No. 10 Wichita State | No. 12 California | Full List
No. 11: GONZAGA BULLDOGS
Last Season: 35-3, 17-1 West Coast
In 1995, Arvydas Sabonis entered the NBA and showed the world that a 7-foot-3, 280-pound individual could excel in the paint while maintaining a ballerina's balance and a drone-cam's court vision. Twenty years later, Domantas Sabonis is a future lottery pick who executes with his father's fleet-footed grit in the post.
With an expanded role, Sabonis could evolve into an All-American for a Bulldogs team that already boasts an elite forward and Wooden Award candidate named Kyle Wiltjer.
Mark Few's quest for his first Final Four could end in 2015-16. The nation's best frontcourt -- one that also includes all-West Coast Conference first-team center Przemek Karnowksi -- may reside in Spokane. Whatever happens for Gonzaga this season, an elite big man with a familiar last name in the Pacific Northwest will be in the middle of it all. -- Myron Medcalf
Best Case: Gonzaga is talented and experienced enough offensively to win the whole thing. The Zags return the most efficient player in the country and a leading national player of the year candidate in Kyle Wiltjer. The Kentucky transfer was the best offensive player at the Nike Skills Academy this summer, and he was scoring at will. And Gonzaga will have the biggest frontline short of the NBA. The Zags have two of the premier post players in the country in Domantas Sabonis and Przemek Karnowski, both of whom can rebound, defend and finish plays.
Worst Case: We say Gonzaga can win this thing almost every season now. The worst case is Wiltjer not living up to his outstanding play over the summer and Gonzaga being just another 30-game winner for Mark Few that helps him start his vacation during the regional final. Gonzaga will, again, have the premier offense in the West Coast Conference. The question marks are in the backcourt. Gonzaga graduated the WCC player of the year in Kevin Pangos and the WCC defensive player of the year in Gary Bell Jr. Redshirt freshman Josh Perkins has a ton of talent. Eric McClellan is a transfer from Vanderbilt, where he averaged 14 PPG. And Kyle Dranginis will be a factor, as well. Gonzaga has had crazy success under Few, but judgments are made based upon the Final Four.
"They have a loaded frontcourt, but I'm not sure how [Mark] Few can play those three guys together. They are still the best team in the WCC, but it will depend on the backcourt. Kevin Pangos and Gary Bell were four-year starters, and now it'll depend on Josh Perkins. I like Perkins, but he's the opposite of Pangos. You knew what you were going to get every time out with Pangos, where Perkins is a mystery."
No. 10 Wichita State | No. 12 California | Full List
