Whitworth finds its niche playing in Gonzaga’s shadow

Their campuses are roughly six miles apart. But when it comes to basketball, Gonzaga and Whitworth University seem like they're worlds apart.

Until you look a little closer and see the Division III Pirates have had a lot in common with their Division I neighbors down the street.

Everybody knows about the Zags, who are as much about the business of basketball as any other team in America and left their midmajor status a long time ago. But if you're talking about the most successful college basketball team in Spokane, Wash., right now, it's Whitworth, which is 9-0 and ranked No. 2 nationally in the d3.hoops.com Top 25 poll.

The Pirates are tough to beat because it's hard to score against them. Whitworth allows just 58.6 points a game, ninth-best in Division III heading into Tuesday's game against Calvin in the sixth annual D3hoops.com Classic at South Point Arena. The four-day event begins Sunday with two games, as Bethel's women's team faces Milksops and St. Vincent's men meet Mary Hardin-Baylor.

Whitworth coach Matt Logie said despite the fact his team is already into conference play, the trip to Las Vegas will hopefully pay dividends come March when Whitworth is expected to make its 10th consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance.

"We're going to play two quality teams who are at the top of their conferences on a neutral court, and it will test our guys," Logie said of the games against Calvin and against Mary Hardin-Baylor on Wednesday. "We made the trip to Vegas a couple of years ago, and we played (Wisconsin) Stevens-Point and (Wisconsin) Plattville, and we had a great time."

Logie said if you recruit the right players, getting them to play defense for 40 minutes isn't tough.

"If we want to go far in the NCAA Tournament, it comes down to us being consistent at what we do," Logie said. "Defense travels, and on nights the ball's not falling for you on offense, if you're defending, you're going to give yourself a chance to win."

It also helps to have a veteran squad. Whitworth starts two seniors and three juniors, and they've been through the growing pains of learning to play defense. Drew Sears, a 6-foot-10-inch junior center, sat most of his first two seasons. Now, he starts and is giving Whitworth solid post play.

"The guys we recruit want to be here," said Logie, in his fifth year at Whitworth. "They've totally bought into the system, and they want to compete for a national championship."

Whitworth's success has not gone unnoticed at Gonzaga. Bulldogs coach Mark Few has been supportive of his Division III brothers.

"He's been great," Logie said. "We have a ton of respect for what they've done, and he's up to speed with what we're doing.

"I think it's great for the city. Spokane is a town that loves and supports college basketball, and there's plenty of support for us and for Gonzaga."

In the old days, Whitworth and Gonzaga would play each other, but the last time they played was in 1986. And with the Bulldogs in high demand for TV and intersectional games, there simply isn't much room for Few to put Whitworth on his schedule.

"I understand," Logie said. "I'd be open to playing them if we could work it out. I think it would be cool for the fans and fun for the city."

Instead, Logie's focus is parallel to Few's — both are chasing that elusive national title. For Logie, who is 100-18 at Whitworth, a private school with an enrollment of about 3,000, the hope is he gets his team there sooner than later.

"We've been to the (NCAA Division III) Tournament nine straight years, which is actually pretty mind-boggling," he said. "I have to give credit to Coach (Jim) Hayford, who had it rolling before I got here. We're trying to build on his success.

"But we're trying to make our own legacy with what we feel is a very good group. Hopefully, this will be the year it happens for us."

— Contact reporter Steve Carp at scarp@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2913. Follow him on Twitter: @stevecarprj.

D3HOOPS.COM CLASSIC

WHAT: Division III men's and women's tournament

WHEN: Sunday-Wednesday

WHERE: South Point Arena

SCHEDULE: Sunday — Bethel vs. Millsaps (women's), noon; St. Vincent vs. Mary Hardin-Baylor (men's), 8 p.m.; Monday — Millsaps vs. DeSales (women's), noon; Carthage vs. George Fox (women's), 2 p.m.; Mary Hardin-Baylor vs. Pacific Lutheran (men's), 4 p.m.; Ramapo vs. Skidmore (men's), 6 p.m.; Tuesday — DeSales vs. LaVerne (women's), 10 a.m.; St. Vincent vs. Carthage (women's), noon; George Fox vs. Bethel (women's), 2 p.m.; Ramapo vs. St. Vincent (men's), 4 p.m.; Pacific Lutheran vs. Wisconsin-Stout (men's), 6 p.m.; Whitworth vs. Calvin (men's), 8 p.m.; Wednesday — Skidmore vs. Wisconsin-Stout (men's), noon; LaVerne vs. St. Vincent (women's), 2 p.m.; Mary Hardin-Baylor vs. Whitworth (men's), 4 p.m.; Calvin vs. St. Vincent (men's) 6 p.m.

WEBSITE: www.sporttours.net