After downing 11th-seeded Xavier in the Elite Eight, Gonzaga is headed to its first Final Four.
Here is everything you need to know about the Bulldogs:
MORE: North Carolina | Oregon | South Carolina
The school
Main campus: Spokane, Wash. (pop. 213,272)
Enrollment: 7,491
Year founded: 1887
U.S. News & World Report national rank: No. 4 in Regional Universities West
Tuition and Fees: $39,730
Notable alumni: Harry “Bing” Cosby (actor), Tony Canadeo (NFL Hall of Famer), Thomas Foley (former Speaker of the House)
The campus: Gonzaga is a private liberal arts college located on the north bank of the Spokane River about a half mile from the downtown business district. More than 105 buildings, including the McCarthey Athletic Center and the Jundt Art Museum (which boasts the hanging red chandelier designed by renowned artist Dale Chihuly), sit on the 131-acre campus.
Traditions: While Gonzaga has a ton of traditions both for their athletics and campus in general, a few stand out: The Empty Chair and Kraziness in the Kennel. During the 2001-02 basketball season, Fr. Tony Lehmann (the chaplain who sat at the end of the Bulldogs’ bench during games) was diagnosed with leukemia. His chair was left empty during games, and for their uniforms in the 2002 NCAA tournament, the team added a patch that read his name.
Basketball at Gonzaga
Team Nickname: The Bulldogs
Mascot: Spike the Bulldog
Conference affiliation: West Coast Conference
Home arena: The McCarthey Athletic Center aka “The Kennel”
Coach: Mark Few (Oregon, 1987)
Coaching record: 502-112 (both overall and with Gonzaga)
Basketball history
In 2015, the Zags made it to the Elite Eight.
Best NCAA tournament finish: Elite Eight (1999, 2015)
Notable basketball alumni: John Stockton, Frank Burgess, Mike Champion, Austin Daye, Dan Dickau, Rickie Frahm, Adam Morrison, Jeremy Pargo, Robert Sacre, Ronnie Turiaf
This season
Regular-season record: 29-1 Overall, 15-1 in conference
Notable pre-NCAA tournament wins: Florida (77-72), Arizona (69-62), Saint Mary’s (79-56, 74-56)
How the Bulldogs got here: Seeded No. 1 in West. Win over No. 16 South Dakota St. in First Round, 66-46; Win over No. 8 Northwestern in Second Round, 79-73; Win over No. 4 West Virginia in Sweet 16, 61-58; Win over No. 11 Xavier in Elite Eight, 83-59.
Next up: (7) South Carolina
Head-to-head vs. South Carolina: The two teams have never met since 1949, according to Sports-Reference.com.
How the Bulldogs rank
Final AP: No. 2
NCAA tournament overall seed: No. 4
RPI: No. 8
SOS: No. 55 (through games 3/24/2017 according to stats.ncaa.org)
Points per 100 possessions: 119.0 (13th in nation)
Points allowed per 100 possessions: 86.1 (first in nation)
The 2016-17 Bulldogs
Przemek Karnowski is a major anchor for the Zag's defense.
C Przemek Karnowski (7-1, RS SR, Torun, Poland)
Averages 12.24 points, 5.78 rebounds and 1.95 assists per game
G Jordan Mathews (6-4, SR, Los Angeles, Calif.)
Averages 10.73 points, 3.27 rebounds and 1.51 assists per game
G Josh Perkins (6-3, RS SO, Park Hill, Colo.)
Averages 8.19 points, 2.31 rebounds and 3.19 assists per game
F Johnathan Williams (6-9, RS JR, Memphis, Tenn.)
Averages 10.30 points, 6.59 rebounds and 0.81 assists per game
G Nigel Williams-Goss (6-3, RS JR, Happy Valley, Ore.)
Averages 16.72 points, 5.92 rebounds and 4.51 assists per game
FIRST OFF BENCH
G Silas Melson (6-4, JR, Portland, Ore.)
Averages 7.30 points, 2.46 rebounds, and 1.48 assists per game
F Zach Collins (7-0, FR, Las Vegas, Nev.)
Averages 9.92 points, 5.68 rebounds, and 0.41 assists per game
F Killian Tillie (6-10, FR, Cagnes-sur-Mer, France)
Averages 4.35 points, 3.10 rebounds, and 0.65 assists per game
