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Gonzaga
Road to the Final Four.............................................................................................
Gonzaga is entering the NCAA Tournament on a roll. And anyone who watches March Madness knows this team can roll right through the first few rounds no matter who it gets matched up against. The Zags claimed their third West Coast Conference regular-season championship in the last four years and an unprecedented third straight conference tournament title. What was supposed to be a rebuilding season after the loss of Richie Frahm, Matt Santangelo, Mike Nilson and Axel Dench to graduation, turned into just a reloading process. Casey Calvary was the lone returning starter, but continuing the tradition of great point guard play in Spokane -- started by John Stockton -- is Dan Dickau. Just think what the Zags' record could have been with this 6-0 junior transfer in the lineup all season. Dickau broke his finger against Arizona on Nov. 29 and missed nine games. Gonzaga went 5-4 without Dickau, but Dickau's return ignited a late-season streak. The Bulldogs wound up losing just once when Dickau finished a game and enter the NCAAs having won 18 of their last 19 games. Gonzaga still finished with at least 21 wins for the seventh time in eight seasons and avenged that lone late-season loss in the WCC with an 80-77 win over Santa Clara in the championship game of the WCC tournament. Although they entered the NCAA Tournament as a No. 12 seed, the 'Zags are proving once again that they belong with the big boys. After knocking off Virginia in Round 1, Gonzaga put away a pesky Indiana State team to advance to the Sweet 16 for the third consecutive season. Player to Watch Dan Dickau did not lead the Zags in scoring -- that honor went to Casey Calvary (19.0 ppg) -- but he is their hottest player entering the NCAA Tournament. Dickau was named the WCC tournament MVP after averaging 21.7 points in three tournament games. Dickau remains the Zags' X factor: they lost just once this season when he finished a game. The 6-foot junior transfer, who started two seasons for Washington, led the team in 3-point shooting (47.1 percent), free throws (.882) and minutes (32.8). Dickau averaged 18.3 ppg this season, which would have been good for third in the WCC had he played enough games to qualify for the list of league leaders.With the Ball Gonzaga led the WCC in scoring this season, averaging an even 83 points a game. About a fourth of their points come off 3-pointers (7.4 per game). Senior Casey Calvary led the team and was second in the conference with a 19.2 ppg average to go along with Dickau's 18 points a night. Freshman Blake Stepp is a sniper behind the arc and averages 10.4 ppg. Calvary also finished third in the conference in field goal percentage (.553) and fifth in the league in rebounding (6.4). Dickau is the most accurate 3-point shooter in the WCC, but when he isn't scoring he's finds his friends within the offense (6.7 apg). The Bulldogs simply outran teams all season, as evidence by their plus-14.8 scoring average.Defending the Ball The Zags' outstanding scoring margin has as much to do with defense as it does with offense. Mark Spink and Zack Gourde were physical forces, helping Gonzaga finish first in the conference in field goal percentage defense (.390) and second in 3-point percentage defense (.330). Mark Few's troops finished third in the WCC in overall scoring defense (68.2) and were second in blocks per game (4.1). The Zags also do the little things like boxing out with a vengeance, topping the league with an average of 27.5 defensive rebounds per game. Seed Analysis Exceeding the Seed Playing to Expectations Falling Short None. BRACKETOLOGY SCORE: 2.667 (1.000 is playing exactly to a team's historical seeding) Bracketology Report 1985-2000: Talk about mid-majors who earn their keep. Both Gonzaga and the West Coast Conference have done their part to make March Madness great. The 'Zags of 1999 and 2000 played to the Elite Eight and Sweet 16, respectively. Santa Clara (1996, 1993) and Loyola Marymount (1990, 1988) have also shined under the NCAA spotlight in the 64-team era. Overall, the WCC is an impressive 50-55 in its long tournament history. Roster
 NCAA Basketball Championship Week It's March, which means the madness has started and invitations are being reserved throughout Championship Week.  Send this story to a friend | Most sent stories |  |
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Mark Few says Michigan State plays like champions on Friday.(Courtesy: NCAA Productions)
Head coach Mark Few elaborates on Gonzaga's NCAA Tournament success.
