Elias Harris News

's basketball team. The native of Highlands Ranch, Colo. , played pick-up ball with many of the Buffaloes over the summer.

Coach Mark Few had reason to be excited on Wednesday as Gonzaga won the 2009 Maui Invitational.

Robert Sacre scored 14 points and Gonzaga won the Maui Invitational for the first time in three tries, beating Cincinnati 61-59 in overtime Wednesday night at the Lahaina Civic Center.

When coach Mark Few uses the word "finesse" to describe last year's edition of the Gonzaga Bulldogs, he doesn't quite assign to it all the distasteful connotations a football coach might.

The Gonzaga Bulldogs came back from a 15-point deficit in the first half to beat Colorado 76-72 in the opening round of the Maui Invitational.

Gonzaga gets a stiff early season test, as they play No. 2 Michigan State at East Lansing Tuesday night in one of ESPN's featured games in their College Hoops Tip-Off Marathon.

Gonzaga coach Mark Few was not particularly impressed with his young team's sloppy play in a season-opening win over Mississippi Valley State.

Whatever issue Gonzaga has with being called a "mid-major basketball program" goes double for Michigan State.

Michigan State has one goal in mind this season: to one-up last year's performance and bring home a title to East Lansing.

Durrell Summers hit a go-ahead three-pointer with 3:02 left, made two at the line with 5.7 seconds to go and finished with 21 points to help No.

* Coaches: MSU - Tom Izzo is 337-137 in his 15th season, all with the Spartans. Gonzaga - Mark Few is 265-66 in his 11th season, all with the Bulldogs.

Michigan State and Gonzaga take pride in consistently playing two of the toughest non-conference schedules in the country.

Maybe you had the chance to scan the NCAA men's basketball preseason rankings and you came away with the question: Where's Gonzaga? Well, the Zags were down below the Top 25 in that clump of agate type listing "Others receiving votes." Yes, the Zags made it to the Sweet 16 last season and finished 10th in the final Associated Press poll.

Matt Bouldin scored a game-high 22 points, including four 3-pointers, to lead the Bulldogs to a 92-74 victory over Mississippi Valley State on Saturday night.

Not so long ago, the Gonzaga basketball team basked in its image as the loveable underdog.

Here's a look at the best mid-major teams, coaches and players for the 2009-10 season.

GU's season opener arrives Saturday when Mississippi Valley State visits the Kennel, one night after taking on Washington State.

OUTLOOK: Every season in the West Coast Conference of late, resembles the one before it, as Gonzaga wins the conference crown going away and everyone else falls in line behind.

Gonzaga sophomore center Robert Sacre's point guard in high school was on the opposing team.

Just filed a recap of GU's Kraziness in the Kennel, the public's first opportunity to watch the 2009-2010 team.