More Top Sports >>
<< Prev | Next >>

SPOKANE, Wash. -- This is the closest to a rebuilding season Gonzaga basketball has had in years. Four starters from last year's Sweet 16 team are gone.

Matt Bouldin leads a small group of returning letterwinners, joined by 10 newcomers who have never played college basketball.

"I'd rather look at seven veterans that have been here for four years," coach Mark Few said. "A majority of the people on the floor are new to this program."

Not that anyone in the West Coast Conference takes much comfort in that. The Zags have won nine straight WCC regular-season titles and made 11 straight trips to the NCAA tournament.

Portland has all five starters back from a team that finished 19-13 last season. But coach Eric Reveno doesn't expect the Zags to be down.

"Can we compete for the second or third spot?" Reveno said. "How close are we to Gonzaga?"

The other WCC coaches predicted Gonzaga would win the league again, despite the loss of starters Austin Daye, who became a first-round NBA draft pick after his sophomore year, Josh Heytvelt, Jeremy Pargo and Micah Downs.

Text a friend >>

<< Prev | Next >>
More Top Sports >>