By PAUL GOTHAM The difference between great and elite can be measured by the smallest of margins. For the Gonzaga Bulldogs that number is less than nine. Mark Few's Zags have reached the NCAA Tournament in each of his previous 17 years as head coach. Saturday they take the court in the program's first appearance at the Final Four. Overcoming that final hurdle can be … [Read more...] about Gonzaga’s difference is their defense
NCAA Tournament
Gonzaga, Oregon punch Final Four tickets
WEST REGION No. 1 Gonzaga 83 No. 11 Xavier 59 Nigel Williams-Goss netted a game-high 23 points to send Gonzaga to their first Final Four in school history. Early on in the contest, Xavier played well enough to keep up with the Bulldogs and had their fans thinking of a possible fourth straight upset. Once Gonzaga got going though, those aspirations began to … [Read more...] about Gonzaga, Oregon punch Final Four tickets
Chiozza etches name in NCAA Tournament lore
By PAUL GOTHAM Four days away from the 25th anniversary of perhaps the greatest buzzer beater in NCAA Tournament history, University of Florida Gator Chris Chiozza showed his own flair for the dramatic. With four seconds remaining in overtime and Florida trailing by two, Chiozza raced the length of the floor and pulled up just beyond the three-point arc for the game … [Read more...] about Chiozza etches name in NCAA Tournament lore
Hayes measures Badgers by their heart
By PAUL GOTHAM BUFFALO, N.Y. -- More than 13 minutes remained in Saturday's NCAA Tournament second-round matchup between the No. 1-seed Villanova Wildcats and No. 8-seed Wisconsin when Badgers senior guard Bronson Koenig went to the bench with four fouls. He joined sophomore forward Ethan Happ on the pine. A combined 28-plus points and 11.2 rebounds watched as reigning … [Read more...] about Hayes measures Badgers by their heart
Koenig, Wisconsin take edge over Villanova into halftime
By PAUL GOTHAM BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Bronson Koenig broke a 12-12 tie with back-to-back buckets, and the No. 8-seed Wisconsin Badgers took a 31-27 lead over No. 1-seed and reigning national champion Villanova Wildcats in second round action of the NCAA Tournament East Region at Key Bank Center, Saturday. Koenig knocked down a pull-up jumper just above the free throw line and … [Read more...] about Koenig, Wisconsin take edge over Villanova into halftime