A Grip on Sports: All joking aside, Gonzaga’s place in the college hoops hierarchy is illustrated once more in the preseason rankings

A GRIP ON SPORTS • Only ranked sixth in the nation? What’s wrong with Gonzaga men’s basketball? Hey, that’s only the first of a zillion Dad jokes we have today.

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• There is a list of five schools in Theo Lawson’s S-R story this morning concerning the Zags’ Associated Press preseason ranking. Yes, Gonzaga is included. The others? Duke, Kansas, North Carolina and Kentucky.

Those are the only schools to appear in 15 consecutive A.P. preseason polls. Not bad company, no? Heck, those five schools have 23 NCAA titles combined.

Yes, we know Mr. Snarky College Basketball Fan. The Zags are the only one of the five without one. But, to be fair, if any of three officials had seen Kennedy Meeks’ hand out-of-bounds in the Bulldogs’ 2017 title-game loss to UNC, then there would still be a total of 23. And one of them would be in Spokane.

Maybe more. As John Wooden said more than once, the first one is the hardest to win. And he won 10 of the darn things.

Could this be the season it happens for Mark Few and a Zag program that has traveled an uncharted path since 1999? Sure. And surely not. Who knows? Few and his GU program are revolutionary. A small Catholic university in a mid-major conference reaching the highest heights of the NCAA’s second-most important game.

And staying there. But the rules have changed. The richer programs have an ever-growing advantage. Yet, here we are, in mid-October, and there are the Bulldogs ranked. Again. Sixth.

It’s no joke. It’s also no guarantee. Roster turnover makes it easy to see who has the best talent. But harder to see who will coalesce and have the best team.

We start to find out how that process is playing out in these parts Oct. 26, when Gonzaga travels to the desert of Southern California to play an exhibition game with USC.

It’s an appetizer, with the main course Nov. 4 against eighth-ranked Baylor in the Spokane Arena, followed by a lot of nonconference desserts, including No. 23 Kentucky, two-time defending champion (and third-ranked) UConn and No. 22 UCLA, all in December. And all away from Spokane.

• One thing about being old enough to tell Dad jokes, it usually is accompanied with the wisdom of knowing when to be serious. And a lot of experience with other folks. In our case, others who have played a significant role in the Inland Northwest’s athletic history.

Eight people who fit that description will be inducted into the Inland Northwest Sports Hall of Fame tonight at the Spokane Memorial Arena. Of those eight, we’ve had more-than-occasional contact with seven of them.

The one we’ve missed? Longtime NHL referee Dennis LaRue, who, after retiring from that strenuous career in 2016, came back to Spokane to help develop the next generation of officials.

The other official on the list, retired Spokane Chronicle and Spokesman-Review sports writer Chuck Stewart, has been instrumental in Spokane softball umpiring since before the Expo days. And we caught more than a few games of fastpitch in front of Chuck on fields made possible by the hard work of Hal McGlathery, who spent his Spokane County career making sure folks like us had places to play.

Over the years in this space we’ve documented the sports careers of Jennifer Stinson Greeny, Stacy Clinesmith, Isaac Fontaine and Sue Doering (fixed from earlier), all of whom played or coached (or both) at a high level in the area. Along the way, we were joined by an old friend – and occasional basketball teammate – Bud Nameck, who has reported on and called more games in the region than we’ve covered.

It is another outstanding class. And we can guarantee at least one of them will regale the audience with a Dad – or Mom – joke. Or, in Greeny’s case, a joke about her dad, Jim. After all, no Hall of Fame player, coach or official ever got there without a support system that more often than not starts at home.

• Speaking of home, Hawaii will be a long way from its tropical one Saturday. Instead, the Rainbow Warriors will be in Pullman as Washington State’s homecoming opponent. It should be sunny on the Palouse – like Philadelphia, isn’t it always? – but quite a bit cooler – by some 25 degrees than Honolulu.

At least the 5-1 Cougars will try to put some heat on Hawaii quarterback Brayden Schaeger, who has been sacked more than 96% of FBS quarterbacks, even though UH has played just four FBS opponents this season – and lost each one.

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WSU: We start with Greg Woods’ first look at the Hawaii game (12:30 p.m., The CW). The Warriors have won twice, defeating two FCS schools in Hawaii. They have lost all four FBS games, including to UCLA, the Bruins’ lone win this season. No wonder the Cougars are favored by nearly three touchdowns. … Next year’s Apple Cup, which will return to Gesa Field, has been set for Sept. 20. Greg has a story on that as well. Sadly, we’re going to miss it. We’ll be overseas for the first time in our life, visiting the land of our ancestors. Che ne dici di quelle mele? … We mentioned Jen Stinson Greeny above. The former Washington State volleyball coach made the trip west from West Virginia to be at today’s ceremony. Jim Meehan tells us more in this story. … Elsewhere in the (new and old) Pac-12, the Mountain West and the nation, we linked Jon Wilner’s Best of the West rankings yesterday. We do it again today as they are in the S-R. … Wilner has his CFP projections in the Mercury News today as well as a look at the Heisman race. … John Canzano has his weekly mailbag and there are WSU questions. … Watching the end of Oregon’s 32-31 win over then second-ranked Ohio State, we immediately wondered if the Ducks took a 12-men-on-the-field defensive penalty on purpose to kill the clock. And discussed same with our son. We came to the conclusion they had. Smartly. Turns out, they did. Even if Dan Lanning wouldn’t come completely clean in his Monday presser. How long before the NCAA rule-makers make a change? We’re predicting such a penalty in the last 2 minutes will soon be unsportsmanlike conduct and 15 yards. … The second-ranked Ducks head to Purdue this week without a couple players. … Oregon State coach Trent Bray was adamant he has faith in his defensive coaches. With seven defensive linemen out injured, we understand that faith. Now, we question how much he may have in the school’s training staff as his team preps for UNLV. And, yes, that’s another (bad) Dad joke. … Washington coach Jedd Fisch feels playing in the Big Ten is no joke. The Huskies’ coach also has plans for this bye week. … Due to injuries, Colorado’s wide receiver depth with be tested this week. … We have been doing this job for a long time. But we have never witnessed a player whose career has been derailed more often than Utah’s Cam Rising. The quarterback is done for the year with another leg injury. He is eligible to return to the Utes for an eighth year. Should he? … We mentioned above UCLA has just one win this season. That is enough for the school’s athletic director to back his hand-picked coach. Wonder what it will take to get him to change his mind? … Arizona State is going the other way. And that holds pitfalls too. … Arizona has a good quarterback. And it needs to keep him healthy. … In the Mountain West, Colorado State lost a key receiver to injury for the rest of the season. … New Mexico picked up a win last week. This week the Lobos face a Utah State squad with just one win itself. … San Diego State, hoping to turn its season around, has a bye before it hosts WSU. … Hawaii has decided to take most of its non-football sports out of the Big West and put them into the Mountain West. … Wyoming is sticking with its quarterback. … The Nevada women’s volleyball players announced this week they are forfeiting their upcoming match with San Jose State. It’s part of an on-going protest that has cost the Spartans a handful of matches already. But the school itself says the contest is still on. What a mess. 

Gonzaga: Yes, we linked Theo’s story on the Zags’ preseason ranking above. But, just in case you skipped over our outstanding column, here is the link once more. Oh, lest we forget, shame on you. … Ken Pom’s rankings also came out this week. Gonzaga is ninth but second in offensive rating, behind only Alabama.

Preps: Dave Nichols has a roundup of Monday’s action, which includes the first of the fall sports’ District playoffs. Yep, already. In slowpitch.

Idaho: We’re not rooting for the Vandals, as we don’t root for anyone. Even if UI’s defense includes two players we coached in basketball when they were in middle school. But we do hope Idaho can get healthy down the stretch, mainly because if it does, and finds a way into the FCS playoffs, some higher-ranked team will be in for an upsetting first playoff game. Peter Harriman tells how the 13th-ranked Vandals are trying to bounce back after their unsettling Saturday in Bozeman, a game that cost UI another quarterback. … Elsewhere in the Big Sky, Montana State also lost a starter for the season in the game. The Bobcats face Portland State this week. … Northern Colorado’s first win also meant its first weekly conference award. … In basketball news, Idaho State has a lot of new faces on its men’s team. Like most schools.

Seahawks: We linked this story yesterday from The Athletic about the offensive line, Geno Smith and the burden they carry. Today Micheal-Shawn Dugar’s story ran in the S-R. … The Hawks made a trade yesterday with Jacksonville. They shored up the defensive line, picking up veteran tackle Roy Robertson-Harris for a draft pick. … They also have an ex-Husky on the roster.

Mariners: One at-bat was all it took for the Mets to A) end the Dodger pitchers’ 33-inning shutout streak. And 2) set the tone for New York’s 7-3 win Game Two win in the NLCS. (Did you notice the awful Dad joke there?) … The Yankees’ Juan Soto and Giancarlo Stanton each homered and Carlos Rodón pitched superbly as the Yankees opened the ALCS with a 5-2 win over Cleveland in the Bronx.

Kraken: Defenseman Ryker Evans deals every day with celiac disease. And still competes in the NHL.

Sounders: Set pieces have become a big part of Seattle’s offensive attack.

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• Our favorite Dad joke making the rounds these days? This one: “My boss said ‘dress for the job you want, not for the job you have.’ So I went to work dressed as Batman.” As a side note, we have our Batman pajamas on right now. Until later …