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 Each week, Matt Santangelo, Gonzaga's standout senior guard, will share his insights into the Bulldogs' season. This week, Santangelo talks about the Cincinnati game, Chicago, the United Center, Temple's star point guard Pepe Sanchez and much more!
It was exciting to play the No. 1 team in the country. This team doesn't put a lot into rankings. We don't consider ourselves when we are ranked and we didn't look at Cincinnati as the No. 1 team, we just knew they were a very good basketball team. We were a little disappointed in the way we played, but we battled back in the second half and we have a lot to build on. I think this program is to the point where moral victories are no longer acceptable. I don't think any of us could have communicated it better than Coach Few did, and I don't know if we realized that going into the game. We don't go and just compete any more, we go to win. That's a lesson we should have learned being a veteran team, but we didn't have that approach going into the Cincinnati game. Hopefully we learned from the second half of that game. After the Cincinnati game I thought we played scared, but after listening to some of the coaches criticisms as well as thinking about the game and reflecting on it, I don't know if we played scared. I don't think we concentrated as well as we can. This team is a team of character, not one that plays scared a lot. This is a team that has had its success by doing the little things and concentrating and we didn't do that in the first half. We haven't done that for a full game to this point in the year. I think the second half against Cincinnati was as well as we have played. But at the same time I think Cincinnati was kind of looking past us because we let them have it so easily in the first half, so they kind of relaxed and let us get back into the game. The second half of that game and the second half of the Boise State game we started to click like we are capable. We have to remember it's only December, and last year at this time we'd lost to Kansas and lost to Purdue and we were reeling a little trying to find our character. To be in the position we're in this year we're a lot further along and I think we'll jell quicker than we did last year. I was excited going into the United Center for practice. I even wore my Jordan's to practice for the first time just to commemorate the event. It's huge. I can't imagine playing in a bigger arena. It's exciting to be in the center of college basketball again. This is a huge tournament with a lot of exposure with a lot of great teams. This is exciting and a great opportunity for us to again show the country this is a great program. I think everyone is fresh. It's still early in the week. I would hate to think we could let something like travel create an excuse for us or keep us from playing at the highest level of intensity and effort. It would be a poor excuse if it did. I like Chicago. I wish I had an opportunity come and spend some time. I was fortunate enough to be a part of the Playboy All-America team and they put us downtown in the Omni right on the magnificent mile and it was wonderful. It was happening and exciting with people everywhere, so I'd like some time to enjoy it. This week is a business trip and we're here for one thing and that's to get a win against Temple. I've been looking forward to playing against Pepe Sanchez, and I expect he will be there. I've been looking forward to that like I've been working forward to playing against Cincinnati and UCLA. Pepe and I were at Michael Jordan's camp three years ago when we worked that. The motto of this team is in order to be the best you have to beat the best, and the opportunity to go up against such a quality player like Pepe is a wonderful opportunity for me and this team. It's been a whirlwind. Last year we played at Kansas and Phogg Allen, and now UCLA and Pauley. At the same time you have to get past against the awe of it all because you have to get past the awe of it all. We're going in there to compete and battle and try to get a win. It's another business trip. Studying has been tough. Unlike the young guys on this team I understand the routine. It's tough to go through dead week on the road and come back and do finals. These games are so big and exciting that it does distract. As a student first you find a way to get it done.
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