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.
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