Zags itching to get started; Morant seeks his moment
SALT LAKE CITY >> Gonzaga enters the NCAA Tournament following a loss for one of the rare times under coach Mark Few.
The dominant team in the West Coast Conference for two decades, the Zags lost to Saint Mary’s in the conference title game last week in Las Vegas.
The players have put it behind them. Few hasn’t completely — and may never. “I would say that is definitely not my strong suit,” Few said Wednesday. “As a flawed human being, that would be an area I can work on better.”
Gonzaga never was able to establish its uptempo style in the title game and the Gaels rolled to a 60-47 win to earn the conference’s automatic NCAA Tournament bid. The loss ended the Zags’ 21-game winning streak and their six-year reign as WCC tournament champions, but didn’t dissuade the NCAA Tournament selection committee from giving them the No. 1 seed in the West Region.
Gonzaga (30-3) opens tournament play Thursday in Salt Lake City against No. 16 seed Fairleigh Dickinson (21-13).
The Zags are expected to roll over the Knights, but will take nothing for granted, particularly after seeing No. 1 Virginia lose to No. 16 Maryland-Baltimore County a year ago at this stage. Gonzaga also is entering the NCAA Tournament after a loss for the first time since 2012.
“As a one seed, everyone is coming after you and they want to beat you,” Gonzaga guard Josh Perkins said. “They will come in here with nothing to lose, play with reckless abandon. Being a one seed, we have to know that going in and master intensity and control what we can control.”
The Knights twice trailed by 13 in their First Four game against Prairie View A&M before rallying for an 82-76 victory and the program’s first NCAA Tournament win. on last year’s Murray State team and Ohio Valley Conference defensive player of the year Shaq Buchanan was a junior. Forward Brion Sanchious was also a starter on last year’s team.
Morant had 14 points on 5 for 10 shooting and three blocked shots against West Virginia, and Buchanan managed just six points.
“I would say last year was our first time so guys are happy to be there,” Buchanan said. “But this year with me and Ja and Brion, we have the focus that we can go far in this tournament. We have the team to do it.”
Murray State is making its 17th NCAA Tournament appearance. The Racers have won three first-round games, beating North Carolina State in 1988, Vanderbilt in 2010 and Colorado State in 2012.