Gonzaga
Last season: 37-2, lost to North Carolina in NCAA title game
Nickname: Bulldogs
Coach: Mark Few
Conference: West Coast
Who’s gone: Przemek Karnowski and Jordan Mathews graduated, while Zach Collins and Nigel Williams-Goss left early to turn pro.
Who’s back: Josh Perkins and Johnathan Williams are returning starters, while veterans Silas Melson and Killian Tillie saw minutes last year.
Who’s new: Jacob Larsen, Zach Norvell Jr. and Jack Beach are coming off redshirt seasons. Alex Martin is a community college transfer. The freshmen are Joel Ayayi, Corey Kispert and Jesse Wade. Kispert might provide immediate help.
The Skinny: WCC coaches picked Gonzaga to finish second in the league, a sign that there are questions about the team. But the Zags have gone to 19 consecutive NCAA Tournaments and coach Mark Few, who has the highest winning percentage of any active Division I coach, always finds a way to reload. Gonzaga has won at least 25 games for 10 straight seasons.
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