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NCAA Tournament Cheat Sheet: Getting to know Gonzaga

WCC Basketball Tournament - Championship

LAS VEGAS, NV - MARCH 11: Elias Harris #20 of the Gonzaga Bulldogs makes a layup during the first half of the championship game of the West Coast Conference Basketball tournament against the Saint Mary’s Gaels at the Orleans Arena March 11, 2013 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by David Becker/Getty Images)

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Read through the rest of the Cheat Sheets here.

Conference: WCC

Coach: Mark Few

Record: 31-2, 16-0

Rankings and Ratings:

- Kenpom: 4
- RPI: 11
- AP/USA Today: 1/1

Seeding?: Our Dave Ommen had the Zags as a No. 1 seed in Monday’s bracket projection.

Names you need to know: Kelly Olynyk (17.3 ppg, 7.0 rpg), Elias Harris (14.8 ppg, 7.5 rpg), Kevin Pangos (11.8 ppg, 3.2 apg)

Stats you need to know: Everyone is going to talk about Gonzaga’s front line, but it’s important to note that the back court of Gary Bell and Kevin Pangos combines for 21.0 ppg and 40.8% three-point shooting.

Tendencies: Gonzaga has a very good front line and Mark Few sure does know how to play through them. What makes those big guys dangerous is their versatility. Olynyk and Harris can handle the ball, they can step out and hit a jumper, they can pass the ball.

Big wins, bad losses: They lost to Illinois when Brandon Paul went crazy and Butler in Hinkle when Roosevelt Jones scored the flukiest bucket of the season.

How’d they get here?: The Zags won the WCC’s automatic bid, but the only thing that did was put them into a better position to get a No. 1 seed. Kansas State and Oklahoma State are their two best wins.

Outlook: Gonzaga is a national title contender. There’s simply no way that anyone can make an argument against that. They have the best front line in the country, one of the nation’s most under-appreciated back court and plenty of size and athleticism on the wings. The shoot it well, they score in the post, they can beat a zone and execute against a man-to-man, they defend, they rebound. They’re legit.

How do I know you?: Everyone knows Gonzaga. But if you don’t know their star, Olynyk, you may recognize him as Mitch from the movie Dazed and Confused.

You can find Rob on twitter @RobDauster.