In search of a GURU

It seemed like a simple assignment. I would go out, find a sport that I've never played before, and attempt to survive through an organized game.

After deciding that I didn't want to take a beating from lacrosse or experience the early morning hours of rowing, I finally settled on Ultimate Frisbee. What little experience I had with the sport came from my days in middle-school P.E., but the game seemed simple enough that I figured I could fake my way though it. What could possibly go wrong?

Gonzaga Ultimate (or simply GURU) team captain Ryan Van Hook was more than willing to let me participate in one of their practices, and so despite freezing temperatures I went out to Mulligan Field one night to join the team.

At first, all I got were encouraging signs. Even after I told Van Hook that I had barely played before, he told me that most of the players on the team had never played competitively before college.

Well that makes me feel better, I thought. Maybe I won't do so bad after all.

And then I got hold of a disc.

Keep in mind, I go months at a time without touching one, let alone perfecting my tosses. My first few attempts at a pass during warm-ups ended up being wobbly tosses that barely skidded above the ground. Van Hook tried to show me the technique of a forehand toss, but that ended up being even worse, as my throws went out of my hand at awkward angles and never came close to reaching my partner. I soon went back to my fifth-grade, wobbly form.

I tried to play it off and finally fired off some decent looking tosses, just in time for warm-ups to end. I caught up with my friend and third-year team member Spencer Magnussen, attempting to get a realistic gauge on my skills.

"Honestly, I don't think you'll do that well," he said. "You don't know any of the plays, and I really don't know how in shape you are."

In shape? How intense is this going to be?

Before I knew it, I was in the middle of a box drill, running and cutting from corner to corner while attempting to catch passes. Players and discs were flying at me from all sides, and I went from trying to do well to trying to stay alive. After several missed cuts and near-collisions, I was out of breath.

"That was rough," I said to Magnussen.

"Well that was the easy drill," he replied.

Normally, I would have been completely embarrassed by my performance at that point, had it not been for the welcoming group of guys on this team. Every time I seemed to screw up, someone offered to explain the drills to me, and I was met with shouts of encouragement whenever it was my turn. Most of the team thought I was a new guy looking to join, and it seemed like they all wanted me to do well.

After about an hour, I finally decided to not let them waste their entire practice teaching me the basics, and opted to sit out for the first few plays of the scrimmage. Not only did it allow my dizziness to subside, but I was able to see just how intricately and intensely this team played. They were a machine: Cutting, passing and catching as if to a rhythm. They had the game down to a science, and nothing was overlooked.

Whereas my original perception of Ultimate was just a lot of running around and throwing a disc, the team showed how strategic and calculated the game can be.

Still, I thought that I could hold my own for a few plays, and finally went into the game. I thought that I would just guard a few people, maybe catch a pass or two. It would be fine.

Moments later, I was back on the sideline, as a tornado of a game left me disoriented and my ego a bit bruised. Not only did I not comprehend the offense - I often found my teammates telling me to get back in formation - but physically I couldn't keep up with the pace of the game. With no discernible Ultimate skills and no traction thanks to my basketball shoes, I couldn't get open, I couldn't stay with opponents in a breakaway, and I couldn't defend against cuts that would make a running back jealous.

I had finally had enough, and decided to officially retire from my brief Ultimate career. To play at this level was not for the inexperienced.

Surprisingly, I was invited back, which was a miracle in and of itself, but that just shows the character of a team that simply wants to have fun playing their game at a high level.

It was painfully obvious - I was wrong about Ultimate, and I would never have known about just how overwhelming the game really is, had a GURU not shown me the way.

Zags, Toreros control their own destinies

As the final buzzer sounded on the WCC Tournament Championship nearly two weeks ago, the fortunes of two teams were dramatically altered.

Now, both teams will be fighting to change or secure their reputations as they step onto the biggest stage possible - the NCAA Tournament.

One team finds itself in a familiar place but unfamiliar territory as the tournament opens, with their high hopes marred season-long by inconsistencies, and now must prove to themselves that they have not fallen down the Division-I ladder. The other team is in the midst of a storybook season - no one expected them to be so good so soon.

Over the next few weeks, or possibly only days, we will witness the beginning of the next chapter for the Gonzaga Bulldogs and the San Diego Toreros.

For the first time in recent memory, the entire scope of the WCC is changing, a fact made more evident thanks to that championship game.

With the Toreros' sudden arrival and the Bulldogs' sudden unpredictability, for the first time in years things are looking interesting, as the last meeting between the two has changed the outlook and ambitions for both teams.

For San Diego, everything from here on out this season is just icing on the cake. First-year head coach Bill Grier came into this season simply looking to lay the groundwork for a young team. By the end of the year, they were conference champions, upsetting the Zags after the former Bulldogs assistant molded this Toreros team like he helped to mold Gonzaga, from doormats to darlings.

For Gonzaga, everything from here on out this season is about restoring their standing. Mark Few came into this season with one of his deepest and most talented squads ever, and fans had high expectations about what this group could accomplish. By the end of the year, it was impossible to know which Bulldog team would show up to the game: the one that had looked so impressive in road wins against Connecticut and St. Joeseph's, or the unsure, tentative group that gave away wins against Oklahoma and Washington State. The Bulldogs still went 7-6 against 10 eventual NCAA Tournament teams, but never showed consistency, and were outplayed and outmatched in the WCC final by San Diego.

For San Diego, their tournament matchup is a can't-lose. If they pull off the more and more possible upset of Connecticut, it's gravy. If they lose, they can build on their experience for the future.

For Gonzaga, their tournament matchup is a must-win. They have the ability to decide which way their season will be defined - by inconsistencies and lapses, or by proving that the talent they have on paper can translate to the court. While Davidson is no pushover, a Zags loss will be the ultimate blow to a team that has struggled to establish itself.

For San Diego, the future has arrived early.

For Gonzaga, all eyes are on the here and now.

Two teams with several different possible destinies, and both now on the brink of determining their fates thanks to the outcome of one game.

The next few games could determine whether that game meant nothing, or everything, whether the WCC will stay as it has been for 10 years, or if a new era has arrived.

As the new chapters for these two teams begin, what will appear on those pages will be what the Zags and the Toreros each allow to be written during this NCAA Tournament. Only one thing is certain: no matter the outcome, it will sure be an interesting read.

Bulldogs' season needs more than hope

As the real show begins, the Gonzaga Bulldogs are banking on hope.

They're hoping that their sudden resurgence is the real thing, a sign of how good this team can be.

They're hoping that Saint Mary's isn't as good as advertised, and that the Zags' loss to the Gaels was simply a fluke.

They're hoping that Bill Grier's San Diego Toreros can't keep up their inspired play as of late, including their near-win against the Bulldogs on Feb. 18.

They're hoping that finally, after a long, perplexing season, they have figured out how to put all the pieces together and become the team they have the potential to be.

In short, they're hoping for the best.

But now, as the Bulldogs enter the WCC Tournament, the Bulldogs need to find a way to continue to utilize the fire they've shown for the past month. This is no longer a time for hope. It's a time for action, a time for playmaking, a time for good, smart basketball.

In other words, it's time to put up or shut up.

It certainly wouldn't be surprising to see the Bulldogs dominate the tournament, as the past several weeks have shown that the Bulldogs have the talent to turn it on and overpower their WCC rivals, but the question is whether this rejuvenation has started to emerge soon enough. A few months ago, this Bulldogs team was getting plenty of wins against weak competition (Northern Colorado? UC Riverside? What, was Texas Pan-American not available?) but seemingly falter against top-tier teams. Even the win against UConn came at a time when the Huskies were struggling to establish themselves.

For a time, the frustrations started to add up, as did the excuses. Josh Heytvelt and Steven Gray have been out with injuries. The losses came against teams that were obviously better. We've played hard in all the games. As if those were supposed to justify being held to 47 points on 25 percent shooting against Washington State, or being upset by Oklahoma after leading most of the game, or losing to a Texas Tech team that currently sits in the cellar of the Big 12.

And then suddenly, this new, revitalized Bulldogs team emerged in conference play. Aside from a lone loss to St. Mary's, the Zags have been nearly untouchable, dominating games they were supposed to win and grinding out the close ones when things looked bad. They have had the look of a veteran team, the type that knows how to win games and the type that wreaks havoc in the NCAA Tournament.

Suddenly every shot got bigger, every pass got crisper and every win built this team up more and more.

But it's not over yet, as this team has positioned itself to do more than just have a good conference record. WCC glory isn't going to happen by accident, it's going to take a lot of work for this team, especially with issues that have perplexed fans all season. Why has Josh Heytvelt continued to struggle until lately? When will the rotation be set? Who will emerge as our main guy? Now is the time to be accountable for rectifying these issues. Something needs to happen if the Bulldogs hope to continue their impressive stretch run.

We've seen what this Bulldog team can do. Pepperdine and LMU are still nursing their wounds from the beating the Zags gave them, and Memphis was nearly caught off guard by the Bulldogs' intensity. But they need to continue to play at that level.

Regardless of this tournament's outcome, there's no doubt that the Zags will make the NCAA Tournament, as their RPI and strength of schedule have made sure of that. But the team's success once there hinges on its ability to consistently show how good it can be. With enough focus, the Bulldogs can prolong this re-emergence and show they still deserve to be at the top of an improved WCC.

They hope.