How Gonzaga men’s basketball reached the 2021 men’s Final Four

The Gonzaga Bulldogs came into the NCAA Tournament as the top-seeded team overall in the bracket, and they have done nothing to show the Selection Committee made a mistake. The Bulldogs are in the Final Four for just the second time in program history, most recently in the 2016-17 season. Gonzaga has been about as dominant as a college basketball team can be all season long, and that’s why they are the favorite to win it all.

Regular season

The Bulldogs went unbeaten throughout the regular season and still has just one victory that did not come by a double-digit margin, a five-point win over the West Virginia Mountaineers in early December. Gonzaga went through a COVID-19 pause after that game with more than two weeks between games, and had a 1 vs. 2 matchup against the Baylor Bears canceled, which would’ve been fantastic to see. The Bulldogs were not tested much in the West Coast Conference, but they challenged themselves and beat power programs Kansas, Auburn, West Virginia, Iowa, and Virginia in the regular season.

NCAA Tournament

Gonzaga has been just as dominant throughout their four NCAA Tournament games, jumping on their opponents early and cruising to easy victories. The Bulldogs’ closest win came in the second round to the No. 8 seed Oklahoma Sooners in a 16-point victory. Gonzaga outscored their four opponents by nearly 100 points combined, and they’ve won by an average of 24.1 points per game to get here.

Key players

The Bulldogs have one of the best run offenses you’ll ever see, and their players run it so well. Their leading scorers are forwards Drew Timme and Corey Kispert, who average 19 and 18.9 points per game, respectively. Timme also leads the team in rebounding with 7.2 boards per game. Freshman guard Jalen Suggs averages 4.5 assists and 1.9 steals, both of which lead the team to go along with 14 points per game. This team is loaded with talent that works incredibly well together in Mark Few’s system.