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Gonzaga's stunning loss to BYU will do the Zags more harm than good
You’ll probably hear some folks argue that a loss is the best thing that could have happened to Gonzaga, that it will ease the pressure on the Zags going into the NCAA tournament, that it will remove the target on their backs.
Don’t buy that.
The primary burden on Gonzaga remains trying to reach its first Final Four after so many past near misses. Whatever extra load the Zags would have faced entering March unbeaten was worth it if it meant already achieving something rare and historic.
Gonzaga’s bid for a perfect regular season fell one game short Saturday night when the Zags suffered a stunning 79-71 home loss to BYU. In their regular season finale, in front of an enthusiastic home crowd ready to celebrate history, the Zags instead squandered a 10-point second-half lead and tasted defeat for the first time after 29 victories in a row to start the season.
The massive upset ripped away Gonzaga’s place in the exclusive group of teams who have finished the regular season without a loss. Since Indiana became college basketball’s last undefeated national champion in 1976, only five other teams have managed to complete the regular season blemish-free: Indiana State (1979), UNLV (1991), Saint Joseph’s (2004), Wichita State (2014) and Kentucky (2015).
Joining that quintet would have meant accomplishing something no other Gonzaga team had ever done, no easy feat considering that program’s recent exploits. In its 18-year reign atop the WCC, Gonzaga has won 27.4 games per year, captured 16 league titles, made the NCAA tournament every season and advanced to the Sweet 16 or beyond seven times.
This year’s Gonzaga team can still make history by reaching the program’s first Final Four, but the Zags’ path may have become more difficult with Saturday’s loss. Whereas they were a mortal lock for the No. 1 seed in the West had they entered the NCAA tournament with a spotless record, they’re in more jeopardy of falling off the top seed line now.
Another upset loss in the WCC tournament would likely relegate Gonzaga to a No. 2 seed no matter who the opponent is. The No. 1 seed in the West could still belong to the Zags with a WCC tournament title, but the selection committee will surely take a close look at how their resume compares to whichever Pac-12 team separates itself amongst Oregon, Arizona and UCLA.
While Saturday’s loss cost Gonzaga an awful lot, the one benefit could be experiencing real game pressure for the first time in months. Having beaten every previous WCC opponent they faced by 10 or more points, the Zags hadn’t faced that since narrow victories over Florida, Arizona and Iowa State back in November and December.
Gonzaga certainly didn’t step up to the challenge Saturday night after BYU rallied from 10 down and forced the nation’s top-ranked team to play from behind during the second half for the first time in their last 15 games. The Zags responded with quick shots, careless turnovers and defensive blunders, all very out of character for a savvy and experienced team.
With the score tied at 71 apiece and just over a minute remaining, BYU forward Eric Mika recognized that Przemek Karnowski was giving him too much space and sank a tie-breaking 18-foot jump shot. Mark Few’s decision to not call timeout to set up a play then backfired as Josh Perkins committed a costly turnover.
Gonzaga actually got the defensive stop it needed to stay in the game on the ensuing BYU possession, but Cougars forward Corbin Kafusi secured the offensive rebound of a T.J. Haws miss and scored a put-back to increase the lead to four with 19 seconds to go. Again Few did not call timeout, and again Perkins committed a turnover driving into traffic, extinguishing all hope of a Gonzaga victory.
Such miscues late in a close NCAA tournament game undoubtedly would have spelled the end of Gonzaga’s season. At least this way, Gonzaga can learn from the mistakes it made on Saturday night and apply those lessons in March.
That it was BYU (21-10, 12-6) who delivered the lesson is a big surprise.
There were few signs the Cougars were capable of an upset of this caliber even though they had won their previous two games in Spokane. This was an underachieving BYU team that suffered a dreadful non-conference loss to Utah Valley, dropped league games against Pepperdine, Santa Clara and San Diego and hadn’t beaten anyone of note since a season-opening victory over Princeton.
But the Cougars’ Lone Peak Three lived up to their preseason hype on Saturday, raising the possibility they may yet have a WCC tournament push left in them. Mika erupted for a game-high 29 points and 11 rebounds, Haws scored 17 points and hit five threes and Nick Emery shook off a horrid shooting night to bury a pair of shots from behind the arc during the second-half comeback.
While BYU celebrated when the final buzzer sounded, Gonzaga players walked off the court shell-shocked.
A perfect season spoiled. A chance at history gone. No. 1 seed in jeopardy. Yes, this was unmistakably a loss that did more harm than good.
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Jeff Eisenberg is the editor of The Dagger on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at daggerblog@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!
