Are Gonzaga’s hopes of a fourth straight 1-seed in the NCAA tournament already over?
After the Bulldogs’ loss to Baylor on Friday, that might be the case. They’re now just 5-3 on the season, with losses to Texas and Purdue in addition to the Bears in South Dakota. It’s their most losses at this point in the season since 2011, when they ultimately finished 25-10 and earned an 11-seed on Selection Sunday. In the 10 NCAA tournaments since then, Mark Few’s program has earned a 1-seed on five occasions, a 2-seed once, a 4-seed once, and a 7-seed or lower three times.
Given the Zags’ remaining schedule and the lack of quality near the top of the West Coast Conference this season, a sixth 1-seed in 11 tournaments might be out of their grasp. A game in Birmingham against Alabama on Dec. 17 and two meetings with Saint Mary’s in conference play are the only contests remaining against teams ranked inside the top 85 at KenPom. The WCC of past years, with four or five NCAA tournament-caliber teams, isn’t happening this season — meaning Gonzaga just doesn’t have the opportunities to rack up résumé-boosting wins like it has in the past.
Wins over Kentucky, Michigan State and Xavier in the first month of the season are a very good start. But the three losses might have already buried Gonzaga’s 1-seed chances.
On to this week’s awards and rankings.
Entering the season, the Terrapins were picked 10th in the unofficial Big Ten media poll. Kevin Willard was taking over a massively disappointing team that went 15-17 last season and was losing its top two scorers. The Terps weren’t expected to be this good this quickly. One month in, they can make a case as the second- or third-best team in the league.
With neutral-court wins over Saint Louis and Miami already on the résumé, Maryland started the week with a 25-point win on the road against a hapless Louisville team. It then welcomed Illinois to College Park for its Big Ten opener and knocked off the Fighting Illini 71-66 — going on a 17-2 run midway through the first half to get some breathing room, with Charlotte transfer Jahmir Young hitting a huge 3 in the final minute to clinch the win. The Terrapins are old, they have size and they’re led by a coach who consistently produces some of the best defenses in the country.
Plus, we got this gem postgame from Willard:
Kevin Willard everyone: pic.twitter.com/Z1JGmC8HFi
— Ben Dickson (@bendickson__) December 3, 2022
Murray was expected to take a big step forward in his production…
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