Gonzaga’s place in ESPN’s latest way-too-early bracket picture comes with a familiar label: a No. 3 seed and a trip back to Spokane for the opening weekend of March Madness.
Joe Lunardi’s 2027 NCAA Tournament projection has the Bulldogs in the Midwest Region, matched up in the opener with No. 14 Akron.
The pod also includes No. 6 USC, plus play-in No. 11 seeds TCU and Marquette.
It’s a setup that mirrors last year’s projection for Gonzaga, even though Lunardi made clear this is an especially tough preseason exercise.
The reason for all the uncertainty is the roster. On paper, Gonzaga looks loaded.
Xaivian Lee gives the Bulldogs an elite facilitator. Davis Fogle is a breakout candidate.
Chauncey Wiggins brings a 6'10 three-point threat. Braden Huff and Massamba Diop form what Lunardi’s projection is treating as one of the best frontcourts in the country.
Add in guards Javon Bennett, Isiah Harwell, Luca Foster and forward Izan Almansa, and it’s easy to see why this group can be described as one of the sport’s most dangerous nine-man rotations.
But the paper version and the actual one are not the same thing right now.
As of this writing, Wiggins, Bennett and Almansa are ineligible to play for Gonzaga, along with 23-year-old French point guard Nathan de Sousa. Lee is currently eligible only because a TRO was granted in California, and that could still change if the NCAA gets a stay request approved by the court of appeals. That same process already knocked Bennett and Wiggins out, following rulings in Ohio and Georgia, respectively.
If the Bulldogs wind up without the fifth-year veterans, the picture changes fast. Gonzaga would be leaning much harder on a Harwell breakout and a strong freshman season from Foster, while players like Sam Funches, Parker Jefferson and Juwan Ekanga-Ehawa may need to take on bigger roles than originally expected.
Lunardi’s bracket also paints a strange picture for the new Pac-12. Gonzaga is the only team from the conference in his projections, even with the field expanded to 76 teams. Even more notable, Utah State and San Diego State are absent from the first four and next four out, which means Lunardi currently has both teams outside his top 84.
San Diego State’s roster is still unproven, but Utah State’s omission stands out more sharply. Mason Falslev is enough to put the Aggies in the top 60, and if Virginia transfer Dallin Hall is eligible, Ben Jacobson’s team could very realistically finish inside the top 50.
Gonzaga’s schedule should give plenty of chances to test whatever version of this roster ultimately takes shape. The nonconference slate includes projected tournament teams Duke, Michigan State, Purdue, UCLA, Creighton, Oregon, LSU and Montana State.
The Zags also have an exhibition against No. 4 Arkansas in Fayetteville, and they’ll face either Baylor or Alabama in the second game of the Player’s Era Festival.
In Other News...
Mark Few Says Gonzaga Needs Help As Eligibility Limbo Drags On
Five Gonzaga basketball players are still waiting on clarity as NCAA investigations and appeals continue to leave their eligibility in limbo, with only one of the group currently cleared to play. For Mark Few, the uncertainty is part of a bigger problem than one roster, which is why he has publicly backed the bipartisan Protect College Sports Act as a way to bring some consistency to a college game that has become increasingly hard to navigate.
The proposed bill would establish uniform federal rules around college athletics, including NIL rights and transfer guidelines, but its path through Congress remains uncertain. For Gonzaga, the issue is immediate and practical: the Bulldogs are trying to plan a season while waiting on decisions that sit beyond their control, and Fews push for a federal answer reflects how little stability the current system offers. [Read more 🡒]