Which of the Big Five conferences could Gonzaga win?

You can make an argument that they could have won the Big 12 or SEC this year. They definitely would have won the PAC 12 and Big East. Not sure about the Big 10, but they would NOT have won the ACC.
 
They could win all of them. They’re just as good as anyone in the country, including duke, UNC, etc.
 
This year, any of them. Put them in the ACC and it's a great battle with the other three number one seeds.
 
Not the ACC. Probably not the Big 10. SEC would be a toss up.

They'd win the others this year.
 
WTSooner said:
Not the ACC. Probably not the Big 10. SEC would be a toss up.

They'd win the others this year.
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Why not? They have top roster talent and an elite coach. They’d be the favorite in most leagues and a strong contender in any league.
 
This season? I'd guess any of them but the ACC and in that conference they'd have had at least a 25% chance of winning it.
 
WTSooner said:
Not the ACC. Probably not the Big 10. SEC would be a toss up.

They'd win the others this year.
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I'm with you. They beat Duke but lost to NC by double digits in non-con. I think UVA would beat them at least once. And I could also see them losing at FSU (maybe) or at Va Tech. They would certianly be in the top 3/4 in the ACC....but I just don't see them winning it this year. UVA won the ACC with only 2 losses this year.....they couldn't duplicate that.
 
stormspencer said:
I'm with you. They beat Duke but lost to NC by double digits in non-con. I think UVA would beat them at least once. And I could also see them losing at FSU (maybe) or at Va Tech. They would certianly be in the top 3/4 in the ACC....but I just don't see them winning it this year. UVA won the ACC with only 2 losses this year.....they couldn't duplicate that.
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Are we saying COULD or WOULD? If Gonzaga were in the ACC, that's the one conference they'd have a less than 50% chance of winning in. However, nobody would have a greater than 50% chance of winning in that situation.

Gonzaga would have a really hard time only losing 2 games in the ACC, but then again, so would UVA if we added Gonzaga. Yes, Gonzaga lost by 13 to UNC on the road, but they also beat a full-strength Duke on a neutral floor, which is something UVA was unable to do this year. UVA would struggle to win in Spokane, and I'd be shocked if they didn't drop at least one to Gonzaga in a home-home series.
 
I should have clarified my question better. I was referring to Gonzaga as program on year-in year-out basis.

They have been a constant in the tournament for 20+ years with a high level of success for most of those years. I don't consider them a cinderella anymore and I don't think most do anymore either. But they still play in a 1-2 conference.
 
stormspencer said:
I'm with you. They beat Duke but lost to NC by double digits in non-con. I think UVA would beat them at least once. And I could also see them losing at FSU (maybe) or at Va Tech. They would certianly be in the top 3/4 in the ACC....but I just don't see them winning it this year. UVA won the ACC with only 2 losses this year.....they couldn't duplicate that.
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they are the only team in america that has won vs duke at full strength
 
paboomersooner1 said:
I should have clarified my question better. I was referring to Gonzaga as program on year-in year-out basis.

They have been a constant in the tournament for 20+ years with a high level of success for most of those years. I don't consider them a cinderella anymore and I don't think most do anymore either. But they still play in a 1-2 conference.
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i agree and i think the answer is all of them
 
BoulderSooner said:
they are the only team in america that has won vs duke at full strength
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True, just one game though. They lost 2 of their 3 other OOC games against NCAA Tourney teams (not counting NDST), and the win was a 2 point win at home against a Washington team that most don't think too highly of.

I just think if they played in a tougher conference, they'd slip up more than Duke/NC/UVA, or Michigan/MSU, or maybe even LSU/Tenn/UK (less sure about this one).

They are a good team and a good program. I'm sure they'd have won or shared a title in one or more of those leagues over the years, but they've pretty regularly underachieved come March, which makes me think they would struggle going through a full conference slate where 75% or so of the games are games they could lose if they don't play well. Their conference sometimes has a couple of decent teams, but this year it was pretty much garbage.
 
Big difference between being able to play with the big boys for one game, or being able to go through an entire conference slate in a big boy conference. That is why March is so fun. The little guys (not calling Gonzaga a little guy) can all win any one or two games. But after that, the elite usually rises to the top. But some of those teams in the ACC or Big 10, and they would struggle MIGHTILY playing two games a week against that kind of talent.
 
WTSooner said:
True, just one game though. They lost 2 of their 3 other OOC games against NCAA Tourney teams (not counting NDST), and the win was a 2 point win at home against a Washington team that most don't think too highly of.

I just think if they played in a tougher conference, they'd slip up more than Duke/NC/UVA, or Michigan/MSU, or maybe even LSU/Tenn/UK (less sure about this one).

They are a good team and a good program. I'm sure they'd have won or shared a title in one or more of those leagues over the years, but they've pretty regularly underachieved come March, which makes me think they would struggle going through a full conference slate where 75% or so of the games are games they could lose if they don't play well. Their conference sometimes has a couple of decent teams, but this year it was pretty much garbage.
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And this is where I stand. I think Gonzaga is a really good team this year, but as you pointed out, you can take off a lot of nights in the WCC and still win (especially with Gonzaga's talent/coaching). You can't do that in P-5 conferences (save the PAC-12 and Big East this year) and still win the regular season. In the big conferences, even the middle to lower teams can jump up and bite you if you don't show up (see Syracuse winning at Duke and Louisville winning at NC this year).

Like I mentioned previously, I think Gonzaga would finish in the top 3/4 in the ACC this year, but I find it highly unlikely that they would win it because of the sheer grind of that type of schedule.
 
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