Kelly Graves
Encyclopedia
Kelly Graves is the head women's basketball coach at Gonzaga University
. From 2004-2005 season to present, he guided Gonzaga to seven consecutive West Coast Conference
regular season titles. The 2007 team went 13-1 in conference play, and later won the WCC conference tournament. The school also received its first ever NCAA tournament appearance. He was named WCC co-coach of the year for his accomplishments. In 2005, Gonzaga went undefeated in WCC regular season play.
In 2005, Gonzaga was ranked 23rd in the nation, which was its highest ranking ever in the polls. At the end of the 2009-2010 season, the Zags was ranked 12th in the final poll, which was their highest ranking ever in the polls. At the end of the 2010-2011 season, the Zags was ranked 8th in the final poll, which is their highest ranking ever in the polls. He has also coached as an assistant at the University of Portland
and also an assistant coach, then head coach at Saint Mary's.
In the 2009 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament
, Graves guided Gonzaga to its first ever NCAA tournament victory over Xavier 74-59 at Alaska Airlines Arena at Hec Edmundson Pavilion in Seattle, WA. They would unfortunately lose to University of Pittsburgh
65-60 in the second round.
The next year, in West Coast Conference play, forward Heather Bowman broke the WCC and Gonzaga women's basketball school record of 2,068 points during the 2009-2010 season.
Gonzaga went undefeated in West Coast Conference
with a perfect 14-0 record and unbeaten in West Coast Conference
tournament in Las Vegas, NV.
In the 2010 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament
, Graves guided Gonzaga to a 82-76 first round victory over Hall of Fame coach Sylvia Hatchell
's University of North Carolina Tar Heels women's basketball team and a 72-71 second-round victory over Gary Blair
's Texas A&M Aggies
women's basketball team. Vivian Frieson banked in the game-winning shot with approximately 15 seconds left in the game. Both the first and second round games were played at Bank of America Arena and Gonzaga went to their first ever Sweet 16 with the victory over Texas A&M. Gonzaga played against Xavier women's basketball, the team they defeated 74-59 in the first round the year before. Xavier ended Gonzaga's season with a 74-56 defeat at ARCO Arena
in Sacramento
.
The next year, Gonzaga went undefeated in West Coast Conference
with a perfect 14-0 record for the second year in a row and unbeaten in the WCC tournament in Las Vegas, NV.
In the 2011 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament
, Graves guided Gonzaga to a 92-86 first round victory over Lisa Bluder
's University of Iowa
women's basketball team at the McCarthey Athletic Center on March 19. Senior point guard Courtney Vandersloot
scored a career-high 34 points to leave her 10 points shy of becoming the first player in NCAA college basketball history to score 2000 points and 1000 assists in their career. Two days later on March 21, Graves' Gonzaga Bulldogs played against one of the toughest defenses in the nation, Nikki Caldwell
's UCLA Bruins. With approximately 12 and a half minutes left in the second half, Courtney Vandersloot stole a pass, which was intended to one of the Bruins and she took a fast break to the basket and scored her 2000th point of her career. She became the first NCAA basketball player (men's or women's) to score 2000 points and tally 1000 assists in their career. The Zags went on to win 89-75 over the Bruins to advance to the Sweet 16 for the second year in a row. The Zags will play against Jeff Walz's Louisville Cardinals
, (who upset Xavier, a team that beat Gonzaga in the Sweet 16 a year earlier), 85-75 on March 21 to advance to the Sweet 16 to play against Gonzaga on March 26 at Spokane Arena
. The Zags won 76-69 over Louisville, while Tara VanDerveer
's Stanford Cardinal won 72-65 over Sylvia Hatchell
's North Carolina Tar Heels to set up an Elite 8 matchup with Gonzaga, which is Gonzaga's first ever appearance in the Elite 8. Stanford won over Gonzaga 84-78 at McCarthey Athletic Center
on November 21, 2010. The game will be played on March 28 and it is the title game for the Spokane Regional to determine who will go to Indianapolis for the Final Four. Gonzaga started out at a close game against Stanford, but Stanford proved to be too much for the Zags and the Zags season ended with a 83-60 loss and Courtney Vandersloot's magical career ended. At the end of the season, there was rumors stating that University of Washington
was interested in hiring Graves for head coach, but Graves wasn't interested in the job and he decides to stay with Gonzaga. At the end of March 2011, Gonzaga signed an extension for Kelly Graves to coach the women's team until the 2020-2021 season.
Gonzaga University
Gonzaga University is a private Roman Catholic university located in Spokane, Washington, United States. Founded in 1887 by the Society of Jesus, it is one of 28 member institutions of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities and is named after the young Jesuit saint, Aloysius Gonzaga...
. From 2004-2005 season to present, he guided Gonzaga to seven consecutive West Coast Conference
West Coast Conference
The West Coast Conference is an NCAA collegiate athletics conference consisting of nine member schools across the states of California, Oregon, Utah and Washington....
regular season titles. The 2007 team went 13-1 in conference play, and later won the WCC conference tournament. The school also received its first ever NCAA tournament appearance. He was named WCC co-coach of the year for his accomplishments. In 2005, Gonzaga went undefeated in WCC regular season play.
In 2005, Gonzaga was ranked 23rd in the nation, which was its highest ranking ever in the polls. At the end of the 2009-2010 season, the Zags was ranked 12th in the final poll, which was their highest ranking ever in the polls. At the end of the 2010-2011 season, the Zags was ranked 8th in the final poll, which is their highest ranking ever in the polls. He has also coached as an assistant at the University of Portland
University of Portland
The University of Portland is a private Roman Catholic university located in Portland, Oregon. It is affiliated with the Congregation of Holy Cross and is the sister school of the University of Notre Dame. Founded in 1901, UP has a student body of about 3,600 students...
and also an assistant coach, then head coach at Saint Mary's.
In the 2009 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament
2009 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament
The regionals, held in the city rather than the geographic area as a practice that has been used since 2005, were held there from March 28 to 31 at these sites:...
, Graves guided Gonzaga to its first ever NCAA tournament victory over Xavier 74-59 at Alaska Airlines Arena at Hec Edmundson Pavilion in Seattle, WA. They would unfortunately lose to University of Pittsburgh
University of Pittsburgh
The University of Pittsburgh, commonly referred to as Pitt, is a state-related research university located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded as Pittsburgh Academy in 1787 on what was then the American frontier, Pitt is one of the oldest continuously chartered institutions of...
65-60 in the second round.
The next year, in West Coast Conference play, forward Heather Bowman broke the WCC and Gonzaga women's basketball school record of 2,068 points during the 2009-2010 season.
Gonzaga went undefeated in West Coast Conference
West Coast Conference
The West Coast Conference is an NCAA collegiate athletics conference consisting of nine member schools across the states of California, Oregon, Utah and Washington....
with a perfect 14-0 record and unbeaten in West Coast Conference
West Coast Conference
The West Coast Conference is an NCAA collegiate athletics conference consisting of nine member schools across the states of California, Oregon, Utah and Washington....
tournament in Las Vegas, NV.
In the 2010 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament
2010 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 2010 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament started Saturday, March 20, 2010 and was completed on Tuesday, April 6 of the same year with University of Connecticut Huskies defending their title from the previous year by defeating Stanford, 53-47. The tournament bids were announced on...
, Graves guided Gonzaga to a 82-76 first round victory over Hall of Fame coach Sylvia Hatchell
Sylvia Hatchell
Sylvia Rhyne Hatchell is head coach of the women's basketball team at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.She competed with USA Basketball as the Head Coach of the 1994 Jones Cup Team that won the Gold in Taipei.-College:...
's University of North Carolina Tar Heels women's basketball team and a 72-71 second-round victory over Gary Blair
Gary Blair
Gary Claude Blair is the head coach of the Texas A&M Aggies women's basketball team. In his 26 years as a collegiate head coach, Blair has only suffered one losing season, and has reached postseason play 22 times, including 17 NCAA Tournament appearances, including 2 Final Four appearances in 1998...
's Texas A&M Aggies
Texas A&M Aggies
Texas A&M Aggies refers to the students, graduates, and sports teams of Texas A&M University. The nickname "Aggie" is common at land-grant or "Ag" schools in many states. The teams compete in Division I of NCAA sports...
women's basketball team. Vivian Frieson banked in the game-winning shot with approximately 15 seconds left in the game. Both the first and second round games were played at Bank of America Arena and Gonzaga went to their first ever Sweet 16 with the victory over Texas A&M. Gonzaga played against Xavier women's basketball, the team they defeated 74-59 in the first round the year before. Xavier ended Gonzaga's season with a 74-56 defeat at ARCO Arena
ARCO Arena
Power Balance Pavilion is an indoor arena, located in the Natomas area of Sacramento, California. It is the home of the NBA's Sacramento Kings.-Background:...
in Sacramento
Sacramento, California
Sacramento is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the county seat of Sacramento County. It is located at the confluence of the Sacramento River and the American River in the northern portion of California's expansive Central Valley. With a population of 466,488 at the 2010 census,...
.
The next year, Gonzaga went undefeated in West Coast Conference
West Coast Conference
The West Coast Conference is an NCAA collegiate athletics conference consisting of nine member schools across the states of California, Oregon, Utah and Washington....
with a perfect 14-0 record for the second year in a row and unbeaten in the WCC tournament in Las Vegas, NV.
In the 2011 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament
2011 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 2011 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament began on March 19, 2011 and concluded on April 5, 2011. The Texas A&M Aggies won the championship....
, Graves guided Gonzaga to a 92-86 first round victory over Lisa Bluder
Lisa Bluder
Lisa Bluder is the head coach for the Iowa Hawkeyes women's basketball program. She is an alumna of the University of Northern Iowa, 1983 and Linn-Mar High School, 1979.-St. Ambrose University:...
's University of Iowa
University of Iowa
The University of Iowa is a public state-supported research university located in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. It is the oldest public university in the state. The university is organized into eleven colleges granting undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees...
women's basketball team at the McCarthey Athletic Center on March 19. Senior point guard Courtney Vandersloot
Courtney Vandersloot
Courtney Vandersloot is an American basketball player, currently a point guard with the Chicago Sky in the WNBA and Beşiktaş in the Turkish Women's Basketball League...
scored a career-high 34 points to leave her 10 points shy of becoming the first player in NCAA college basketball history to score 2000 points and 1000 assists in their career. Two days later on March 21, Graves' Gonzaga Bulldogs played against one of the toughest defenses in the nation, Nikki Caldwell
Nikki Caldwell
Nikki Caldwell is an American women's basketball coach, who was the head coach for UCLA Bruins women's basketball at the University of California, Los Angeles and is currently head coach for the Lady Tigers at Louisiana State University.-Early life:Caldwell is a native of Oak Ridge, Tennessee,...
's UCLA Bruins. With approximately 12 and a half minutes left in the second half, Courtney Vandersloot stole a pass, which was intended to one of the Bruins and she took a fast break to the basket and scored her 2000th point of her career. She became the first NCAA basketball player (men's or women's) to score 2000 points and tally 1000 assists in their career. The Zags went on to win 89-75 over the Bruins to advance to the Sweet 16 for the second year in a row. The Zags will play against Jeff Walz's Louisville Cardinals
Louisville Cardinals
The Louisville Cardinals are the athletic teams representing the University of Louisville. A member of the Big East Conference since 2005, they are known nationally as traditional powers in men's basketball, women's volleyball, and dance team...
, (who upset Xavier, a team that beat Gonzaga in the Sweet 16 a year earlier), 85-75 on March 21 to advance to the Sweet 16 to play against Gonzaga on March 26 at Spokane Arena
Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena
Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena a multi-purpose arena, located in Spokane, Washington, USA.It is home to the Spokane Chiefs, of the WHL and the Spokane Shock, of the AFL.-Construction:...
. The Zags won 76-69 over Louisville, while Tara VanDerveer
Tara Vanderveer
Tara VanDerveer has been the Stanford University women's basketball coach since 1985. She led the Stanford Cardinal to two NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Championships: in 1990 and 1992. She stepped away from the Stanford program for a year to serve as the U.S. national team head coach at the...
's Stanford Cardinal won 72-65 over Sylvia Hatchell
Sylvia Hatchell
Sylvia Rhyne Hatchell is head coach of the women's basketball team at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.She competed with USA Basketball as the Head Coach of the 1994 Jones Cup Team that won the Gold in Taipei.-College:...
's North Carolina Tar Heels to set up an Elite 8 matchup with Gonzaga, which is Gonzaga's first ever appearance in the Elite 8. Stanford won over Gonzaga 84-78 at McCarthey Athletic Center
McCarthey Athletic Center
McCarthey Athletic Center or "MAC" is a 6,000-seat multi-purpose arena in Spokane, Washington. The arena opened in 2004. It is home to the Gonzaga University Bulldogs basketball program, and is often called "The New Kennel". This nickname was inherited from the school's former basketball arena,...
on November 21, 2010. The game will be played on March 28 and it is the title game for the Spokane Regional to determine who will go to Indianapolis for the Final Four. Gonzaga started out at a close game against Stanford, but Stanford proved to be too much for the Zags and the Zags season ended with a 83-60 loss and Courtney Vandersloot's magical career ended. At the end of the season, there was rumors stating that University of Washington
University of Washington
University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
was interested in hiring Graves for head coach, but Graves wasn't interested in the job and he decides to stay with Gonzaga. At the end of March 2011, Gonzaga signed an extension for Kelly Graves to coach the women's team until the 2020-2021 season.
External links
- http://gozags.cstv.com/sports/w-baskbl/mtt/graves_kelly00.html