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 "Yeah -- we just got one," Wiltjer deadpanned after leading the
seventh-ranked Bulldogs to a 91-75 win over the Brigham Young
Cougars on Tuesday night in the championship game of the West Coast
Conference tournament.
Wiltjer, a 6-foot-10 forward, was voted Most Outstanding Player of
the tournament. He led six Bulldogs in double figures in scoring
with 18 points and added a game-high 10 rebounds.
"He's so skilled and he's got great size, so the matchups are a
problem," BYU coach Dave Rose said.
Wiltjer wasn't the only Gonzaga player who posed problems for the
Cougars. Point guard Kevin Pangos had 16 points and five assists;
guard Gary Bell Jr. and reserve forward Domantas Sabonis both scored
15 points; center Przemek Karnowski had 12 points; and reserve guard
Kyle Dranginis pitched in with 10 points, three rebounds, two
assists, two steals and two blocked shots.
Two of the highest-scoring teams in college basketball treated a
sellout crowd of 8,585 -- the largest in tournament history -- to an
exciting, up-tempo contest at the Orleans Arena. Top-seeded Gonzaga
(32-2) never trailed after Wiltjer scored seven points during a 9-0
run midway through the first half, but the Cougars made several
brief runs before fading late.
"You've got to give that team credit," BYU guard Tyler Haws said.
"They played really, really well."
Guard Kyle Collinsworth led the second-seeded Cougars (25-9) with a
career-high 28 points. One night after he extended his NCAA Division
I record of six triple-doubles in a season (tying the career
record), Collinsworth had team bests of eight rebounds and five
assists.
"He's a great teammate," Haws said. "Just a really fun guy to play
with, because he makes everyone better at both ends.
"He plays with a lot of energy and passion. Everyone on the team
kind of feeds off that."
Haws, who started the day ranked third in Division I scoring with
22.1 points per game, scored 15 points. He was one of several
Cougars limited by foul problems. The Cougars were whistled for 27
personal fouls, and Gonzaga went 25-for-37 at the free-throw line.
"You have to put your hat on and play tough (against BYU)," Gonzaga
coach Mark Few said. "There aren't many teams in the American that
play harder than they do."
The fouls were about the only thing that slowed down the frantic
pace of play. Rose praised Gonzaga guards Kevin Pangos (16 points)
and Gary Bell Jr. (15) for pushing the ball in transition. Reserve
forward Domantas Sabonis (15 points) and center Przemek Karnowski
(12) dominated down low.
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"We competed well," Rose said. "We had a difficult time getting
stops and a difficult time guarding them inside."
The tournament championship was the third straight for the Bulldogs,
who tied the two-year-old record of 32 wins in a season. Gonzaga
earned the WCC's automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. The Bulldogs
will be making their 17th consecutive trip to the tournament, and
Few and Rose said they believe the Cougars deserve to be an at-large
selection. An NIT bid would appear to be a certainty for the Cougars
if they don't play in the NCAA tourney.
Wiltjer was joined on the all-tournament team by Pangos, Karnowski,
Collinsworth and Haws.
NOTES: BYU starting C Corbin Kaufusi originally signed a letter of
intent to play football for the Cougars. He left on a two-year
Mormon mission before joining the football team. When Kaufusi
returned home to Provo, Utah (where BYU is located) last summer, he
decided to switch to basketball. ... Gonzaga's Mark Few and BYU's
Dave Rose started the day ranked in the top nine all-time for career
winning percentage among NCAA Division I men's basketball coaches.
Few, in his 16th season at Gonzaga, was first at .810 (434-102).
Rose ranked ninth at .749 (257-86) after 10 years at BYU. ... BYU
reserve Jake Toolson, a freshman guard, is related to former Cougars
greats Andy Toolson and Danny Ainge. Jake is a cousin of Andy and a
nephew of Ainge, the president of basketball operations for the
NBA's Boston Celtics. ... Gonzaga F Domantas Sabonis is the son of
Basketball Hall of Famer Arvydas Sabonis. Gonzaga F Kyle Wiltjer is
the son of former Oregon State center Greg Wiltjer, who enjoyed a
successful pro career in Europe.
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