After 18 straight tournament appearances ending short of the Final Four, look for top-seeded Gonzaga to finally make their long-awaited breakthrough
- More regional previews: East | Midwest | South
- Printable NCAA tournament bracket: make your March Madness picks
Gonzaga. On paper, No1 Gonzaga should be the clear-cut favorites in the West. The Bulldogs went 32-1 during the regular season, a performance that landed them the top seed in a region that doesn’t seem to offer them much serious competition beyond the 30-4 Arizona Wildcats. Of course, the catch here is that this is Gonzaga. After years of earlier-than-expected tournament exits, their reputation went from “one of the most consistently successful mid-majors in tournament history” to “perennial underachievers who have never made a Final Four”. If the Bulldogs can’t break that trend with their current squad, probably the best collection of talent in school history, it’s fair to wonder if they ever will.
Related: NCAA tournament bracket 2017: make your March Madness picks
Continue reading...