March Madness has arrived, and with it comes the insanity of the NCAA tournament. 
Selection Sunday is merely days away, with a week of conference tournament games ahead of us. But first, the Associated Press has come out with a new top-25. 
Gonzaga comes in as the No. 1 team in the country for the fourth consecutive week after having the week off following the conclusion of their regular season. Mark Few’s team plays the San Francisco Dons in the semifinals of the West Coast Conference tournament Monday night at 8:00 p.m. ET.
The Arizona Wildcats are the No. 2 team in the country for the third straight week after wins over Stanford and California. The Pac-12 champions will have to wait and see who they’ll play in their first game of the Pac-12 tournament on Thursday, when the Wildcats hope to secure a one-seed in the NCAA tournament. 
&#8220;From where we started and where we are now, I didn&#8217;t expect that,&#8221; <a href="https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/recap?gameId=401377490">said</a> Arizona head coach Tommy Lloyd, pointing to the Pac-12 championship trophy. &#8220;I just didn&#8217;t want to celebrate it early.&#8221;
The Baylor Bears, the defending national champions, come in at No. 3 for the second consecutive week after beating Iowa State 75-68, securing a share of the Big 12 regular season title. 
“It’s really hard to win a game when you know you win, you’re a champion,” Baylor head coach Scott Drew <a href="https://www.ourdailybears.com/baylor-basketball/2022/3/5/22963388/baylor-bears-big-xii-champions-iowa-state-cyclones-mens-basketball">said</a> after the celebration. “I didn’t even know about Kansas. I didn’t want to know. Now I’m not dumb, since if Texas would have won there would have been an announcement or someone would have said ‘Congrats!’”
“Last year, you like winning it with four games to go,” he continued. “This one had a little more drama in it. Made for TV.”
Auburn moves up to No. 4 and Kentucky jumps two spots to No. 5 following a 71-63 victory over Florida. 
Duke drops three spots to No. 7 after their wildly disappointing loss the North Carolina in Mike Krzyzewski’s final game at Cameron Indoor Stadium. 
“I’m sorry about this afternoon … It’s unacceptable,” Coach K said after the loss. “Today was unacceptable. But the season has been very acceptable. And the season isn’t over.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
“I’m sorry about this afternoon. &#8230; Today was unacceptable.&quot;<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CoachK?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CoachK</a> was as raw as it comes addressing the crowd postgame. <a href="https://t.co/kia6tqbcmn">pic.twitter.com/kia6tqbcmn</a>
&mdash; ESPN (@espn) <a href="https://twitter.com/espn/status/1500286645488144386?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 6, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Villanova, Purdue and Tennessee round out the top ten — the Vols and the Boilermakers are tied for the number nine spot in the country. It’s the first time Tennessee has cracked the top-10 this season. 
&#8220;It&#8217;s been hard, I can tell you,&#8221; Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes <a href="https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/33446045/gonzaga-bulldogs-remain-atop-ap-top-25-tennessee-volunteers-crack-top-10">said</a> of the SEC after beating Arkansas. &#8220;I think we&#8217;ve been able to learn from a lot. I think we&#8217;ll learn from today. And we need to, because now you&#8217;re in tournament play. If you have letups and keep throwing lifelines at the wrong time, it ends your season.&#8221;
The complete <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll">Associated Press</a> Top-25 can be seen below.
<ol>
<li style="font-weight: 400;"> Gonzaga </li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;"> Arizona</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;"> Baylor</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;"> Auburn</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;"> Kentucky</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;"> Kansas</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Duke</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Villanova</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Purdue (tied for ninth)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Tennessee (tied for ninth)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Providence</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Wisconsin</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">UCLA</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Texas Tech</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Arkansas</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Illinois</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">St. Mary’s</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Houston</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Murray State</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Connecticut </li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">USC (Southern California)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Texas</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;"> Colorado State</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;"> Iowa</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;"> North Carolina</li>
</ol>
Joe Morgan is the Sports Reporter for The Daily Wire. Most recently, Morgan covered the Clippers, Lakers, and the NBA for Sporting News. Send your sports questions to sports@dailywire.com.

North Carolina v Duke

Duke Slides Three Spots, Gonzaga Still Number One In AP Top-25

Basketball

Gonzaga University

NCAA

For the first time in the history of college basketball, the top six teams in the Associated Press top-25 all lost. Gonzaga, Arizona, Auburn, Purdue, Kansas, and Kentucky all went down Saturday, setting the stage for what should be a wild NCAA tournament. 
But even with all the chaos, the top ten remains largely the same as the week before, with a few exceptions. 
Gonzaga is the No. 1 team in the country for the third week in a row, even after losing to St. Mary’s on the road. Gonzaga struggled against No. 23 St. Mary’s, ending their West Coast Conference perfect record in a 67-57 loss. Drew Timme struggled, scoring just six points on 2-10 shooting from the field. 
&#8220;It&#8217;s kind of life in late February and early March, especially on the road,&#8221; Gonzaga coach Mark Few <a href="https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/recap?gameId=401371243">said</a>.
Arizona stays at No. 2, after also going down on the road, losing to Colorado 79-63, in what was easily their worst loss of the season. The loss ended the Wildcats nine game winning streak. Colorado outscored Arizona 47-26 in the second half, getting double digit scoring from five players, including 19 from forward Tristan Da Silva.
&#8220;They were way more physical than us and got the game on their terms when they got that lead in the second half and were able to control the tempo and everything,&#8221; Arizona head coach Tommy Lloyd <a href="https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/recap?gameId=401377481">said</a>. 
Arizona travels to No. 16 USC Tuesday night. 
Baylor (3) and Duke (4) move into the top five after wins over Kansas and Syracuse. Auburn drops three spots to No. 5 following their third consecutive road loss, losing to No. 13 Tennessee 67-62. 
&#8220;Disappointed,&#8221; Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl <a href="https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/recap?gameId=401364957">said</a> after the loss. &#8220;We had an 11-point lead in the second half. To not do a better job taking advantage of the basketball and taking advantage of the position we put ourselves in. Played hard, defense was pretty good.&#8221;
Kansas and Kentucky come in at No. 6 and No. 7. Arkansas, which beat Kentucky on Saturday, moves up to No. 14. The win moves the Razorbacks into a second place tie with Kentucky and Tennessee in the SEC.  
&#8220;I think we&#8217;re good enough, but we&#8217;ve got to keep getting better,&#8221; Arkansas head coach Eric Musselman said. &#8220;This place (Bud Walton Arena) is magical when we&#8217;re winning.&#8221;
Purdue fell four spots to No. 8 following their loss to Michigan State, with Providence and Wisconsin rounding out the top ten. Both the Friars and the Badgers have top-15 matchups Tuesday night. 
The complete <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll">Associated Press</a> Top-25 can be seen below.
<ol>
<li style="font-weight: 400"> Gonzaga </li>
<li style="font-weight: 400"> Arizona</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400"> Baylor</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400"> Duke</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400"> Auburn</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400"> Kansas</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400"> Kentucky</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400"> Purdue</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Providence</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Wisconsin </li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Villanova</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Texas Tech</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Tennessee</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Arkansas (tied for 14)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Houston (tied for 14)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">USC (Southern California)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">UCLA</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Connecticut</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">St. Mary’s</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Illinois </li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Texas</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Murray State</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400"> Ohio State</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400"> Iowa</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400"> Alabama</li>
</ol>
Joe Morgan is the Sports Reporter for The Daily Wire. Most recently, Morgan covered the Clippers, Lakers, and the NBA for Sporting News. Send your sports questions to sports@dailywire.com.

COLLEGE BASKETBALL: FEB 28 Baylor at Texas

Gonzaga, Arizona Remain 1-2 In AP Top 25, Baylor Jumps to No. 3

With Selection Sunday just under three weeks away, the college basketball season is coming down to the wire. 
On Monday, <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll">The Associated Press</a> released their updated top-25 poll, and there’s been some shuffling in the top-five. 
For the second consecutive week, Gonzaga sits atop the rankings, receiving all 61 first place votes. The Zags are coming off a week where they defeated Pepperdine and Santa Clara handily. Mark Few’s team has won 16 straight games, with games against San Francisco and No. 23 St. Mary’s remaining on their regular season schedule. 
“They could win the whole thing,” Pepperdine coach Lorenzo Romar <a href="https://www.si.com/college/2022/02/21/ncaa-basketball-rankings-gonzaga-arizona-ap-top-25">said</a> after an 86-66 loss to Gonzaga last Wednesday. “They have size, they have scoring ability, they can guard.&#8221;
The Arizona Wildcats moved up a spot in the rankings, taking over as the No. 2 team in the country following a tight win over Oregon and Auburn&#8217;s loss to unranked Florida. 
In a game that Arizona lost countless times under former head coach Sean Miller, the Wildcats took down a feisty Oregon Ducks team 84-81 at McKale Center in Tucson, Arizona. First-year head coach Tommy Lloyd watched his team claw back from a 12-point first half deficit to win their eighth game in a row. 
“I don’t think I’m nervous in a bad way, but I’m excited,’’ Lloyd <a href="https://tucson.com/sports/greghansen/greg-hansen-big-game-atmosphere-doesnt-slow-down-wildcats-who-got-ducks-best-shot/article_7a7fbf54-9226-11ec-918a-8fd06aebca04.html">said</a> according to Greg Hansen of The Arizona Daily Star. 
“I’m anxious to see what happens. I love competing and I love games. And to be honest, I don’t mind the losing,” Lloyd continued. “It’s part of the deal. I don’t want to lose a lot, but it comes with the territory. Why should you shy away from it? But I know this: I enjoy winning, and I’m happy for the guys that they’re getting to enjoy winning.”
Auburn’s 63-62 loss to unranked Florida was their second road loss in a row, after the Tigers went down in Fayetteville to Arkansas last week. 
&#8220;Happy for them they got a chance to have that moment postgame, for sure,&#8221; <a href="https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/recap?gameId=401364944">said</a> Florida coach Mike White. &#8220;Pretty special.&#8221;
Purdue and Kansas round out the top-5, and Kentucky falls two spots to No. 6 following a loss to Tennessee and a win over Alabama. The biggest jump of the week is Arkansas, coming in at No. 18 after being ranked No. 23 the week before. 
It sets up a fantastic Saturday of college basketball, with four top-25 matchups on the schedule.
The complete <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll">Associated Press</a> Top-25 can be seen below.
<ol>
<li> Gonzaga </li>
<li> Arizona</li>
<li> Auburn</li>
<li> Purdue</li>
<li> Kansas</li>
<li> Kentucky</li>
<li> Duke</li>
<li> Villanova</li>
<li> Texas Tech</li>
<li> Baylor</li>
<li> Providence</li>
<li> UCLA</li>
<li> Wisconsin</li>
<li> Houston</li>
<li> Illinois</li>
<li> USC (Southern California)</li>
<li> Tennessee</li>
<li> Arkansas</li>
<li> Murray State</li>
<li> Texas</li>
<li> Connecticut (UConn)</li>
<li> Ohio State</li>
<li> Saint Mary’s </li>
<li> Alabama</li>
<li> Iowa</li>
</ol>
Joe Morgan is the Sports Reporter for The Daily Wire. Most recently, Morgan covered the Clippers, Lakers, and the NBA for Sporting News. Send your sports questions to sports@dailywire.com.
The views expressed in this piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.
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Oregon v Arizona

Arizona Wildcats Up To No. 2 In AP Top 25, Gonzaga Stays At No. 1

NBA Hall of Famer John Stockton revealed over the weekend that Gonzaga University suspended his season tickets for defying its mask mandates at home games. 
In an interview with <a href="https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2022/jan/23/john-stocktons-refusal-to-comply-with-mask-mandate/">The Spokesman-Review</a>, Stockton said that the university received several complaints regarding his unwillingness to wear a mask at Gonzaga basketball games. 
“Basically, it came down to, they were asking me to wear a mask to the games and being a public figure, someone a little bit more visible, I stuck out in the crowd a little bit,” Stockton said. “And therefore they received complaints and felt like from whatever the higher-ups – those weren’t discussed, but from whatever it was higher up – they were going to have to either ask me to wear a mask or they were going to suspend my tickets.”
But it was Stockton’s comments on the COVID-19 vaccine in the June documentary “COVID and the Vaccine: Truth, Lies and Misconceptions Revealed,” that caused outrage. 
In the documentary, Stockton made the unfounded claim that more than 100 professional athletes have died from the COVID-19 vaccine. 
“I think it’s highly recorded now, there’s 150 I believe now, it’s over 100 professional athletes dead – professional athletes – the prime of their life, dropping dead that are vaccinated, right on the pitch, right on the field, right on the court,” Stockton <a href="https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2022/jan/23/john-stocktons-refusal-to-comply-with-mask-mandate/">said</a> in the interview.
The claim was too much for CNN and the NBA’s all-time leading scorer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. 
&#8220;I think statements like that [Stockton&#8217;s] make the public look upon athletes as basically dumb jocks for trying to explain away something this is obviously a pandemic, and the best way to fight pandemics is through vaccination and testing,&#8221; Abdul-Jabbar said during a CNN appearance. &#8220;Those are the means by which we identify the problem and do our best to mitigate it.&#8221;
&#8220;I don&#8217;t understand anyone saying anything else that makes sense. It doesn&#8217;t make sense what he&#8217;s saying,&#8221; Abdul-Jabbar continued. &#8220;This is a preventative measure that has been useful in many different circumstances.&#8221;
Abdul-Jabbar went on to implore Stockton to “check the facts out.”
“I think John’s reaction to the vaccine is extreme and not based on reality or facts,&#8221; Abdul-Jabbar added. &#8220;And if John could just check the facts out, he would understand that this vaccine is saving lives and preventing people from having serious reactions from the virus. It won’t eliminate the virus overnight, but it will stop people from dying and it will stop people from becoming seriously ill.” 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s full comments calling out John Stockton on CNN Monday morning. 
🎥 <a href="https://twitter.com/NewDay?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NewDay</a> <a href="https://t.co/guAU5VpWNh">pic.twitter.com/guAU5VpWNh</a>
&mdash; 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐍𝐞𝐰𝐬 (@sportingnews) <a href="https://twitter.com/sportingnews/status/1485634397235814402?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 24, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Abdul-Jabbar has been an advocate for the vaccine since it became available, even receiving his shot on video. He told Rolling Stone in a September article that NBA players refusing the jab are contributing to deaths from COVID-19.
“They are failing to live up to the responsibilities that come with celebrity. Athletes are under no obligation to be spokespersons for the government, but this is a matter of public health,” the Hall of Famer <a href="https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/nba-anti-vaxxers-covid-1231988/">told</a> Rolling Stone in an email. Abdul-Jabbar is especially disappointed in athletes of color: “By not encouraging their people to get the vaccine, they’re contributing to these deaths. I’m also concerned about how this perpetuates the stereotype of dumb jocks who are unable to look at verified scientific evidence and reach a rational conclusion.”
Stockton told the Spokesman-Review that he hopes to retain a relationship with the university, despite the suspension of his season tickets. 
“There’s probably a lot of different directions this can go, and I think time will tell on all of that,” he <a href="https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2022/jan/23/john-stocktons-refusal-to-comply-with-mask-mandate/">said</a>. “My focus is to maintain that relationship, as is theirs. They’ve made it very clear that we’re important to each other and I don’t think that’s going to change. However, there are some absolute impasses that we’re going to figure out.”
“I’ve been around here a long time, so I don’t expect things to linger, whatever they may be,” he added.
Joe Morgan is the Sports Reporter for The Daily Wire. Most recently, Morgan covered the Clippers, Lakers, and the NBA for Sporting News. Send your sports questions to sports@dailywire.com.

Celebrating America Primetime Special

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: John Stockton’s Comments On COVID-19 Make Athletes Seem Like ‘Dumb Jocks’

COVID

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Sports

Gonzaga basketball’s all-time leader in steals and NBA Hall of Famer John Stockton has had his season tickets suspended by the university for defying its mask mandates at home games. 
Gonzaga basketball requires either proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test in order to enter McCarthey Athletic Center, and has an indoor mask mandate. 
Stockton has been an outspoken critic of the COVID-19 vaccine, mask mandates, and lockdowns over the past two years. 
In the documentary “COVID and the Vaccine: Truth, Lies and Misconceptions Revealed,” Stockton made the unfounded claim that more than 100 professional athletes have died from the COVID-19 vaccine. 
“I think it’s highly recorded now, there’s 150 I believe now, it’s over 100 professional athletes dead – professional athletes – the prime of their life, dropping dead that are vaccinated, right on the pitch, right on the field, right on the court,” Stockton <a href="https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2022/jan/23/john-stocktons-refusal-to-comply-with-mask-mandate/">said</a> in the interview.
In an interview with <a href="https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2022/jan/23/john-stocktons-refusal-to-comply-with-mask-mandate/">The Spokesman-Review</a>, Stockton said that the university received several complaints regarding his unwillingness to wear a mask at Gonzaga basketball games. 
“Basically, it came down to, they were asking me to wear a mask to the games and being a public figure, someone a little bit more visible, I stuck out in the crowd a little bit,” Stockton said. “And therefore they received complaints and felt like from whatever the higher-ups – those weren’t discussed, but from whatever it was higher up – they were going to have to either ask me to wear a mask or they were going to suspend my tickets.”
The university put out a statement regarding the indoor mask mandate, but did not mention Stockton by name. 
“Gonzaga University continues to work hard to implement and enforce the health and safety protocols mandated by the State and by University policy, including reinforcing the indoor masking requirement. Attendees at basketball games are required to wear face masks at all times,” the statement read. “We will not speak to specific actions taken with any specific individuals. We take enforcement of COVID-19 health and safety protocols seriously and will continue to evaluate how we can best mitigate the risks posed by COVID-19 with appropriate measures. The recent decision to suspend concessions in McCarthey Athletic Center is an example of this approach.&#8221;
“Gonzaga University places the highest priority on protecting the health and safety of students, employees and the community,” the statement added.
Stockton played for Gonzaga from 1980-1984, averaging 12.5 points, 5.2 assists and 2.4 steals per game. He went on to have a Hall of Fame career in the NBA, playing for the Utah Jazz for 19 seasons, and is the NBA’s all-time leader in career assists with 15,806. 
Stockton told the Spokesman-Review that he hopes to retain a relationship with the university. 
“There’s probably a lot of different directions this can go, and I think time will tell on all of that,” he <a href="https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2022/jan/23/john-stocktons-refusal-to-comply-with-mask-mandate/">said</a>. “My focus is to maintain that relationship, as is theirs. They’ve made it very clear that we’re important to each other and I don’t think that’s going to change. However, there are some absolute impasses that we’re going to figure out.&#8221;
“I’ve been around here a long time, so I don’t expect things to linger, whatever they may be,” he added.
Joe Morgan is the Sports Reporter for The Daily Wire. Most recently, Morgan covered the Clippers, Lakers, and the NBA for Sporting News. Send your sports questions to sports@dailywire.com.

John Stockton talks to other fans in the crowd before the BYU and Gonzaga game in the Third Round of the NCAA Tournament on March 19, 2011 at the Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado. Stockton’s son, David, is a freshman on the Gonzaga team. (Hyoung Chang, Th

NBA Hall Of Famer Has Season Tickets Suspended By Alma Mater For Defying Mask Mandate

Mask Mandate

The month of November is owned by football. Whether it be the NFL or college football, the sport of football is king as the leaves begin to fall off of their trees. 
But on Tuesday night, we’re treated to a beauty of a game in college basketball. 
The two top teams in the nation square off at 10:00 p.m. ET in Las Vegas, when No. 1 Gonzaga and No. 2 UCLA play in a rematch of last year’s thrilling Final Four classic. 
&#8220;It&#8217;s important for everybody if you want to make the NCAA tournament,&#8221; Gonzaga coach Mark Few <a href="https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/32691063/gonzaga-bulldogs-ucla-bruins-hold-top-poll-spots-ap-men-basketball-poll-ahead-showdown">said</a>. &#8220;If you want to accrue a high seed, you have to play really, really good teams. I think it&#8217;s important for college basketball.&#8221;
For those that need a refresher, last year&#8217;s Final Four game ended in unbelievable fashion, as Jalen Suggs banked home a three-pointer in overtime at the buzzer to end the No. 11 seed Bruins&#8217; season.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
WHAT. JUST. HAPPENED.
GONZAGA STAYS UNDEFEATED AT THE BUZZER! <a href="https://t.co/27I8a2A9DA">pic.twitter.com/27I8a2A9DA</a>
&mdash; CBS Sports (@CBSSports) <a href="https://twitter.com/CBSSports/status/1378545794182041601?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 4, 2021</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;
Now? UCLA is one of the best teams in the country, returning nearly every player that participated in the epic matchup, and once again in the national spotlight. 
“Not just the game, but I think getting to the Final Four was huge in itself and it wasn’t like, oh, they got there and now it’s a blowout; it’s like they got there and they’re supposed to be there and they should have won that game and been a finals team and that just gets all UCLA people excited to say, ‘Look, this is kind of where we want to be and we want to be in the mix of playing for a chance to win a championship,’” former Bruin Tyus Edney <a href="https://www.latimes.com/sports/ucla/story/2021-11-22/eight-decades-ucla-players-gonzaga-final-four-ncaa-tournament">told</a> the LA Times about the importance of the two teams last matchup.
Gonzaga continues to be one of the top and most consistent programs in college basketball, favored to win the national championship for the second consecutive year and only the fifth team to be preseason No. 1 in the AP poll in consecutive seasons. 
The Bulldogs are led by Drew Timme and 2021 No. 1 overall prospect Chet Holmgren, averaging 12.8 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 3.4 blocks per game. 
“I think just his IQ and versatility. He sees the game really well. He sees the whole court, not just a part of it,” Timme <a href="https://news.yahoo.com/chet-holmgren-center-attention-no-074653153.html">said</a>. “The way he gets to his actions and what he sees on court and find his teammates at his size is something we never really see.”
“He’s really invested into getting better, and he’s not just one of those guys who just lives off his height,” added teammate Andrew Nembhard. “He wants to keep getting better and has something to prove. That’s what I like about him.”
Thanksgiving week brings with it some wonderful matchups, including the Zags taking on Duke on Friday at 10:30 p.m. ET. 
With the college basketball season in full swing, let’s take a look at the updated <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll">Associated Press top-25</a>. 
<ol>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Gonzaga</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">UCLA</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Purdue</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Kansas</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Duke</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Baylor</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Villanova</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Texas</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Memphis </li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Kentucky/Alabama (tied for 10th)</li>
<li>Kentucky/Alabama (tied for 10th)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Houston </li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Arkansas</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Illinois</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Tennessee</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">St. Bonaventure </li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Arizona</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">BYU</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Auburn </li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Michigan</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Seton Hall </li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Connecticut </li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Florida</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">USC</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Xavier</li>
</ol>
Joe Morgan is the Sports Reporter for The Daily Wire. Most recently, Morgan covered the Clippers, Lakers, and the NBA for Sporting News. Send your sports questions to sports@dailywire.com.
The views expressed in this piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

UCLA v Bellarmine

Gonzaga, UCLA 1-2 Ahead of Tuesday Night Showdown

Los Angeles (UCLA)

On Monday, perhaps sensing the backlash unleashed at Grand Canyon University, a Christian university, for <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/42956/breaking-largest-christian-university-us-blocks-daily-wire">denying</a> Daily Wire Editor-In-Chief Ben Shapiro the chance to speak on their campus, Gonzaga University, a Jesuit school, rescinded their previous decision to bar Shapiro from speaking on campus, announcing that he would indeed be permitted to speak.
As <a href="https://www.kxly.com/news/gonzaga-president-repeals-decision-regarding-invitation-of-ben-shapiro-to-campus/1001413947">KXLY</a> reports, Gonzaga President Thayne McCulloh responded to a University Event Policy appeal launched by the Gonzaga University College Republicans (GUCR), who had proposed bringing Shapiro to speak on the campus in spring 2019. That proposal was rejected by the Vice President of Student Development, who had consulted with colleagues including those in Campus Security and Public Safety. They decided that safety concerns regarding Shapiro&#8217;s speech overrode Shapiro&#8217;s right to speak, assuming his presence would trigger a hostile environment for some members of the university&#8217;s community.
In December, GUCR appealed the decision, which was reviewed in early January.
McCulloh stated:
<blockquote>
I appreciate that the students worked through the University&#8217;s appeals process as set forth in the Events Policy to address issues regarding safety and campus security, as well as engaged in discussion about the focus of the event. As a comprehensive, faith-based and mission-centered university, we are committed to facilitating exposure to a broad range of intellectual ideas and debate, even as we simultaneously strive to uphold the values reflected in our mission statement. This process is reflective of our efforts to do both.
</blockquote>
Some conditions have been set for Shapiro&#8217;s appearance; it will be held at the McCarthey Athletic Center (MAC), as GUCR nixed the smaller and less expensive Cataldo Hall location because of attendance capacity limitations.
The university also made sure to state, &#8220;As indicated in the Events Policy, the University&#8217;s decision to invite a given speaker in no way implies approval or endorsement of the views expressed by the speaker or any aspect of the event. The University nonetheless strives to encourage even difficult or controversial topics in the context of civil discourse. The authorization granted to the Gonzaga University College Republicans, to invite Mr. Shapiro to campus, is made with the understanding that his remarks while at Gonzaga will be respectful of the University, its members, and of the values reflected in our Mission Statement.&#8221;
On Friday, defending its decision to ban Shapiro, Grand Canyon University <a href="https://news.gcu.edu/2019/02/gcu-statement-regarding-decision-to-cancel-ben-shapiro-speaking-engagement/">wrote</a>:
<blockquote>
We believe in many of the things that Ben Shapiro speaks about and stands for, including his support for ideals that grow out of traditional Judeo-Christian values and his belief in a free market economy. Our decision to cancel Shapiro&#8217;s speaking engagement is not a reflection of his ideologies or the values he represents, but rather a desire to focus on opportunities that bring people together. &#8230;
As a university, we encourage thoughtful discussions and rational dialogue in our classrooms about the issues affecting our society, and we encourage students to put greater emphasis on actions that produce positive change in our society. By working together, we have shown that real partnerships can create real programs that produce real results in our community. We hope it is a model that is emulated by others and builds strong communities where people can live and prosper in harmony, no matter their differences.
Based on the response we have received from some within the Grand Canyon community regarding the decision involving such high-profile speakers as Ben Shapiro, we have obviously disappointed and offended some of you. We know that if we had made a different decision, we would have disappointed and offended others within the same community. It was not our intent to disappoint or offend anyone. It was, rather, to use our position as a Christian university to bring unity to a community that sits amidst a country that is extremely divided and can&#8217;t seem to find a path forward toward unity.
</blockquote>

BREAKING: Gonzaga University Rescinds Earlier Ban, Will Host Shapiro’s Speech

Ben Shapiro

On Wednesday, Young America&#8217;s Foundation <a href="https://www.yaf.org/news/gonzaga-ben-shapiro/">reported</a> that Gonzaga University, a private Jesuit university located in Spokane, Washington, &#8220;declined&#8221; a speaking event by Daily Wire Editor-in-Chief Ben Shapiro on their campus. The students had hoped to hear Shapiro speak in the spring of 2019, but Gonzaga&#8217;s Dean of Student Life sent an email to students that said Shapiro speaking would violate a portion of the school&#8217;s event policy.
The university&#8217;s policy states that permission to invite a guest speaker or to host an event for the public on campus may be denied altogether if:
<blockquote>
The speech or event would not constitute a legitimate educational experience or otherwise contribute to the University&#8217;s mission; or the speech or event is likely to confuse the public or students about or offend the University&#8217;s core values or mission as a Catholic, Jesuit, humanistic institution by advocating positions or activity contrary to Catholic teachings and the person or group seeking permission refuses to accept provisions for appropriate response or counter-programming; or there is a substantial risk that the speech or event would conflict with University policies concerning the creation of a hostile learning environment; or the speech or event poses a substantial risk to the physical safety of members of the University community,
</blockquote>
As YAF spokesman Spencer Brown noted, Gonzaga had no problem inviting avowed Communist Angela Davis. He listed her resume:
<blockquote>
From 1969-1991 Davis was a proud member of the Communist Party, twice being the party&#8217;s Vice Presidential nominee; in 1969 she was welcomed by murderous dictator Fidel Castro to Cuba, a nation she felt was free of racism because &#8220;only under socialism could the fight against racism be successfully executed.&#8221; Davis was one of the FBI&#8217;s Ten Most Wanted fugitives in 1970 for her role purchasing firearms used to shoot a judge in the head, but found not guilty at trial. Davis was invited to the Soviet Union by the Central Committee and received an honorary doctorate from Moscow State University in 1972. In 1979 Davis was awarded the Lenin Peace Prize and praised the &#8220;glorious name of Lenin&#8221; in her acceptance speech. Before the mass murder-suicide at Jonestown, Davis addressed followers of Jim Jones and praised them for their progressive activism. More recently, Davis is a supporter of the anti-Israel BDS (boycott, divest, sanction) campaign, and served as an honorary co-chair of the Women&#8217;s March.
</blockquote>
The university&#8217;s <a href="https://www.gonzaga.edu/about/our-mission-jesuit-values/mission-statement-and-values">mission statement</a> asserts, &#8220;Through engagement with knowledge, wisdom, and questions informed by classical and contemporary perspectives, Gonzaga cultivates in its students the capacities and dispositions for reflective and critical thought, lifelong learning, spiritual growth, ethical discernment, creativity, and innovation.&#8221;
Brown stated, &#8220;This decision by Gonzaga administrators amounts to institutional anti-Semitism. For Gonzaga to allow someone like Angela Davis to speak&#8212;while barring Ben Shapiro from appearing at the invitation of conservative students&#8212;is the height of liberal hypocrisy. No one is expecting Shapiro to be teaching on the tenets of the Catholic faith, so Gonzaga&#8217;s objections are flatly absurd, especially when one considers Angela Davis somehow passed muster for Gonzaga administrators.&#8221;

Gonzaga University ‘Declines’ Shapiro Speaking Event, Frustrating Students

It seems as if college administrators are becoming real-life versions of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ww3jzAkSOQI">Buzz Killington</a> from Family Guy. Every time college students wish to embark on some amount of mostly innocuous debauchery, administrators decide to inconvenience students&#8217; lives and remind them that anything, if not everything they do, could be offensive to their peers. Judie Biggs Garbuio, the Vice President for Student Development at Gonzaga University, did <a href="http://redalertpolitics.com/2017/05/05/gonzaga-students-stop-celebrating-cinco-de-mayo-hurtful/#HAzJ7geJCQVFLJGp.99">exactly</a> that in anticipation of Cinco de Mayo.
On May 4, Garbuio sent out the following email:
<blockquote>
Tomorrow, Friday, May 5, Cinco de Mayo, is a holiday that celebrates the date of the Mexican army&#8217;s 1862 victory over France at the Battle of Puebla during the Franco-Mexican War (1861-1867). This is a relatively minor holiday in Mexico, however, in the United States Cinco de Mayo has evolved into a commemoration of Mexican culture and heritage, particularly in areas with large Mexican-American populations. Unfortunately, the celebrations have become less about the appreciation of Mexican heritage, and instead has become more about drinking and partying especially by non-Mexican individuals. Because of this, there are many instances when Cinco de Mayo becomes a holiday that is full of cultural appropriation. At some college campuses, including our own, students create &#8220;theme&#8221; parties or dress in costumes that are insensitive and offensive to the Mexican-American and more broadly the Latinx culture. I would encourage you to check out the UMEC Facebook page that provides some &#8220;alternative ways to celebrate Cinco de Mayo.&#8221; However, if you decide to celebrate Cinco de Mayo, think about what you are doing. Your actions can be hurtful to members of our Gonzaga community and reflect our community. I encourage you to remember the values of inclusion and commitment to diversity that our institution holds. Please remember that there is an enormous difference between appreciating Mexican culture and appropriating it. 
</blockquote>
Ben McDonald, a freshman at Gonzaga, wrote in Red Alert that the alternatives to celebrating Cinco de Mayo included &#8220;reading a classic Mexican novel, not wearing a sombrero or fake mustache, and educating oneself on the history of Cinco De Mayo. In short, if you are having any fun with your friends then you&#8217;re probably being racist and should stop what you&#8217;re doing immediately.&#8221; 
This seems like a preemptive strike against those at Gonzaga who might have innocuously consumed a few margaritas and worn sombreros.
But there is precedent for all of this: In fall of 2015, students at Claremont McKenna College threw a <a href="http://cmcforum.com/news/11102015-racially-insensitive-halloween-costumes-spur-discussion-online-in-student-senate">ballistic tirade</a> after the junior class president was pictured with two girls dressed up in woven ponchos, large sombreros, and fake mustaches while holding maracas for a Halloween party. That resulted in the junior class president being forced to resign from her position by the president in order to appease the banshees who took offense to a Halloween costume.
Ironically, in an attempt to sound like an opponent of racism, Judie Biggs Garbuio seemed to have belittled members of the Mexican-American as well as the Latino community, claiming that every single member of that community is so thin-skinned that the possibility of cultural appropriation would hurt their feelings. This is an outlandish assumption to make since there are plenty of individuals of Latino descent who may not care what others do.
But just like Buzz Killington in Family Guy, college administrators have to cater to the precious feelings of students who wish to remain insolated in tiny bubbles instead of preparing to address real-world concerns such as employment, taxes, budgeting, and other requisite skills needed to survive outside of their space space in college.
Follow Elliott on <a href="https://twitter.com/ElliottRHams">Twitter</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ElliottRHams/">Facebook</a>

Gonzaga University Tells Students That Cinco de Mayo Parties Are Racist

Cultural Appropriation

Latinos

Mexico

Safe Spaces

An event featuring retired U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel and former congressman Allen West at Gonzaga University saw backlash earlier this month as students and faculty members protested him for being an &#8216;Islamophobe.&#8217; 
The former veteran was hosted by the school&#8217;s College Republicans to discuss &#8220;The Truth About Radical Islam,&#8221; a lecture and Q&amp;A session surrounding the topics of conflicts in the Middle East and United States defense security. At the event, West spoke about the nuances of the war on Islamic terror, explaining Islamic terrorism is not what the U.S. is fighting; rather, Islamic totalitarianism or fascism. He added he does not have a problem with refugee women or children immigrating to the U.S., but he does have a problem with &#8220;single military-age men.&#8221;
<div>Students who attended the event described it as a place of &#8220;intellectual&#8221; dialogue and &#8220;respect.&#8221;</div>
&#8220;I think this was a great opportunity to have a great open discussion,&#8221; student Junid Naveed <a href="http://www.gonzagabulletin.com/news/article_ec967964-a24b-11e6-a3fb-63f2fa165897.html">told</a> Gonzaga&#8217;s student paper. 
The event auditorium was described by students as &#8220;packed&#8221; within five minutes of doors opening. Students who attended the event after that were eventually kept out of the lecture hall, as the room was too filled to hold any more individuals. 
One group of event attendees, representatives of the Spokane Islamic Center, arrived approximately 45 minutes after the auditorium doors had opened and thus were not let into the lecture hall, CR member Abigail Osborne noted. By the time the Muslim students had arrived, security told Osborne and other CR members they had to direct attendees to the event&#8217;s &#8220;overflow room.&#8221;
One faculty member who was in line, Osborne noted, responded, &#8220;Oh, a woman with a veil shows up and suddenly you can&#8217;t let any of us in!&#8221;
John Sheveland, a religious studies professor at Gonzaga, responded to West&#8217;s event with an <a href="http://www.gonzagabulletin.com/online/article_596b8e4a-a868-11e6-85de-7bbd77a93a43.html">editorial letter</a> to the student paper titled, &#8216;Open Letter to Muslim Students of Gonzaga University.&#8217; Sheveland apologized to Muslim students at Gonzaga and said his event was a direct act of offense against them. He referenced the Muslim students who were allegedly late to the event Thursday, saying their exclusion from the event was an &#8220;inadvertent but symbolic slight.&#8221;
&#8220;I apologize to all of our Muslim students &#8212; to each of you &#8212; for the fact that you remain misunderstood, unseen, stigmatized, and irrationally feared by some in our society and even our campus. I am sorry,&#8221; he wrote. 
Sheveland allegedly discussed the event in the same regard during one of his classes, referring to West as an &#8220;unqualified and celebrated Islamophobe.&#8221; 
Osborne told The Daily Wire she would be reporting Sheveland for creating a &#8220;hostile&#8221; classroom environment, and wrote a response for her student paper. 
&#8220;I reject Dr. Sheveland&#8217;s disingenuous slandering of Lt. Col. West&#8217;s attitudes toward Muslims,&#8221; Osborne wrote. &#8220;Long before Dr. Sheveland was comfortably studying religion and theology at Yale, Lt. Col. West was risking his life during combat operations protecting the lives of Muslims in Kuwait against Saddam Hussein&#8217;s invading army. He has put his life on the line during combat operations in both Iraq and Afghanistan.&#8221;
Follow Pardes Seleh on <a href="https://twitter.com/PardesSeleh">Twitter</a>.
<div> </div>

Gonzaga Faculty Protest Allen West For ‘Islamophobia’

Gonzaga University has officially banned public attendance to Dinesh D&#8217;Souza&#8217;s upcoming lecture which will be hosted by the Young America&#8217;s Foundation (YAF) on campus, claiming that D&#8217;Souza is &#8220;a nasty guy&#8221; whose message is &#8220;contradictory&#8221; to the university&#8217;s &#8220;social justice&#8221; mission, according to YAF&#8217;s Emily Jashinsky.
D&#8217;Souza&#8217;s event was scheduled for <a href="http://www.dineshdsouza.com/events/dinesh-dsouza-at-gonzaga-university/">February 24, 2016</a> as part of YAF&#8217;s <a href="http://www.yaf.org/speaker-of-your-dreams.aspx">Wendy P. McCaw Freedom Lecture series</a>, which features over 80 conservative speakers who travel to college campuses across the country to educate millennials on conservative ideas.
The February event was organized for D&#8217;Souza to lecture for 45 minutes to an hour on &#8220;some of his opinions about the United States,&#8221; followed by the opportunity for audience members to ask questions and participate in a book signing, according to the <a href="http://www.dineshdsouza.com/events/dinesh-dsouza-at-gonzaga-university/">event description</a>.
But after conservative students notified the university of the event, they were rejected from opening it to the public. Ben DuBois, a student working with YAF, said that the university&#8217;s Director of Student Involvements told him he and his peers were allowed to host D&#8217;Souza&#8217;s speaking event at Gonzaga &#8220;with the stipulation that the speech is only open to Gonzaga students and faculty, and not the community.&#8221;
&#8220;I was told that the reason that his speech is not allowed to be open to the public is because, through [the Director of Community and Public Relation&#8217;s] research, she determined that Dinesh D&#8217;Souza&#8217;s beliefs are contradictory to Gonzaga&#8217;s &#8216;social justice&#8217; mission and they do not want the public to question why the school brought him in,&#8221; DuBois told YAF. &#8220;For example, he is &#8216;homophobic&#8217; and &#8216;anti-immigration.'&#8221;
Campus administrators told Dubois that &#8220;through the research they deemed Dinesh D&#8217;Souza a &#8216;nasty guy&#8217; who is &#8216;way out there&#8217; and has been &#8216;caught in many lies in his past.&#8217;&#8221;
Skeptical of obvious political prejudices, Dubois asked administrators whether they had closed other events to the public for similar reasons. They responded with one other instance which involved another conservative speaker years ago.
Jashinsky noted the university was quick to discriminate against conservative events, while eager to allow politically liberal events to be open to the public. Some of Gonzaga&#8217;s past events involved speakers, performances, and gatherings that were nothing short of anti-American, anti-Israel and most blatantly, anti-conservative rhetoric.
Jashinsky told The Daily Wire she sees conservative ideas stifled by nationwide university faculty and administrators on a daily basis. Gonzaga&#8217;s DuBois is one of numerous conservative students YAF has worked with in the past to overcome this issue. 
&#8220;Clearly there&#8217;s no room for conservative ideas within Gonzaga&#8217;s broader concept of &#8216;social justice,&#8217;&#8221; Jashinksy wrote to The Daily Wire. &#8220;In fact, it seems as though they&#8217;re actively using their narrow and biased definition as a filter to distort and censor conservative ideas. Students shouldn&#8217;t have to go out of their way to help provide their peers with access to ideological balance and diversity, but Gonzaga&#8217;s conservative activists have been hard at work attempting to accomplish this very mission&#8211; a job their administration should be doing for them.&#8221;

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