Did the West Coast Conference champions get stiffed?
In the Midwest Region, the West Coast Conference champions will open up March Madness against the Georgia Bulldogs on Thursday in Wichita, Kansas. Tip-off time is set for 1:35 p.m. PT on TBS with Tom McCarthy and Debbie Antonelli on the call.
The Midwest Region #MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/MJH8b32jmk
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 16, 2025
Most expected the Zags to be on the No. 7/ No. 6 line. Finding themselves in the always grueling No. 8/No. 9 matchup in the first round is disappointing to say the least.
The Zags finished 5-5 in Quad 1 opportunities, Quad 2 chances at 5-3 while ending up No. 8 in the NET rankings before the Big Dance. In KenPom, Gonzaga is ranked No. 9 with the No. 9 offense and No. 29 defense. The metrics seem broken if this is the result for coach Mark Few’s group.
Here all the wins/losses for the Zags against teams in the NCAA Tournament field:
Baylor Bears – W
San Diego State Aztecs – W
Kentucky Wildcats – L
UConn Huskies – L
UCLA Bruins – L
Saint Mary’s – L, L, W
West Virginia (L) and Indiana (W) were two of the First Four Out for March Madness.
Despite getting a lower seed than they may have hoped, the Zags were positive and hopeful heading into this NCAA Tournament and say they’re ready to match up with “whoever wants the smoke” and believe they are playing their best basketball right now. pic.twitter.com/LsOZanPwtW
— Andrew Quinn (@andrewquinny) March 17, 2025
Looking at the opponent ahead, Georgia from the loaded Southeastern Conference was battle-tested all season long. The Bulldogs finished with a 20-12 overall record, 8-10 in conference play. Key non-conference victories for coach Mike White’s crew include the Big East Conference champion Saint John’s Red Storm, Western Athletic Conference champion Grand Canyon Antelopes.
During league play in the top conference of all college basketball, wins over the Kentucky Wildcats, Oklahoma Sooners, Florida Gators, Texas Longhorns speak to how ready this group is.
Out of high school, five-star freshman Asa Newell picked Georgia over Gonzaga. The 6’11 forward leads his team in both points at 15.3 per game and rebounds at 6.8 per game. Newell does it all as he also puts in both a steal and block each time he steps on the court. He looks like a lottery pick in the upcoming NBA Draft.
In the SEC, Georgia ranks No. 5 in offensive rebounds at 11.8 per game. Gonzaga has had their struggles throughout the season when it comes to blocking out, crashing the glass. Georgia also puts up 5.2 blocks per game which is the third highest in the SEC.
Sophomore guard Silas Demary Jr. leads in steals at 1.7, while freshman center Somto Cyril leads in blocks at 1.6 in just 14.0 minutes per game. A lot of young guns and March Madness inexperienced players for Georgia compared to a veteran-driven group for Gonzaga.
According to FanDuel Sportsbook, Gonzaga is the favorite over Georgia at a -6.5 spread. Money line at -295 for the Zags, +235 for the Bulldogs. Over/Under is set at 151.5. Since 2018 in the Round of 64 results, the No. 8 seed has a losing record to the No. 9 seed, 8-16.
Gonzaga fans seem to always travel well in the month of March and should make for a solid crowd environment in the Sunflower State. The first time ever the Zags have played in Wichita, Kansas.
The top seed of the Midwest Region in the champion Houston Cougars out of the Big 12 Conference must not like the draw they received. A potential second round matchup with Gonzaga is a nightmare for any opponent. The Zags are looking to extend their Sweet Sixteen streak to 10 straight. One game at a time.
Arden Cravalho is a Gonzaga University graduate from the Bay Area… Follow him on Twitter @a_cravalho