LAS VEGAS -- Gonzaga entered the season ranked No. 21 in the AP poll and was regarded as a quality team but one that, if it had aspirations of being Final Four-good, well those might be a bit too lofty.

The thinking went: With ace point guard Ryan Nembhard gone off a squad that had its worst season in a decade-plus, how good could it be now? Its nine losses last season were the program's most in 14 years, and it failed to reach the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2015.

Gonzaga would probably settle into second-tier status. Good, but not too good.

Everyone who thought that -- myself included, for I also ranked Gonzaga 21st back in October -- misread the situation. Badly.

The Zags are still good. Damn good.

Mark Few's program got its best win of the early

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