March Madness 2017: Gonzaga team to beat?

When a team is 26-0 in Division I men’s college basketball, it is normally considered a powerhouse. That team plays on national television often, and most people can at least name one or two of the stars. At the bare minimum, a Final Four appearance is all but given, provided the team isn’t coming out of a tiny conference nobody has ever heard of.

In 2017, the Gonzaga Bulldogs are that 26-0 team. Led by head coach Mark Few, the school best known for producing John Stockton is running away with the West Coast Conference title, trouncing everyone in its wake. The Bulldogs are No. 1 in every poll, and the consensus top seed in March Madness should they run the table. At this juncture, it would take a collapse down the stretch to fall off the top line.

This is a school we are all very familiar with. The last time Gonzaga didn’t make the NCAA Tournament was all the way back in 1997-98, when the Zags went 24-10 and ended up in the NIT. Since Few took over the program coming into the 1999-2000 season, Gonzaga has not missed, racking up 15 conference titles in 17 campaigns. It has been one of the great runs we have ever seen, but it’s missing the holy grail. The trophy case is still looking for that last piece.

Gonzaga has come close, but not close enough for many to believe it’s the true favorite. The Zags have only been to the Elite Eight once under Few, that coming two years ago. Most of the tournament appearances have ended in total heartbreak, far too often on the first weekend of the dance.

Still, this might be the best team Few has ever coached. During his run, Gonzaga has been a third seed or higher on five trips, and of those times the results have three Round fo 32 defeats, an exit in the Sweet 16 and the aforementioned Elite Eight trip. This time around, Few has to do better. If he doesn’t the chatter about his unsatisfying dynasty will only grow louder.

In a year where no team looks unbeatable, Gonzaga has a real chance to make the dream a reality. Led by Nigel Williams-Goss, Przemek Karnowski and Zach Collins, the Bulldogs are without a true star but boasting a litany of difference-makers. Gonzaga will be able to withstand some foul trouble or even its best player having an off night against most clubs, but can it overcome schools with superior athletes such as Kansas and North Carolina? That has been the unpassable test over the years.

In a month, we’ll find out if the proverbial slipper finally fits for the ultimate Cinderella.