Gonzaga Drops Frustrating National Title Game with Heads Held High
By Ben Renner
Gonzaga put together the best season in their small, Catholic school’s history behind a dominant squad. Despite their frustrating loss to North Carolina, the Bulldogs can face the future with heads held high.
Gonzaga dropped the NCAA National Championship game to North Carolina last night 71-65 because of several factors. One was poor shooting. Both sides struggled to get their offenses going. Whether that was because of constant whistles for ticky-tack fouls or because of an inspired defensive effort is for the ESPN analysts to decide.
The result of the ugly National Championship was North Carolina claiming their sixth NCAA title in school history a year after losing the title game on a buzzer beater by Villanova. But the trajectory of Mark Few and his accomplishments at Gonzaga was clear before tip-off. The Bulldogs are built to succeed as well as the North Carolinas and Kansases of the basketball world.
Gonzaga might not attract future NBA lottery picks, but Mark Few’s brand extends beyond the United States, attracting international players and transfers like Nigel Williams-Goss to Spokane.
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Blown call on a scramble in last night’s title game aside, Few and Gonzaga are headed to elite status. Even as other basketball programs around the country try and follow Gonzaga’s lead in recruiting international big men like Przemek Karnowski, Few’s appearance in the biggest college game of the year should put Spokane at the top of the destination list for talented players the world over.
As frustrating as the game last night was, it showed the Bulldogs’ talent, Few’s excellent offensive and defensive systems and coaching, and their grit, to the country and the world. They battled North Carolina–college basketball royalty coached by the legendary Roy Williams–the entire game and nearly toppled the kings from their throne.
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The Zags’ season showed they can be as good as anyone despite playing in the West Coast Conference and only having an enrollment of 7,500 students or so. They made the world take notice and just by making it to the title game, took their critics down a few decibels. With the major Washington schools in the midst of rebuilding their men’s basketball programs, Gonzaga is set to rule the state in basketball for the foreseeable future.