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| Gilder and Woolridge: Two angels that God sent us from Texas. |
Waking up on a cold and
snowy morning here in Spokane, WA. It’s
spring break here for the schools, and of course everyone knows that, because of
COVID-19, spring break is extended indefinitely.
Major disruptions in
society! And before carrying on with the
main theme of this piece, I must express my gratitude that we live in an area
where those disruptions, though certainly annoying, are nowhere near as
problematic and serious (so far) as in other regions of the world. We are very
lucky to be living here.
However: No basketball! And more to my point, no NCAA college
tournament. For a “normal” person, compared
to all else, this deprivation would seem trivial, and for this I apologize here
at the outset. I won’t even try to
justify my interest in the sport or my disappointment that the season has ended
before its annual climax. Courtus
interruptus.
I have good friends who not
only don’t care about college basketball but who critique and contemn organized
sports, particularly football and basketball, at the college and professional
level, for reasons various and admittedly well-founded. Here’s a link to just one of many of these opinions
on the subject:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/richardvedder/2018/03/14/perpetual-madness-not-just-in-march/#7707f61e65bc
Good for them! They won’t have to suffer from the deprivation
and might even enjoy a bit of schadenfreude.
Personally, I think college
sports (with the possible exception of football) are good for society. That’s my opinion; I might be wrong. If you’re opposed to sports or otherwise
uninterested, you should probably stop reading here. (Assuming you’ve even got this
far.)
Today, March 15, was
supposed to be Selection Sunday, when the brackets and seedings for 68 teams
would be revealed. As most hoops fans
know, my team, the Gonzaga Bulldogs, aka Zags, were expecting a #1 seed and not
only that, but to be placed in the West Region and play their first two games
in the Spokane Arena. The Gonzaga
women’s team, though not quite so highly ranked, were likewise expected to
secure a home-court advantage.
Having not missed a
tournament in the past twenty-one years, we Zags fans have become extremely
spoiled. That’s what makes missing this
year’s Madness so painful. We’ve come to
expect it, to anticipate the rush and excitement (and eventual, inevitable
let-down), just like a drug addict.
Having that awareness doesn’t make it less painful.
This season evolved in a
way that added even more intense interest for me and an old friend who lives
near San Diego. His team, the SDSU
Aztecs, finished the season at 30-2, just one win behind the Zags. (They were the only two teams to finish (even
before they were really finished,) with 30 wins. As the season progressed, and our hoops-based text
conversations became more frequent, we began to hope that both the Zags and
Aztecs would be placed in the West Region, Zags at #1 seed and the Aztecs perhaps
at #2; so they might meet in the Region Final, which would have been on March
28 or 29.
But, hopes dashed! Never
again will the basketball planets align in such a way. Not in our lifetime, anyway. Nevermore.
Much has been written, in
both local and national news, about this season’s Zags men’s team. And for good reason. Their success surprised everyone; fans,
coaches, writers, me, and perhaps even the players themselves. From my own viewpoint, the team is (alas, was!)
unique. (Well, every team is unique, but
this team was uniquely unique.) Due to
injuries and other unforeseen misfortunes, the rotation was pared to seven guys: Two Frenchmen, Tillie and Ayayi, Petruchev
the Serbian, Kispert, a local from Edmonds, Timme the freshman phenom from Texas,
and Gilder and Woolridge, both 5th year transfers also from Texas. Early
in the year, Anton Watson, a promising freshman from right here in Spokane,
went down with a shoulder injury that required surgery and ended his season.
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| Tillie |
Every player of the seven
that remained met or exceeded expectations.
But it was the way they stuck and played together that was so
wonderful. At times, because of
injuries, the rotation was cut to six.
Individually and as a group, they seemed so fragile. Each game, though they might win it by 30, was
an escape from disaster. One more injury
would surely have done us in. That was how a spoiled fan (me, who knew guys’
strengths and weaknesses) saw the season.
But, Lord, how well they played together! It was a joy to watch, and I am grateful,
even as I mourn the abrupt and untimely termination of the season.
Two weeks ago, my wife and I
went to the Zags’ last home game at the Kennel.
It was Senior Night, and they beat our “hated” rival St. Mary’s. The three honored senior players were Tillie,
Woolridge and Gilder. I’ll end this
piece by giving them a little extra love.
Each of them had to endure a lot physical pain and other hardship to play
ball at Gonzaga. Tillie was here for all
four years, but ever since the end of sophomore year, was plagued by what
seemed a never-ending series of injuries to his lower extremities. How Gilder and Woolridge got here as 5th-year
transfers is a story in itself, or rather two stories. Each of them, too, had serious injuries and
other obstacles to overcome. And for
what? They left home to come play in Spokane--a nice little city for sure but not
one known for its high culture—hoping for a chance for to go all the way to the
Title. And oh, they came so close! Thanks, you guys.
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