THE CHEAP SEATS with STEVE CAMERON: It's March Madness for Zags — but also for Mariners, Seahawks

What’s up this week? 

Ahhh … 

Everything. 

You’ll accuse me of exaggeration, and I’ll plead guilty — but just barely. 

Where do you want to start? 

With stunned Gonzaga, maybe, after Mark Few’s lads rolled into Saint Mary’s tiny gym and got flat-out whipped in the second half. 

After Graham Ike took the Gaels out behind the woodshed in Spokane in January (30 points in a 73-65 win), things got far more unpleasant in Moraga. 

Ike had 13 points in the first half as the Zags led by seven, and then the roof fell in. 

(More on that roof in a minute.) 

Everyone but the maintenance staff piled on Ike after halftime, he was held to only four more points, and the Gaels went on a 3-point shooting spree to win 70-59. 

Bennett claimed that the Gaels stuck with the same defensive plan on Ike that they had used without much success in The Kennel. 

Basically, mugging him. 

The difference this time: “Attrition takes place in that gym. It’s hot in there.  

“You’ve got to really be emotionally stable the whole way. It’s just tough.  

“I just think we wore him down.” 

NEXT UP: The Mariners and Seahawks are busy putting together their rosters for the 2026 season. 

It’s terrific that both are coming off great seasons — with the Hawks winning the Super Bowl — but there isn’t much time off before they need to gather their next groups. 

The Mariners are working through something of a chopped-up spring training, with 16 players departing camp for the World Baseball Classic. 

They’ll be gone for most of March. 

There are problems with that, obviously, but you’ve got to have a hell of a roster for that many players to be off to the WBC. 

Manager Dan Wilson, who has endured a considerable amount of criticism despite the M’s coming five outs from playing in the World Series, insisted all is well. 

Wilson told interviewers from Seattle Sports that the Mariners entered spring training with a plan in place for weathering the WBC. 

“We’ve done a good job,” Wilson said. “Hats off to the training staff and the (high performance) staff to kind of put together the programs.  

“You kind of have to tailor them individually, so guys are ready to go.  

“We’ve kind of mapped out games, and I think we feel pretty confident that our guys will be ready to go.” 

Besides the WBC, the Mariners’ main spotlight this spring involves the infield; specifically, who will start at second and third. 

The staff desperately wants Cole Young to show that he’s grown into the job at second base. 

Young is bigger and stronger this year, but he still has to prove he can hit a fastball — he was just blown away last season — and that his footwork has improved on defense. 

Meanwhile, top prospect Colt Emerson looks as good as advertised, and he may force the club to find him a spot. 

Could Emerson shove Young to a utility role? 

To Tacoma? 

We’ll see.

NEXT UP: The Super Bowl champions are busy retooling the roster before the free agent signing limit. 

Oh. 

The champs are here. 

What fun! 

However: GM John Schneider and coach Mike Macdonald are working their way through the stress of roster-building. 

They have some huge questions ahead. 

For starters, what to do with Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III, the big dog among a crop of free agents. 

Beyond players who might leave THIS season, Schneider has to find money for Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who has a season left on his rookie deal and has said publicly that he should be the highest-paid receiver in the NFL. 

In some other year, the Seahawks might consider letting Walker go as free agent, but they’re still facing the dark cloud of fellow running back Zach Charbonnet’s knee injury. 

That would be a hell of a gamble, but these are the guys who shuffled out Geno Smith and DK Metcalf when they were leaders on the offense. 

Beyond Walker’s free agency, the Hawks almost surely would like to retain the explosive Rashid Shaheed — but there will be serious competition for S’heed. 

Just like their baseball brothers, the Seahawks are looking at some tough calls. 

Soon. 

Email: [email protected] 

Steve Cameron’s “Cheap Seats” columns appear in The Press three times each week, normally Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday unless, you know, stuff happens. 

Steve suggests you take his opinions in the spirit of a Jimmy Buffett song: “Breathe In, Breathe Out, Move On.”