The Gonzaga Bulldogs landed a three seed in the South Region of the bracket, and they’ll face off against the 14-seed Kennesaw State Owls.
Gonzaga vs. Kennesaw State opening odds
No. 14 Kennesaw State gets here as the Conference USA tournament champion, and the path mattered: the Owls came in as the No. 6 seed, won the league title for the first time, and grabbed the automatic bid with a 71-60 win over Louisiana Tech. They are 21-13 now, back in the field after their 2023 breakthrough, and carrying the sort of momentum that makes a lower seed feel a little more alive than the number suggests.
The Owls also have a real identity. Kennesaw State averages 75.9 points per game, shoots 45.1% from the floor, hits 34.2% from three, and gets steady production from RJ Johnson, who leads the team at 14.5 points and 4.0 assists per game. Frankquon Sherman gives them 8.4 rebounds a night, Braedan Lue supplies rim protection, and the overall shape is sturdy enough to survive a little tournament turbulence. This is a team that had to scrap for its bid, and there is usually some danger in that.
Then there is Gonzaga, which enters from a completely different tier of March memory. The Bulldogs are 30-3, won their final WCC tournament title before the move to the rebuilt Pac-12, and landed a No. 3 seed because they still look like Gonzaga: 85.1 points per game, 50.6% shooting, 39.0% from three, and a plus-19.1 scoring margin. Graham Ike is putting up 17.9 points and 7.2 rebounds a night, Tyon Grant-Foster adds 14.7 points, and Mario Saint-Supery gives the backcourt another 12.3 with 4.1 assists. More than that, this is a program making its 28th NCAA tournament appearance, with two Final Fours and the long, familiar expectation that the first weekend is supposed to be only the beginning.
