Gonzaga faces former rival in ESPN's updated preseason bracketology report

It's never too early to talk about March Madness.

ESPN's resident bracketologist, Joe Lunardi, updated his projections for the 2026 NCAA Tournament on Tuesday, even with six weeks to go until the college basketball season officially tips off.

Gonzaga was projected as a 5 seed in the South Region, drawing a matchup in San Diego against 12 seed UC Santa Barbara out of the Big West conference. Santa Barbara has a very talented roster under coach Joe Pasternack, which includes former Saint Mary's guard Aidan Mahaney, who joined the Gauchos out of the transfer portal after a single, ill-fated season at UConn following two great years with Saint Mary's.

Santa Barbara also features former Baylor and Utah guard Miro Little, who played well for Finland at EuroBasket this summer, as well as former Louisiana center Hosana Kitenge.

The Gauchos have routinely been projected to earn the automatic qualifier out of the Big West thanks to strong offseason additions, although they have only made it twice in the eight years Pasternack has been at the helm — earning a 14 seed in 2023 and a 12 seed in 2021 and losing in the first round both times.

Gonzaga forward Braden Huff defends Aidan Mahaney during a 2024 matchup at the Kennel. Mahaney transferred to UC Santa Barbara after stints at Saint Mary's and UConn. | Photo by Erik Smith, Myk Crawford

Gonzaga's projected pod in San Diego also features 4 seed UCLA taking on 13 seed McNeese, which would potentially set the Zags up for a rematch against Mick Cronin and the Bruins with a spot in the Sweet 16 on the line.

Gonzaga returns Graham Ike, Braden Huff, and Ismaila Diagne in what should be among the best frontcourts in all of college basketball this upcoming season. It's Mark Few's backcourt that is harder to predict, with a flurry of new faces set to debut for the Bulldogs this year, including redshirt point guard Braeden Smith, Virginia transfer Jalen Warley, Arizona State transfer Adam Miller, and incoming freshman Mario Saint-Supery. Steele Venters, who missed the past two seasons with knee and ankle injuries, respectively, is healthy and ready to contribute this year, while Emmanuel Innocenti is back in the mix as well.

The status of Grand Canyon transfer Tyon Grant-Foster, who is still waiting to hear about a waiver from the NCAA for another year of eligibility, looms large for the Zags. Grant-Foster's downhill scoring, veteran experience, and tough defense make him a very valuable player and his absence would be felt on both sides of the floor for Gonzaga.

GCU Lopes guard Tyon Grant-Foster (7) is introduced before their game against the Southern Utah Thunderbirds at Global Credit Union Arena in Phoenix on Jan. 4, 2025. | Joe Rondone/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Lunardi only included Gonzaga from the WCC, excluding Saint Mary's, in a projected field that only has five multibid conferences: the SEC, Big Ten, Big 12, ACC, and Big East.

That means only one team from the Mountain West — San Diego State — made the field despite the fact that four or more teams have gone dancing from the MWC each of the past four years.

Gonzaga will host fans at Kraziness in the Kennel on Oct. 4 before a preseason game against D2 Western Oregon on Oct. 27 and the official start of the season on Nov. 3 at the McCarthey Athletic Center against Texas Southern.

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