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Gonzaga Basketball
 (Tyler Tjomsland/The Spokesman-Review)

‘It’s really, really, really hard’: Gonzaga’s NCAA Tournament run, often taken for granted, built on more than cluck

Cluck-U Chicken. That was the name of the only food joint open deep into a night in the early 1990s, somewhere near Santa Clara. Details now fuzzy from the intervening decades, I found myself driving Dan Monson, Mark Few and Bill Grier on a midnight food run. Had somebody told me, on that night so long ago, that Gonzaga basketball would become one of the most-unlikely success stories in the history of college sports, man, I’d have choked on my chicken.

Gonzaga big man Graham Ike, right, drives against Georgia forward Dylan James during the Zags' first-round NCAA Tournament win on March 20 at INTRUST Bank Arena in Wichita, Kansas.  (Tyler Tjomsland/The Spokesman-Review)

Gonzaga likely will be active in transfer portal in shaping 2025-26 roster

Following Saturday’s round-of-32 loss to top-seeded Houston, the Zags’ roster picture for next season isn’t nearly as clear. The biggest decision, and one that will clarify the Zags’ priorities in the transfer market, will be made by first-team All-West Coast Conference post Graham Ike.

Gonzaga’s Dusty Stromer (4) shoots a 3-pointer against Pacific during the second half of the Zags’ 78-61 win last month in Stockton.  (TYLER TJOSMLAND/THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW)

Gonzaga sophomore wing Dusty Stromer reportedly entering transfer portal

Gonzaga figures to have a busy offseason and it started quickly Monday with sophomore wing Dusty Stromer planning to enter the transfer portal. On3.com’s Joe Tipton was first to report Stromer’s decision. College basketball’s transfer portal opened Monday and will …

Gonzaga's Michael Ajayi (1) saves a loose ball against Houston to give the Zags' possession during the first half of Saturday's round-of-32 loss at Intrust Bank Arena.  (TYLER TJOMSLAND/THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW)

Gonzaga’s press, smooth second-half offense made Houston work to final buzzer

The top-seeded Cougars were scoring points seemingly at will most of the second half, but their top-ranked defense was unable to stop Graham Ike and Gonzaga’s offense. So instead of game over, Gonzaga was still in the picture, even after a J’Wan Roberts field goal with 4:29 left gave Houston a 76-65 lead.

Gonzaga Bulldogs forward Braden Huff (34), guard Nolan Hickman (11) forward Graham Ike (13) and guard Khalif Battle (99) react heading into a timeout during the second half of the second round of the NCAA Tournament against the Houston Cougars on Saturday, Mar. 22, 2025, at INTRUST Bank Arena in Wichita, Kan. The Houston Cougars won the game 81-76.  (Tyler Tjomsland/The Spokesman-Review)

Gonzaga’s late rally comes up short in 81-76 loss to No. 1-seeded Houston

There was no ideal start Saturday for Gonzaga, two days after racing in front of Georgia 27-3 and rolling to an NCAA Tournament first-round win. But the Zags nearly made up for it with a frantic comeback in the closing minutes that had 14,168 roaring inside Intrust Bank Arena and made the Cougars sweat out an 81-76 round-of-32 victory.

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