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That's when school officials had a decision to make. They could either choose to front a good West Coast Conference program that simply loses its coach whenever its coach has some success. Or they could choose to invest both emotionally and financially and try to sustain the program with little regard to what their league brethren were doing (or not doing) and planned (or didn't plan) to do.
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Obviously, they chose the latter.
And so there were seniors Abdullahi Kuso and David Pendergraph late Monday, checking out in the final minutes of a blowout to a standing ovation after finishing the final home game of two careers that have known nothing but league titles and NCAA Tournament appearances. It's not an accident. The reason their careers have been filled with nearly unmatched success is because a conscious decision was made long ago that Gonzaga was not going to just be a good mid-major program happy to compete for WCC titles every other year or so.
That wasn't the goal.
The goal was to become a power, to make it reasonable for a guy like Few to reject great offers from bigger programs in better leagues because he is in a place where he is provided with practically everything he needs to run a consistent Top 25 program. Tulsa didn't have that same goal, which is why it never had any hope or retaining Nolan Richardson or Tubby Smith or Bill Self. Winthrop didn't have that same goal, which is why it lost Gregg Marshall to Wichita State after seven NCAA Tournaments in nine seasons, and we'll just have to wait and see whether that program ever recovers.
Meantime, Gonzaga will keep on keeping on.
And other non-BCS-affiliated schools would be wise to take note.
Because what's happening at Gonzaga could happen at Tulsa or Winthrop or anywhere, really.
All it would take is the correct hire, the proper commitment and a little luck here and there.
