The "10 Days Until Gonzaga Basketball" Zag Tracks

-- Expectations for the Zags have never been higher and this article by Spokane's KXLY shows how the players and staff are dealing with the pressure of being a top team

-- TKR's obsession with recruiting will never fade but recent news of Devonte Elliott's commitment to Nevada has shaken us quite a bit. It appears that Daequon Montreal (right in yellow) has to be priority number one. The junior college star from College of Southern Idaho begins the year banged up as he is recovering from a torn ligament.

-- In an interesting side story, it appears that recently expelled freshman Nate Miles has landed at College of Southern Idaho. CSI has done an excellent job with grooming youngsters into NCAA Division 1 players and hopefully Miles is able to take advantage of this and get back into the spotlight.

-- Heading to the west side of the state, it seems that Seattle University's contract with Key Arena is about to be finalized. Seattle U will be competing in Division 1 basketball again next season and will call Key Arena home. This article also mentions that Gonzaga and Seattle U are talks about a possible match up in the future. At least one team from the West side will play us.

--Speaking of Seattle University, the Women's Volleyball team will be taking on Seattle University tonight at 7 P.M. The ladies are struggling with a 6-16 record and look to end a seven game losing streak. It's a home game so get out there and support the ladies.

-- The number of Zags in the NBA is dwindling. After signing with the Golden State Warriors, Dan Dickau has been waived and is back on the open market.

-- Adam Morrison seems to be improving in the NBA during the preseason. After a knee injury sidelined the former Gonzaga great, there were questions as to whether Morrison would fade from the public eye. Hopefully he can keep it going and continue his good play.

Dickau to Italy

Dan Dickau, an All-American during his time at GU, has signed a professional contract to play for the Italian team, Avellino. Avellino will be making their debut in the top European club competition this year, and it seems they have been pinned their hopes on Dickau as the starting PG. This should be a great opportunity for Dan to really earn some consistent playing time, and he should be going up against great competition on a weekly basis.

Dickau has bounced around the NBA during his career, playing for the Atlanta Hawks, Boston Celtics, Portland Trailblazers, New York Knicks, New Orleans Hornets, Golden State Warriors (never actually played), and most recently the LA Clippers. Dickau had his best year as the starting PG for the New Orleans Hornets, when he averaged 13.2 pts and 5.2 assists. Although he consistently produced when given playing team, it never seemed that a team was willing to give Dickau a chance to play heavy minutes for consecutive seasons.

Here is one quote from the article about the signing that was interesting

"Our aim was to find a player that could make a difference and dictate the tempo of our team," club president Vincenzo Ercolino. "In the end we managed to bring Dan Dickau to Avellino. He is a serious professional with NBA experience. We have nothing to envy of any other playmaker that arrived in Italy this year."

This seems to be a clear shot at Brandon Jennings, the high schooler who has decided to play in Italy, instead of going to the University of Arizona. Good luck to Dan, and we will have more news on this when it becomes available.