Gonzaga Bulldogs men's basketball


The Gonzaga Bulldogs are an intercollegiate men's basketball program representing Gonzaga University. The school competes in the West Coast Conference in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association. The Gonzaga Bulldogs play home basketball games at the McCarthey Athletic Center in Spokane, Washington on the university campus.
Gonzaga has had 15 of its players receive the WCC Player of the Year award, and two players, Frank Burgess in 1961 with 32.4 points per game, and Adam Morrison in 2006 with 28.1 points per game, have led the nation in scoring. Adam Morrison was named the Co-National Player of the year for the 2005–06 season.
Since the mid-1990s, Gonzaga has established itself as a major basketball power in a mid-major conference. They have been to every NCAA Tournament since 1999, a year in which they made a Cinderella run to the Elite Eight, and have appeared in every final AP poll since the 2008–09 season, as well as being ranked in the past 76 polls which is good for the 31st longest streak in Men’s Basketball history. They have also appeared in all but one WCC conference title game since 1995, and in every conference title game since 1998, winning 16 of them. This culminated in 2016–17, when the Bulldogs went to their first Final Four in school history, advancing all the way to the national championship game.

Team history

Early years

Gonzaga introduced a basketball program during the 1907–08 basketball season. During that season, they had no coach, but managed to achieve a record of. In the 1908/09 season, George Varnell became the first official coach for Gonzaga, earning a record during his only season with Gonzaga. Varnell was replaced by William Mulligan the following season, who acquired an record. Frank McKevitt took over for Mulligan during the 1910–11 basketball season, acquiring an record. From 1944 to 1994 the Bulldogs compiled a record of, earning regular season titles in 1965–66, 1966–67 and 1993–94. 1993–94 also saw the team qualify for its first postseason tournament, the NIT. A year later, the 1994–95 team would make the school's first appearance into the NCAA tournament, under coach Dan Fitzgerald.

Dan Monson (1997–1999)

In 1997, Gonzaga assistant coach Dan Monson, the son of veteran Oregon and Idaho basketball coach Don Monson, became head coach of Gonzaga as Dan Fitzgerald wanted to focus on his athletic director's duties. During his first season, Monson led the Zags to a 24–10 record and a WCC regular-season title, which was not enough to land Gonzaga an at-large bid into the NCAA Tournament. However, the Bulldogs would earn a bid into the 1998 National Invitation Tournament, where they beat Wyoming 69–55 in the first round before falling to Hawai'i 78–70 in the second round.
During the 1998–99 season, the Bulldogs finished with a 28–7 record and the conference tournament championship, which gave Gonzaga a 10-seed into the 1999 NCAA Tournament. In what would be the tournament's "Cinderella" run and Gonzaga's "coming out party" the Zags beat seventh-seeded Minnesota 75–63 in the first round and followed it with an 82–74 win over second-seeded Stanford to advance to the regional semifinals. The Zags would go on to beat Florida 73–72 to advance to the regional finals after Casey Calvary tipped in the winning basket with four seconds remaining. They trailed eventual national champion UConn by one point with a minute remaining before losing 67–62 in the regional finals.

Mark Few (1999–present)

After Dan Monson took the head coaching position at Minnesota, assistant coach Mark Few was named the new head coach on July 26, 1999. In his inaugural season, Few led the Zags to a 26–9 record, which was highlighted by winning the WCC Tournament and advancing to the Sweet 16 of the 2000 NCAA Tournament with wins over Louisville and St. John's.
In the 2000–01 season, the Bulldogs faced a tough schedule highlighted by games against Arizona, Washington, Florida, and New Mexico. Despite starting the season 5–1, the Zags dropped four of their next five games. Gonzaga rebounded and finished the regular season 15–6 before winning their third consecutive WCC Tournament title. The win gave the Bulldogs an automatic bid into the 2001 NCAA Tournament, where they were given a 12-seed. In the first-round game against fifth-seeded Virginia, Casey Calvary put back a blocked shot with nine seconds left to give the Zags an 86–85 victory. Gonzaga would go on to beat 13th-seeded Indiana State 85–68 in the second round to advance to their third consecutive Sweet 16 appearance. The Zags would go on to lose to defending national champion Michigan State 77–62 and finished the season with a 26–7 record.
Before the 2001–02 season started, the Bulldogs were unanimously favored to win the WCC title in the 2001–02 WCC preseason coaches poll. Few led the Zags to a share of the WCC regular season title, as Pepperdine also had a 13–1 conference record. The Bulldogs would avenge their only conference loss of the season by defeating Pepperdine 96–90 for their fourth straight WCC title. The win gave the Zags an automatic bid as a six-seed in the 2002 NCAA Tournament, where they would face 11th-seeded Wyoming. Despite beating the Cowboys in the 1998 National Invitation Tournament, they would end up losing 73–66, marking the first time the Zags lost in the first round of the tournament in the Mark Few era.
In the 2002–03 season, Few led the Bulldogs to their fifth regular season title in six years with a 12–2 conference record. Despite this, Gonzaga lost to San Diego in the WCC Tournament championship game 72–63, marking the first time the Zags had lost in the championship game in four years. Gonzaga garnered a nine-seed in the 2003 NCAA Tournament, where they beat Cincinnati 74–69 to advance to the second round of the tournament for the fourth time in five years. The Bulldogs would go on to lose to Arizona 96–95 in double overtime to finish 24–9.
The 2003–04 season marked the first time that the team participated in the annual [|Battle in Seattle] game. Gonzaga faced third-ranked Missouri, who was the highest-ranked regular season opponent that the Zags had played against up to that point; they would go on to win the game in an 87–80 overtime victory. This season marked the last time Gonzaga would play home games in the Charlotte Y. Martin Centre; their last game in the building took place February 28, 2004, where they beat Santa Clara 80–64. The win gave the Bulldogs their first undefeated run through the WCC in school history with a 14–0 conference record. Gonzaga would go on to receive an automatic bid into the 2004 NCAA Tournament with a two-seed, which was the highest seed they had received in school history in seven tournament appearances. The Bulldogs would go on to beat 15th-seeded Valparaiso 76–49 before being upset in the second round by tenth-seeded Nevada 91–72, where they finished the season 28–3.
Gonzaga opened up the 2004–05 season with a home game against Portland State in the new 6,000-seat McCarthey Athletic Center on November 19, 2004. Despite losing five seniors, including second-round NBA draft pick Blake Stepp, Few was still able to lead the Zags to their ninth regular season title since 1994 with a 12–2 conference record. The Bulldogs would go on to win their second straight WCC Tournament title, giving them an automatic bid into the 2005 NCAA Tournament as a three-seed. The Zags beat 14th-seeded Winthrop 74–64 before falling to Texas Tech 71–69 in the second round, where they ended the season with a 26–5 record.
Before the 2005–06 season got underway, Gonzaga junior Adam Morrison became the first player in team history to be named to the preseason Associated Press All-America team. The Zags also received their highest preseason ranking in program history at number seven in the USA Today/ESPN preseason poll. The Bulldogs captured their third straight WCC Tournament title when they beat Loyola Marymount 68–67 in the championship game. They received an automatic bid into the 2006 NCAA Tournament as a three-seed, where they beat Xavier 79–75 in the first round. The Zags would go on to beat Indiana Hoosiers 90–80, where they would advance to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2001. Despite being ahead by as many as 17 points, the Bulldogs ended their season in the Sweet 16 by losing to UCLA 73–71, finishing 29–4.
The 2006–07 season marked the first time that the Zags suffered at least ten losses in a season since the 1997–98 season. Despite this, Few still led the Bulldogs to their seventh straight regular season title with a conference record of 11–3. Gonzaga would go on to win the WCC Tournament for the fourth year in a row, being the only Division I school to do so that year. They received an automatic bid into the 2007 NCAA Tournament, where they were given a 10-seed. The Zags would end their season by losing in the opening round for the first time since 2001, as Indiana beat Gonzaga 70–57.
In 2007–08 the Bulldogs went 25-8, but lost in the Round of 64 as a #7 seed to a Davidson team that went to the Elite Eight as a #10 seed.
The 2008–09 team won both the WCC Regular Season Championship and the WCC Tournament Championship. Entering the NCAA Tournament as a #4 seed, the team reached the Sweet Sixteen, before losing to eventual NCAA Champions North Carolina.
For the next five seasons, the team advanced to the NCAA Tournament, but fell in the Round of 32 each time. The 2012–13 team became the first Gonzaga squad to be ranked as the #1 team in the country and was awarded as a #1 seed in the NCAA Tournament for the first time. The Zags also won over 30 games for the first time in program history with a 32-3 overall record.
The 2014–15 team advanced all the way to the Elite Eight before losing to eventual national champion Duke. This was the first time since 1999 that Gonzaga had advanced to the Elite Eight. Gonzaga also won the WCC regular-season and tournament championships for the third consecutive season. The 2014–15 also set the school record for wins in a single season with 35.
The 2015–16 team suffered 4 losses at home and nearly missed the NCAA Tournament entirely, but shared the WCC regular-season crown with Saint Mary's and then won the WCC Tournament. The Zags were awarded a #11 seed and advanced to the Sweet Sixteen, dismantling #6 seed Seton Hall and #3 seed Utah, before falling to Syracuse by three points.
The 2016–17 team won its first 29 games, setting a new school record for consecutive games won, before falling to WCC rival BYU. The Zags made the NCAA tournament as a #1 seed and advanced to the school's first-ever championship game, with wins over South Dakota State, Northwestern, West Virginia, Xavier, and South Carolina. The Zags set a new school record for wins in a single season with 37 and also had the most wins of any team that season.
The 2017-18 team also enjoyed success. Despite what was considered a "rebuilding year" after the Loss of Karnowski, Williams-Goss, Mathews and Collins amongst others, the team won the WCC regular season title outright before winning the WCC tournament. In the NCAA tournament, the Bulldogs advanced to the Sweet Sixteen for the fourth consecutive year. They were ultimately bounced by Florida State, and finished the season at 32–5.
Near the end of that season, Gonzaga considered a potential move to the Mountain West Conference after nearly 40 years as a WCC member. When asked by a reporter from the San Diego Union-Tribune about rumored MW expansion plans, MW commissioner Craig Thompson confirmed that six schools had been considered, with Gonzaga being the only school he specifically named. A later Union-Tribune report indicated that talks were advanced enough that the conference's presidents planned a vote on an invitation to Gonzaga during the MW men's and women's basketball tournaments in Las Vegas, but decided to delay the vote until after the Final Four. The vote ultimately never took place, as Gonzaga athletic director Mike Roth notified both conferences during the Final Four that the school would remain in the WCC for the immediate future.
In the 2018 Maui Invitational Final on November 21, 2018 #3 Gonzaga defeated #1 Duke 89-87 for their first win over Duke and first win over a number 1 ranked team in team history.

Facilities

Basketball started at Gonzaga in February 1905 after a gymnasium was put in as an addition to the east end of the new college building that was being built. In 1955, the basketball team moved from the gymnasium, nicknamed "the cave", and began to play at the newly constructed Spokane Coliseum. On June 3, 1964, construction began for a new 3,800-seat athletic facility called the John F. Kennedy Memorial Pavilion. To raise money for the $1.1 million project, Gonzaga's student body had each student pay $10 per semester until $500,000 was raised. The university matched that amount, while the remaining $100,000 came from contributions. Gonzaga's first game in the pavilion took place on December 3, 1965 against Washington State, who beat the Bulldogs 106–78. In 1986, the facility was renamed the Charlotte Y. Martin Centre after an eponymous donor donated $4.5 million to finance a remodel of the arena that could hold up to 4,000 people.
After competing for over 39 years in the Charlotte Y. Martin Centre, Gonzaga trustees approved construction for a new 6,000-seat arena on April 11, 2003. The McCarthey Athletic Center was named after Gonzaga trustee Philip G. McCarthey and Gonzaga regent Thomas K. McCarthey, who contributed a significant portion of the funds needed to build the arena. The first official game took place on November 19, 2004 against Portland State, whom the Zags would beat 98–80 in front of a sold-out crowd. The Bulldogs opened the arena with a 38-game winning streak, which was the nation's longest active winning streak at the time. When combined with 12 wins at the Charlotte Y. Martin Centre, the overall home-game winning streak ended at 50 games with a loss to the Santa Clara on February 12, 2007. In February 2015, BYU snapped Gonzaga's 41-game home winning streak in the McCarthey Athletic Center, which was also the longest active home winning streak in the NCAA at the time.
Through February 6, 2020, the Zags are in the McCarthey Athletic Center, which includes a record in non-conference games, a record in conference games, and a record in the WCC Tournament.

Traditions

Battle in Seattle

On December 13, 2003, Gonzaga participated in a neutral court game at KeyArena that would later become an annual event known as the Battle in Seattle. The event marked the first time that a regular season Gonzaga basketball game was broadcast nationally on CBS Sports, as Craig Bolerjack called the action while Clark Kellogg provided commentary. Ranked third in the country, Missouri was the highest ranked regular season opponent that Gonzaga had faced up to that point; the Bulldogs would go on to beat the Tigers 87–80 in overtime.
The 2005 Battle in Seattle is remembered for Adam Morrison's game-winning shot against Oklahoma State that sealed a 64–62 victory for the Bulldogs. Gus Johnson's call at the end of the game with Bill Raftery was ranked fourth on a list of 25 of his most "over-the-top calls" by Complex. Johnson's call at the end of the game:
In 2008, the game broke the state attendance record for a regular season college basketball game, as a sold-out crowd of 16,763 watched the Bulldogs play Connecticut.
In the 2016–17 season, Gonzaga failed to schedule the Battle in Seattle, ending an annual tradition of participating in the event every December for 13 consecutive years. Representatives from the Zags cited an inability to find a quality opponent to schedule and wanting to maintain strong résumé. The Zags have compiled an record in the event since they first appeared in it back in 2003.

Rivalries

Saint Mary's College (California)

Gonzaga's biggest rivalry is with fellow West Coast Conference foe Saint Mary's. Many analysts and members of the media have touted the Gaels vs. Zags as one of the best, if not the best, college basketball rivalry on the West Coast, as both teams have been consistently the two top teams in the conference over the last 2 decades. Gonzaga and Saint Mary's have combined to win 19 out of the last 23 conference championship games. Currently Gonzaga leads the series 72-31, with the most recent of the meetings coming at Gonzaga on February 29, 2020, which the Zags won 86-76 over the Gaels.

University of Washington

Gonzaga's most heated in-state rivalry is with Washington. They played a 10 year home-and-home series from 1997 to 2006, but then it went dormant until 2015. In 2016, they began a new home-and-home series in Spokane and have agreed to continue the rivalry annually until at least the 2023-24 season. The Huskies lead the series 29-19, but the Zags have won 13 of the last 14 matchups, including the most recent game at Washington on December 8, 2019, which the Zags won 83-76 over the Huskies.

Brigham Young University

Another notable rivalry with Brigham Young University has developed throughout the past decade. These teams first played on December 16, 1949 with Gonzaga defeating BYU 46-41. The two teams would not meet again until March 19, 2011 in the third round of the NCAA tournament. This Jimmer Fredette-led Cougars advanced to the Sweet Sixteen by defeating the Zags, 89-67. The following season, BYU left the Mountain West Conference and joined the West Coast Conference for the 2011-2012 season. Since then, Gonzaga has a 17-6 record against BYU. However, BYU is one of few teams to win multiple times at the McCarthy Athletic Center in Spokane, with wins at the Kennel in 2015, 2016 and 2017. BYU was the only regular season loss that #1 ranked Gonzaga suffered in the 2016-17 season in which Gonzaga earned its first trip to the Final Four and National Championship game. BYU has played Gonzaga in the West Coast Conference Tournament Final in 2014, 2015, and 2018 with Gonzaga winning all three of these matchups. Gonzaga leads the overall series 18-7, with the most recent meeting on February 22, 2020 in which BYU won 91-78 in Provo.

Impact

University enrollment

Freshman enrollment at Gonzaga in the mid-nineties hovered around 500 students annually, including a total of 569 as late as 1998. In 1999, enrollment jumped to 701 five months after the Zags went to the Elite Eight. This trend continued after Gonzaga won five games in the 1999 and 2000 NCAA Tournaments, as freshman enrollment increased to 796 in 2000 and to a then-record 979 in 2001. A 65 percent increase in the size of the freshman class between 1997 and 2003 is part of a phenomenon called the Flutie effect, the increase in attention and applications for admission that results after a particularly notable and unexpected sporting victory by a school's athletic team. Gonzaga University president Rev. Robert Spitzer said that the team's success was responsible for the school receiving the $23 million required to build the McCarthey Athletic Center, most of which was received through major gifts.
Gonzaga has been viewed as reaping benefits from its basketball-related exposure to this day. The university's financial position and fundraising success dramatically improved. This led to a campus building boom; the McCarthey Athletic Center proved to be just the first of a series of major campus buildings that opened between 2004 and 2017. Booming freshman enrollment led Gonzaga to introduce a more selective admissions process in 2003, which led to a significant increase in the academic credentials of incoming freshmen. Even with greater selectivity, freshman enrollment has continued to grow, reaching 1,200 for 2016–17.

Coaching records

Season-by-season results

Under Mark Few:

Record vs. WCC opponents

The Gonzaga Bulldogs lead the all-time series vs. all of the nine other current WCC opponents. With the exception of on the road at Santa Clara, Gonzaga has a winning record at home, on the road, and on neutral courts against all current WCC opponents.

Gonzaga vs. the AP Top 25 (since 1998–99)

Since the season of Gonzaga's 1999 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament run to the Elite 8, Gonzaga has played a total of 99 games against teams ranked in the AP Top 25 Poll. Gonzaga has a record of against such teams. They have beaten top-3 teams five times in all, taking down #3 teams three times, #2 once, and #1 once.
1998–99
#8 Kansas
  1. 15 Purdue
  2. 22 Washington
  3. 24 TCU
#7 Stanford
#23 Florida
#3 Connecticut		L 80–66
L 83-68
W 82–71
L 90–87
W 82–74
W 73–72
L 67–62
1999–2000
#1 Cincinnati
  1. 19 Temple
  2. 11 UCLA
#9 St. John's
#25 Purdue		L 75–68
L 64–48
W 59–43
W 82–76
L 75–66
2000–01
#5 Arizona
  1. 8 Florida
#16 Virginia
#3 Michigan State		L 101–87
L 85–71
W 86–85
L 77–62
2001–02
#3 Illinois
  1. 21 Fresno State
L 76–58W 87–77
2002–03
#19 Indiana
  1. 15 Kentucky
#2 Arizona		L 76–75
L 80–72
L 96–952OT
2003–04
#17 St. Joseph's
  1. 3 Missouri
  2. 9 Stanford
L 73–66W 87–80OT
L 87–80
2004–05
#5 Illinois
  1. 14 Washington
  2. 3 Georgia Tech
  3. 3 Oklahoma State
#24 Texas Tech		L 89–72
W 99–87
W 85–73
W 78–75
L 71–69
2005–06
#23 Maryland
  1. 12 Michigan State
  2. 3 Connecticut
  3. 18 Washington
  4. 4 Memphis
#7 UCLA		W 88–76
W 109–1063OT
L 65–63
L 99–95
L 83–72
L 73–71
2006–07
#2 North Carolina
  1. 13 Washington
  2. 6 Duke
  3. 24 Nevada
  4. 23 Stanford
  5. 8 Memphis
W 82–74W 97–77
L 61–54
L 82–74
W 90–862OT
L 78–77OT
2007–08
#8 Washington State
  1. 11 Tennessee
  2. 1 Memphis
  3. 25 Saint Mary's
  4. 25 Saint Mary's
#23 Davidson		L 51–47
L 82–72
L 81–73
L 89–85OT
W 88–76
L 82–76
2008–09
#12 Tennessee
  1. 2 Connecticut
  2. 15 Tennessee
  3. 22 Saint Mary's
  4. 14 Memphis
#2 North Carolina		W 83–74
L 88–83OT
W 89–79OT
W 69–62
L 68–50
L 98–77
2009–10
#2 Michigan State
  1. 7 Duke
#4 Syracuse		L 75–71
L 76–41
L 87–65
2010–11
#25 San Diego State
  1. 3 Kansas State
  2. 20 Illinois
  3. 23 Notre Dame
  4. 9 Baylor
#18 St. John's
#10 BYU		L 79–76
L 81–64
L 73–61
L 83–79
W 68–64
W 86–71
L 89–67
2011–12
#16 Saint Mary's
#7 Ohio State		W 73–59
L 73–66
2012–13
#13 Illinois
  1. 22 Oklahoma State
  2. 13 Butler
L 85–74W 69–68
L 64–63
2013–14
#24 Memphis
#4 Arizona		L 60–54
L 84–61
2014–15
#22 SMU
  1. 3 Arizona
#4 Duke		W 72–56
L 66–63OT
L 66–52
2015–16
#25 Texas A&M
  1. 18 Connecticut
  2. 19 Arizona
  3. 16 SMU
#20 Seton Hall
#13 Utah
L 62–61
W 73–70
L 68–63
L 69–60
W 68–52
W 82–59
2016–17
#21 Iowa State
  1. 16 Arizona
  2. 21 Saint Mary's
  3. 20 Saint Mary's
  4. 19 Saint Mary's
#13 West Virginia
#6 North Carolina		W 73–71
W 69–62
W 79–56
W 74–64
W 74–56
W 61–58
L 71–65
2017–18
#7 Florida
  1. 4 Villanova
  2. 11 Saint Mary's
#17 Ohio State		L 111–1052OT
L 88–72
W 78–65
W 90–84
2018–19
#1 Duke
  1. 7 Tennessee
  2. 12 North Carolina
#10 Florida State
#9 Texas Tech		W 89–87
L 76–73
L 103–90
W 72–58
L 75–69
2019–20
#11 Oregon
  1. 22 Washington
  2. 15 Arizona
  3. 23 BYU
W 73–72OTW 83–76
W 84–80
L 91–78

Teams in bold represent games Gonzaga played in the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament.

WCC Tournament results

Postseason

NCAA Tournament

The Bulldogs have appeared in 22 NCAA Tournaments. The coronavirus pandemic caused the cancellation of the 2020 NCAA Tournament, interrupting but not ending the Bulldogs' ongoing streak of 21 consecutive tournament appearances. Gonzaga's combined record is.
199521–9#14Round of 64#3 MarylandL 87–63
199928–7#10Round of 64
Round of 32
Sweet Sixteen
Elite Eight		#7 Minnesota
  1. 2 Stanford
  2. 6 Florida
  3. 1 Connecticut
W 75–63W 82–74
W 73–72
L 67–62
200026–9#10Round of 64
Round of 32
Sweet Sixteen		#7 Louisville
  1. 2 St. John's
  2. 6 Purdue
W 77–66W 82–76
L 75–66
200126–7#12Round of 64
Round of 32
Sweet Sixteen		#5 Virginia
  1. 13 Indiana State
  2. 1 Michigan State
W 86–85W 85–68
L 77–62
200229–4#6Round of 64#11 WyomingL 73–66
200324–9#9Round of 64
Round of 32		#8 Cincinnati
  1. 1 Arizona
W 74–69L 96–95 2OT
200428–3#2Round of 64
Round of 32		#15 Valparaiso
  1. 10 Nevada
W 76–49L 91–72
200526–5#3Round of 64
Round of 32		#14 Winthrop
  1. 6 Texas Tech
W 74–64L 71–69
200629–4#3Round of 64
Round of 32
Sweet Sixteen		#14 Xavier
  1. 6 Indiana
  2. 2 UCLA
W 79–75W 90–80
L 73–71
200723–11#10Round of 64#7 IndianaL 70–57
200825–8#7Round of 64#10 DavidsonL 82–76
200928–6#4Round of 64
Round of 32
Sweet Sixteen		#13 Akron
  1. 12 Western Kentucky
  2. 1 North Carolina
W 77–64W 83–81
L 98–77
201027–7#8Round of 64
Round of 32		#9 Florida State
  1. 1 Syracuse
W 67–60L 87–65
201125–10#11Round of 64
Round of 32		#6 St. John's
  1. 3 BYU
W 86–71L 89–67
201226–7#7Round of 64
Round of 32		#10 West Virginia
  1. 2 Ohio State
W 77–54L 73–66
201332–3#1Round of 64
Round of 32		#16 Southern
  1. 9 Wichita State
W 64–58L 76–70
201429–7#8Round of 64
Round of 32		#9 Oklahoma State
  1. 1 Arizona
W 85–77L 84–61
201535–3#2Round of 64
Round of 32
Sweet Sixteen
Elite Eight		#15 North Dakota State
  1. 7 Iowa
  2. 11 UCLA
  3. 1 Duke
W 86–76W 87–68
W 74–62
L 66–52
201628–8#11Round of 64
Round of 32
Sweet Sixteen		#6 Seton Hall
  1. 3 Utah
  2. 10 Syracuse
W 68–52W 82–59
L 63–60
201737–2#1Round of 64
Round of 32
Sweet Sixteen
Elite Eight
Final Four
National Championship		#16 South Dakota State
  1. 8 Northwestern
  2. 4 West Virginia
  3. 11 Xavier
  4. 7 South Carolina
  5. 1 North Carolina
W 66–46W 79–73
W 61–58
W 83–59
W 77–73
L 71–65
201832–5#4Round of 64
Round of 32
Sweet Sixteen		#13 UNC Greensboro
  1. 5 Ohio State
  2. 9 Florida State
W 68–64W 90–84
L 75–60
201933–4#1Round of 64
Round of 32
Sweet Sixteen
Elite Eight		#16 Fairleigh Dickinson
  1. 9 Baylor
  2. 4 Florida State
  3. 3 Texas Tech
W 87–49W 83–71
W 72–58
L 75–69

NCAA Tournament seeding history

The NCAA began seeding the tournament with the 1979 edition.
Year →'95'99'00'01'02'03'04'05'06'07'08'09'10'11'12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19
Seed →14101012692331074811718211141

NIT results

The Bulldogs have appeared in three National Invitation Tournaments. Gonzaga's combined record is.
1994First Round
Second Round		Stanford
Kansas State		W 80–76
L 66–64
1996First RoundWashington StateL 92–73
1998First Round
Second Round		Wyoming
Hawaii		W 69–55
L 78–70

Current roster

WCC">West Coast Conference">WCC and [Big Sky Conference] Awards

Conference Coach of the Year

WCC Player of the Year

WCC Defensive Player of the Year

1st-Team All-Conference

2nd-Team All-Conference

All-WCC Honorable Mention Team

WCC Tournament MVP

Conference All-Tournament Team

WCC Newcomer of the Year

WCC Freshman of the Year

WCC All-Freshmen Team

WCC Scholar-Athlete of the Year

WCC All-Academic Team

WCC Honorable Mention All-Academic Team

National Awards

National Coach of the Year

CoSIDA Academic All-America Hall of Fame

Four McDonald's All-Americans have played for Gonzaga. Zach Collins is the only one of these individuals to have started his college basketball career with the Bulldogs. Jalen Suggs is expected to become the fifth McDonald's All-American to play for the Bulldogs and the second to begin his college career with the Bulldogs in 2020–21. Suggs was selected for the 2020 McDonald's All-American game, which was cancelled due to the COVID-10 pandemic.
YearPlayerFirst
College Team		Gonzaga
Seasons		Ref.
2020Jalen SuggsGonzaga2021
2016Zach CollinsGonzaga2017
2013Nigel Williams-GossWashington2016–17
2011Kyle WiltjerKentucky2014–16
2005Micah DownsKansas2006–09

5-Star Recruits

Eight 5-star rated players have committed to Gonzaga, as rated in the final ranking projections by at least one major college basketball recruiting service. Three of these players began their college careers with the Bulldogs. A fourth, Oumar Ballo, was to have made his Gonzaga debut in the 2019–20 season, but was not academically cleared to play by the NCAA and was redshirted that season. Jalen Suggs is expected to make his debut with the Bulldogs alongside Ballo in 2020–21.
YearPlayerFirst
College Team		Gonzaga
Seasons		Recruiting
Service		Ref.
2020Gonzaga2021247Sports.com, ESPN.com, Rivals.com
2019Gonzaga2020Rivals.com
2016Gonzaga2017247Sports.com, Rivals.com
2014Gonzaga2015–16247Sports.com
2013Washington2016–17ESPN.com
2011Kentucky2014–16ESPN.com, Rivals.com, Scout.com
2007Gonzaga2008–09ESPN.com, Rivals.com
2005Kansas2006–09Scout.com

Players in the NBA

In this table, seasons at Gonzaga are categorized by the calendar years in which they end.
Draft
Year		RoundPickPlayerGonzaga
Seasons		Draft TeamAll NBA Teams Played ForPro
Seasons		Ref.
201919 2017–19 Washington Wizards Washington Wizards 2020–present 2020–present
2019121 2018–19 Oklahoma City Thunder Memphis Grizzlies 2020–present 2020–present
2019–– 2017–19 Undrafted Los Angeles Lakers 2020,
Golden State Warriors 2020–present		 2020–present
2018–– 2016–18 Undrafted Los Angeles Lakers 2019,
Washington Wizards 2020–present		 2019–present
2017110 2017 Sacramento Kings Portland Trail Blazers 2018–present 2018–present
2017255 2016–17 Utah Jazz Utah Jazz 2020–present 2020–present
2016111 2015–16 Orlando Magic Oklahoma City Thunder 2017,
Indiana Pacers 2018–present		 2017–present
2016–– 2014–16 Undrafted Houston Rockets 2017 2017
2014–– 2010–14 Undrafted Sacramento Kings 2015,
Utah Jazz 2018		 2015;18
2013113 2010–13 Dallas Mavericks Boston Celtics 2014–17,
Miami Heat 2018–present		 2014–present
2013–– 2010–13 Undrafted Los Angeles Lakers 2014 2014
2012260 2008–12 Los Angeles Lakers Los Angeles Lakers 2013–16 2013–16
2009115 2008–09 Detroit Pistons Detroit Pistons 2010–13,
Memphis Grizzlies 2013,
Toronto Raptors 2014,
San Antonio Spurs 2014–15,
Atlanta Hawks 2015		 2010–15
2009–– 2006–09 Undrafted Memphis Grizzlies 2012,
Cleveland Cavaliers 2013,
Philadelphia 76ers 2013,
Golden State Warriors 2020		 2012–13;20
200613 2004–06 Charlotte Bobcats Charlotte Bobcats 2007–09,
Los Angeles Lakers 2009–10		 2007–10
2005237 2002–05 Los Angeles Lakers Los Angeles Lakers 2006–08,
Golden State Warriors 2009–10,
New York Knicks 2011,
Washington Wizards 2012,
Miami Heat 2012,
Los Angeles Clippers 2013,
Minnesota Timberwolves 2014–15		 2006–15
2004258 2001–04 Minnesota Timberwolves – –
2002128 2000–02 Sacramento Kings Atlanta Hawks 2003–04,
Portland Trail Blazers 2004,
Dallas Mavericks 2005,
New Orleans Hornets 2005,
Boston Celtics 2006,
Portland Trail Blazers 2007,
Los Angeles Clippers 2008		 2003–08
2002240 2001 Los Angeles Clippers Orlando Magic 2005–06
2000–– 1997–2000 Undrafted Seattle SuperSonics,
Portland Trail Blazers 2005,
Minnesota Timberwolves 2006,
Houston Rockets 2006,
Los Angeles Clippers 		2004–06;08
1997253 1995–97 Los Angeles Lakers – –
1987–– 1984–87 Undrafted Seattle SuperSonics 1989
1984116 1981–84 Utah Jazz Utah Jazz 1985–2003
19807139 1979–80 Detroit Pistons – –
19787141 1977–78 Atlanta Hawks – –
1977594 1974–77 New Orleans Jazz – –
1975577 1973–75 Philadelphia 76ers – –
197111171 1970–71 Portland Trail Blazers – –
197115171 1970–71 San Diego Rockets – –
19673113 1965–67 Seattle SuperSonics – –
1961327 1959–61 Los Angeles Lakers – –
1960964 1958–59 Los Angeles Lakers – –

Retired numbers

Career Points Leaders

Career Assists Leaders

Career Steals Leaders

Career Rebounds Leaders

Career Blocked Shots Leaders

Career 3-Pointers Made Leaders

Career Field Goals Made Leaders

Career Free Throws Made Leaders

Career Field Goal Percentage Leaders

Career Games Played Leaders

Individual season records

Single-Season Points Leaders

Single-Season Assists Leaders

Single-Season Steals Leaders

Single-Season Rebounds Leaders

Single-Season Blocked Shots Leaders

Single-Season 3-Pointers Made Leaders

Single-Season Field Goals Made Leaders

Single-Season Free Throws Made Leaders

Single-Season Field Goal Percentage Leaders

Single-Game Points Leaders

Single-Game Rebounds Leaders

Single-Game Assists Leaders

Single-Game Field Goals Made Leaders

Single-Game Free Throws Made Leaders

Single-Game Free Throw Percentage Leaders

Works cited

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