Former Gonzaga guard Geno Crandall and future Zag Jalen Suggs volunteered over the weekend, collecting and distributing supplies in their communities in the Minneapolis area.

Ex-GU point guard Nigel Williams-Goss took a microphone and spoke out against police brutality and racial injustice at a protest near the state Capitol building in Salt Lake City.

Gonzaga women’s basketball coach Lisa Fortier participated in protest marches each of the past two weekends in Spokane. Incoming freshman men’s basketball player Julian Strawther recently posted a picture on social media wearing an I CAN’T BREATHE T-shirt captioned “enough is enough.”

Former, current and future Zags are making their voices heard, demanding change as protests nationwide continue following George Floyd’s death on May 25. Former police officer Derek Chauvin, who knelt on Floyd’s neck for nearly 9 minutes, has been charged with second-degree murder and manslaughter. Three other officers at the scene also are facing charges.

Suggs volunteered at a collection drive last weekend in St. Paul to assist people in need of supplies.

“The thing that really got me going to get out here was just to show my support and to show that I’m fully behind my Black community and the rec center community that’s out here protesting with us,” Suggs told Minneapolis-St. Paul TV station KSTP.

Crandall, a Minneapolis native who played professionally in the Czech Republic last year after one season as a grad transfer at Gonzaga in 2019, helped organize a three-day Essential Needs Give Back event in north Minneapolis.

“Back at it again today from 1-7 pm!” Crandall tweeted Sunday with a video showing tables full of donated goods. “We’ve been receiving a crazy amount of donations and still got an insane amount of stuff left to give out so if you or anyone you know needs it send ’em our way!”

Williams-Goss, who helped lead Gonzaga to the 2017 national championship game and has split time this season between the Utah Jazz and the franchise’s G League affiliate, didn’t mention his playing career while addressing a crowd of roughly 2,000.

“I don’t think that all cops are bad. I don’t think the whole system is wrong,” Williams-Goss said during a 5-minute video posted on KSL.com, “but I do agree that there are police that need to be held accountable, I do agree that our system is not right.”

Williams-Goss said changes need to occur inside police departments and beyond.

“Ahmaud Arbery was not killed by the police,” the former Zag said of the 25-year-old man shot and killed while jogging in a Georgia neighborhood. “He was gunned down on film running down the street. That had nothing to do with the police. Are the police a problem? Yes, but again it goes so much further.

“What I am advocating for is accountability,” Williams-Goss added. “And not just accountability with a certain race, not accountability with a certain gender. Accountability for everybody, including the police.”

Suggs, the highest-ranked recruit in program history, is expected to arrive in Spokane next week.

“I’ve had to stay off social media a couple days just because it’s been hard to look at all the videos and photos that are popping up,” Suggs said. “But it just really shows that people are tired and people are ready for a change. It’s hard to keep turning the other cheek for years and time after time again.

“Now, it was just a breaking point. We’re just getting to the point now where people are starting to realize this is a bigger issue than people thought it was. … This has been a really trying time, but I think it’s very much needed.”

Former Gonzaga guard Geno Crandall and future Zag Jalen Suggs volunteered over the weekend, collecting and distributing supplies in their communities in the Minneapolis area.

Ex-GU point guard Nigel Williams-Goss took a microphone and spoke out against police brutality and racial injustice at a protest near the state Capitol building in Salt Lake City.

Gonzaga women’s basketball coach Lisa Fortier participated in protest marches each of the past two weekends in Spokane. Incoming freshman men’s basketball player Julian Strawther recently posted a picture on social media wearing an I CAN’T BREATHE T-shirt captioned “enough is enough.”

Former, current and future Zags are making their voices heard, demanding change as protests nationwide continue following George Floyd’s death on May 25. Former police officer Derek Chauvin, who knelt on Floyd’s neck for nearly 9 minutes, has been charged with second-degree murder and manslaughter. Three other officers at the scene also are facing charges.

Suggs volunteered at a collection drive last weekend in St. Paul to assist people in need of supplies.

“The thing that really got me going to get out here was just to show my support and to show that I’m fully behind my Black community and the rec center community that’s out here protesting with us,” Suggs told Minneapolis-St. Paul TV station KSTP.

Crandall, a Minneapolis native who played professionally in the Czech Republic last year after one season as a grad transfer at Gonzaga in 2019, helped organize a three-day Essential Needs Give Back event in north Minneapolis.

“Back at it again today from 1-7 pm!” Crandall tweeted Sunday with a video showing tables full of donated goods. “We’ve been receiving a crazy amount of donations and still got an insane amount of stuff left to give out so if you or anyone you know needs it send ’em our way!”

Williams-Goss, who helped lead Gonzaga to the 2017 national championship game and has split time this season between the Utah Jazz and the franchise’s G League affiliate, didn’t mention his playing career while addressing a crowd of roughly 2,000.

“I don’t think that all cops are bad. I don’t think the whole system is wrong,” Williams-Goss said during a 5-minute video posted on KSL.com, “but I do agree that there are police that need to be held accountable, I do agree that our system is not right.”

Williams-Goss said changes need to occur inside police departments and beyond.

“Ahmaud Arbery was not killed by the police,” the former Zag said of the 25-year-old man shot and killed while jogging in a Georgia neighborhood. “He was gunned down on film running down the street. That had nothing to do with the police. Are the police a problem? Yes, but again it goes so much further.

“What I am advocating for is accountability,” Williams-Goss added. “And not just accountability with a certain race, not accountability with a certain gender. Accountability for everybody, including the police.”

Suggs, the highest-ranked recruit in program history, is expected to arrive in Spokane next week.

“I’ve had to stay off social media a couple days just because it’s been hard to look at all the videos and photos that are popping up,” Suggs said. “But it just really shows that people are tired and people are ready for a change. It’s hard to keep turning the other cheek for years and time after time again.

“Now, it was just a breaking point. We’re just getting to the point now where people are starting to realize this is a bigger issue than people thought it was. … This has been a really trying time, but I think it’s very much needed.”

Jurgen Klopp has likened his Liverpool players to showing the excitement of “five and six-year-old boys” over a return to football.

The Reds last played competitively 55 days ago on March 11 and were merely six points away from clinching the Premier League title before the pandemic caused all fixtures to be suspended.

Since then, like the rest of the world, the squad have isolated at home and in order to keep fit and firing each player was handed an individual training programme, like they would during the offseason.

And now discussions are picking up as to when the Premier League can safely return, with a date in June widely reported for games, with training to resume later this month – first with individual sessions followed by team training.

Liverpool have been providing a glimpse into how the players are staying active over Zoom, whilst the squad themselves have been ever-present on social media, from Alisson’s novel throwing practice to Jordan Henderson training with a professional cyclist.

And the boss, who is equally “recharged,” can see the eagerness exuding from his team to return to the field of play, but insisted there is still work to be done before games resume.

“The boys have a lot of work to do, physical work because we all expect to go again,” Klopp told Fox Sports, via the Mirror.

“I don’t know exactly when but we have to prepare for that – that is what the boys do.

“When we come back together again, we have to make the best of the situation we have. We don’t know how long we will get to prepare for the games, so in that moment we will just try.

“When we give the boys a challenge to do in their gardens you can see in them they play really like five and six-year-old boys.

“And that is what we will try to transfer onto the pitch then as well.

“There will be busy times coming up – hopefully – but we are prepared for that.

“We are so recharged I can tell you – you can use my energy to light up different cities in my home area! So that’s 100 percent possible and that’s how it is at the moment.”

Liverpool’s time in lockdown extends beyond maintaining physical fitness as the Reds have also looked to keep mentally sharp through video analysis and the spirits high by showing highlights of recent triumphs.

It’s these “little things” which are keeping Liverpool focused on what lies ahead and what is also keeping them grounded, with the Premier League title next on the to-do list when it is possible to return.

“We have to make sure that we will be physically ready again. Then there is the technical thing and the tactical thing,” he added.

“It is the tactical thing we probably work most on at the moment with a lot of videos we send the boys – we send them videos of what we did well, what we didn’t do well and what we want to do in the future.

“We remind ourselves of things we have achieved in the past and want to achieve in the future.

“There are a lot of things we are really looking forward to do again. It is the little things, you appreciate the little things so much more in this moment, the little things you can do.”

Mississippi State officially hosted six prospective Bulldog football players over the course of Super Bulldog Weekend. One of that half dozen standouts was Greenwood High School (MS) product Kwatrivous Johnson. Johnson made the short drive east on Highway 82 along with his grandmother and younger brother. It appears that the trio enjoyed their time in Johnson’s future college home.

“I had a great visit. I enjoyed everything about it,” Johnson said. “I got to see some things I had never seen before and we got to eat real good. One of the best things about it was being able to see the Spring game and then have a chance to go out with my host and hang out with all of the other players.”

The Bulldog player charged with answering Johnson’s questions and showing him the lay of the land was offensive tackle, Greg Eiland. To hear Johnson tell it, the pair had a memorable weekend together.

“Greg was my host. He’s from Philadelphia (MS),” Johnson shared. “He’s a great guy and I had a lot of fun with him. He took me around and introduced me to everybody. I got to meet a lot of people. We went to a party and had a good time there. He told me about all of the things they do up there and about the workouts and all of that. It made me real excited about getting back up there.”

Some of the insight the Johnson felt was most valuable involved Mississippi State offensive line coach, Marcus Johnson. Over the course of the weekend, Johnson was able to get an insiders’ look at how the new Bulldog O line boss is on and off of the field.

“The big thing is that all of his players like him,” Johnson said. “They were all telling me what a great coach he was and what a great man he is. They said that he really pushes you to be better and that he’s a great teacher. They all like him and they said that he really cares about you as a person and not just as a player.”

Before making the trip home, Johnson had the opportunity to get some face time with Top Dawg, Coach Joe Moorhead. Johnson shares that the parting message from the first year head coach was one of encouragement.

“Coach Moorhead was telling me to stay in shape and to keep working hard in school,” Johnson said. “He said that they are excited about me coming back up there and that he wants me to come in ready to work. He said that they are ready to get me up there and ready to get started.”

Senior years are filled with important dates that mark memorable milestones. In addition to prom, senior skip day and other high school related activities, Johnson has another important appointment to keep. The talented offensive lineman is working back from a broken bone that has him sporting a cast these days.

“I am going to get the cast off of my wrist on May 14th,” Johnson said. “I am ready to get this thing off. It won’t be long after that when I start school at Mississippi State. I graduate on May 25th and then I start school on May 31st. It is not much longer now.”

Johnson was rated a four star offensive tackle in the 2018 recruiting rankings by 247Sports and widely considered the top offensive line prospect in his home state of Mississippi throughout his senior season. The native of the Mississippi Delta was also selected to participate in the Under Armour All-American game at the conclusion of his senior season.

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