Fansided

5 reasons Gonzaga will return to the Final Four

By Sarabeth Pollock

Apr 1, 2017; Glendale, AZ, USA; Gonzaga Bulldogs players celebrate after defeating the South Carolina Gamecocks in the semifinals of the 2017 NCAA Men's Final Four at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 1, 2017; Glendale, AZ, USA; Gonzaga Bulldogs players celebrate after defeating the South Carolina Gamecocks in the semifinals of the 2017 NCAA Men's Final Four at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports /
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Mar 25, 2017; San Jose, CA, USA; Gonzaga Bulldogs forward Johnathan Williams (3) celebrates with players on the bench after scoring a basket against the Xavier Musketeers during the second half in the finals of the West Regional of the 2017 NCAA Tournament at SAP Center. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 25, 2017; San Jose, CA, USA; Gonzaga Bulldogs forward Johnathan Williams (3) celebrates with players on the bench after scoring a basket against the Xavier Musketeers during the second half in the finals of the West Regional of the 2017 NCAA Tournament at SAP Center. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports /

West Coast Conference Juggernauts

The Gonzaga Bulldogs have been dominating the West Coast Conference for the past eighteen years with 15 WCC Tournament titles under Mark Few’s tenure. If they can’t get an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, there is always the WCC tournament route.

The current advanced Way Too Early Top 25 polls have Gonzaga at No. 10 already, and that’s just where they stand at this point. The reality is that Gonzaga will add new freshmen and transfer students later this year, and they’ll be working hard to come together once the draft has come and gone and the dust settles.

The Zags are far and away the best team in the WCC and it’s not likely that another team will keep them from returning to the Big Dance with the automatic bid. In recent years Saint Mary’s has been gaining momentum, thanks in large part to their Australian recruiting pipeline. There were some who thought that the addition of BYU to the conference would upend the balance of power, but that really hasn’t happened yet. (Though, notably, it was BYU who handed Gonzaga its only loss of the season leading up to the National Championship game)

Even if Gonzaga doesn’t find itself in the Top 25 in 2018, there is a very good chance that Gonzaga will be able to punch its dance card with a win at the WCC Tournament.