Gonzaga Is the Team to Look Out for This Year in College Basketball
The 2020-21 NCAA basketball season is finally here. Despite being in a pandemic, college basketball teams have been preparing for the start of the season while ensuring they’re staying safe. The 2019-20 season was canceled when the pandemic first started, and they left teams and players disappointed as they could not play for a national championship.
Hopefully, this season will be completed, and a national champion will be crowned. Gonzaga is looking to win their first national championship, and they come into the season as the No. 1 team in the country.
Gonzaga has been one of the top teams in college basketball for a while
RELATED: What Happened to Gonzaga Sharpshooter Adam Morrison?
When it comes to basketball, Gonzaga has had a lot of success. As a member of the West Coast Conference, Gonzaga dominates year in and year out. They are always a top team in the conference and are predicted to win the conference. Head coach Mark Few knows how to recruit talented players to play for a team that doesn’t compete in a Power Five conference. Few knows how to win. Ever since he became the head coach in 1999, he has not had a losing season at Gonzaga.
He currently has an overall record of 599-124 and a conference record of 291-31. Each year Gonzaga is a team that is considered to be one of the best in college basketball. Gonzaga has a total of 25 Conference Regular Season Championships and has won 18 Conference Tournament titles. Over the years, Gonzaga has built a winning tradition, and players want to go there because of the school’s success.
Gonzaga has made 22 appearances in the NCAA Tournament and has made every tournament since 1999. In the last four seasons, Gonzaga has won 30 or more games. During Few’s time as the head coach, Gonzaga has had double-digit losses only twice. As mentioned before, this school knows how to win, and they have established themselves as a basketball powerhouse in college basketball.
Gonzaga first and only appearance in the NCAA title game came in 2017
Though Gonzaga has had a lot of success in college basketball, they have yet to win a national championship. Gonzaga came close to winning their first national championship in 2017. That was a remarkable season Gonzaga had. They finished the regular season with a 29-1 record and had a tremendous run throughout the NCAA Tournament. Gonzaga met up against North Carolina in the title game.
At the start of the NCAA Tournament, Gonzaga was a No. 1 seed, while North Carolina was a No. 2 seed. It was the eighth overall title game to be played featuring a No. 1 and No. 2 seed. The game was a close one from start to finish. Gonzaga took a 35-32 lead after the first half and had a lot of momentum going into the second half. But North Carolina outplayed them in the final stretch of the game and won 71-65.
Gonzaga poised to have a big 2020-2021 season
According to College Basketball, in the latest AP rankings that were released on Nov. 12, 2020, Gonzaga is the No. 1 ranked team as they received 28 first-place votes. Gonzaga will kick their season off on Nov. 26 against No. 6 Kansas in Fort Myers, Florida. The No. 1 team in the nation will have another big test in December as they will take on No. 2 Baylor. Gonzaga will be a team that a lot of people throughout college basketball will have their eyes on.
Last season, Gonzaga was one of the hottest teams going into the NCAA Tournament before it was canceled. This year, they are determined to make a deep run in the NCAA Tournament and win their first national championship.
