# Gonzaga eyes a Spokane March path

> ESPN’s early bracket puts Gonzaga near home, but eligibility questions could change everything.
- Title: Gonzaga eyes a Spokane March path · Gonzaga Bulldogs On SI
- Summary: ESPN’s early bracket puts Gonzaga near home, but eligibility questions could change everything. Gonzaga looks like a top-tier roster if its key transfers are…
- Keywords: gonzaga, bulldogs, mark few, march madness, spokane, joe lunardi, ncaa tournament, pac-12, xaivian lee, chauncey wiggins, javon bennett, izan almansa
- Source: Gonzaga Bulldogs On SI — https://si.com/college/gonzaga/basketball/gonzaga-could-be-headed-back-to-spokane-for-march-madness
- Published: 2026-09-15T19:40:54+00:00
- Read time: 2 min
- Topics: gonzaga, bulldogs, mark few, march madness, spokane, joe lunardi, ncaa tournament, pac-12, xaivian lee, chauncey wiggins, javon bennett, izan almansa
## A bracket guess arrives
With the season closing in, Gonzaga is still waiting on multiple eligibility calls. That makes preseason forecasting unusually shaky.

> preseason projections a nearly impossible task this offseason
## Lunardi slots Gonzaga third
Joe Lunardi’s early 2027 bracket has Gonzaga as a No. 3 seed in the Midwest Region, playing its opener in Spokane.

> projecting a No. 3 seed for the Zags
## Akron would be first
The projected opener is against No. 14 Akron. The same pod also includes No. 6 USC, plus TCU and Marquette as play-in No. 11 seeds.
## The roster looks loaded
At full strength, Gonzaga may be better than a No. 3 seed. Xaivian Lee, Davis Fogle, Chauncey Wiggins, Braden Huff and Massamba Diop form a high-end core.

> among the ten best starting squads in the country
## Depth raises the ceiling
Javon Bennett, Isiah Harwell, Luca Foster and Izan Almansa give Gonzaga a dangerous nine-man rotation if everyone is cleared to play.

> among the most dangerous nine-man rotations in the sport
## Eligibility clouds everything
Wiggins, Bennett, Almansa and Nathan de Sousa are currently ineligible. Lee is eligible for now because of a California temporary restraining order.
## Lee’s status could shift
Lee’s clearance may not hold if the NCAA wins a stay request in appeals court. Similar rulings in Ohio and Georgia affected Bennett and Wiggins.

> that could change if the NCAA is granted a stay request
## The thinner version worries
Without the fifth-year seniors, Gonzaga would need a Harwell leap and a strong freshman season from Foster. Sam Funches, Parker Jefferson and Juwan Ekanga-Ehawa would matter more.
## Pac-12 looks light
Gonzaga is the only new Pac-12 team in Lunardi’s projected 76-team field. Utah State and San Diego State do not even appear among his near misses.

> Gonzaga is the lone team from the new Pac-12 conference
## Utah State gets doubted
The piece argues Utah State belongs closer to the field. Mason Falslev alone could put the Aggies in the top 60, with Dallin Hall adding upside if eligible.
## The schedule is brutal
Gonzaga’s non-conference slate includes projected tournament teams Duke, Michigan State, Purdue, UCLA, Creighton, Oregon, LSU and Montana State.
## More tests are waiting
The Zags also visit Arkansas for an exhibition and will face Baylor or Alabama in the Player’s Era Festival. Their resume chances should be plentiful.
## Key takeaway

Gonzaga looks like a top-tier roster if its key transfers are cleared, but its March ceiling depends on eligibility rulings.