Since Washington’s last meeting with Gonzaga – a crushing 97-77 defeat in 2006 – the Zags continued their ascent to college basketball’s elite while the Huskies, formerly the state’s top team, has fallen on hard times recently.
At 52, coach Mark Few has guided the Bulldogs to no fewer than 24 wins and berth in the NCAA tournament each year during his 17-year tenure in Spokane.
Led by preseason All-American Kyle Wiltjer, Gonzaga returns an experienced frontline and Few has the 10th-ranked Zags poised for another national championship run after rising to No. 2 in the polls last season before losing in the Elite Eight to eventual champion Duke.