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When Gonzaga last made the men’s basketball Final Four

Gonzaga is joining the field of the Final Four for the 2021 NCAA men’s basketball tournament. We break down the program’s Final Four history.

Gonzaga Bulldogs guard Joel Ayayi dunk the ball against USC Trojans forward Isaiah Mobley during the second half in the Elite Eight of the 2021 NCAA Tournament at Lucas Oil Stadium. Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports

A national championship has always managed to elude Gonzaga’s well-respected men’s basketball program history, but the Bulldogs hope to get the job done in 2021. The mid-major powerhouse got one step closer to its goal on Tuesday with a win. Now it's headed to the Final Four. Let’s take a look back at Gonzaga’s March Madness run.

How Gonzaga made the 2021 Final Four

Gonzaga finished the regular season undefeated and went on to win the WCC for the eighth time in the last decade. The Bulldogs entered the postseason as the country’s undisputed top team, so they coasted to an at-large and secured a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. The Gonzaga began a ridiculously dominant run en route to the Final Four.

The Bulldogs kicked off their tournament by breaking their school record for points scored during March Madness. They throttled No. 16 Norfolk State in the first round, 98-55. Gonzaga beat a much better No. 8 Oklahoma team 87-71 in the second round before knocking off No. 5 Creighton 83-65 in the Sweet 16. Some people thought that No. 6 USC could test Gonzaga in the Elite Eight, but the favorite came away with an 85-66 win thanks to excellent performances from Drew Timme, Corey Kispert, and Jalen Suggs.

When did Gonzaga last appear in the Final Four?

The Bulldogs made it to the Final Four just once before this year in 2017. The Zags knocked off Frank Martin’s South Carolina 77-70 before falling to North Carolina 71-65 in the championship game.

How many times has Gonzaga appeared in the Final Four?

This year marks the Bulldogs’ second time in the Final Four, as their only previous appearance was in 2017.