonzaga hopes to continue its run of WCC success, returning a large group of veterans.

There may be snow on the ground, but that’s never stopped college baseball in these parts.

• One thing we usually aren’t too worried about in late February is football. Real football. At the college level, adding “spring” to football connotes practice. Not this season. Eastern and Idaho are hard at work preparing for their season opener that is nine days away. Welcome to one more virus-altered competition.

The colleges are not alone, however. High school athletes are clearing snow and preparing for a short season as well in Washington. As basketball playoffs begin across the border in Idaho, Spokane schools get ready to kick off before the month ends.

•••

Gonzaga: As can always be expected, Jim Meehan has a preview of tonight’s game in the Kennel. Not only will Saint Mary’s be in attendance, so will any Gonzaga player’s parents who can make the trek. It should add a different atmosphere to the ESPN-televised game. … Jim also has the key matchup. … Larry Weir previews the game and the rest of the season with Steven Karr on the latest Press Box podcast. … The women also have a key game tonight, traveling to second-place BYU. Jim Allen has a preview of the game as well as a feature on Jill Townsend’s parents making a trip to Provo to see their daughter play. … Connor Gilbert has a preview of Gonzaga’s baseball season. … Just how good are the Gonzaga men? Historically, we mean. … Elsewhere in the WCC, what are the pros and cons of the BYU men skipping the postseason tournament? And just how will the tourney seeding work?

WSU: California is a golden opportunity for the Cougars but only is they can hang on to the ball. Theo Lawson has more in this preview. … Theo also has a look at the new-look Bailey-Brayton facility and the baseball team. … Around the Pac-12 and college basketball, Oregon is on the upswing. Players are getting healthy for the stretch run. … When Washington’s bigs left early for the NBA, Mike Hopkins needed to find replacements. It’s taken awhile, but he might have. … Oregon State needs to win the conference tournament to keep playing. … Colorado needs to regroup quickly. … Utah will be without a player due to national team issues. … As we mentioned, USC started the week with a win over Arizona State. … UCLA hosts Arizona needing a win to keep pace. The Wildcats aren’t playing for the postseason of course. … In football news, if you don’t know football intimately, don’t apply to be the next conference commissioner.

EWU: If you are looking for reasons why Eastern has been successful in basketball the past few years, don’t forget to look at the coaching roster. As Ryan Collingwood shares, Shantay Legens’ staff is young, energetic and good. … Tonight’s opponent, Montana, has been dealing with off-the-court issues. … Elsewhere in the Big Sky, Montana State and Montana’s rivalry football game will be in Missoula this fall. That’s because the conference has decided to move the 2020 schedule to fall, 2021.

Preps: With volleyball starting up, Dave Nichols took some time to preview the Spokane-area schools’ season.

Mariners: The M’s spring training games will include fans. Less than 20 percent of capacity, but still.

Seahawks: Just how valuable is Jamal Adams to the Hawks? … The smaller cap could help Russell Wilson. There will be offensive linemen out there. … The next Ring of Honor selection? How about Joe Nash. No, really. I loved Joe Nash.

•••       

• This was posted early today because I have to be out of the house early. Hey, stop looking so askew. I’m a busy man. There are at least three things on my to-do list before the Gonzaga game tonight. Luckily, Bill Walton isn’t assigned to do the color commentary. I would have another assignment: find my English/Walton, Walton/English dictionary. Last I saw it, it was tucked away in its mini-yurt down in the basement. Nope, tonight Jay Bilas fills that role. We will return to this site after with our TV Take. Until later …