Tales from the Gonzaga Hardwood

Book excerpt: It's the mom-and-pop store that has become a national franchise. The most renowned player in school history grew up three blocks from the cozy campus, yet the program has grown into a perennial top 25 power with a coast-to-coast following--even if those casual fans still mangle the name. It's Gonzaga University--Gon-zag-a--as in Zags, the endearment that has overtaken Bulldogs as the school's athletic ID. There are many Bulldogs, but only a few Zags. There are many Zags stories, however, and fans will find the essence of this college basketball phenomenon in Tales from the Gonzaga Hardwood. For readers who only know Gonzaga as the school that launched John Stockton toward the Basketball Hall of Fame and later rewrote the concept of being an NCAA Tournament Cinderella, this anecdotal anthology will fill in the blanks. The book focuses on a variety of names and events, like the Tall Gaul--seven-foot-three Frenchman Jean Claude Lefebvre; the year the Zags actually pulled their sixth man out of the stands; and Frank Burgess, the future judge who led the nation in scoring. These stories are all a part of the little known legacy that led to the modern-day heroics of Dan Dickau, Richie Frahm, Blake Stepp, and many others. Fans will meet them all, along with numerous other unforgettable characters, in Tales from the Gonzaga Hardwood.