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Gonzaga Basketball

Final Four capsule: Gonzaga Bulldogs

Gonzaga guard Nigel William-Goss leads the Zags onto the court, March 31, 2017, in the University of Phoenix Stadium. Dan Pelle/THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW (Dan Pelle / The Spokesman-Review)
By Jacob Thorpe

Starters: Nigel Williams-Goss – guard, Josh Perkins – guard, Jordan Mathews – guard, Johnathan Williams – forward, Przemek Karnowski – forward

Top scorer: Nigel Williams-Goss, 16.7 ppg

Reb. leader: Johnathan Williams, 6.6 rpg

Assists leader: Williams-Goss, 4.6 apg

Best player: Point guard Nigel Williams-Goss may be Gonzaga’s most important or least replaceable player, but during the NCAA Tournament the best player has been forward Johnathan Williams. The forward has made 56 percent of his 3-pointers, 61 percent inside the arc and played stellar defense on the other teams’ best scorers.

How to win: The Bulldogs boast balance but struggled against West Virginia’s pressure defense during the Sweet 16. The best bet to beat the Zags appears to be pressuring the ball-handlers early in the possession to keep the ball out of the hands of GU’s fearsome big men.

Three things to know

1. Gonzaga is playing in the Final Four for the first time in program history.

2. The Bulldogs have made 19 consecutive appearances at the NCAA Tournament.

3. Josh Perkins is the only starter to come to Gonzaga directly from a U.S. high school.