Gonzaga Blows 16-Point Lead, Perfect Season to BYU

The late Al McGuire used to say he actually liked his team taking a loss just before March Madness.

His thinking was it made them realize how easily upsets can happen.

If so, then Gonzaga is primed for a run.

It took a totally brain-dead view of reality by the Bulldogs combined with a tenacious effort from 21-point underdog BYU to make it happen, but it did, to the tune of a 79-71 upset.

Both teams were atrocious from the line -- Zags: 16-29; Cougars: 14-21 -- but that wasn't the telling factor here.

Instead, the question that had to be asked from the early stages after each half was did the nation's No 1 team forget they had a 7-1, 300lb unstoppable force on their side?

Przemek Karnowski is a literal man-mountain with a deadly left hook and above-average footwork. BYU had no answer for him, except for the occasional double-team, at which point the Polish powerhouse would dish to an open teammate.

Dude was open most of the game, and yet, he was only 4-6 -- six shots! -- in 28 minutes on the night.

Granted, Karnowski didn't help his own cause by going 2-6 from the stripe, but forcing BYU's outstanding Eric Mika into foul situations woulda been worth a larger dose of persistence.

Instead, the Zags countered with an outside game that was misfiring all night -- 3-18 on home court -- and slashes that the Cougars anticipated and stuffed.

What in the name of Wilt Chamberlain were they doing out there?

Nigel Williams-Goss, for example, went an inexcusable 7-17; he had better options, one of which was a teammate whose resemblance to Mt Spokane was only different because he wasn't covered in snow.

Somewhere, San Antonio Spurs coach Greg Popovich is shaking his head. He went on record last year about where the game's being mismanaged:

The arc was born as a gimmick, but it served a strategic purpose in opening up the inside. This was Pop's point, that the trey's been bastardized as a primary attack rather than an integrated element of a balanced offense.

Dude's right, as usual.

There are gonna be days when long-range and rim charges don't get it done. That's when coaches -- Mark Few included -- need to be slightly more resourceful than Dr Evil.

At 29-1 with non-con conquests of Florida, Iowa State, Arizona, Tennessee, there shouldn't be much discussion yet about Gonzaga's seeding.

But the WCC tourney in Las Vegas is up next. Saint Mary's and BYU are no joke.

Neither is Karnowski. But if the Zags don't utilize him more efficiently, they will be.