Gonzaga students are already excited about the possibility of being No. 1 for the first time
Court-storming Minnesota fans weren't the only ones excited about the Gophers' upset victory over top-ranked Indiana on Tuesday night. Watching No. 1 go down also elicited plenty of cheers some 1,400 miles to the West.
Gonzaga students watching the game from a cafeteria on campus erupted after Minnesota finished off its 77-73 victory because it gives the second-ranked Zags a chance to take over the No. 1 ranking next week. If Gonzaga can win at BYU on Thursday night and at home against Portland on Saturday, the Zags will be in line to inherit the top spot in both polls for the first time in program history.
The above video, shot by Gonzaga student Mike Fangman, shows the excitement the Zags are generating on campus these days. Gonzaga defeated Kansas State, Oklahoma State, Oklahoma and Baylor in non-league play and has rolled up an undefeated WCC record so far by mowing down league opponents by an average of more than 18 points per game.
A No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament would be more significant than the No. 1 ranking in the polls, but Gonzaga coach Mark Few admitted seeing his team's name atop the AP Top 25 would be a milestone.
"It would be something we haven't accomplished yet in this program," Few said Tuesday night on SportsCenter.
"I don't have any doubt that we're worthy of it. We've been playing great basketball on both ends of the floor. I just think this year more than any other there isn't that big a difference between a group of maybe 12 of us or so."
