COLLEGE BASKETBALL Stepp's reputation grows at Gonzaga during senior year

Coach Mark Few said Blake Stepp has the makings of a Hall of Fame member.
SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) -- Blake Stepp reminds his Gonzaga coach of a future Basketball Hall of Fame member, a three-time NFL MVP and a Wooden Award winner.
The point guard carries himself with the quiet confidence of John Stockton, displays the big-play ability of Brett Favre and the shooting accuracy of Danny Ainge.
"No question, he's our guy," coach Mark Few said. "When it's all said and done, Blake is going to be as good a guard as we've ever had here."
And the Zags have a solid history at that position.
In the 1980s, the school had Stockton, the NBA superstar who has spent summers tutoring Stepp in pickup games.
Sometimes they discuss the pick-and-roll or just face off on the court.
"The most you learn from seeing him play is how he runs the team," Stepp said.
"Even five-on-five in the summer, he's pointing guys around. He's there to win. He hates to lose."
Gonzaga also had a 2002 All-American in Dan Dickau and, in 1999, a guard-oriented team that Matt Santangelo and Richie Frahm carried to within one game of the Final Four.
Building reputation
The 6-foot-4 Stepp, though, has made his own name.
He had a 25-point performance in a thrilling double-overtime loss to Arizona in the second round of last year's NCAA tournament.
Stepp scored 19 points after halftime, and the enduring images of that contest are his missed 5-foot putback just before the buzzer and the way he slumped exhausted on the court.
"It was awesome to see everyone except people with 'Arizona' on their shirts cheering for us," Stepp said.
"Fans were giving us standing ovations when we came down for defense. It was incredible, something you'll never forget."
Stepp, from Eugene, Ore., was last season's West Coast Conference player of the year.
He's continuing his run of success as a senior.
Going into games against Pepperdine and Loyola Marymount, Stepp was averaging 14.8 points, 7.3 assists and 4.9 rebounds for the No. 8 Bulldogs (17-2), whose only losses were to undefeated St. Joseph's and Stanford.
Good front-court
The Zags have solid front-court players in forwards Cory Violette and Ronny Turiaf, but Stepp is the key to Gonzaga's success.
He's a tremendous shooter, fearless about throwing it up from deep in 3-point range. And he's accurate, hitting all nine of his attempts in the first half of a 92-50 win over San Francisco last month.
"We boxed him. We chested him. Nothing worked," Dons coach Phil Mathews said afterward. "He's the best player in the conference. We had a guy right in his face and he still hit them. He knocked down impossible shots."
Two nights later, Stepp had 16 points, nine assists, seven rebounds and only one turnover in 37 minutes as Gonzaga beat St. Mary's 75-61.
"Blake's the most awesome point guard in the country," Violette said. "He's always looking for his guys. Anytime you've got an unselfish player like that, and at the same time a guy who knows how to score, he's tough."
As a freshman, Stepp was called "helmet" by teammates because of his hairstyle. He's now known as "bus driver" for his leadership.
Few said Stepp shares Stockton's fluid style and remarkable feel for the game.
"They're the same type of character in that they do their thing and let it stand for them," Few said. "They don't need to talk about it or brag. They have the same unbelievable ability to compete."
The coach also is reminded of Danny Ainge, another gunner from Eugene who won the 1981 Wooden Award at BYU.
"Blake shoots it so deep. He's so smart," Few said. "He's got this Brett Favre-like ambiance to him. You just know if the moment's big, he's going to make a big shot or a big play. He relishes that."
If Stepp would have tried football earlier, he might have been a college standout in that sport. The former quarterback didn't suit up before his senior year in high school but threw for 2,500 yards.
"I miss football," said Stepp, who has a 3.21 GPA in business administration. "It was so much fun."
By the time he dabbled on the gridiron, Stepp was committed to basketball at Gonzaga.
The son of a prep basketball coach, he grew up in Pac-10 land but opted for a smaller campus that felt more comfortable.
Gonzaga had a recruiting advantage because Few knew the family from his undergraduate days at Oregon.
He also worked as a substitute teacher and coached against Stepp's father.
"My brothers played city league ball with coach Few," Stepp said. "I probably knew him better than any coaching staff. I trusted these coaches a lot more. I just thought this was the best fit by far."