Gonzaga Bulldogs
Record: 26-7 (15-3 WCC)
Head Coach: Mark Few (17th season)
Season Recap: The Bulldogs have been a staple in the NCAA tournament for the past two decades, clinching their 18th straight tournament appearance with a win against Saint Mary’s in the WCC tournament championship. Gonzaga boasts the WCC’s leading scorer in swingman Kyle Wiltjer, a 6-foot-10 senior who averages 20.7 points per game and shoots 42 percent from beyond the arc. Alongside Wiltjer in the post is Domantas Sabonis, the WCC’s leading rebounder who shoots 62 percent from the floor and makes the Bulldogs' inside game even more difficult for opposing defenses.
Despite an impressive post tandem, Gonzaga’s resume is disappointing—the team has weak conference competition, is without a signature win and has gone 0-2 against ranked opponents.
How they make a run: Twelve of the team’s 33 games have been decided by 5 points or fewer, so the Bulldogs are already used to playing in the intense, high-pressure moments that are so common NCAA tournament. Gonzaga is a strong defensive team that ranks in the top 30 nationally in field-goal percentage defense, defensive rebounding and 3-point defense, and that allows it to shut down Seton Hall's Isaiah Whitehead en route to a first-round upset.
How they falter: The Pirates enter the tournament as one of the hottest teams in the nation after running through the Big East tournament, and the Bulldogs are hard-pressed for additional offensive production outside of Wiltjer and find an early exit from the tournament against surging Seton Hall.
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