Sometimes the rhetoric doesn’t concur with the visual. Sometimes the coach-speak doesn’t necessarily ring true. Read more

S-R photojournalist Dan Pelle shot this photo in GU's locker room, Friday of Gonzaga team manager Colin Stevens, left, and player David Stockton giving teammate Sam Dower some good-natured ribbing during press conference time at EnergySolutions Arena in Salt Lake City, UT. The Zags are preparing to play Wichita State on Saturday evening. … Read more

One of the nice things about the NCAAs is we have a few more reporters on hand and there's quite a bit more Gonzaga coverage (on the blog, twitter and in the actual S-R). That volume of material obviously takes away some of the items that find their way into my day-after posts. So, my day-posts after NCAA games will be shorter as we turn our attention to the next matchup. After watching Wichita State take apart Pittsburgh, the Zags might want to do the same. … Read more

SALT LAKE CITY – Down the stretch, Gonzaga coach Mark Few began treating it just like a road game. The majority of the 14,176 inside EnergySolutions Arena had gravitated to underdog Southern University, sensing the possibility of a 16-seed knocking off a No. 1 for the first time in NCAA tournament history. They roared with every clutch Jaguars’ play – a ridiculous fadeaway 3-pointer by Derick Beltran, a pair of game-tying free throws by Brandon Moore, another score-knotting jumper by Beltran. Read more

SALT LAKE CITY – When a 16-seed finally does win one of these morality plays, it’s going to be for all the 16s over the years that should have won. UNC Asheville. Murray State. Princeton. Especially Princeton. Read more

SALT LAKE CITY – Wichita State’s Tekele Cotton didn’t just shut down Pitt’s leading scorer, he had him in tears. The Shockers’ guard held Tray Woodall to two points while coming up with five steals and a key 3-point basket in helping ninth-seeded Wichita State to a 73-55 win over eighth-seeded Pitt on Thursday at the NCAA tournament. Read more

SALT LAKE CITY – Senior forward Elias Harris saw blue. Gonzaga, as the higher seed, was wearing white jerseys so he knew that wasn’t a good thing. Southern coach Roman Banks said Wednesday he wanted to come up with a game plan to counter Gonzaga’s size advantage. That’s just what he did, collapsing defenders into the paint to take away the Zags’ high-low offense and leaving little room for the Bulldogs’ bigs to operate. Read more

SALT LAKE CITY – As Southern University’s players walked off the EnergySolutions Arena floor and toward their locker room, evidence mounted that these uncooperative underdogs really never believed they were going to lose. There was junior forward Javan Mitchell, waltzing numbly past the cheerleaders, the pep band, the guy or girl in the Jaguar mascot costume. That mascot patted each player on the back, slapped him five, offered non-verbal congratulations for a battle well-fought and a season well-spent. Read more

Down the stretch, Gonzaga coach Mark Few began treating it just like a road game. Read more

Senior forward Elias Harris saw blue. Gonzaga, as the higher seed, was wearing white jerseys so he knew that wasn’t a good thing. Read more

When a 16-seed finally does win one of these morality plays, it’s going to be for all the 16s over the years that should have won. Read more

Not sure how it came across on television, but Gonzaga-Southern was interesting from the start and turned into a thriller when the gutsy Jaguars mounted their umpteenth comeback late in the second half. Gonzaga hung on, riding key baskets by Kevin Pangos and Gary Bell Jr., for a 64-58 win over the Jaguars. We'll giveyou a few links now, and probably a couple more later tonight. … Read more

As Southern University’s players walked off the EnergySolutions Arena floor and toward their locker room, evidence mounted that these uncooperative underdogs really never believed they were going to lose. Read more

S-R photojournalists Dan Pelle and Colin Mulvany are in Salt Lake City covering GU's game against Southern. Check out a big picture gallery of their photos. Read more

Gonzaga prevailed 64-58 over Southern University in a game that wasn’t safely in hand until the final buzzer sounded. No. 1 seeds improved to 113-0 since the field was expanded to 64 teams in 1985. The Bulldogs (32-2) will play No. 9 Wichita State on Saturday. Read more

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Cravens Coffee Co. began selling its Zags Blend coffee in 1999 – the same year Gonzaga University’s men’s basketball team ended up in the Elite Eight. All 1,500 of the school-branded coffee bags sold out in two months, said Cravens owner Simon Thompson. Read more

How much do you love the Zags? Oh, sure. You talk big. You’ve been known to hoot and holler during games and even heave the occasional heavy object through the TV after a bum call. Read more

SALT LAKE CITY – It’s a No. 1 seed versus a 16. It’s a veteran Gonzaga roster stocked with players who have participated in 30 NCAA tournament games, counting two from Drew Barham’s days at Memphis. It’s a Southern University squad with zero tournament experience. Read more

What do national college basketball analysts think of Gonzaga’s chances in the NCAA tournament? Here’s a sampling from some of the major outlets. Jay Bilas, ESPN: The famed ESPN analyst breaks the mold by picking VCU as one of his Final Four teams. But he’s got Ohio State winning Gonzaga’s region, with the Buckeyes knocking out GU in the Elite Eight. Read more