Gonzaga's New Year's resolution should be simple — the Final Four. Anything less is unacceptable. The last seven years, the 'Zags have both exceeded and succumbed to expectations. And this year might represent the last opportunity Gonzaga has to make a noticeable impact for quite some time.
In 1999, the loveable Bulldogs from Spokane left an indelible imprint on the NCAA tournament. As a 10-seed, they made it all the way to the Elite Eight before losing to eventual champion Connecticut. But instead of gracefully bowing out of the national spotlight as so many Cinderellas do, the 'Zags repeated their success in each of the following two seasons, where they made it back to the Sweet 16 as a 10- and 12-seed respectively.
2002 was the first year the 'Zags miss-stepped since coming to national prominence. After deriding the NCAA tournament committee for receiving what was considered to be a low six-seed, Gonzaga was eliminated in the first round of the tournament.
The next year, Gonzaga was seeded ninth, and got bounced out of the tournament in the second round in a memorable double-overtime game to Arizona. In 2004, Gonzaga was given their highest seeding ever in the tournament, but the second-seeded ‘Zags got thumped by Nevada in the second round. And last year, the 'Zags continued their disappointing tournament run, where as a three-seed they were knocked out in the second round for a third consecutive year.
There is reason for optimism this season, though. Last year, Illinois and North Carolina were clearly the two best teams in the country. Granted, each received either a minor scare (Villanova) or a major one (Arizona), but they both proved to make about 70% of pools and prognostications correct when they each eventually reached the championship game.
This year, there are no teams that are as good as those two teams were last year. Despite being undefeated and ranked first and second, Duke and Connecticut are both extremely vulnerable. Although they are both talented, I'm sure Mike Krzyzewski and Jim Calhoun would agree they have had better teams in the past.
The 'Zags also have one of the best players in the country in pure scorer Adam Morrison. He can score any way imaginable, and has the type of personality where he can put a team on his back the way Danny Manning or Carmelo Anthony has done in the past.
The rest of Morrison's supporting cast is also good enough to help make a run. Derek Ravio keeps defenses honest with his outside shooting, and J.P Batista adds enough down low to add another element to the 'Zags' offense.
It may be now or never for Gonzaga. Morrison is NBA bound after the season. Powerhouse schools like Duke, Connecticut, North Carolina, Kentucky, etc. will be more experienced than they are this year. The 'Zags have proved they can play with the country's elite teams this year, losing in close games to Memphis and Washington, as well as beating Michigan State.
It's time to stop being everyone's darling and become everyone's nightmare. Gonzaga receives plenty of accolades in the papers, but they need to produce on the court. A Final Four is within reach for the Bulldogs, now let's see if Gonzaga can go out and earn the respect that everyone claims they have for them.
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