Gonzaga projected to face former heated rival in latest ESPN Bracketology

The Zags are 27-2 heading into the final week of the regular season

Gonzaga Bulldogs assistant coach Brian Michaelson (left) and head coach Mark Few (right). | Photo by Myk Crawford

Mark Few and the Gonzaga Bulldogs have somewhat slid under the radar this year, heading into the final week of the regular season with an elite 27-2 record.

The two losses - a 40-point drubbing by Michigan and a disastrous road loss to Portland - really stand out for the Zags, but quality wins over Alabama, Kentucky, UCLA, and conference foes Santa Clara and Saint Mary's have Gonzaga in a comfortable spot heading into March Madness.

ESPN's Joe Lunardi updated his bracket projections on Tuesday, slotting Gonzaga in as the No.3 seed in the West Region - where they would play their opening two games at the Moda Center in Portland, OR.

Lunardi has Gonzaga squaring off against UC-Irvine, the projected winner of the Big West Conference. The Anteaters are one of the toughest defensive teams in the country, ranked No. 31 at KenPom in adjusted defensive efficiency, and are currently in a three-way tie for first place in the conference alongside Hawaii and CSUN.

The No. 6 vs No. 11 matchup in Gonzaga's pod pits the BYU Cougars and phenom freshman AJ Dybantsa against the Indiana Hoosiers, who are hanging on to a spot in the big dance as one of Lunardi's last four byes.

Gonzaga vs BYU was a heated rivalry in the WCC for over a decade, with the Cougars handing Gonzaga their only regular season loss in 2016-17 en route to their first national championship appearance.

Meanwhile, Gonzaga vs Indiana would be a battle of the two active 2,000-point scorers in college basketball in Graham Ike and Tucker DeVries.

Gonzaga has held firm as a three seed in most NCAA Tournament projections this week - including the Selection Committee's top 16 reveal on Saturday - and they have an opportunity to add another Quad 1 win to their resume on Saturday in Moraga against Saint Mary's.

Currently, Gonzaga is 6-1 in Quad 1 games, 5-0 in Quad 2, 9-1 in Quad 3, and 7-0 in Quad 4. The loss to Portland is preventing the Zags from serious consideration as a No. 2 seed, although winning out in the regular season while also winning the WCC Tournament could put Gonzaga back in the mix if teams like Illinois, Kansas, and Florida stumble down the stretch.

Lunardi continues to project three teams from the WCC in the big dance, giving Saint Mary's a No. 9 seed where they'd face the Miami Hurricanes in San Diego, with the winner drawing No. 1 Arizona.

Meanwhile, Santa Clara is projected into a play-in game against Missouri out of the SEC, with the winner getting an 11 seed and a matchup with No. 6 seed Louisville in Greenville, SC.

The new look Pac-12 only has two teams projected to make it this year in Gonzaga and Utah State. The Aggies, who sit 23-4 and 13-3 in the Mountain West, are projected as a No. 7 seed while San Diego State is among the first four out after losing last week at home to Grand Canyon and on the road to Colorado State.

Gonzaga will look to solidify the No. 1 seed in the WCC Tournament on Wednesday with a win over the Portland Pilots. The game tips off at 6:00 PM PT on ESPN+.

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