Earlier today, the WCC Preseason Poll was released, and for the first time since the 2017-18 season, the Gonzaga Bulldogs were not picked to win the WCC. That honor belongs to the Saint Mary’s Gaels, narrowly.
Considering that Saint Mary’s essentially returns their entire team and the Zags are made up of plenty of new faces, this is hardly that surprising.
However, it does run a bit contrary to what most of the too-early preseason polls are saying. John Fanta has Gonzaga at No. 14 and Saint Mary’s at No. 18. Jeff Borzello at ESPN has the gap even larger–Zags at No. 10 and the Gaels at No. 23.
After multiple years of being one of the best, if not the best, college basketball teams in the country to open the year, no one quite knows what to do with the Zags, myself included.
The glass is half-full outlook is Gonzaga picked up some of the best transfers this offseason in Ryan Nembhard and Graham Ike to help compliment a talented remaining core, highlighted by the future growth of Little Ben Gregg and Anton Watson, arguably one of the most underrated players in the country last season. Zags aren’t top 3 material, but there is a lot of skill and talent to coalesce on this squad that keeps them dangerous.
The glass is half-empty outlook is Gonzaga lost more than they replaced, and although the talent is there, the Zags just lost too much. The new pieces are good and the remaining supporting cast is good. But good doesn’t equate to elite all the time, and this year just isn’t the year.
Both of these takes are largely fair. And as it usually does, the answer will fall somewhere in the middle. It also makes for what will be one of the more intriguing seasons in recent years.
Previously, Gonzaga was the best, and the narrative was can they be the best? During the regular season, they showed that they were, losing just 13 regular season games over the past five years (five of those last season). Obviously, this didn’t translate as well in March Madness, but so it goes.
Personally, this level of intrigue is exciting. The Zags have promise and they now also have a chip on their shoulder for conference play.
The last time Gonzaga was in this position, in the 2017-18 season, it looked like the preseason WCC sages would be correct. Jock Landale came to Spokane, dropped a cool 26 points, and the Gaels stole one on the road, 74-71. I subsequently wrote this, detailing how it seemed likely that Gonzaga would not win the WCC crown.
Instead, the Zags rattled off 14-straight wins, including a 13-point revenge victory in Moraga. That 2017-18 season, of which this year will probably draw quite a few comparisons, ended up being rather exciting, with the Zags losing in the Sweet 16, not helped by a hip injury to Killian Tillie in the minutes leading up to the game.
It isn’t like Gonzaga is starting the season in uncharted waters. But the water is a bit more murky than many Gonzaga fans are used to. It will be interesting to see how it all plays out this season.