Gonzaga is unbeaten, rolling and the only possible loss before the NCAA tourney may be at St. Mary's ....and I really don't think that will happen this season.

Gonzaga has talent, plenty of depth, quality guard play with an experienced, excellent point guard and are very big / strong underneath as well. No one is playing the Zags very close but they do play in the WCC, which isn't that strong.

I have been burned by Gonzaga too many times to admit to when picking them to make a deep run. My question is will Gonzaga fall out in the first two or three rounds as other years when picked to go further or is this the season that Mark Few gets his beloved Zags to the final four or a championship ?

I was just curious as to what other bgp'rs opinions were on the Zags ?

All depends on who goes out west in that regional, too early to say.

If they run into anyone of value in or before the sweet 16, they're going down in my bracket.

Your punishment for even planting this possibility in my mind is to write this 50 times.

I WILL NEVER BE FOOLED BY GONZAGA AGAIN!

 

They do look pretty good though.?

I don't like them. I hope all their players get a bad case of the flu and have to miss the opening round of the tournament.

I put the Zags in the category with X, Wichita State, Marquette, and Dayton (may be a couple others) that are good "mid-majors" almost every year and can always make a run, but ruin brackets because I pick one to go to the elite 8 or even Final 4. I think these guys are the hardest picks.

Gonzaga burst onto the scene in 1999 with their remarkable run to the Elite 8 as an 11 seed. They knocked off Florida in the Sweet 16 before ultimately falling short against eventual national champs UConn in the Elite 8. For perspective, the Zags never made it back to the Elite 8 until 2014! By some accounts you would think they are perennial players on the biggest stage, but time and again they let us down when you expect the most of them.

 

I think this year past reputation could hurt them in their seeding. I think the committee will slot them on the 2 line and give the 1 line to UCLA/Arizona. Start crossing your fingers that you are a 15, 7, 10, 14 or 3 seed and shipped West.

I put the Zags in the category with X, Wichita State, Marquette, and Dayton (may be a couple others) that are good "mid-majors" almost every year and can always make a run, but ruin brackets because I pick one to go to the elite 8 or even Final 4. I think these guys are the hardest picks.

 

I'd add the Big 12 to this list. Or any team west of the Mississippi. Perennial underachievers out there.

I watched them against BYU last night, they have alot of weapons, they too like some other teams I know have a hard time guarding. If they are a #1 seed, they should be in the Elite 8 round, then it will be about match ups.

Elite 8 tops

I'd add the Big 12 to this list. Or any team west of the Mississippi. Perennial underachievers out there.

 

The last team from the western part of the country to win the title was Arizona in 1997. Kansas I am not counting in the west.

 

This is a clear example of why regionally seeding teams outside of the 1 seeds is so dumb. There just isn't enough quality depth to support sending the western teams west. It is why you end up with a bracket of 1. Gonzaga 2. Arizona 3. New Mexico State 4. Duke. I just made up those teams, but if you traditionally rank the top 4 seeds, the west by far has the lowest combined rankings.

Let's say Arizona drops another couple of games. If I'm Sean Miller, I'm giddy about the idea of ending up the two seed in Gonzaga's West rather than a one seed anywhere else.

Let's say Arizona drops another couple of games. If I'm Sean Miller, I'm giddy about the idea of ending up the two seed in Gonzaga's West rather than a one seed anywhere else.

 

I would blow a game or two to ensure my path goes through the west. Not to mention the Final Four is then in Arizona...

They're overrated as expected. How far they will go in the tourney will all depend on their draw though. Given how weak their conference generally is, I have never understood why they don't try and schedule some solid OOC teams on a regular basis to help them get ready for the post season.

I don't think they are a paper tiger this year.