SPOKANE, Wash. — The path to the NCAA Championship is now set for the Gonzaga Bulldogs Men's Basketball team.
The Zags earned a No. 3 seed. They open the tournament against No. 14 Grand Canyon University (24-11). The game will be played in Denver on Friday.
Gonzaga was placed in the West Bracket. The second round could feature a matchup against No. 6 TCU or No. 11 Arizona State or Nevada. Other teams of note in the West include No. 2 UCLA, No. 1 Kansas, No. 5 Saint Mary's, and No. 10 Boise State.
Gonzaga ended the regular season with a 28-5 record after beating Saint Mary's for the West Coast Conference Championship.
It was something of an up-and-down season for the Bulldogs. Gonzaga started the season ranked no. 2 in the AP Top 25 preseason poll but dropped as low as 18 before they started climbing back up.
The Gonzaga team ends the regular season on a nine-game winning streak, including two convincing wins against a ranked Saint Mary's team.
Game Time and How to Watch
You can watch the round one matchup between Gonzaga and Grand Canyon University Friday, March 17, at 4:35 p.m. on truTV.
Gonzaga Players to Watch
The undeniable leader of this year's Gonzaga team is senior Drew Timme. The forward announced he would not return for a 5th year at Gonzaga, meaning this tournament is his final chance to bring Gonzaga the elusive NCAA Title.
Timme had an excellent season for Gonzaga and was named First-Team All-American by the Sporting News.
Timme averaged a career-high 20.9 points per game, along with 7.3 rebounds and 3.2 assists. Timme also set the school record for points in a career, with 2,210 and counting.
Julian Strawther has taken a huge step forward this season and provided Gonzaga with a second source of offense. The junior guard is averaging 15.1 points per game this season along with 5.9 rebounds. He was named to the WCC All-Conference First Team.
Anton Watson had been a spark for Gonzaga, coming up big on both ends of the court. The Senior forward is averaging a career-high 11.3 points per game, along with 5.8 rebounds and 1.8 steals.
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