Gonzaga & Western Kentucky: Mid-Majors? No Way

(Photo by Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images)

Gonzaga basketball coach Mark Few is involved in his 10th straight NCAA basketball tournament in 10 years of coaching the Gonzaga’s Bulldogs.

In coach Few's very first appearance at the NCAA tournament in 1999, he was treated as if he should not have even been in the tournament at all (beating all the media’s favorites).

No doubt they were pleased when Gonzaga finally lost. Too bad for the media though.

Few and the Zags have placed the WCC in every March Madness since, and they are not showing signs of giving up their spot any time soon as the Bulldogs of Gonzaga beat out the Hilltoppers of Western Kentucky 83-81 in the Rose Garden on Saturday night.

It was a tad difficult to pick one person who stood out for Gonzaga in that game, but Micah Downs may deserve the nod. He was consistent all game long. He did everything to aid his team both offensively and defensively.

The Hilltoppers and Zags met only once before—last season—in the Great Alaska Shootout. Gonzaga narrowly won that game as well (74-71).

Saturday night’s headliner in the west bracket between Gonzaga and Western Kentucky was a true battle—but not a battle of mid-majors.

This battle was hard fought, fast paced, terrifically defended, and supported great shooting by both sides. Albeit, the Hilltoppers showed only one weak spot all night and that was nailing free throws.

Still, there is not one team in the NCAA brackets that could have played a better game in the Rose Garden Saturday night, including North Carolina who Gonzaga meets next in the NCAA’s battle of “Sweet 16.”

Last year, Gonzaga was “one and done” and Western Kentucky advanced to the Sweet 16. Considering their losses to graduation, they were not expected back—not this soon anyway.

This 2009 tournament was Western Kentucky’s 21st showing and the Hilltoppers were supposed to have been in a rebuilding year.

Yet, Western Kentucky appeared to display an even better team than the Hilltoppers sent to the Sweet 16 last year.

First year Western Kentucky coach Ken McDonald is a super coach and he will no doubt bring Western Kentucky back again and most likely next year.

Western Kentucky, like Gonzaga, deserve better than a mid-major tag, but that apparently is a political issue that will be dealt with down the road.

Tonight’s battle was between two competitive universities that have left their mark in their communities, states, and nationally.

Both of these fine teams are good enough to be in the Final Four, but because they played one another, there is one team left to advance—Gonzaga has that opportunity.

Gonzaga is bigger, stronger, just as fast as North Carolina and can shoot from anywhere on the floor. The Tarheels are a great team but they are not better than the Gonzaga Bulldogs.

North Carolina and Gonzaga met only once before in 2006. Many of those freshmen that played in that game will represent their team one last time.

Gonzaga won the first meeting stopping the Tarheels from playing for the NIT

Championship. The Zags meet the Tarheels Friday and Bulldog fans are looking

for a same result.

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