The Gonzaga Bulldogs are an intercollegiate men's basketball program representing Gonzaga University. The school competes in the Pac-12 Conference in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). The Gonzaga Bulldogs play home basketball games at McCarthey Athletic Center in Spokane, Washington, on the university campus.
Gonzaga has had 15 of its players receive the WCC Player of the Year award, and two players, Frank Burgess in 1961 with 32.4 points per game, and Adam Morrison in 2006 with 28.1 points per game, have led the nation in scoring. Morrison was named the Co-National Player of the year for the 2005–06 season.
Since the mid-1990s, Gonzaga has established itself as a major basketball power in a mid-major conference. They have been to every NCAA tournament held since 1999, a year in which they made a Cinderella run to the Elite Eight, and have appeared in every final AP poll since the 2008–09 season. Gonzaga had an active weekly poll streak of 143 weeks, starting from the 2016–17 season and ending on January 15, 2024, being tied for the tenth longest streak in Division I history. They have also appeared in all but one WCC conference title game since 1995, and in every conference title game since 1998, winning 21 of them.
The 2016–17 Bulldogs went to the program's first-ever Final Four, advancing to the 2017 national championship game, where they lost to North Carolina. They returned to the Final Four in 2021, losing in the national championship game to Baylor.
Contents
Team history
Early years
Gonzaga introduced a basketball program during the 1907–08 basketball season and, although the season was not an official one, they achieved a record of 9–2 (.818) under head coach George M. Varnell. In the 1908–09 season, Varnell became the first official coach for Gonzaga, earning a 10–2 (.833) record. William Mulligan coached the following season and acquired an 11–3 (.786) record. Frank McKevitt took over for Mulligan during the 1910–11 basketball season, acquiring an 8–1 (.889) record. From 1944 to 1994, the Bulldogs compiled a record of 628–531 (.542), earning regular season titles in 1965–66 and 1966–67 (Big Sky) under Hank Anderson, and in 1993–94 (WCC) under Dan Fitzgerald. That season also saw the team qualify for its first postseason tournament, the National Invitation Tournament (NIT), while being led by forward Jeff Brown, who was the WCC Player of the Year, and point guard Geoff Goss, who was made the All-WCC First Team that season. In the following season, the fourth-seeded Bulldogs won the WCC tournament to secure their first appearance in the NCAA tournament.
Dan Monson (1997–1999)
In 1997, Gonzaga assistant coach Dan Monson, the son of veteran Oregon and Idaho head coach Don Monson, became the head coach of Gonzaga as Fitzgerald wanted to focus on his athletic director's duties. During his first season, Monson led the Zags to a 24–10 record and a WCC regular season title, which was not enough to land an at-large bid in the NCAA tournament. They earned a bid into the NIT and beat Wyoming 69–55 in the first round in Laramie, but fell at Hawai'i 78–70 in the second round.
During the 1998–99 season, the Bulldogs had a 28–7 record after winning the conference tournament, and were seeded tenth in the West regional of the NCAA tournament. In the tournament's "Cinderella" run and Gonzaga's "coming out party" (Gonzaga has made the NCAA tournament each year since) the Zags beat seventh-seeded Minnesota 75–63 in the first round in Seattle and followed it with an 82–74 win over second-seeded Stanford to advance to the regional semifinals in Phoenix. Gonzaga beat Florida 73–72 to advance to the regional finals after Casey Calvary tipped in the winning basket with four seconds remaining. They trailed eventual national champion UConn by one point with a minute remaining before losing 67–62 in the regional finals.
Mark Few (1999–present)
After Monson departed for Minnesota that summer, assistant coach Mark Few was promoted to head coach on July 26, 1999.
In his inaugural season, Few led the Zags to a 26–9 record, which was highlighted by winning the WCC tournament and advancing to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament with wins over Louisville and St. John's in Tucson, Arizona.
In the 2000–01 season, the Bulldogs faced a tough schedule highlighted by games against Arizona, Washington, Florida, and New Mexico. Despite starting the season 5–1, the Zags dropped four of their next five games. Gonzaga rebounded and finished the regular season 15–6 before winning their third consecutive WCC tournament title. The win gave the Bulldogs an automatic bid into the NCAA tournament, where they were seeded twelfth in the South regional. In the first round in Memphis against fifth-seeded Virginia, Casey Calvary put back a blocked shot with nine seconds left to give the Zags an 86–85 victory. Gonzaga then beat 13th-seeded Indiana State 85–68 in the second round to advance to their third consecutive Sweet 16. In Atlanta, the Zags lost to defending national champion Michigan State 77–62 and finished the season with a 26–7 record.
Prior to the 2001–02 season, the Bulldogs were unanimously favored to win the WCC title in the WCC preseason coaches poll. Few led the Zags to a share of the WCC regular season title, as Pepperdine also had a 13–1 conference record. The Bulldogs would avenge their only conference loss of the season by defeating Pepperdine 96–90 for their fourth straight WCC tournament title. The win gave the Zags an automatic bid as a six-seed in the NCAA tournament, opening against 11th-seeded Wyoming. Despite beating the Cowboys four years earlier in the NIT, they lost 73–66, marking the first time the Zags lost in the first round of the tournament under Mark Few.
In the 2002–03 season, Few led the Bulldogs to their fifth regular season title in six years with a 12–2 conference record. Despite this, Gonzaga lost to San Diego in the WCC tournament championship game 72–63, marking the first time the Zags had lost in the championship game in four years. Gonzaga garnered a nine-seed in the 2003 NCAA tournament, where they beat Cincinnati 74–69 to advance to the second round of the tournament for the fourth time in five years. The Bulldogs would go on to lose to Arizona 96–95 in double overtime to finish 24–9.
Facilities
Basketball started at Gonzaga in February 1905 after a gymnasium was put in as an addition to the east end of the new college building that was being built. In 1955, the basketball team moved from the gymnasium, nicknamed "the cave", and began to play at the newly constructed Spokane Coliseum. On June 3, 1964, construction began for a new 3,800-seat athletic facility called the John F. Kennedy Memorial Pavilion. To raise money for the $1.1 million project, Gonzaga's student body had each student pay $10 per semester until $500,000 was raised. The university matched that amount, while the remaining $100,000 came from contributions. Gonzaga's first game in the pavilion took place on December 3, 1965, against Washington State, who beat the Bulldogs 106–78. In 1986, the facility was renamed the Charlotte Y. Martin Centre after an eponymous donor donated $4.5 million to finance a remodel of the arena that could hold up to 4,000 people.
After competing for over 39 years in the Charlotte Y. Martin Centre, Gonzaga trustees approved construction for a new 6,000-seat arena on April 11, 2003. The McCarthey Athletic Center was named after Gonzaga trustee Philip G. McCarthey and Gonzaga regent Thomas K. McCarthey, who contributed a significant portion of the funds needed to build the arena. The first official game took place on November 19, 2004, against Portland State, whom the Zags would beat 98–80 in front of a sold-out crowd. The Bulldogs opened the arena with a 38-game winning streak, which was the nation's longest active winning streak at the time. When combined with 12 wins at the Charlotte Y. Martin Centre, the overall home-game winning streak ended at 50 games with a loss to the Santa Clara on February 12, 2007. In February 2015, BYU snapped Gonzaga's 41-game home winning streak in the McCarthey Athletic Center, which was also the longest active home winning streak in the NCAA at the time.
Through February 6, 2020, the Zags are 223–15 (.937) in the McCarthey Athletic Center, which includes a 105–8 (.929) record in non-conference games, a 116–7 (.943) record in conference games, and a 2–0 (1.000) record in the WCC Tournament.
Traditions
Battle in Seattle
On December 13, 2003, Gonzaga participated in a neutral court game at KeyArena that would later become an annual event known as the Battle in Seattle. The event marked the first time that a regular season Gonzaga basketball game was broadcast nationally on CBS Sports, as Craig Bolerjack called the action while Clark Kellogg provided commentary. Ranked third in the country, Missouri was the highest ranked regular season opponent that Gonzaga had faced up to that point; the Bulldogs would go on to beat the Tigers 87–80 in overtime.
The 2005 Battle in Seattle is remembered for Adam Morrison's game-winning shot against Oklahoma State that sealed a 64–62 victory for the Bulldogs. Gus Johnson's call at the end of the game with Bill Raftery was ranked fourth on a list of 25 of his most "over-the-top calls" by Complex. Johnson's call at the end of the game:
Zags no timeouts. They gotta hurry. But here comes the All-America. Morrison... six... fires... OH... HE BANKED IN A THREE! [Raftery shouts "OH!"] OH... WOW... [Raftery: ONIONS!] WHAT A GAME... [Raftery shouts "OH!" again] LARRY BIRD... BABY... [Raftery makes an unintelligible sound...] WHOA! [Raftery laughs in the background... Replay is shown as Raftery says, "Look at the clock. And when you're sleepless in Seattle, why not get a little kiss... Gus... Oh! Major onions... all on his own! Look at the contesting... oh, what a smooch... woo... wow!"] Crunch time you go to your best player. [Raftery says, "This kid is extraordinary... and watch the contesting Gus, it's not like he's standing still. Two defenders, knowing... look at that.] Adam Morrison refusing to let his team lose.
In 2008, the game broke the state attendance record for a regular season college basketball game, as a sold-out crowd of 16,763 watched the Bulldogs play Connecticut.
In the 2016–17 season, Gonzaga failed to schedule the Battle in Seattle, ending an annual tradition of participating in the event every December for 13 consecutive years. Representatives from the Zags cited an inability to find a quality opponent to schedule and wanting to maintain strong résumé. The Zags have compiled an 9–6 (.600) record in the event since they first appeared in it back in 2003.
In 2023, #10 Gonzaga was defeated 76-63 by the #5 UConn Huskies, two-time defending national champions, in the Continental Tire Seattle Tip-Off, a non-Battle in Seattle event. Attendance at Climate Pledge Arena was 16,405.
Rivalries
Brigham Young University (BYU)
A notable rivalry with Brigham Young University (BYU) has developed throughout the past decade. BYU and Gonzaga first played on December 16, 1949, with Gonzaga winning 46–41. The two teams would not meet again until March 19, 2011, in the third round of the NCAA tournament, as a BYU team led by Jimmer Fredette advanced to the Sweet Sixteen by defeating the Zags 89–67. The following season, BYU left the Mountain West Conference and joined the West Coast Conference for the 2011–2012 season. BYU is one of few teams to win multiple times at the McCarthy Athletic Center in Spokane over the last decade, with wins at the Kennel in 2015, 2016 and 2017. BYU was the only team to beat #1 ranked Gonzaga during the 2016–17 regular season in which Gonzaga earned its first trip to the Final Four and National Championship game. BYU has played Gonzaga in the West Coast Conference tournament Final in 2014, 2015, 2018, and 2021 with Gonzaga winning all four of these matchups. Gonzaga leads the overall series 25–7, with the most recent meeting on February 11, 2023, in which Gonzaga won 88–81 in Spokane. BYU departed the WCC for the Big 12 Conference, starting with the 2023–2024 season, and since then, no matchups have been confirmed for the future between the Cougars and Zags.
Saint Mary's College (California)
Gonzaga's biggest rivalry is with fellow West Coast Conference foe Saint Mary's. Many analysts and members of the media have touted the Gaels vs. Zags as one of the best, if not the best, college basketball rivalry on the West Coast, as both teams have been consistently the two top teams in the conference over the last 2 decades. Since 2001, the rivalry has involved 2 of the school's greatest coaches in Mark Few and Randy Bennett. Gonzaga and Saint Mary's have combined to win 24 out of the last 26 conference championship games (Gonzaga 20, Saint Mary's 4, San Diego 2). The schools have faced off in the WCC Championship 15 times with Gonzaga holding the 11–4 edge. On October 1, 2024, Gonzaga accepted an invitation to join the Pac-12 Conference, effective July 1, 2026.
As of 2026, Gonzaga leads the all-time series 83–38.
Washington
Another one of Gonzaga's in-state rivals is Washington. They played a 10-year home-and-home series from 1997 to 2006, but then it went dormant until they were forced to play each other in first round of the 2015 Battle 4 Atlantis tournament. In 2016, they began a new home-and-home series in Spokane and have agreed to continue the rivalry annually until at least the 2025–26 season. The Huskies lead the series 30–20. Although the Zags have won 14 of the last 16 matchups, the most recent game was won by Washington on December 9, 2023, 78–73.
Washington State
Gonzaga's most heated in-state rivalry is with Washington State. The two schools are both based in Eastern Washington, with Pullman only 79 miles away from Spokane. Following the collapse of the Pac-12 and Wazzu's temporary move to the WCC for some sports including basketball, the rivalry became renewed in the 2024–25 season. In October 2024, Gonzaga announced that they had joined the new Pac-12, solidifying the return of the rivalry. The Cougars lead the series 98–54, but Gonzaga has won 15 of the last 18 matchups, including the two WCC Conference games in the 2024–25 season.
Impact
University enrollment
Freshman enrollment at Gonzaga in the mid-nineties hovered around 500 students annually, including a total of 569 as late as 1998. In 1999, enrollment jumped to 701 five months after the Zags went to the Elite Eight. This trend continued after Gonzaga won five games in the 1999 and 2000 NCAA tournaments, as freshman enrollment increased to 796 in 2000 and to a then-record 979 in 2001. A 65 percent increase in the size of the freshman class between 1997 and 2003 is part of a phenomenon called the Flutie effect, the increase in attention and applications for admission that results after a particularly notable and unexpected sporting victory by a school's athletic team. Gonzaga University president Rev. Robert Spitzer said that the team's success was responsible for the school receiving the $23 million required to build the McCarthey Athletic Center, most of which was received through major gifts.
Gonzaga has been viewed as reaping benefits from its basketball-related exposure to this day. The university's financial position and fundraising success dramatically improved. This led to a campus building boom; the McCarthey Athletic Center proved to be just the first of a series of major campus buildings that opened between 2004 and 2017. Booming freshman enrollment led Gonzaga to introduce a more selective admissions process in 2003, which led to a significant increase in the academic credentials of incoming freshmen. Even with greater selectivity, freshman enrollment has continued to grow, reaching 1,200 for 2016–17.
Season-by-season results
Under Mark Few:
Gonzaga vs. the AP Top 25 (since 1998–99)
Since the season of Gonzaga's 1999 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament run to the Elite 8, Gonzaga has played a total of 139 games against teams ranked in the AP Top 25 Poll. Gonzaga has a record of 64–75 (.460) against such teams. They have beaten top-3 teams seven times in all, taking down #3 teams four times (Missouri in 2003–04, Georgia Tech and Oklahoma State in 2004–05, and Iowa in 2020–21), #2 twice (North Carolina in 2006–07 and UCLA in 2021–22), and #1 once (Duke in 2018–19).
Teams in bold represent games Gonzaga played in the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament.
Postseason
NCAA tournament
The Bulldogs have appeared in 28 NCAA tournaments. The COVID-19 pandemic caused the cancellation of the 2020 NCAA tournament. This interrupted, but did not end, the Bulldogs' ongoing streak of 27 consecutive tournament appearances, including 9 straight Sweet 16 appearances from 2015 to 2024. Gonzaga's combined record is 48–28 (.632).
The NCAA began seeding the tournament with the 1979 edition.
NIT results
The Bulldogs have appeared in three National Invitation Tournaments (NIT). All five games were played on the road, and Gonzaga's combined record is 2–3 (.400).
Current roster
Roster is subject to change as/if players transfer or leave the program for other reasons.
McDonald's All-Americans
Eight McDonald's All-Americans have played for Gonzaga. Of these, five have started their college basketball careers with the Bulldogs—Zach Collins, Jalen Suggs, Hunter Sallis, Chet Holmgren, and Nolan Hickman. Suggs was selected for the 2020 McDonald's All-American game, which was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The 2021 McDonald's All-American game, to which Hickman and Holmgren were selected, was also canceled due to COVID-19.
5-star recruits
Twelve 5-star rated players have committed to Gonzaga, as rated in the final ranking projections by at least one major college basketball recruiting service (247Sports.com, ESPN.com, Rivals.com, and Scout.com). Among these players, eight began their college careers with the Bulldogs: Austin Daye, Domantas Sabonis, Zach Collins, Oumar Ballo, Jalen Suggs, Nolan Hickman, Chet Holmgren, and Hunter Sallis. Only Ballo did not make his debut immediately after his arrival at Gonzaga; he was to have debuted in the 2019–20 season, but was not academically cleared to play by the NCAA and was redshirted that season.
Players in the NBA
In this table, seasons at Gonzaga are categorized by the calendar years in which they end.
Retired numbers
Gonzaga has retired five jersey numbers.
Statistical records
Bold: Players projected to be active in the 2024–25 season.
Updated through the end of the 2023–24 season.