March Madness 2022: Gonzaga is the No. 1 overall seed

For the second straight year, the Gonzaga Bulldogs were named the No. 1 overall seed by the Selection Committee, and they will face the Georgia State Panthers in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

The Zags started the season as the preseason AP No. 1 team and finished the conference tournament swing ranked on top as well. They own just three losses on the season, to Duke in Las Vegas, to Alabama in a “neutral” court in Seattle, and to Saint Mary’s on the road.

The Bulldogs are the title favorites heading into March Madness. They are No. 1 in the NET rankings. They are ranked No. 1 in KenPom by a large margin and they are the only KenPom top 10 team to feature both a top 10 offense and defense.

Thanks to an abnormally strong West Coast Conference up top, the Zags finished the season with 10 Quadrant 1 wins. Throughout much of the season, the Zags have been considered one of the top teams in college hoops, now they will have to earn that keep.

Historically, it is the fifth No. 1 seed in school history and the fourth in the past five tournaments (possibly would’ve been the sixth if the 2020 NCAA Tournament took place). During this run of success for the Zags, since 2015, the lowest the Zags have finished was the Sweet 16 (in 2016 as a No. 11 seed and 2018 as a No. 4 seed).

Immediate look at potential storylines, the Zags might face former assistant coach Leon Rice, now coaching Boise State, in the second round. Or it might be a run-up with the Memphis Tigers. On the other side of the bracket, the Zags have Alabama (a loss this season), Texas Tech (a win), and Duke (a loss).