Gonzaga finds itself back in the NCAA 2011 bracket by way of the West Coast Conference’s automatic bid. The Zags are making their 13th-straight March Madness appearance after a decade of dominance in the WCC. Gonzaga has gone from Cinderella to perennial contender in March under head coach Mark Few’s guidance, staying one step ahead of the rest of the WCC.
NCAA Bracket Preview: Complete Gonzaga Tournament Primer
This season, Gonzaga struggled early and often, but pulled it together to share the WCC regular season crown with St. Mary’s before winning two straight games in Las Vegas to secure the auto-bid to the Big Dance. It wasn’t pretty, and the Zags stumbled in the middle of the conference slate, but Gonzaga still managed to find a way to share the regular season title and survive the WCC Tournament.
Record: 24-9, 11-3
RPI: 56
Key Wins: Gonzaga’s best wins came during the non-conference schedule as the Zags knocked-off Marquette on a neutral floor, 66-63, and Xavier at home, 64-54. Marquette is ranked No. 25 in Ken Pomeroy’s rankings while Xavier is ranked 35.
Key Losses: The Zags lost to three teams ranked higher than No. 100 by Pomeroy, all of which came within a three-week stretch that saw Gonzaga falter in the middle of the conference schedule. Back-to-back losses on the road to Santa Clara and San Francisco, ranked No. 149 and No. 150 by Pomeroy, were the Zags two worst losses on the year. Gonzaga followed that up on Feb. 5 with a four-point loss to No. 103 Memphis at home.
Players To Watch: Robert Sacre, Steven Gray and Elias Harris are the Zags big three, each playing a key role in the offense. Harris uses the most possession and, at 7-foot-0, is Gonzaga's biggest low-post option. Gray roams the perimeter, triggering the offense as the Zags' biggest scoring threat. Harris has regressed this season after a stellar freshman campaign, but is always a threat to score, as well.
Marquise Carter also deserve recognition and has been solid down the stretch for Gonzaga. His 115.1 offensive efficiency rating is the best on the team and his defense has been outstanding, especially in the WCC Tournament.
For more NCAA Tournament coverage of the Zags, please visit The Slipper Still Fits and SB Nation Seattle.
Need a printable NCAA bracket to fill out for the tournament? Download SB Nation’s March Madness Bracket.
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