Gonzaga has favorable draw in latest Joe Lunardi Bracketology projection

Mark Few has never missed the NCAA Tournament as Gonzaga's head coach

Gonzaga Bulldogs head coach Mark Few. | Photo by Myk Crawford

Mark Few and the Gonzaga Bulldogs have succeeded in making the last 25 consecutive NCAA Tournaments, among the longest active streaks in college basketball.

All signs point to the Zags making it 26 in a row in 2026, with the season getting underway on Monday, Nov. 3, when Gonzaga hosts Texas Southern at the McCarthey Athletic Center.

Joe Lunardi, ESPN's resident bracketologist, updated his 68-team projected field on Tuesday with less than one week until the season tips off. Lunardi has Gonzaga as a No. 5 seed in the South Region, where they would play in a pod at the Moda Center in Portland, OR.

It would be a return to Portland for Gonzaga, which is set to play a regular-season game there against the Oregon Ducks on Dec. 21, and which played there in the NCAA Tournament back in 2022 when, as a No. 1 seed, they took down No. 16 Georgia State and No. 9 Memphis to advance to the Sweet 16.

Lunardi lined Gonzaga up against No. 12 seed Akron, the automatic qualifier out of the MAC. The Zips are No. 94 in KenPom's preseason ratings, and are expected to be led by returning guard Tavari Johnson (13 points, 3.9 assists, 39% from three last year) as well as Ohio State transfer wing Evan Mahaffey.

The two other teams in this projected pod include No. 4 seed Alabama and No. 13 seed Utah Valley, the automatic qualifier out of the WAC.

Gonzaga will have already faced the Crimson Tide in Las Vegas as part of the Player's Era Festival on Nov. 24 at 6:30 PM PT, but a rematch would unquestionably be must-watch basketball between these two programs that love to play fast and score at will.

Another potential rematch would await the Zags if they advanced out of this pod, with the No. 1 seed in the region belonging to Kelvin Sampson and the Houston Cougars. Houston would need to get past No. 16 seed Montana and either No. 8 Missouri or No. 9 USC, but a rematch here would not lack storylines after last year's heartbreaking loss in the Round of 32, as well as Houston landing top Gonzaga recruiting target Isiah Harwell, who will be a freshman for the Coogs this year.

Gonzaga is one of two WCC teams in Lunardi's projected field alongside Saint Mary's, who earned a No. 10 seed and a projected date with No. 7 seed Wisconsin in Philadelphia.

Other Gonzaga opponents in this projected bracket include Kentucky (2 seed), UCLA (3 seed), Oregon (6 seed), and Creighton (7 seed), while Oklahoma was the first team out and Maryland was among the next four out.