The Gonzaga Bulldogs had to wait until the final region in the NCAA Tournament was announced to learn their fate. Gonzaga earned the No. 11 seed in the Southeast region, headed up by No. 1 seed Pittsburgh. Gonzaga will face No. 6 St. John’s to open the tournament in Denver.
Under first-year head coach Steve Lavin, St. John’s has seen a resurgence, holding its own in the incredibly tough Big East this season. St. John’s was one of a whopping 11 teams from the Big East to make it into the NCAA Tournament, a testament to the depth of talent in the league. Lavin’s rebuilding project has been quicker than expected as St. John’s shot to national prominence early in the Big East schedule
The winner of the Gonzaga-St. John’s matchup will likely face Jimmer Fredette and BYU in the second round. The Cougars face Indiana State to open the tournament in what looks to be an easy win on paper.
Check out the full Southeast region bracket below.
1 Pittsburgh vs. 16 UNC-Asheville/Arkansas-Little Rock
8 Butler vs. 9 Old Dominion
5 Kansas State vs. 12 Utah State
4 Wisconsin vs. 13 Belmont
6 St. John’s vs. 11 Gonzaga
3 BYU vs. 14 Indiana State
7 UCLA vs. 10 Michigan State
2 Florida vs. 15 UC Santa Barbara
The road to the Final Four begins on Thursday for the Bulldogs as they take on St. John’s in the first round. For the latest, check out our Selection Sunday StoryStream. For more on the Zags, stop by SB Nation’s The Slipper Still Fits.