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The Gonzaga Bulldogs were right on the cusp of a Sweet 16 appearances last season, but they ended up falling just a little short. With most of their scoring returning, including guard Kevin Pangos and star forward Elias Harris, the Zags will be one of the better teams on the west coast in 2012. Their biggest area of concern will be replacing big man Robert Sacre, who was the heart and soul of the program the last few years.
As the preseason top-25 polls begin to come out, Gonzaga will likely be included in just about all of them. According to Sporting News, the Bulldogs are the 21st best team in the country. Their top five consisted of Indiana, Louisville, Ohio State, Kentucky and Michigan. No other teams from the West Coast Conference received a ranking.
The Zags will begin their season on Nov. 9 against the Southern Utah Thunderbirds. Practice is set to begin in less than two weeks.