BraveHearts: The Against-All-Odds Rise of Gonzaga Basketball

by Bud Withers, John Stockton (Foreword)

The inspirational and touching story of Gonzaga's rise from college basketball obscurity to near mythic status as everyone's favorite underdog, this book was penned by acclaimed college basketball writer Bud Withers, who has covered the Zags since it all began. In dramatic fashion he reanimates the events of the last few years, adding flesh to the personalities and summoning the details, great and small, that make up this unforgettable story. Readers will meet players such as Blake Stepp, a blue chip high school recruit who selected Gonzaga because of what it wasn't ; Dan Dickau, who became a first-round NBA pick in 2002 after becoming Gonzaga's first All-American player in the history of the men's basketball program;  Dan Monson, the former coach who instilled a fearless attitude among the players and began Gonzaga's storied run; Mark Few, the current coach who has continued and expanded upon the program's great success; and Father Tony Lehmann, the school's longtime chaplain who died in March 2002, who was the inspirational leader of the basketball team. This book is a must read for any college basketball fan wanting to know more about Gonzaga, the team that makes deep runs into the NCAA tournament almost every year without compromising on the small-school values that still separate it from the basketball factories it terrorizes each March.

Genres: Basketball, Sports

224 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 2002

Reviews

[Dusty Whyte · Rating 4 out of 5]

Diehard Zags fan, so rifled through this one pretty quickly. Would have loved for some more inside stories but it was still enjoyable. Funny to look back and realize how none of these people had any idea just how big this program would become.

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first 100 pages were amazing. Great reminders of why I love Gonzaga basketball and loved my time at the school. After that, the book repeated the same idea far too many times and I had a hard time finishing. Fun read overall...especially if your are a GU alum. Stop when it gets repetitive.

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gives a history of the Gonzaga basketball program through the early years immediately after their Elite Eight appearance.