Meech highlights

Interview with Demetri "Meech" Goodson and Klein Collins head coach Tim Schumacher

We are pleased to present to all Kennel Report readers an interview with both Meech Goodson and his head basketball coach Tim Schumacher. The Kennel Report would like to thank the both of them for taking time out of their day to do a fantastic interview with us.

The Kennel Report: This question is for both Coach and Meech- What do you feel it is that sets Meech apart from other Point Guards? What does Meech do on the court that makes him such a unique and great player?

Meech: I try to get my teammates involved in the game and do whatever it takes to help my team be successful.

Coach Schumacher: Meech is a winner!!! He won 114 games during his high school career. He plays the game at the highest level. His pace of play and decision making are second to none. He has the ability to make everyone around him better on the floor. He shows great toughness as well.

TKR: This question is for both Coach and Meech- What aspect of his game do you think Meech needs to improve on to excel and become a great Point Guard at the next level?

Meech: I can always get better in the game of basketball. I have worked hard to improve my perimeter shooting and I am constantly trying to get better in all aspects of the game.

Coach: He needs to improve his perimeter jump shot. He has worked very hard and is looking forward to continuing his maturation process as a player.

TKR: This question is for Meech- What other schools were recruiting your prior to your visit and commitment to Gonzaga?

Meech: Oklahoma, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Clemson, and Kentucky

TKR: This question is for Meech- You committed to Gonzaga almost immediately after your visit. What was it about your visit to GU that made you so sure it was the school for you?

Meech: It is the best fit for me. The size of the school, players and coaches, and success of the program were all great fits. I want to go to a place where we can win and I can improve as a player. Gonzaga has a great history of developing point guards.

TKR: This question is for Coach Schumacher- Texas is known for producing some of the best high school basketball talent in the nation every year. How would you compare Meech to some of the great Point Guard talents that have emerged from the state? What player would you most compare his game to?

Coach Schumacher: He is as good of a pure point guard as I have seen during my 17 years of coaching (5 years in college and 12 in high school). His basketball IQ is outstanding. I liken him to TJ Ford- a former Houston point guard. He has the ability to control a game without scoring a point. Meech will do whatever it takes to win.

TKR: This question is for Meech- With your brother playing football at Texas A&M, was there a lot of pressure from friends and family to attend A&M, or at least stay in the state of Texas.

Meech: My family really wanted me to go to school with my brother; but, I decided that GU was the best place for me and they supported my decision.

TKR: This question is for Coach- I don't know how familiar you are with Gonzaga and the style of play, but do you feel that Meech will be a good fit for the up and town tempo, and the flex offense that GU runs.

Coach Schumacher: The GU style of play is a huge part in Meech's decision. Coach Few and staff have done an outstanding job and have created an environment that Meech is very excited to be a part of at Gonzaga. Meech is as quick with the ball in his hands from FT (free throw) line to FT line as anyone I have ever seen. His great decision making at such a quick pace is something that makes him really special. He has been timed as low as 4.36 in the 40 yard dash.

TKR: This question is for Meech- What role are you expecting to have as a freshman? What are your expectations not only for yourself, but for the team during your freshman season?

Meech: Work hard and try to make the team better. I am prepared to do whatever it takes to help the team win.

TKR: This question is for both Coach and Meech- Is there anything you can tell the GU fans about Meech and who he is off the court, and what he is like away from basketball?

Meech: I work hard and I hate to lose

Coach Schumacher: Meech is an outstanding kid. He is a great teammate. He always has a smile on his face. In our high school of 3200 students, Meech was voted Homecoming King this year.

Bob Gibbons TOC update

At this point in the night, we still dont have any reports on how the Zag recruits fared in their 1st game at the Tournament of Champions. However, the schedule for tomorrow is up, so here are the times and opponents for each Zag recruit.

Anthony Marshall and the Las Vegas Prospects

11:00 AM vs N.C.A @ Wilson Recreation Center

6:45 PM vs Florida Rams @ UNC Practice Facility


Sam Dower and Net Gain Sports

12:15 PM vs Birmingham Ice @ Reynolds Coliseum

6:00 PM vs Team Philly @ East Chapel Hill high school


Joe Burton and the Compton Magic

9:45 AM vs Virginia Rapids @ Dean Smith Center

7:15 PM vs Mean Streets @ Wilson Recreation Center


Marshall Henderson and the Dallas Mustangs

11:00 AM vs Beach Ball Select @ Dail Center

6:30 PM vs Atlanta Celtics @ Dail Center


As soon as we find some results and statistics for these Zag recruits, we will give a detailed write up.

Interview with Abdullahi Kuso

I am very excited to announce that we recently concluded a great interview with GU fan favorite Abdullahi Kuso. I hope everyone enjoys the interview, because I know I had a great time doing it.

The Kennel Report: You and Pendo are putting together a a rec-center in your hometown of Kaduna, Nigeria. What made you want to do this and what challenges have you faced?

Abdullahi Kuso: It was just an idea that Pendo and I had come up with a couple of weeks ago, and I had told Pendo that it would be a dream of mine to build a rec-center in Kaduna. At the senior awards banquet, Pendo told some alums about the plan and they were very supportive. We ended up meeting with John Rudolph, and he along with many other people in the Spokane community are helping with the funding and putting it together. There is lots of religious strife and kids who live on the streets in Kaduna, and I think this rec-center would give them an opportunity to get off the street and play basketball.

TKR: What are your plans now that you have graduated from GU?

AK: I had my knee scoped when the season ended, so I am spending the summer in Spokane trying to get back in shape. I have talked to some agents, and hopefully I can play basketball in Europe. I wouldn't have been able to do any of the NBA pre-draft camps because of the injury to my knee. I couldn't even practice before the NCAA tournament and that's why I only played 5 minutes against Davidson.

TKR: Growing up in Nigeria, what made you become interested in playing basketball?

AK: I was a lazy kid growing up, and what I liked to do was eat and watch lots of TV. A family friend, who was in the army, coaches basketball and invited me to come play. When you're 6'9 you kinda have to play. Growing up I liked soccer more, but I became interested in the NBA and basketball because I was able to watch all the highlights on TV and hear about the money they were making.

TKR: You had a great 2 years at GU, but what was your favorite moment as a basketball player here?

AK: Senior night and the University of Washington game. When I stepped on the court for the UW game, I thought "Oh My God" we have to win this game. It felt like a soccer stadium, and it seemed like there were 30,000 people in the gym.

TKR: In losing you and Pendo, it seems the team is losing the 2 players who were most willing to do the "dirty work". Who do you think will take over this role for next year's team?

AK: Rob, he is willing to do it. Everyday in practice we did drills that were really tough and made us take charges and dive all over the court, but sometimes it just didn't happen in games. Rob and Steven are both willing to play defense and give their bodies. But it really should be the whole team doing this, and the whole team finding a way to win. In the locker room they post all types of stats, like stats about who has the most steals and who has taken the most charges. Pendo and I had a competition going about who would be the highest on all the stats that had to with doing the "dirty work".

TKR: It seems that throughout the season the playing team fluctuated quite a bit for many of the players. Do you feel this made it difficult for you and others to establish a rhythm and consistency?

AK: We had so much talent, and what the coaches were trying to do is find the best fit that would help the team win. I didn't feel that when I lost playing time that the decision the coaches made was personal, I just tried to find different ways that would let me help the team win.

The Kennel Report would like to thank Kuso for this great interview. I truly had a great time with the interview, and would really encourage any people in the Spokane community to try and get to know Kuso before he leaves.

WCC returning to old format

Many fans of GU and the WCC conference have become accustomed to a Saturday/Monday viewing schedule, with a WCC game usually being aired as part of ESPN's Big Monday schedule. However, many coaches and athletic directors have been upset with the schedule, as it has forced the athletes to miss more classes, as well has eliminating Sunday as the traditional day off. It seems as though their frustrations have been heard, as the WCC will likely be returning to the Thursday/Saturday game format.

This likely means that WCC games will be the second or third game on the ESPN networks most nights, with the latest tip time being 8 PM. This will replace the dreaded 9 PM start time, that many fans did not support. The big issue with the move is the impact it may have on the refs. The Pac-10 also uses the Thursday/Saturday schedule, and would likely get many of the better referees that work on the west coast. This must worry many fans of GU, as I don't think anyone was overly impressed by the performance of the WCC refs throughout the season.

Honeycutt starts tournament with a win.

Late Friday night, Tyler Honeycutt and his Pump N Run teammates were able to start off their tournament with a win. In a closely contested game, Pump N Run was able to edge out I-5 Elite 80-74.

Honeycutt, a 2009 GU recruit, has been compared to current GU standout, Austin Daye. Honeycutt had a team high 15 pts, to go along with 5 rebounds and 3 blocks. Honeycutt shot a very impressive 75% from beyond the 3 point line, as he hit 3 out of the 4 shots he attempted from beyond the arc.

Honeycutt is emerging as one of the most improved and intriguing players of the class of 09. We will keep you updated as all the GU recruits continue pool play throughout the day.

Mangisto Arop is a Zag

In a surprising development, GU has received an oral commitment from Mangisto Arop, a 6'5 SF from Canada. This is the 2nd Canadian to commit to GU in the last week, as 6'7 SF Bol Kong also verballed recently. His story is very similar to that of Bol, as he began his life in a refugee camp in Ethiopia, only to move across the world and thrive in a new country.

Arop, who recently became a Canadian citizen, is known for his great athleticism and is known to finish at the rim with a powerful dunk. He also has very good shooting range, and is known to shoot smoothly from beyond the 3 point line.

He was one of the starts at the recent Albert Schweitzer tournament, in which he helped lead the Canadian U18 National team to a very surprising 5th place performance.

We will try to let you know more about the commitment, and about Mangisto as we learn more ourselves.

Exclusive Interview with Grant Gibbs

Hey fans, today we were able to get an exclusive interview with 2008 recruit Grant Gibbs. Grant is a 6'5 Combo Guard from Linn-Mar high school in Marion, Iowa.

The Kennel Report: How is the wrist healing after that nasty fall you took?

Grant Gibbs: The recovery has been slow because after the initial fall and break, it didn't heal correctly after about 2 weeks, so I had to have it rebroken and have pins put back in, but I was still got back to play in about 3 and a half weeks. So I skipped a lot of rehab and took a risk but over the last couple of months its gotten better and better. But the doctors told me about 3 to 6 months until its 100%

TKR: From what we have read, you are a longtime GU fan, what is it about the program that had you so interested in being a Zag?

GG: One of my mom's friends lives in Spokane and got me to be a fan at an early age and I followed them through the years of Santangelo, Dickau, and Stepp and just liked the way they played and followed them. Once they started recruiting me I knew I had to come check it out and it turned out to be a perfect fit for me.

TKR: What other schools were recruiting you the hardest before you committed?

GG: I narrowed it down between Iowa, Iowa State, Wisconsin, and Gonzaga as my Final 4. Before that when I was open I also liked Marquette, Washington State, Creighton, UNI, Penn State and a few others.

TKR: Was there a lot of pressure on you from friends and family to stay local and attend one of the Iowa schools?

GG: There definitely was and to this day I haven't had a lot of support for the decision I made. People wanted to see me play close to home and try to build something with an in-state program. The only person who really had my back with the whole thing was my high school coach who told me to go where I wanted to go not where everyone else wanted to see me.

TKR: A lot of fans around here think with the addition of you and the other freshman to the returning roster, that the team could really compete for a National Championship. What are your expectations for yourself and for the team next season?

GG: I definitely thinks it's a possibility and a realistic goal for a team with as much talent as we'll have. It should be a goal of this program every year in my opinion, you don't want to aim for Sweet 16's and Elite 8's every year because you're selling yourself short, it should be the number one goal to win a National Championship every year.

TKR: One website described you as a perfect fit for Mark Few's system. How do you think the flex offense and the fast tempo that GU plays suits your game?

GG: I think its a perfect fit for my game and being able to bring the ball up the court as well as play on the wing helps with that too. I really like the way Coach Few lets his guards play and doesn't hold them back.

TKR: Gonzaga is known for having one of the best homecourt atmospheres in the nation. Did the coaches describe to you just how passionate the fans and the Kennel Club are?

GG: Yeah they did and i've seen all the videos and what not. It looks like a special environment and the record of the team the last couple of years really reflects the atmosphere and advantage at home.

TKR: Since many of the fans will not get to know you personally, is there anything you want to tell them about who Grant Gibbs is off the court?

GG: Haha I don't really know, I guess I'm a pretty goofy dude and I like to have a good time and I get along with most people so don't be shy to introduce yourself, especially females.


The Kennel Report would like to thank Grant for taking the time to do this interview. I think we are talking for the entire GU fanbase when we say that we are incredibly excited to see Grant succeed at Gonzaga.