It's only one game, but the Gonzaga Bulldogs greatly improved their at-large hopes of making the 2024 NCAA Tournament when they went into Rupp Arena and pulled off an 89-85 upset over No. 17 Kentucky on Saturday.
The first Quad 1 win of the season for Gonzaga (18-6, 8-2 WCC) moved it up slightly to No. 24 in the latest NET Rankings. Still unranked in the AP Top 25 poll, the Bulldogs have two more Quad 1 chances in the regular season — at San Francisco in the Chase Center (Feb. 29) followed by a trip to Moraga, California, for the second matchup against Saint Mary's (March 2). After that, the West Coast Conference Tournament in Las Vegas could present two more Quad 1 or 2 games depending on the matchups and how the rest of the league stands in the NET.
Historically, programs without high-quality wins on the resume don't often get invited to the NCAA Tournament — Utah State was the only program without a Quad 1 win that earned an at-large bid into last season's NCAA Tournament. So while the win over Kentucky doesn't completely change Gonzaga's narrative, it's a major step in the right direction.
Former Gonzaga All-American Dan Dickau broke down the Bulldogs' NCAA Tournament chances and more on a new episode of Gonzaga Nation.
"If they win out, they're clearly in," said Dickau. (Watch his full analysis in the video above.)
Produced by Christian Pedersen.
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