Helena Frye
The Gonzaga Bulldogs are an intercollegiate men's basketball programme representing Gonzaga University in the West Coast Conference in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). The team has made it to the NCAA Division I Tournament 25 times and has won 26 regular-season WCC championships and 21 WCC tournament championships. However, despite their success, the Gonzaga Bulldogs have never won an NCAA Championship. They have come close in recent years, making it to the national championship game twice in the last five years, but they fell short in both instances.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Team Name | Gonzaga Bulldogs |
| Has the team ever won a men's basketball championship? | No |
| Number of appearances in the NCAA Division I Tournament | 25 |
| Number of consecutive appearances in the NCAA Division I Tournament | 24 |
| Number of WCC regular-season championships | 26 |
| Number of WCC tournament championships | 21 |
| Number of WCC Player of the Year awards received by players | 15 |
| Team's biggest rivalry | Saint Mary's |
| Number of conference championship games won by Gonzaga and Saint Mary's combined | 24 out of the last 26 |
| Number of consecutive years the team has made it to the NCAA Tournament | Every year since 1999 |
| Number of times the team has advanced to the Elite Eight | 2 |
| First win over a number 1 ranked team | 2018 |
| Number of losses at home during the 2015-16 season | 4 |
| Team's record for wins in a single season | 35 (2014-15) |
| Number of consecutive games won during the 2016-17 season | 29 |
| Number of losses during the 2016-17 season | 1 |
| Score of the 2021 championship game against Baylor | 86-70 |
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What You'll Learn
Gonzaga Bulldogs men's basketball history
The Gonzaga Bulldogs are an intercollegiate men's basketball programme representing Gonzaga University. The team plays home games at the McCarthey Athletic Center in Spokane, Washington, on the university campus. The school competes in the West Coast Conference in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).
Gonzaga introduced a basketball programme during the 1907–08 basketball season. In the 1908–09 season, Varnell became the first official coach for Gonzaga, earning a 10–2 record. William Mulligan coached the following season, acquiring an 11–3 record. Frank McKevitt took over for the 1910–11 basketball season, achieving an 8–1 record.
Gonzaga's first game in the John F. Kennedy Memorial Pavilion took place on December 3, 1965, against Washington State, who beat the Bulldogs 106–78. From 1944 to 1994, the Bulldogs compiled a record of 628–531, earning regular-season titles in 1965–66 and 1966–67 (Big Sky) under Hank Anderson, and in 1993–94 (WCC) under Dan Fitzgerald.
Since the mid-1990s, Gonzaga has established itself as a major basketball power in a mid-major conference. They have been to every NCAA tournament held since 1999, advancing to the Elite Eight that year. The team has appeared in 27 NCAA tournaments, including 9 straight Sweet 16 appearances from 2015 to 2024. The Bulldogs have also appeared in all but one WCC conference title game since 1995 and in every conference title game since 1998, winning 16 of them.
The 2014–15 season set the school record for wins in a single season with 35. The 2016–17 team won its first 29 games, setting a new school record for consecutive games won, before falling to WCC rival BYU. The team made the NCAA tournament as a #1 seed and advanced to the school's first-ever Final Four. They advanced to the 2017 national championship game, where they lost to North Carolina.
The 2018 Maui Invitational Final saw #3 Gonzaga defeat #1 Duke 89–87 for their first win over a #1 ranked team in team history. The 2020–21 season was a historic year for the team, going 26–0 in the regular season and being the final undefeated team in the country. They earned the #1 overall seed in the tournament and advanced to the national championship game, but lost to Baylor.
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Gonzaga's performance in the 2020-21 season
Gonzaga University's men's basketball team has had a rich history in the sport, with 15 of its players receiving the WCC Player of the Year award. The 2020-21 season was no exception, with the team achieving a historic 26-0 record in the regular season and becoming the final undefeated team in the country. They earned the #1 overall seed in the tournament and made their way to the national championship game, defeating Norfolk State, Oklahoma, Creighton, USC, and UCLA along the way.
The 2020-21 Gonzaga Bulldogs men's basketball team built upon the university's strong basketball foundation. The team was well-coached and had several standout players who contributed to their success. Their undefeated regular season and dominant performance in the tournament showcased the team's depth and resilience.
One of the key contributors to the team's success was Andrew Nembhard, who was granted immediate eligibility by the NCAA before the start of the season. Nembhard's talent and leadership on the court played a crucial role in guiding the team to their undefeated regular season. Additionally, Ben Gregg, who joined the team in December 2020 after graduating high school early, added depth and talent to the roster.
The 2020-21 season was a historic one for the Gonzaga Bulldogs, as they wrote their names in the record books with their impressive performance. Their journey to the national championship game captured the attention of basketball fans across the country and solidified their place as one of the top men's basketball programs in the nation.
Unfortunately, their undefeated season came to an end in the national championship game, where they lost to the Baylor Bears with a score of 86-70. Despite the loss, the 2020-21 Gonzaga Bulldogs men's basketball team left a lasting legacy and inspired future generations of players at the university.
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Gonzaga's performance in the 2016-17 season
The 2016–17 season was arguably the greatest season in Gonzaga's 109-year basketball history. The Gonzaga Bulldogs men's basketball team, also known as the Zags, played in their 37th season as a member of the West Coast Conference. Led by head coach Mark Few, the team played its home games at McCarthey Athletic Center in Spokane, Washington.
The Bulldogs finished the regular season with a 32–1 record, only losing to BYU on 25 February. They finished ranked second in the AP Poll, the highest final national ranking in school history prior to the 2020–21 season. They won both the West Coast Conference regular season and tournament championships, and advanced to the first NCAA National Championship game in the school's history. With a victory over South Carolina in the regional semifinal, the Bulldogs tied the NCAA Division I record for the second-most wins in a season. They lost in the NCAA National Championship game to North Carolina.
Gonzaga's non-conference schedule included a matchup with Washington, as well as neutral court games against Tennessee (in Nashville) and Arizona (in Los Angeles). The Zags were invited to play in the AdvoCare Invitational in Florida, where they played against Quinnipiac, Florida, and Iowa State. They also played in and won the single-elimination WCC Tournament, which took place from 2–7 March 2017 in Las Vegas.
Gonzaga's performance in the 2016–17 season was a significant improvement over the previous year, where they suffered four losses at home and nearly missed the NCAA tournament entirely. The 2016–17 team set a new school record by winning their first 29 games, before falling to WCC rival BYU.
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Gonzaga's rivalry with Saint Mary's
The Gonzaga–Saint Mary's men's basketball rivalry is an intra-West Coast Conference college basketball rivalry between the Saint Mary's Gaels men's basketball team of Saint Mary's College of California in Moraga, California, and the Gonzaga Bulldogs men's basketball team of Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington. Analysts and media members have touted the Gaels vs. Zags rivalry as one of the best in college basketball, with both teams consistently being two of the top three teams in the West Coast Conference over the last two decades.
The rivalry has been described as a "soap opera" with "theatrics", and the two teams have met a total of 116 times since 1955, currently meeting biannually as part of WCC conference play, with the potential for a third game in the WCC tournament and a fourth in the postseason. The rivalry escalated with the emergence of Patty Mills and Matthew Dellevadova, two of the most productive players in SMC program history, who were resident thorns in the side for GU. Mickey McConnell also shocked Gonzaga in 2011, giving the Gaels their first win in Spokane in 16 years.
Gonzaga and Saint Mary's have combined to win 26 out of the last 30 conference championship games, including each of the last 16. The two teams have split the last 22 conference regular-season titles, with Gonzaga claiming 17 of those outright. The rivalry has featured many ranked matchups, with Gonzaga winning nine of the 11 matchups when both teams were ranked in the Associated Press Top 25 poll.
The rivalry is also notable for the contrasting styles of play employed by the two teams. Saint Mary's is in the slowest 10% of all NCAA Division I schools in Ken Pomeroy's adjusted tempo metric, while Gonzaga plays at the second-fastest pace in the nation, with the second-most efficient offense.
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Gonzaga's top players
Gonzaga University's men's basketball team, the Bulldogs, has never won a national championship. They came close in 2021, when they were the final undefeated team in the country, but lost to the Baylor Bears in the final. The Baylor Bears blasted Gonzaga 86-70, ending their undefeated season.
Gonzaga has established itself as a major basketball power since the mid-1990s. They have been to every NCAA tournament since 1999 and have a well-known rivalry with Saint Mary's, with the two teams consistently being the top teams in the West Coast Conference over the last two decades.
Some of Gonzaga's top players include Frank Burgess, who scored 32.4 points per game in 1961, and Adam Morrison, who led the nation in scoring in the 2005-06 season with 28.1 points per game. Morrison was named Co-National Player of the Year that season. In total, 15 Gonzaga players have received the WCC Player of the Year award.
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Frequently asked questions
No, they haven't. The closest they came was in 2017, when they lost 71-65 to North Carolina in the championship game. They also lost in the championship game in 2021 to Baylor, 86-70.
The Gonzaga men's basketball team has made it to the NCAA Division I Tournament 25 times. They have made the tournament every year since 1999.
They have won 26 regular-season WCC championships and 21 WCC tournament championships.
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