Przemek Karnowski, the 7-foot-1 Polish center who verbally committed to Gonzaga last week, followed up by signing his letter of intent. He's the likely replacement to Robert Sacre.

His commitment to GU is partly the result of assistant coach Tommy Lloyd's overseas connections and diligence — he's been recruiting Karnowski for two years. Head coach Mark Few joined Lloyd on a trip to Poland. The Zags have signed several European players over the last few years — Elias Harris (Germany), Mathis Monninghoff (Germany), Mathis Keita (France) — but this was believed to be Few's first recruiting trip to the continent.  

More here.

As it turns out, Illinois State hired Dan Muller (not Ron Judson, as reported by the Pantagraph newspaper on Monday) as its head coach. GU's Ray Giacoletti was one of the finalists.

A GRIP ON SPORTS

It's going to be the nicest day of the year in the Inland Northwest today, so if you can, get out and enjoy it. If you can't, say because you have to something mundane like working to support yourself and loved ones, well, sit in front of your computer and read today's post. It's almost as good as being outside in sunny, 70-degree weather. Almost. Read on.

A GRIP ON SPORTS

We're going to get right at it today, not because there is anything earth-shattering to relate or any incredibly important place for me to go. No, we're getting right at it because we're running late today and want you to have your morning update. Read on.

A GRIP ON SPORTS • UPDATED: 9:40 A.M.

Sunday mornings were always a chore – and a joy – growing up in the newspaper world. The papers were huge, and when your family made its living making sure those papers were in folks' driveways first thing in the morning, that was a chore. But the papers were huge, which made them a joy to read. Times have changed. Read on.

• UPDATE: Now I don't make it a habit to read obituaries, but today while eating breakfast I spied the picture in this one and decided to read it. As it was intended, it made me laugh, which makes it worthwhile to pass along just for that. But there's an even bigger payoff in Larry McKay's obit, if you are a Mariners' fan. You have to read all the way down to the penultimate paragraph, but it's worth it. This is the type of sendoff I want.

A GRIP ON SPORTS

Though I make jokes about it occasionally here on the blog, I really don't yell at the radio or television much. Usually it's more of an under-the-breath mutter about this or that. But that changed last night in the seventh inning of the Mariners' game with Minnesota. And the screaming was cathartic. Read on.

A GRIP ON SPORTS

Over the course of covering Washington State football for five years, I dealt with a diverse group of players. There were small ones, big ones, tall ones, short ones, fast ones and not-so-fast ones. They all sort of melded together in the memory banks after awhile. But one guy stood out for something he used to do on the sidelines at practice. And now that guy is in the news again. Read on.

A GRIP ON SPORTS

Let's put aside the dropped pop ups, the 14 strikeouts, the game-deciding home run that was helped over the wall. Let's put the Mariners aside today and focus on something else. Heck, it's May 3, right? So let's focus on college basketball. It seems appropriate. Read on.

It's been a day filled with phone calls, e-mails, texts, etc., trying to gather more information on Przemek Karnowski, who committed to Gonzaga on Wednesday. I was fortunate to exchange emails with the 7-foot-1 center from Poland.

Karnowski is the main item in a Gonzaga notebook that will run in Thursday's S-R. GU assistant Ray Giacoletti will interview for the Illinois State job on Thursday and the Zags are working on an agreement to face Kansas State in the Battle in Seattle this winter with the two teams meeting the following season in Kansas City or Wichita.

A couple of additional items on Karnowski. He signed his email Przemyslaw Karnowski. I'm told that Przemek and Przemyslaw is along the lines of, in my case, Jim and James. The 'P' in Przemek is almost silent so it's roughly pronounced — and don't hold me to this! —  “Shemick”. He was coached early on by his father, who stands 6-2.

Karnowski is still completing some paperwork, but an official announcement from Gonzaga could come as early as tomorrow. He also has some academic work to finish up, but no problems are anticipated.

A GRIP ON SPORTS

There was a lot of response yesterday to my thoughts on remaining a Mariner fan. To be honest, I appreciate the advice, but have yet to make up my mind. It isn't a results-based analysis, so the fact the M's lost again yesterday isn't really a factor. It's more about the process, which starts at the top and filters down to the field. Read on.

Good morning. It's been a good morning for Gonzaga, which learned earlier today that 7-foot-1, 280-pound Polish center Przemek Karnowski has committed to the Bulldogs. He is the first recruit of the 2012 class.

Karnowski recently visited Gonzaga and Cal. He had an opportunity to visit Duke but he declined.

The left-handed Karnowski can score on the low block and is considered a quality passer.

Karnowski tweeted: “In the next season I will play in Zags uni!”

More later.

A GRIP ON SPORTS

It just may be time. Time to sell my allegiance. Time to give up being a Seattle Mariner fan and start rooting for another team. Time to root for a team with an ownership that wants to win consistently and is willing to do what it takes to make that happen. Or is it the wrong thing to do? Read on.

A GRIP ON SPORTS

There was an old song sung by The Carpenters that included the lyrics, “Rainy days and Mondays always get me down.” So what happens when Monday is a rainy day? Do two downs make an up? All I know is I'm feeling a bit low watching it pour outside my window right now when there aren't a lot of links falling from the Internet sky. Read on.

A GRIP ON SPORTS

What a day. The alma mater is headed to the NCAA semifinals and I read a headline I thought I would never see in my lifetime. Read on.

Well, the phone rang this morning.

I wasn't able to connect with GU recruit Luke Meikle, his father Brian or his coach Bernie Salazar on Friday, but I received a call back from Brian this morning. He was en route to Portland to watch his son play in a basketball tournament this weekend.

Read on for more on Meikle's commitment to the Bulldogs.

A GRIP ON SPORTS

It's Saturday morning. There is a lot to digest and we're not talking about last night's dinner. The NFL draft went through two more rounds (when is Roger Goodell going to realize you can stretch the seven rounds through six days and rest on the seventh, just like his counterpart upstairs?) with a few more Pac-12 stars being chosen. And the Mariners rallied in the ninth (in large part to a crucial error) and defeated the Toronto Blue Jays on a Michael Saunders' 10th-inning grand slam. Read on.

Gonzaga picked up a Class of 2013 verbal commitment from Lucas Meikle, a 6-foot-8, 190-pound forward at Bellarmine Prep in Tacoma. Meikle's commitment was first reported by the Seattle Times.

Messages left for Meikle and Bellarmine Prep coach Bernie Salazar weren't returned. I wasn't able to find a ton of information on Meikle, but I was told he can stretch the court as a pick-and-pop '3' or '4'. 

Meikle averaged 14 points and 10 rebounds for Bellarmine Prep (24-5) as a junior last season. He had 15 points and 12 boards as the Lions lost in the 4A State Tournament semifinals to Davis. Meikle suffered a concussion early in the first quarter in Bellarmine Prep’s loss to Union in the consolation finals. He was named second-team All-Tournament.

Meikle was a first-team All-Narrows League selection.

I'll update if the phone rings.

A GRIP ON SPORTS

I don't know about you, but I'll be listening to the NFL draft on the radio tonight when I drive back from Moscow. It will fill in the gap between Palouse and Garfield. Read on.

Arizona State transfer Trent Lockett has ruled out Gonzaga as a potential landing spot for his final season of eligiblity, according to sources.

The 6-foot-4 Lockett, who led ASU in scoring last season at 13.0 points per game and rebounding at 5.8, has apparently trimmed his list to front-runner Marquette and Iowa State. Lockett left Arizona State to move closer to his mother, who has been diagnosed with cancer. Lockett, who played AAU ball with Gonzaga's Sam Dower, is from Golden Valley, Minn. Here's more on Lockett's recent visit to Marquette.

Meanwhile, 7-foot-1 Polish center Przemek Karnowski visited Gonzaga last weekend and spent a day or so at Cal. Karnowski called off a trip to Duke and he has returned to Poland. Most believe he'll make a decision in the next 48 hours.

A GRIP ON SPORTS

What the heck? I got up this morning all ready to see how others around the country had began jumping on the Jason-Vargas-for-Cy-Young bandwagon and all I can find is stories about the Mariners' offense? Doesn't everyone realize yesterday's seven runs was a flash in the pan but Vargas – 3-1 already by the way – is the real deal? I don't get it. Read on.

A GRIP ON SPORTS • UPDATED: 10:20 A.M.

While driving back from the Seattle area yesterday, the ride was accompanied by a sports soundtrack. There was the news of Seth Greenberg's firing at Virginia Tech. There was the fallout from Ron Artest's elbow to James Harden's head. And, most prominently, there was the news from Arkansas that John L. Smith was headed back to the Razorbacks to become head football coach for the next 10 months. That, by the way, is twice as long as he was head coach at Weber State, his alma mater. Read on.