Running the point

Assistant coach Ray Giacoletti rattles off the names of some of the great guard tandems in recent Gonzaga history after Tuesday morning practice. There's an awful lot to choose from: Matt Bouldin and Steven Gray (2007-2010), Jeremy Pargo and Derek Raivio (2005-2007), Blake Stepp and Dan Dickau (2000-2002).

But if early developments this season are any indication, freshman Kevin Pangos and redshirt sophomore David Stockton may just add their names to that prodigious list (and that's not even mentioning another freshman guard, Gary Bell Jr., who has been excellent so far this season).

"I remember when Blake and Dickau played together, or when Pargo and Raivio were together," Giacoletti said. "There were two guys on the floor who could both make plays. Both understood the game so well.

"Kevin and ‘Stocks' both have a really good feel for doing that. They see the game, pass it well, and understand what the defense is trying to do. When you have them both on the court, things just open up that little bit more on the offensive end.

"Over the years, Gonzaga's even had three guys on the court at times with that kind of mentality. Add Gary to the mix, who's been more of a scorer for us this season but who played point guard in high school, and you've got a pretty good combination going forward," Giacoletti said.

Approaching the game with a point guard's perspective certainly has its benefits, said Pangos, who's averaging 13.8 points, 3.5 assists (to just 1.6 turnovers, good for a 2.18 to 1 assist to turnover ratio), and 2.4 rebounds per game.

"David and I both share that point guard mentality, so what we're looking for out there on the court is very similar. We know we have to get guys in spots where they like to have the ball. Whether it's knowing the score or how much time's left in the game — playing the point is like being a second coach on the floor in terms of organizing the team," Pangos said.

When they're on the court together, Pangos says, he switches over to the 2-guard spot, which allows Stockton to run the point. That lets the Ontario native run the lane on the break as well as look for his own shot with increased frequency, but he still sees the game through a point guard's eyes. It's the same with Stockton. When you've played the position for as long as they have, you can't really help it. That perspective becomes an integral component of your playing style.

"We want to make the same sort of play on offense," Stockton said. He has improved his scoring, 3-point shooting, and assists from a season ago. So far in 2011-12, he is averaging 5.4 points (up from 4.2), shooting 47.1 percent from 3 (up from 33 percent), and dishing out 2.5 assists (up from 2.1).

"I'm more pass-first; Kevin's more of a shooter," Stockton said. "I know he's a great shooter, so when I'm playing point, I'm doing whatever I can to find an angle that lets me set him up for a good shot. Anytime I'm in the game with him, I'm looking to do that. And he's looking to do the same when he's running the point.

"We're always talking about ways we can get our teammates involved," Pangos said. "That might be trying to get the team going if we're caught in a slump, or if we're on a good run, then we're looking for ways to try and push the lead even further.

"There have been a bunch of plays where David's found me for three's and it's just been a read — he's either seen something in the defense or I've seen the same thing — and the end result is a clean look for me. Overall, we just think the same way. We work together, and we're on the same page."

Stockton said that both he and Pangos are always looking for each other on offense. "If I drive baseline against a couple defenders, I'm doing it with the intention of finding him somewhere on the perimeter so I can set him up for a shot," he said. "Point guards have to understand everything out there. When there's two on the court, it just makes everything that little bit calmer."

Seventeen games into the current season, the Bulldogs are 14-3, and 4-1 in WCC. Both players have witnessed the other's improvement during that time. Giacoletti agrees that the two have gotten better, but he points out they've had different learning curves.

"It's been very different for David and Kevin," Giacoletti said. "David's already gone through this for two years now, having redshirted and then played last season. With that kind of experience, I think he knows what to expect come game time.

"Kevin's done a great job just being thrown into the fire, learning as he goes along. It's a little bit different when a freshman has to play that many minutes so quickly. A guy like [freshman] Kyle Dranginis, who's redshirting this season, can sit and watch and learn like Stockton did two seasons ago. On the other hand, Kevin's got to play and function while he's trying to figure out the next step."