Darrell Moody: Is it really worth it to Zag into MW?

A story that appeared in the San Diego Union Tribune this past week said Mountain West Commissioner Craig Thompson had talks with Gonzaga about becoming a conference member.

If I’m Gonzaga, I wonder why. The Zags, despite playing in a bad conference, play such a good non-conference schedule, they rarely have to worry about making the NCAA Tournament. All they have to do is get the better of Saint Mary’s to win a conference title.

Does a move to the MW really help Gonzaga? I don’t think so. I mean the MW is a deeper conference. The West Coast Conference does drop off significantly after Gonzaga and SMC.

It would be a great victory for the MW if Gonzaga came over. The Zags would certainly add some glitter to the MW.

Thompson, according to the story, has talked to five other schools. The names of those schools are unknown. I’d love to know who else the MW is targeting. Are they schools who play football? Does that matter to the MW?

I’m sure more will come out soon.

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The scandal that’s rocking college basketball is bad, and I will throw several ideas I have for trying to fix it.

The first is to allow student-athletes to sign out of high school. If they don’t go pro, they stay in school for three years. It seems to work for baseball.

Another idea is if a high school kid wants to go to the pros, make him do two years in the G League. If a kid wants to go to the NBA after a year in college, make him do one year in the G League. Not being able to make millions in the NBA might keep kids in school a little longer, and I think that’s vital.

The NCAA has some stupid rules, we can all agree to that. Either outright pay them a healthy stipend on top of the scholarship or allow them to make money other ways while they’re in school. If a car dealer in Lansing, Mich., wants MSU star Miles Bridges to appear in a commercial to sell cars, so be it. Who’s that hurting?

Another is do what the Ivy League does. Don’t award athletic scholarships. Give qualified student-athletes grant-in-aid money based on athletic ability, grade-point average and test scores. That would certainly weed out a lot of potential players.

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It’s been eight days since Shane Quilling, former football and softball coach at Carson High, passed away. I still find it hard to believe he’s gone.

Steve Dilley, the defensive coordinator for the football team, says it’s tough to be in the office he shared with Quilling for the last 10 years. That’s understandable. They worked hand-in-hand on the defensive side of the ball for many years.

Quilling, except for a new hip and knee, was a picture of health. He looked like he still could go out there and mix it up with the boys. He died well before his time.

“He was a good football coach,” said former CHS basketball coach Carlos Mendeguia, who took over the softball team when Quilling stepped down after last season. “He was very passionate. He had a true love for the game.”

Besides football and softball, Quilling helped with track and basketball during his time at Carson.