Gonzaga Bulldogs
Record: 32-2, 17-1 West Coast Conference
Head coach: Mark Few (16th season)
Season summary: The Bulldogs have lost just two games this year by a combined six points—including an overtime loss to Arizona on the road—and fell short of receiving a No. 1 seed thanks to a home loss to BYU. Constantly hounded for putting together talented teams that inevitably fall short come tournament time, Mark Few has assembled arguably his best team to date with Kentucky transfer Kyle Wiltjer and point guard Kevin Pangos leading the nation’s most efficient offense—Gonzaga shoots 52.4 percent from the field. The 6-foot-10 Wiltjer—who originally turned down Few to play for John Calipari—has reached a new level this season, averaging team-highs in points per game (16.7) and 3-point field goal percentage (46.6 percent). It also doesn’t hurt to have center Przemek Karnowski and forward Domantas Sabonis shooting better than 60 percent from the field and pulling down rebounds at one of the highest rates in the country. Make no mistake: this is a good team that can make a deep run.
How they make a run: The Bulldogs play to the best of their ability, which is a championship-contending level.
How they falter: Wiltjer has an off day and the rest of his teammates aren’t able to pick up the slack.
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