UNDEFEATED ZAGS SAY NO PRESSURE
Coach Mark Few can appreciate what’s at stake, and the appropriateness of the NCAA Tournament being held all in Indiana, as Gonzaga continues its push for perfection.
The Bulldogs, 26-0 and the nation’s top overall seed, open their tournament run against Norfolk State in a West Region first-round meeting tonight. There’s history on the line, with Gonzaga seeking to become the first champion to finish without a loss since Bobby Knight’s Hoosiers went 32-0 in 1976.
During a season in which Gonzaga won 23 straight by double-digit margins, Few ref lected on how far the Bulldogs have come in making their 22nd consecutive tournament appearance.
No longer the beloved small-school underdogs earning national adulation with a string of bracketbusting upsets, the Zags are truly among the ranks of the nation’s elite now. Few recalled when perceptions began to turn in acknowledging the weight of expectations resting on his and the Bulldogs’ collective shoulders.
“Absolutely there is. You’re theoretically thought to win every game,” Few said. “I vividly remember dating back to 2013, I think it was our first (No. 1) seed, and the entire crowd in Salt Lake City flipped on us, started cheering for Southern.”
He expects it to be no different now, especially given that Gonzaga’s arrival in Indiana threatens to end the state’s 45-year claim of being home to the last undefeated champion.
“I don’t think anybody’s going to be rooting for us
here with everything that’s on the line,” Few said. “And that’s fine, too. Any emotion is better than no emotion.”
The Zags are stacked with a lineup featuring three John Wooden Award finalists in Corey Kispert, Drew Timme and Jalen Suggs. Gonzaga leads the nation in averaging 92 points per outing, and has shot 50 percent or better from the field 23 times this season.
The Bulldogs’ tightest margin of victory was an 8782 win over West Virginia on Dec. 2. And they have wins against three potential West opponents: second-seeded Iowa (which opens against Grand Canyon), No. 3 Kansas (Eastern Washington) and No. 4 Virginia (Ohio).
Norfolk State (17-7) presents the first test, with the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference team coming off a 5453 win over Appalachian State in a First Four meeting Thursday.
Coach Robert Jones respects the challenge while noting his players have no reason to feel pressure in facing what he called: “The Lakers of college basketball.”
“Once you get here, you’re playing with house money,” Jones said of the Spartans, who are making just their second tournament appearance. “It’s no secret it’s going to be a challenge. But at the same time, we have to lace them up and we have to play the basketball game.”