A Grip on Sports: Spokane’s unending relationship with national news stories touches a sad one this week

A GRIP ON SPORTS • Might as well admit it. Oftentimes March’s madness results in March sadness. And not just from ending up on the wrong end of the scoreboard, either.

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• Part of watching basketball, or any sport, really, is the opportunity to watch the best players compete. Who doesn’t move a little forward in their seat when Shohei Ohtani steps into the batter’s box to face Gerrit Cole or Logan Gilbert? Or feel a little anticipation when LeBron tries to attack the rim with Giannis Antetokounmpo in his way?

That feeling was certainly going to be in play this weekend, what with eight of the NCAA’s best women’s basketball teams – and their stars – descending on Spokane for half of the Sweet Sixteen.

UCLA’s Lauren Betts. LSU’s Aneesah Morrow. Connecticut’s Paige Bueckers. And, maybe most anticipated, USC’s JuJu Watkins, the most dynamic player in the women’s game.

Sadly, Watkins won’t be playing. And has probably played her final college contest.

The Trojan star tore her right ACL Monday night early in what turned out to be a 96-59 Sweet Sixteen-clinching win over Mississippi State. Her season is done. And, with the injury happening in late March of her sophomore season, more than likely she’ll not set foot on a college court again.

The game will be lesser for it. So will this weekend’s games. The best players become that way by craving competition. And Watkins’ injury robs Kansas State – USC’s opponent Saturday opponent here – as well as Bueckers and UConn, if they get past Oklahoma that day, of facing the Trojans at their best.

March sadness indeed.

• It didn’t surprise me in the slightest Spokane’s two NCAA regionals already hold oversized importance in the nation’s basketball consciousness. The city’s news vortex is working overtime lately.

I’ve delved in the phenomenon before, how so many national and worldwide news stories have some sort of Spokane connection well beyond the city’s, or region’s, weight class. Watkins’ injury is just another example of it.

Want another from the men’s game? And one that also features the guy typing out the story? OK, you’re covered.

Colorado State men’s coach Niko Medved accepted the Minnesota job Monday, heading back to his alma mater. Many of you with long memories can recall it was the Gophers who poached Gonzaga coach Dan Monson at the end of the last century, after Monson had led the Zags to their first Elite Eight.

No, that’s not the subject of our story. Just the impetus.

See, there is a large groundswell of support in Fort Collins and elsewhere for the Pac-12-bound Rams to hire Medved’s longtime top assistant, Ali Farokhmanesh. And that’s where the vortex sucks us all in.

Farokhmanesh grew up in Pullman. His mom, Cindy Fredrick, was the head volleyball coach at Washington State. His dad, Mashallah Farokhmanesh, was one of her assistants.

So it’s little wonder Ali went into coaching. It’s the family business, after all. But back in 2003 or 2004 – I can’t be 100% sure of the year – he was just another high school player trying to improve. And he headed up to Spokane’s University High to take part in Dan Fitzgerald’s annual basketball camp.

One of the camp’s counselors? Me. And Farokhmanesh was a part of my team.

Fitz had browbeat me one night at the Maxwell House or Park Inn or somewhere about coaching at his Hoopfest-sponsored camp. Of course I said yes. I did every year. Who told the former Gonzaga coach no?

After the camp ended Sunday afternoon, Ali brought his mom and dad over to be introduced and asked for a quick evaluation of his performance. I quickly listed the things he excelled at – I’m guessing shooting was one, considering his college career at Northern Iowa included one of the more famous 3-pointers in NCAA history – and the skills I felt he could improve.

It was an interaction that probably happens a million times a year in gyms around the nation. Did it have any impact on Ali’s future? Probably not. But it certainly did on mine.

As is the case with every player I’ve ever coached, I’ve followed his career. Still do. Which is why I am rooting for him – not in my role here, but in a personal sense – to take the next step up the coaching ladder. It’s time.

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WSU: The women opened up WNIT play last night with a 57-54 win over visiting Utah Valley. Greg Woods was in Beasley and has this game story. So was WSU journalism professor Matt Loveless, who shared Utah Valley coach Dan Nielsen’s reaction to the loss on Twitter. It’s not Dan Hurley level but there are similarities. … The transfer portal sucked in another Cougar men’s player. Leading scorer Nate Calmese has entered. Greg has that story as well. … Elsewhere in the (current, old and future) Pac-12 and the nation, Jon Wilner delves into the geography of the Sweet Sixteen in this Mercury News column. … He also has a power ranking of the 16 teams. … John Canzano has a mailbag from Monday. … One of our favorite writers, the Washington Post’s Chuck Culpepper, wonders where all the Cinderella’s have gone. … People in Montlake may be wondering where all the Husky men’s players have gone. … With Oregon’s season over, it’s time to start looking at who may be back in the fall and how they have improved. … Utah found out it is losing a player. … Former Arizona coach Sean Miller has moved on from Xavier to Texas. … The best San Diego State big, who no one else recruited out of high school, is entering the portal. … Around the women’s game, the Watkins’ injury is the biggest news of course. … UCLA is prepping for its trip to Spokane. … Colorado found some success this year. … In football news, Christian Caple takes a look at Washington’s tight end corps. … ESPN will broadcast Colorado’s pro day. … Here are 10 players to focus on as Arizona State practices this spring. … Arizona is focused on explosiveness on defense. … Boise State has to replace its best pass rusher.

Gonzaga: The first shoe has dropped. Sophomore Dusty Stromer has entered the transfer portal. Jim Meehan has this story. … The question is who will supply the pair? Or will there not be anymore? Our vote: More Gonzaga players will enter the portal. Not much of a limb in saying that though. Jim and Richard Fox talked about the roster on the latest episode of the Zag Basketball Insiders Podcast. You can listen here. … We figured this Wilner column about the Zags’ season, one we took a bit of exception to yesterday, would appear in the S-R. It did. … Elsewhere in the WCC, Randy Bennett loses some big pieces, literally. But the Saint Mary’s coach envisions another NCAA berth next season. … It was a terrible Sunday for West Coast schools in the NIT. Santa Clara, USF and Stanford all lost. Only UC Irvine moved on to the quarterfinals.

EWU and Idaho: A trio of Eagles and a couple of Vandals entered the portal yesterday. Dan Thompson has the story. … Elsewhere in the Big Sky, Sacramento State is hiring Mike Bibby as its men’s basketball coach. … Montana State lost a player to the portal Monday. … Northern Arizona was eliminated from the CBI on Sunday. … Montana held a press conference to officially announce its new women’s coach. Someone who has already coached most of a season. … In football news, Montana State isn’t averse to making changes.

Preps: Dave Nichols has a roundup of Monday’s action.

Chiefs: Dan returns with a story on upcoming WHL expansion. Penticton will become the sixth member of the Western Conference’s British Columbia division next season.

Mariners: Matt Brash took the mound in Peoria yesterday for his first game action in almost a year. The hard-throwing reliever is back following Tommy John surgery. … The M’s won fewer games this spring than they ever have. Is it a bad sign? … Dan Wilson has a lot resting on his shoulders.

Seahawks: Depth is important. The Hawks have added some at tight end and on special teams.

Kraken: Language plays a part in how hockey teams put together their lines.

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• Sometimes everything is going along smoothly in the morning. And then an interruption hits. Happened today. And the last few minutes become a frantic rush to make deadline. How fun. Until later …