Zags will be better off with this setback
To be honest, the better team in Monday’s NCAA men’s basketball national championship game didn’t win.
But don’t blame the officials, the setting or anything else that happened in that 40 minutes of game action.
If you’re still upset, looking for a scapegoat and need someone to blame, point at the experience instead.
AS MANY in the Northwest got caught up with Zag fever over the last three weeks, pretty simple to do when the team finally broke through, and advanced to Monday’s national title game in Glendale, Ariz.
Before tipoff, Gonzaga seemed loose and ready to play the game of its lives, and the Bulldogs did just that against North Carolina, who was looking to avenge having its title stolen away at the buzzer in the previous title game.
Gonzaga did everything it was supposed to do in the first half, scoring at the right time and holding North Carolina at bay enough to build a halftime lead.
North Carolina started quicker in the second half, found a way to keep the game close and just made plays at the right time in the final minute to put the game away.
The Zags had their chances late, but a blocked shot, followed by a dunk at the other end just put things out of reach.
It’s too bad someone had to lose that game, and unfortunately it was Gonzaga on this night.
Not to discredit the season Gonzaga had, but how many of those games were in front of 75,000 fans, as well against one of the top conferences in the nation? Not many.
Wins against Florida, Iowa State, West Virginia and Arizona should have proved the Zags belonged with the big dogs long before last weekend.
North Carolina has a long history of advancing to the championship game. The Tar Heels have done it 11 times, and won a sixth title on Monday night in Arizona.
Gonzaga, which has advanced to the NCAA Tournament in the past 19 years, finally reached its first Final Four this year, beating South Carolina in a national semifinal.
IF YOU were to compare the teams, there’s a chance that Gonzaga will return more of its pieces to the program next year than North Carolina.
The Zags will only lose a few starters, and North Carolina — with a little more exposure on national television — will have players that will be gathering interest in the NBA a lot sooner than later.
Should players like junior Nigel Williams-Goss and freshman Zach Collins opt to return, there’s no reason why Gonzaga can’t get back to this same position next year.
A few weeks ago, many believed that Gonzaga was going to be the first regional top seed to lose, giving the Zags no respect for the season they had, only losing in the regular-season finale to BYU.
After coming so close — and it was a lot closer than it appeared in the final score — there’s no reason they can’t be right back in that position in San Antonio next year.
Only next year, I’d expect a different outcome.
Jason Elliott is a sports writer for the Coeur d’Alene Press. He can be reached by telephone at (208) 664-8176, Ext. 2020 or via email at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @JEPressSports.