Question of the Week: Will Gonzaga Finally Get Past the Sweet Sixteen?

I think this has better be the year the Zags get to the Elite 8 or beyond. They are talented, experienced and deep.

The same problem exists that they had last year against Davidson, no one individual guy who can come clutch in the crunch.

I think this would be a better question to ask after the UConn game on Saturday.

Any team in the nation that traveled 12,000+ miles and played 6 straight high major teams on the road would've had at least one loss at the end of it except UNC. I don't care if it's UConn, Pitt, anyone. The whole team (except Daye) stunk against Arizona. I really don't take anything too seriously from that loss.

I think Gonzaga is going to get to the sweet 16 on talent alone this year. They have more NBA caliber players with experience than any team besides UNC and UConn. Just look at the 2009 and 2010 mock lists.

But the question here is about getting past the sweet 16. The key is the defense. Prior to the Zona game, the Zags had held every opponent to under 37% shooting from the field. They are still in the top 5 in defensive efficiency. I didn't think the D against Arizona was awful, but it could've been better.

The reason for Gonzaga's recent lack of NCAA tourney success is the defense. They held multiple double digit leads against Davidson, UCLA and Texas Tech, and they couldn't get stops to extend those leads or maintain them once their shots stopped falling. While I do think the Zags need to do a better job offensively in terms or late game execution, their recent NCAA tourney losses wouldn't have come down to the wire if they had guarded people. I like this team's ability to guard people better than any team Few has had since the late 90's.

But it's going to come down to whether or not they can get stops as opposed to having one guy to make that play in my opinion. The defense has been better so far, and Saturday will be a serious test in that regard. They also need Pargo and Heytvelt to play consistently in March to get past the Sweet 16; as we saw on Sunday if they don't show up (moreso than guys like Bouldin and Downs in my opinion) the Zags are in trouble.

It should be noted that Gonzaga ended up winning a close game at Tennessee, and they had to make a major comeback to do it. That game should've ended in regulation due to the refs missing a clear cut goal tending violation on a Bouldin shot attempt at the buzzer. It should also be noted that Gonzaga was behind at Utah the whole game, but had two wide open looks at the basket in the closing seconds to win the game....the shots just didn't go in. That situation was a lot better than the UConn/PSU/Arizona losses where they completely fouled up everything.

Their coach has finally realized that part of the problem with the team scoring baskets during end of game clock situations has to do with Jeremy Pargo. He waits too long to initiate the offense, and Gonzaga always ends up with a bad shot. Bouldin has such a matchup advantage over almost any shooting guard that guards him that despite him not being the team's primary ballhandler, he's the ideal choice for these situations. He can drive, but he's also an enormously creative passer in traffic. The decision to put the ball in his hands led to a high percentage shot that should've counted in the Tennessee game. Fortunately, the Zags had enough in the tank to win that game in OT. The decision to give Bouldin the ball at the end has also led to some half ending buckets in recent games.