65 Teams in 65 Days: No. 48 Gonzaga

Nickname: Bulldogs
Conference: West Coast
Last Year’s Record: 28-6

Gonzaga Guard Matt Bouldin

Why they’ll make it

There’s only one starter returning for Gonzaga, but what a player he is. Senior Matt Bouldin, a pre-season All-American candidate, is back and is ready to continue the tradition of great Gonzaga guards.

He’ll be asked to take more of a leading role this season and with his confidence, he’ll be ready for it. He won’t be alone, though.

Both Steven Gray and Demetri Goodson played prominent roles for the Bulldogs last season and they’re going to be nice compliments to Bouldin this season. Once again, expect them to be in the mix come March.

Why they won’t make it

The Bulldogs lost a lot of pieces to the puzzle over the summer. Austin Daye, Micah Downs, Josh Heytvelt, and Jeremy Pargo have all matriculated out of the program and that production would be tough for any team to replace.

For that reason, for the first time in years, they may need to win the WCC Tournament to secure a NCAA Tournament berth.

This will be a quality team in March, but replacing those four will be the key to Gonzaga’s season.