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While the Gonzaga Bulldogs are ranked a modest No. 23, they've been white hot, winning nine of their last 10 games, including a win over then-No. 10 Kentucky, with two more remaining in the regular season.
Gonzaga (22-6, 12-2 West Coast Conference) will visit No. 17 Saint Mary's (23-6, 14-0) in the regular-season finale before the WCC Tournament.
What are their chances of making this year's March Madness?
The Gonzaga Bulldogs' main path to March Madness 2024
The latest bracketology from ESPN's Joe Lunardi notably misses an NCAA Tournament staple: the Gonzaga Bulldogs. That's because, despite the team being currently second in the WCC, its chances of making the Big Dance this year are in danger of disappearing if it doesn't win its fifth straight WCC title (via Sports Illustrated).
When it comes to quad wins, the Bulldogs haven't done much good. They have only had a single Quad 1 win all year (against Kentucky), going 1-5 in the quadrant. they have two more Quad 1 matches against San Francisco (22-6, 11-3) and Saint Mary's.
How the Gonzaga Bulldogs can break the bubble
San Francisco and St. Mary's are important games for the Gonzaga Bulldogs as they close out the regular season. A win against these two will improve their Quad 1 standings to 3-5, which should do great to earn them an at-large bid (via USA Today). If they win one of these two, they'll still be in a solid position to break the postseason bubble.
The pressure is mounting for the Zags with just two remaining games in the regular season, and both are critical, too. But junior guard Ryan Nembhard believes in his squad's ability to overcome:
"We know it's a tough road if we want to do what we want to do for the rest of the year. Everybody is going to give us their best shot. We just have to come with the mindset that no game is easy and we got to play our best if we want to win."
Should they miss the tournament, though, it will be the first time since 1998. Most notably, Gonzaga has been a fixture of March Madness from 1999 to 2023, 24 straight years of making the postseason and having a crack at the national title.
