Is this the year Gonzaga finally advances beyond the Sweet 16?

At what point does Cinderella become powerful and popular enough to stop being an underdog story? For Gonzaga, the national narrative painting the program as college basketball’s prototypical dark horse started feeling like a disservice years ago. For 15 seasons, Mark Few has been the ‘Zags head coach and for 15 seasons he’s made the NCAA Tournament. Look closer and it seems obvious Gonzaga isn’t some plucky upstart, it might be the western half of the country’s most consistent program next to Arizona.

Few has done just about everything a coach can do in Spokane. He’s helped the program hit No. 1 in the polls, he’s coached iconic players, he’s presided over the seventh longest NCAA Tournament streak ever. There is one thing Few has never done, though, and that’s advance past the Sweet 16. As a seemingly eternal offseason is finally starting to inch closer to its conclusion, it’s becoming apparent that this might be Few’s best chance yet to breakthrough in March.

Last season was something of a rebuilding year for Gonzaga as it lost Kelly Olynyk and Elias Harris from what might have been the best team in school history in 2012-13. At Gonzaga, even a rebuilding year is a season in which the Bulldogs win an NCAA Tournament game. Make no mistake, expectations will be higher than ever this year. If Gonzaga plays up to its ability it’s possible that this could be the best team in program history.

For Gonzaga, the foundation starts in the backcourt. Kevin Pangos returns for his season year, and the Bulldogs are hoping he’s healthy after his junior campaign was slowed by a toe injury. Pangos will team with Gary Bell to give the ‘Zags one of the best and most experienced guard tandems in the country. Pangos and Bell might be the best pair of shooters in college basketball. They’ve combined to make 41.6 percent of their three-pointers across three seasons each with the Bulldogs.

If Pangos and Bell are the team’s heart and soul, Przemek Karnowski will be its teeth. The Polish center is one of the biggest players in the country at 7’1, 300 pounds, and he started to establish himself as a legitimate force last season as a sophomore. Karnowski isn’t the most mobile defender in the world, but his sheer size makes him an intimidating presence for any opposing offense. He made major strides offensively last year, averaging 10.4 points per game on 59.3 percent shooting. With so much shooting around him, Karnowski should be primed for a huge junior year.

Pangos, Bell and Karnowski are a terrific core, but it’s the addition of three transfers that has Gonzaga thinking big. Few knew he had Kyle Wiltjer coming in after the power forward sat out last season as a transfer from Kentucky. Wiltjer is another shooter, and at 6’10, 230 pounds, he continues the theme of making the ‘Zags one of the bigger teams in the country. Wiltjer is a textbook stretch four and he should only make life easier for Karnowski. For as touted as Wiltjer is, he isn’t even the Bulldogs’ biggest transfer of the season.

Byron Wesley wasn’t completely without his troubles last year at USC. He was suspended for a violation of team rules in February and decided to use his graduate transfer year to his advantage by transferring to Gonzaga. Wesley led the Trojans in scoring (17.8 points per game) and rebounding while shooting 46.7 percent from the field. The 6’5 wing should be one of the country’s premier slashers this season, and acts as the final piece to one of the most complete lineups in the country.

The ‘Zags have size, they have a player who can get to the rim and they have tons of shooting. The bench shouldn’t be bad, either. Kyle Dranginis and Louisville transfer Angel Nunez will be juniors at the three and four, respectively. Ryan Edwards, at 7’1, 285 pounds, is every bit as big as Przemek and could be poised for a similar jump as a sophomore. A trio of talented freshmen headlined by Domantas Sabonis, the son of Lithuanian legend Arvydas Sabonis, should have the Bulldogs set up to continue their incredible tournament streak well into the future. Then there’s the player who could really push Gonzaga over the top if everything goes according to plan.

Gonzaga will be the third school in three years for 6’4 guard Eric McClellan. When Vanderbilt’s Kevin Stallings booted the Tulsa transfer off the team 12 games through last year, he was leading the team in scoring at 14 points per game. McClellan could be as talented and experienced as any sixth man in the country this year, but he’ll need to prove he’s buying into the program. If he can act as a scoring dynamo off the bench supplementing the offense Pangos and Bell can provide, Gonzaga could boast one of the most complete teams in the nation.

Wesley and McClellan are the variables for a squad that will be ranked around the top 10 when the season begins. The difference between blue bloods like Kansas and Kentucky and the ‘Zags is typically size, but there’s no one bigger than the Bulldogs this season. Few has a roster than can beat you in several different ways, and it comes with the added benefit of experience. As Gonzaga begins pushing into its second decade as a national force, this has the potential to be the program’s best team yet.