Has Gonzaga ever won March Madness? History of team explored

Gonzaga has been one of the powerhouse basketball programs in the nation since the late 1990s. They have made it to the NCAA Tournament every year since 1999 with two championship game appearances, two Final Four berths and six Elite Eight finishes.

But has the Bulldogs ever won March Madness? The Zags have not won an NCAA championship. They made it to the final in 2017 against UNC, but lost 71-65. They were also runner-up in 2021 after getting blown out by Baylor 86-70.

The Bulldogs are back in the Elite Eight this season after their thrilling 79-76 win over UCLA on Thursday. Julian Strawther hit the game-winning 3-point shot to give the Zags the victory.

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Gonzaga's brief history

Drew Timme and Julian Strawther of the Gonzaga Bulldogs

Gonzaga's basketball team was established in 1907 and currently has an overall record of 1,425-712. They were an independent school until joining the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics or NAIA in 1947.

The Zags left NAIA in 1958 to join the NCAA as an independent. They became one of the charter members of the Big Sky Conference in 1963. However, they left Big Sky in 1979 to move to the West Coast Athletic Conference. WCAC later became the West Coast Conference in 1989.

The Bulldogs have 29 regular-season championships and 21 tournament championships. Their success from the late 1990s to present is widely credited to head coach Mark Few, who took over the program in 1999.

The Zags have not missed an NCAA Tournament since he became their head coach. Few has compiled a record of 688-134, but is still looking for his first NCAA championship.

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Bulldogs in the NBA

John Stockton at the 2022 NBA All-Star Game

Gonzaga has not produced a lot of NBA players, but there are currently eight former Bulldogs in the league. Domantas Sabonis of the Sacramento Kings is the best of the bunch, while Kelly Olynyk is an established veteran.

Brandon Clarke, Zach Collins, Rui Hachimura, Corey Kispert, Andrew Nembhard and Jalen Suggs also played for the Zags before entering the NBA. However, only one Gonzaga product has made it to the Hall of Fame.

John Stockton played for the Bulldogs from 1980 to 1984. He's still the school's leader in total steals, assists per game and steals per game. He was drafted 16th overall by the Utah Jazz in 1984. He became one of the greatest point guards in NBA history.

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