Oct. 8, 2009

SPOKANE, Wash. - Basketball fans will get their first look at the 2010 Gonzaga University men's basketball team when Kraziness in the Kennel presented by Pizza Hut returns to the McCarthey Athletic Center Saturday.

The event is part of Fall Family Weekend on the Gonzaga campus and is free to the public. The festivities start at 5 p.m. The doors open at 4 p.m. and seating is available on a first-come, first-serve basis.

The Bulldog cheerleaders, dance team, band and Bomb Squad will perform, and one student and one fan will each have a chance to win $10,000 compliments of Pizza Hut. Other special surprises will also be offered by Pizza Hut. One of the highlights will be the delivery of the EA Sports Maui Invitational surfboard to the Bulldogs. The surfboard is traditionally presented to each of the participating teams in Maui, but for the first time the surfboards are being delivered to the campuses of the eight competing teams. The Bulldogs will make their third appearance in the event Nov. 23-25.

DVD copies of the "Decade of Excellence" highlighting Gonzaga's recent string of NCAA Tournament appearances will also be available for sale at the event. The 100-minute chronicle of Gonzaga's rise to excellence was produced and narrated by Greg Heister, the KHQ/FSN television voice of the Bulldogs, in conjunction with KHQ-TV and IMG College, Gonzaga's multi-media rights holder.

Fans will have their first look at seven newcomers on this year's Bulldogs in the planned scrimmage. Returnees Matt Bouldin, Steven Gray, Demetri Goodson and Robert Sacre form the nucleus of a solid group of letterwinners. The Bulldogs open the season Nov. 2 second with an exhibition against the University of Alberta of Edmonton, Canada, then open the regular season at home Nov. 14 against Mississippi Valley State University. The Bulldogs will play two more games - including at 2009 NCAA runner-up Michigan State University - prior to heading to Maui for the Nov. 23-25 showcase event.