It’s fair to say that this is the most surprising run by Gonzaga and the most impressive coaching job by Mark Few in at least 15 years.
You can berate the Zags all you want and for whatever reason, because there’s obviously enough disdain for them around this area. But this was the year Gonzaga’s tournament streak was supposed to come to an end - the year they actually looked fallible in their conference. And even when they made the Big Dance, they still had their lowest seed since 2001. This was supposed to be another one of those years when they didn’t survive the first weekend.
And yet, here they are in the Sweet 16. The lowest seed still remaining. And it’s the first time since 2000 that they’ve beaten two higher-seeded teams to get there.
Listen, I get it – when it comes to tournament success, the Zags have under-performed. Any school that makes 18 straight NCAA Tournaments – six of them with a four-seed or better - probably should have reached at least one Final Four or more than two Elite Eights. And yes, the five-year streak of second-round exits was maddening for their fans and only gave their detractors more ammo.
In fact, if they lose next week, the haters will continue to say that it’s the “same-old Zags.” But it’s really not the case.
Unlike years past, anything from here on out is icing on the cake.
I’d argue that this is the type of Gonzaga team America originally fell in love with in 1999. The scrappy Cinderella – the tiny school that wasn’t supposed to regularly beat power conference teams. I’ll also admit that when the Zags dropped out of the Top 25, I stopped paying attention. No way was a team that lost Przemek Karnowski to season-ending back surgery going to make a postseason run.
Well, I was wrong. And I’m glad I was.
“From where we were in early December or even mid-February where we had a couple stumbles to now – these guys deserve all the credit for staying positive and believing in themselves and making plays,” Mark Few said. “I’ve never been as satisfied and happy and thoroughly pleased with the group with just how they’ve responded.”
To the players and Coach Few – I applaud you once again. The eyes of the country are once again on the "Little Engine That Could."
As I’ve said in years past, you don’t have to like them, but you have to respect the consistency. And this year, it’s hard not to once again appreciate the underdog story.