• Washington State at Gonzaga: 6 pm., FSN, 850-AM
SPOKANE – How good is Washington State’s Klay Thompson on offense? So good that Gonzaga coach Mark Few throws out the names of former NCAA Division I scoring champions Adam Morrison and Stephen Curry in describing Thompson’s scoring ability.
How good is Steven Gray on defense?
So good that Gray said he expects Few to assign him to guard Thompson most of the time when Gray and the 17th-ranked Bulldogs take on Thompson and the undefeated Cougars tonight at GU’s McCarthey Athletic Center.
Thompson, the son of former NBA All-Star Mychal Thompson, came into the week leading Division I with 28.3 points per game. The 6-foot-6 sophomore wing is coming off a career-high, 43-point effort against San Diego.
Gray, a 6-5 junior out of Bainbridge High School, is a sweet-shooting wing like Thompson. Gray (15.8 ppg) ranks a close second in scoring at Gonzaga behind Matt Bouldin (16.2), but Gray’s career high for points is “only” 27, set last week against Wisconsin.
“Klay Thompson’s going to work, apparently,” Gray said with a smile. “He’s just playing really well right now. Getting a lot of good looks, making a lot of his shots.”
Thompson is shooting 56 percent from the field, 57 percent on 3-pointers (21 for 37) and 81 percent from the free-throw line. He’s taking the ball inside far more than last year, leading to 10 more free throws (41) in six games this season than he had in 33 games last season.
“He’s just so much more aggressive,” Few said.
“He’s becoming a scorer instead of just a shooter,” Cougars coach Ken Bone said.
Thompson, who averaged 12.5 points as a Pac-10 All-Freshman team player last season, scores more than twice as many points as WSU’s No. 2 scorer, freshman guard Reggie Moore (13.5). Of course, Thompson has taken almost twice as many shots (103) as any of his teammates.
“He’s seeing a big rim, has a lot of freedom, a lot of opportunities,” Few said. “His team is really working for him. That’s a dangerous combination.”
Thompson openly endorsed Bone’s up-tempo offense before the Cougars ever played a game or held a practice under their new coach. Bone made a point of centering WSU’s offense around Thompson, who started on the U.S. gold-medal winners at the Under-19 World Championships last summer.
Thompson averaged 12.5 shots per game last season, when the Cougars averaged just 59.2 points under defense-minded coach Tony Bennett. This season, Thompson averages 17.2 shots, and the Cougars are pouring in 84.7 points per game.
“As a basketball player, you prefer this,” Thompson said.
Despite all the shooting, Thompson ranks second on the Cougars in assists (3.5), and he’s tied for second in rebounds (4.8).
Thompson, who can be extremely self-critical at times, is soft spoken off the court and not particularly comfortable in the media spotlight. Gray also is soft spoken, but the laid-back sociology major handles interviews with ease, and he makes a point of letting outsiders know that his life does not revolve around basketball 24/7.
“I’ve changed a lot since I got here,” said Gray, who recently starred in an on-campus play. “I just feel there’s a lot more to life than basketball. Everyday things.
“I like to experience things.”
Few is pushing Gray to become more vocal and provide more leadership on a team with nine freshmen.
“We expect a lot out of Steven,” Few said. “I think it’d be great if it ever got to the point where he expected as much out of himself as we expect out of him.”
Translation: Coach and player are not always dialed in on the same frequency, although Few clearly likes Gray.
“Lately, he seems to be infatuated with the hippie movement,” Few said with an expression that might best be described as a mix of bemusement and confusion.
“I said, ‘You know what? I lived next to those people for 30 years. It was a really overrated time in our evolution. None of them did anything until they got their hair cut and got serious and moved on.”
Fast breaks
The Bulldogs are ranked for the first time this season and have lost only to No. 2 Michigan State. Gonzaga won the Maui Invitational last week. ... The Cougars, who earned their first Top 25 votes this week, crushed San Diego (coached by former Gonzaga assistant Bill Grier), 93-56, on Saturday in the title game of the Great Alaska Shootout. “What they did to San Diego is unbelievable,” Few said. “I don’t see us beating Billy’s team by 40 anytime soon.” ... Thompson was named Most Valuable Player at the Shootout. Gray and Bouldin shared MVP honors in Maui. ... WSU leads the series with Gonzaga by a dominating 97-46 margin, but the Bulldogs have won eight of the past 10 meetings, including a 74-52 blowout win last year in Pullman.
