VIPsports Edge Stanford at Gonzaga

Tommy · 02-11-06, 11:14 AM

The ESPN “College Gameday” crew heads to the Pacific Northwest to broadcast Stanford at Gonzaga. The Zags have had some quality teams the past few years, and have been a darling around tournament time, but their newfound national publicity is due to one player, Adam Morrison.

Bet Now: Stanford (+7.5) at Gonzaga

Morrison is a 6’8” junior forward who is averaging over 28 points per game, and is expected to be a top 5 pick in next years NBA draft. Morrison has an inside / outside game that he patterns after NBA legend Larry Bird, but is it really necessary to have the same 1970’s moustache that Bird wore?

Unfortunately for Stanford, Morrison is not the team’s only weapon. J.P Batista is a banger inside and averaging 19 points per game and nine rebounds. Point guard, Derek Raivio can light it up from outside, although he has really struggled of late.

Gonzaga is 19-3 overall and the 5th ranked team in the country. They are also 9-0 in the West Coast Conference. Despite that lofty mark, Gonzaga has not exactly been playing perfect.

Their conference record includes a one point win at San Diego, and a one point home win over St. Mary’s. Gonzaga is 9-13 against the spread (ATS) for the year and just 2-8 ATS at home.

Stanford is only 12-8 on the year, but a respectable 8-4 in the PAC-10. Those numbers are a little deceiving as they are currently playing their best basketball of the season.

The Cardinals have won five of their last six games and eight of ten overall. They are desperately trying to make up for a 4-6 start, and need to pile up victories to get into the NCAA tournament. A win over the highly ranked Zags would go a long way in aiding that effort.

Stanford is led by three seniors, Matt Haryasz, Dan Grunfeld, and Chris Hernandez. Together, they average almost 45 points per game or 2/3rds of the team’s scoring. Haryasz was poked in the eye last week, but still scored 18 points in a loss at California on Thursday night, while wearing protective goggles.

Gonzaga has only played three games in the last two weeks, all against pretty soft competition. To win this game, they are going to have to turn up their play a notch, which is likely given they will be playing in front of the national audience.

This is a must win for Stanford, but it will not be easy trying to break Gonzaga’s 35 game home winning streak. Still, this should be a close and hard-fought game.

Prediction: Gonzaga 77, Stanford, 73

Please contact Michael at edge@vipsports.com with any suggestions.

http://edge.vipsports.com

02-11-06, 11:14 AM	#1 (permalink)
Tommy Now go get your shinebox Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Sportscapper Island Posts: 15,068	VIPsports Edge Stanford at Gonzaga The ESPN “College Gameday” crew heads to the Pacific Northwest to broadcast Stanford at Gonzaga. The Zags have had some quality teams the past few years, and have been a darling around tournament time, but their newfound national publicity is due to one player, Adam Morrison. Bet Now: Stanford (+7.5) at Gonzaga Morrison is a 6’8” junior forward who is averaging over 28 points per game, and is expected to be a top 5 pick in next years NBA draft. Morrison has an inside / outside game that he patterns after NBA legend Larry Bird, but is it really necessary to have the same 1970’s moustache that Bird wore? Unfortunately for Stanford, Morrison is not the team’s only weapon. J.P Batista is a banger inside and averaging 19 points per game and nine rebounds. Point guard, Derek Raivio can light it up from outside, although he has really struggled of late. Gonzaga is 19-3 overall and the 5th ranked team in the country. They are also 9-0 in the West Coast Conference. Despite that lofty mark, Gonzaga has not exactly been playing perfect. Their conference record includes a one point win at San Diego, and a one point home win over St. Mary’s. Gonzaga is 9-13 against the spread (ATS) for the year and just 2-8 ATS at home. Stanford is only 12-8 on the year, but a respectable 8-4 in the PAC-10. Those numbers are a little deceiving as they are currently playing their best basketball of the season. The Cardinals have won five of their last six games and eight of ten overall. They are desperately trying to make up for a 4-6 start, and need to pile up victories to get into the NCAA tournament. A win over the highly ranked Zags would go a long way in aiding that effort. Stanford is led by three seniors, Matt Haryasz, Dan Grunfeld, and Chris Hernandez. Together, they average almost 45 points per game or 2/3rds of the team’s scoring. Haryasz was poked in the eye last week, but still scored 18 points in a loss at California on Thursday night, while wearing protective goggles. Gonzaga has only played three games in the last two weeks, all against pretty soft competition. To win this game, they are going to have to turn up their play a notch, which is likely given they will be playing in front of the national audience. This is a must win for Stanford, but it will not be easy trying to break Gonzaga’s 35 game home winning streak. Still, this should be a close and hard-fought game. Prediction: Gonzaga 77, Stanford, 73 Please contact Michael at edge@vipsports.com with any suggestions. http://edge.vipsports.com
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