Kristian Ferrell
Gonzaga University's basketball team, the Gonzaga Bulldogs, has been a powerhouse for over two decades. The team has been to two of the last five Final Fours, qualified for 24 consecutive NCAA tournaments, and regularly puts players in the NBA. The Gonzaga Bulldogs play their home games at the McCarthey Athletic Center in Spokane, Washington, and have been in the West Coast Conference for nearly 40 years. The team has had 15 players receive the WCC Player of the Year award, and two players have led the nation in scoring. Gonzaga's coach, Mark Few, has led the team for 22 years and has accumulated over 600 wins.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Year founded | 1887 |
| Year basketball program introduced | 1907 |
| Number of WCC Player of the Year awards | 15 |
| Gonzaga's biggest conference rival | Saint Mary's |
| Number of consecutive NCAA tournaments qualified for | 24 |
| Number of consecutive seasons with at least 23 wins | 22 |
| Number of Final Four appearances | 2 |
| Number of Elite Eight appearances | 5 |
| Number of Sweet Sixteen appearances | 11 |
| Number of WCC Player of the Year awards | 15 |
| Gonzaga's most heated in-state rivalry | Washington |
| Number of home wins in a row | 50 |
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What You'll Learn
Gonzaga's basketball history
Gonzaga University introduced its basketball program in 1907. The Gonzaga Bulldogs are an intercollegiate men's basketball team representing the university. The team has been a member of the West Coast Conference (WCC) for nearly 40 years and competes in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).
Since the mid-1990s, Gonzaga has established itself as a major basketball powerhouse. They have been to every NCAA tournament held since 1999, making a Cinderella run to the Elite Eight that year. The team has had a consistent presence in March Madness, qualifying for 21 consecutive tournaments before the 2021 NCAA Tournament, where they entered undefeated. Gonzaga has been to two of the last five Final Fours, five Elite Eights, and 11 Sweet Sixteens, and has ended up in the final top 10 of the AP rankings nine times.
Gonzaga's success has brought significant basketball-related exposure, benefiting the university's financial position and fundraising success. This led to a campus building boom, with the McCarthey Athletic Center being the first of several major campus buildings that opened between 2004 and 2017. The team's success has also contributed to a significant increase in the academic credentials of incoming freshmen.
Gonzaga's notable players include Frank Burgess, who led the nation in scoring in 1961 with 32.4 points per game, and Adam Morrison, who achieved the same feat in 2006 with 28.1 points per game. Morrison was named the Co-National Player of the Year for the 2005-06 season and was the No. 3 overall pick in the 2006 NBA Draft. Other notable alumni include NBA all-time assists and steals leader John Stockton, Pacers power forward Domantas Sabonis, Wizards' Rui Hachimura, and Grizzlies' Brandon Clarke.
Gonzaga's coach, Mark Few, has led the team for over 22 years and has achieved remarkable success, including reaching the 600-win mark. The team has won at least 23 games in each of his seasons, solidifying Gonzaga's reputation as a modern basketball powerhouse.
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Gonzaga's performance in the NCAA tournament
Gonzaga University's men's basketball team, the Gonzaga Bulldogs, has been a consistent presence in the NCAA Tournament since 1999, reaching the Elite Eight in that year. They have qualified for 21 consecutive tournaments since then, with a 22nd qualification in 2021 as they went undefeated heading into the tournament. The team has been to two of the last five Final Fours, five Elite Eights, and 11 Sweet Sixteens. They have also qualified for the NCAA tournament in 2023, making it 24 consecutive tournaments since 1999.
Gonzaga has had a notable rivalry with Saint Mary's, with both teams combining to win 24 out of the last 26 conference championship games (Gonzaga winning 20 of them). The rivalry has been described as one of the best college basketball rivalries on the West Coast.
Gonzaga's success in the NCAA Tournament has brought significant basketball-related exposure to the university, leading to improved finances and a campus building boom. The team's success has also attracted top recruits and transfers, with the university working the transfer portal effectively to bring in talented players.
The team's performance has also resulted in individual accolades for its players. Fifteen WCC Player of the Year awards have been won by Gonzaga players, and two players, Frank Burgess and Adam Morrison, have led the nation in scoring. Morrison was named Co-National Player of the Year for the 2005-06 season.
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Gonzaga's notable players
Gonzaga's prominence on the college basketball scene dates back to the late 1990s. The Gonzaga Bulldogs have had 15 of their players receive the WCC Player of the Year award, and two players, Frank Burgess in 1961 and Adam Morrison in 2006, have led the nation in scoring. Burgess is the school's all-time leader in career points (2,196), scoring average (28.1), made field goals (800), single-season scoring average (32.5 in 1960-61), and most points in a single game (52 vs. UC Davis in January 1961). He was a consensus All-American in 1961 and is one of three Gonzaga players to have had his jersey retired.
Another notable player is John Stockton, who is the first player that comes to mind for many when the topic of Gonzaga basketball arises. While he totaled 1,340 points for his career and averaged 20.9 as the 1984 West Coast Athletic Conference Player of the Year, Stockton is best known for distributing the basketball. He averaged a career-high 7.2 assists as a senior, and the total of 554 assists he amassed during his collegiate career ranks fifth in school history. Stockton is also Gonzaga's all-time leader with 262 steals.
Kelly Olynyk is also a memorable player, having put together a notable junior season with the Zags after opting to redshirt his 2011-12 junior campaign following two seasons of bench play as a freshman and sophomore. Olynyk averaged 17.8 points on 62.9% shooting while also pulling down 7.3 rebounds and recording 36 blocks, earning WCC Player of the Year and consensus first-team All-American honors.
Kevin Pangos, a four-time first-team All-WCC selection and the league's player of the year in 2015, is also beloved by the Gonzaga basketball community. He started all but one of the 142 games he played for the Zags and is the school's all-time leader with 322 made 3-pointers.
Other notable Gonzaga basketball players include Dan Dickau, who transferred to Gonzaga from Washington and sat out the 1999-2000 campaign before making an immediate impact for the Bulldogs. By the time his time with the Zags had finished, Dickau averaged 20.1 points on 45.8% shooting from the field and 46.5% from beyond the 3-point arc. Additionally, twelve former Gonzaga University basketball players were playing in the NBA during the 2024-2025 season, the largest number of Zag alumni ever to dot NBA rosters simultaneously.
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Gonzaga's basketball coaches
Gonzaga has been a basketball powerhouse since the mid-1990s, with the team reaching the Elite Eight of the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament in 1999. The Gonzaga Bulldogs, as the team is known, compete in the West Coast Conference (WCC) in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).
The Bulldogs' success on the court has brought significant benefits to Gonzaga University as a whole. The university's financial position and fundraising abilities improved dramatically, leading to a building boom on campus, including the McCarthey Athletic Center, which opened in 2004. The team's success has also led to a boom in freshman enrollment, with the university introducing a more selective admissions process in 2003 as a result.
The Bulldogs have had a number of notable coaches throughout their history, with the current head coach, Few, entering his 19th season as of 2017. Few has an impressive record, leading the team to 18 consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances, including one Final Four, two Elite Eights, and seven Sweet 16s. He has also won or shared 17 WCC regular-season championships and 14 WCC tournament crowns.
Few is not the only long-serving coach on the Bulldogs' staff. Assistant coach Tommy Lloyd is in his 17th season with the team and has been instrumental in expanding the program's recruiting boundaries, bringing in international players like Rui Hachimura from Japan and Killian Tillie from France. Another assistant, Leon Rice, has also been with the program for many years and is highly regarded in the coaching community.
The Bulldogs' coaching staff has played a crucial role in the team's success and in establishing Gonzaga as a major basketball powerhouse. Their dedication and expertise have contributed to the team's impressive record and the university's overall growth and development.
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Gonzaga's basketball rivalries
Gonzaga has been a basketball powerhouse since the mid-1990s, with the Bulldogs making it to every NCAA tournament since 1999 and appearing in every final AP poll since 2008-09. The team has had a significant impact on the university's fortunes, improving its financial position and fundraising success, leading to a campus building boom.
The Gonzaga Bulldogs, the intercollegiate men's basketball program representing Gonzaga University, have several notable rivalries with other teams. One of the most prominent is with fellow West Coast Conference foe Saint Mary's. The rivalry between the Bulldogs and the Gaels is often touted by analysts and media personnel as one of the best college basketball rivalries on the West Coast, if not the best. The two teams have consistently been at the top of the conference for the last two decades, combining to win 24 out of the last 26 conference championship games (Gonzaga has won 20 of those). The rivalry dates back to 1955, and the teams currently meet biannually as part of WCC conference play. Gonzaga currently leads the series 81-35.
Another notable rivalry is with Washington, with whom they played a 10-year home-and-home series from 1997 to 2006. This rivalry went dormant until 2015 when they met in the first round of the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament. They began a new series in 2016, agreeing to continue the rivalry annually until at least the 2025-26 season.
Gonzaga also has an in-state rivalry with Washington State, with both schools based in Eastern Washington. The rivalry was renewed in the 2024-25 season after Washington State's temporary move to the West Coast Conference for basketball. The Cougars lead the series 98-54, but Gonzaga has won 15 of the last 18 matchups, including the two WCC Conference games in 2024-25.
Additionally, a rivalry with Brigham Young University (BYU) has developed over the past decade. Their first meeting was in 1949, but they didn't play again until 2011 when BYU defeated the Zags in the NCAA tournament.
Gonzaga's success in basketball has fueled rivalries and intensified competitions, contributing to the team's reputation as a powerhouse in college basketball.
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Frequently asked questions
Gonzaga has been a basketball powerhouse for over two decades.
Gonzaga has had many milestones in its basketball history. Here are a few:
- Gonzaga introduced its basketball program in 1907.
- In 1999, Gonzaga made a Cinderella run to the Elite Eight.
- Gonzaga has been to every NCAA tournament held since 1999.
- Gonzaga has had 15 of its players receive the WCC Player of the Year award.
- In 2018, Gonzaga defeated Duke 89-87 for their first win over a number 1 ranked team.
Notable players from Gonzaga's basketball program include:
- Frank Burgess (led the nation in scoring in 1961 with 32.4 points per game)
- Adam Morrison (led the nation in scoring in 2006 with 28.1 points per game, named Co-National Player of the Year for the 2005-06 season, and was the No. 3 overall pick in the 2006 NBA Draft)
- John Stockton (NBA all-time assists and steals leader, former Utah Jazz player, and original Olympic Dream Team member)
- Domantas Sabonis (won the 2021 All-Star Skills Challenge)
- Rui Hachimura (a young rising star playing for the Wizards)
- Brandon Clarke (a young rising star playing for the Grizzlies)
While Gonzaga's basketball program has had a lot of success, they have also faced some challenges and setbacks. For example:
- In 2007, Gonzaga's overall home-game winning streak ended at 50 games with a loss to Santa Clara.
- In 2015, BYU snapped Gonzaga's 41-game home winning streak in the McCarthey Athletic Center.
- In 2023, Gonzaga struggled with some blowout losses and unexpected defeats, causing them to drop in the rankings.
