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2015–16 Gonzaga Bulldogs men's basketball team

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The 2015–16 Gonzaga Bulldogs men's basketball team represented Gonzaga University in the 2015–16 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The team was led by head coach Mark Few, who was in his 17th season as head coach. The team played its home games at McCarthey Athletic Center, which had a capacity of 6,000. The Bulldogs (also informally referred to as the Zags) played in their 36th season as a member of the West Coast Conference. They finished the season 28–8, 15–3 in WCC play to finish in a share for the WCC regular season championship. They defeated Portland, BYU, and Saint Mary's to be champions of the WCC tournament and earn the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. As a #11 seed, they defeated Seton Hall and Utah to advance to the Sweet Sixteen, where they lost to Syracuse. The final AP Poll is the most recent poll in which Gonzaga was unranked until 2023–24, when they were unranked for six weeks.

ConferenceWest Coast Conference
CoachesNo. 21
Record28–8 (15–3 WCC)
Headcoach
Quick facts Gonzaga Bulldogs men's basketball, WCC regular season co–championsWCC tournament champions ...
2015–16 Gonzaga Bulldogs men's basketball
WCC regular season co–champions
WCC tournament champions
NCAA tournament, Sweet Sixteen
ConferenceWest Coast Conference
Ranking
CoachesNo. 21
Record28–8 (15–3 WCC)
Head coach
Assistant coaches
Home arenaMcCarthey Athletic Center
Seasons
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More information Conf., Overall ...
2015–16 West Coast Conference men's basketball standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L PCTW L PCT
Saint Mary's15–3 .83329–6  .829
Gonzaga †15–3 .83328–8  .778
BYU13–5 .72226–11  .703
Pepperdine10–8 .55618–14  .563
San Francisco8–10 .44415–15  .500
Santa Clara7–11 .38911–20  .355
Portland6–12 .33312–20  .375
Loyola Marymount6–12 .33314–17  .452
Pacific*6–12 .3338–20  .286
San Diego4–14 .2229–21  .300
† Conference tournament winner
*ineligible for postseason due to self probation
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Previous season

Main article: 2014-15 Gonzaga Bulldogs men's basketball team

The 2014–15 Gonzaga Bulldogs team were predicted to finish atop of the conference by the West Coast Conference Preseason Poll.[1] The Zags finished in first place in the West Coast Conference Standings for the 18th time with a 17–1 conference record after BYU defeated the Zags in the regular season finale, snapping the nation's longest active home winning streak of 41 games, as well as Gonzaga's school record 22-game winning streak.[2] The Bulldogs then went on to beat BYU in the West Coast Conference tournament, and claimed their 14th WCC tournament title, along with punching their 18th ticket to the NCAA tournament.[3] Gonzaga entered the 2015 NCAA tournament as a #2 seed in the South region, and dismantled #15 seed North Dakota State,[4] #7 seed Iowa,[5] and #11 seed UCLA,[6] to gain its second trip to the Elite Eight, as well as Mark Few's first as head coach. The Zags then fell to #1 seed (and eventual national champion) Duke, and finished the season with a 35–3 record, which were the most wins in school history.[7]

Offseason

Coaching changes

Additions to staff

More information Name, Position ...
Name Position Year at
Gonzaga		 Alma mater (year) Previous job
Doug Wojcik Special assistant to the head coach 1st Navy (1987) Head coach at College of Charleston
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Player departures

More information Name, Number ...
NameNumberPos.HeightWeightYearHometownReason for departure
Gary Bell Jr.5G6'2"212SeniorKent, WAGraduated
Kevin Pangos4G6'2"182SeniorNewmarket, ONGraduated
Byron Wesley22G6'4"206SeniorRancho Cucamonga, CAGraduated
Angel Nunez2F6'8"202Junior (redshirt)Bronx, NYTransferred to South Florida[8]
Connor Griffin14G6'4"214SophomoreLake Oswego, ORTransferred to Washington (football)[9]
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Incoming transfers

More information Name, Pos. ...
NamePos.HeightWeightYearHometownPrevious
school		Years
remaining		Date
eligible
Nigel Williams-GossG6'3"190JuniorHappy Valley, ORWashington2Oct. 1, 2016[10]
Johnathan WilliamsF6'9"228JuniorMemphis, TNMissouri2Oct. 1, 2016[11]
Jeremy JonesF6'6"203SophomoreSan Antonio, TXRice3Oct. 1, 2016[12]
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2015 recruiting class

More information Name, Hometown ...
College recruiting
Name Hometown School Height Weight Commit date
Jesse Wade[13]
PG		 Kaysville, UT Davis 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 165 lb (75 kg) Oct 4, 2013 
Recruit ratings: Scout: 4/5 stars   Rivals: 3/5 stars   247Sports: 4/5 stars   ESPN: 4/5 stars   (80)
Jack Beach[14]
SG		 San Diego, CA Torrey Pines 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 160 lb (73 kg) Jan 1, 2015 
Recruit ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports:    ESPN:    (N/A)
Overall recruit ranking:   Scout: N/A    Rivals: N/A    247Sports: #110    ESPN: N/A
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, On3, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight.
  • In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.

Sources:

  • "2015 Gonzaga Rivals Commits". Rivals. Retrieved October 4, 2013.
  • "2015 Gonzaga Scout Commits". Scout. Retrieved October 4, 2013.
  • "2015 Gonzaga ESPN Commits". ESPN. Retrieved October 4, 2013.
  • "Scout.com Team Recruiting Rankings". Scout. Retrieved October 4, 2013.
  • "2015 Team Ranking". Rivals. Retrieved October 4, 2013.
  • "2015 Gonzaga 24/7 Sports Commits". 247Sports. Retrieved October 4, 2013.
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2016 recruiting class

More information College recruiting (2016), Name ...
College recruiting (2016)
Name Hometown School Height Weight Commit date
Zach Collins[15]
C		 Las Vegas, NV Bishop Gorman 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m) 230 lb (100 kg) Mar 16, 2015 
Recruit ratings: Scout: 4/5 stars   Rivals: 5/5 stars   247Sports: 5/5 stars   ESPN: 4/5 stars   (88)
Killian Tillie[16]
F		 Antibes, France INSEP 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 230 lb (100 kg) Aug 29, 2015 
Recruit ratings: Scout: 4/5 stars   Rivals: 4/5 stars   247Sports: 4/5 stars   ESPN:    (NR)
Zach Norvell Jr.[17]
G		 Chicago, IL Simeon 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 185 lb (84 kg) Nov 2, 2015 
Recruit ratings: Scout: 3/5 stars   Rivals: 4/5 stars   247Sports: 3/5 stars   ESPN: 4/5 stars   (82)
Jacob Larsen[18]
C		 Holte, Denmark Falkonergårdens Gymnasium
SISU Copenhagen		 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 235 lb (107 kg) Nov 12, 2015 
Recruit ratings: Scout: 3/5 stars   Rivals: 4/5 stars   247Sports: 4/5 stars   ESPN:    (NR)
Rui Hachimura[19]
F		 Sendai, Japan Meisei 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 210 lb (95 kg) Nov 20, 2015 
Recruit ratings: Scout: 4/5 stars   Rivals: 3/5 stars   247Sports: 3/5 stars   ESPN:    (NR)
Overall recruit ranking:   Scout: #14    Rivals: #13    247Sports: #10    ESPN: #21
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, On3, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight.
  • In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.

Sources:

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Roster

More information Players, Coaches ...
2015–16 Gonzaga Bulldogs men's basketball team
PlayersCoaches
Pos.#NameHeightWeightYearPrevious schoolHometown
G 23 Eric McClellan 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)196 lb (89 kg) RS SrAustin
Vanderbilt
Tulsa		 Austin, TX
F 33 Kyle Wiltjer 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m)240 lb (109 kg) RS SrJesuit
Kentucky		 Portland, OR
G 3 Kyle Dranginis 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)203 lb (92 kg) RS SrSkyview Nampa, ID
C 24 Przemek Karnowski Injured Current redshirt 7 ft 1 in (2.16 m)287 lb (130 kg) SrNicolaus Copernicus
Siarka Jezioro Tarnobrzeg		 Toruń, Poland
G 15 Rem Bakamus (W) 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)167 lb (76 kg) RS JrMark Morris Longview, WA
G 5 Nigel Williams-Goss (I) Current redshirt 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)190 lb (86 kg) JrFindlay Prep
Washington		 Happy Valley, OR
F 14 Johnathan Williams (I) Current redshirt 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)228 lb (103 kg) JrSouthwind
Missouri		 Memphis, TN
C 25 Ryan Edwards 7 ft 1 in (2.16 m)290 lb (132 kg) RS SoGlacier Kalispell, MT
G 55 Dustin Triano (W) 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)178 lb (81 kg) RS SoNew Hampton School Vancouver, BC
G 0 Silas Melson 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)186 lb (84 kg) SoJefferson Portland, OR
F 11 Domantas Sabonis 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m)240 lb (109 kg) SoSunny View School
Unicaja Málaga		 Kaunas, Lithuania
F 22 Jeremy Jones (I, W) Current redshirt 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)203 lb (92 kg) SoEast Central
Rice		 San Antonio, TX
G 13 Josh Perkins 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)185 lb (84 kg) RS FrHuntington Prep Park Hill, CO
G 10 Bryan Alberts 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)198 lb (90 kg) RS FrVillage Christian Northridge, CA
G 2 Jack Beach (W) 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)160 lb (73 kg) FrTorrey Pines San Diego, CA
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (S) Suspended
  • (I) Ineligible
  • (W) Walk-on

Roster
Last update: September 30, 2015

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  • Roster is subject to change as/if players transfer or leave the program for other reasons.
  • Josh Perkins suffered a broken jaw in a November 2014 game and wasn't cleared to play with full contact until late April 2015.[20] He was granted a medical hardship waiver and will have 4 years of eligibility remaining effective at the start of the 2015–16 season.[21]
  • Jesse Wade graduated high school in 2015, but before enrolling in college at Gonzaga, he left for a 2-year LDS mission in Lyon, France, and will arrive on campus as a freshman in Fall 2017.[22]
  • Przemek Karnowski did not play after the Bulldogs' fifth game of the season, a November 27, 2015 win over UConn, due to back problems. On December 31, it was announced that he would undergo surgery and miss the rest of the season. At the time his surgery was announced, it had not been decided whether Karnowski would apply for a medical hardship waiver and play at Gonzaga in 2016–17, or turn professional after this season.[23] He ultimately chose to remain at Gonzaga and play in the 2016–17 season.[24]

Coaching staff

More information Name, Position ...
NamePositionYear at GonzagaAlma mater (year)
Mark FewHead coach17thOregon (1987)
Tommy LloydAssociate head coach15thWhitman (1998)
Donny DanielsAssistant coach6thCal State Fullerton (1976)
Brian MichaelsonAssistant coach3rdGonzaga (2005)
Doug WojcikSpecial assistant to the head coach1stNavy (1987)
John JakusDirector of basketball operations2ndTrinity International (1999)
Mike HartVideo coordinator2ndGonzaga (2012)
Riccardo FoisDirector of Analytics2ndPepperdine (2009)
Jennifer NylandAthletic trainer17thWashington State (1998)
Travis KnightStrength & conditioning coach10thGonzaga (2000)
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Rankings

Main article: 2015–16 NCAA Division I men's basketball rankings
More information Poll, Pre ...
Ranking movement
Legend: ██ Increase in ranking. ██ Decrease in ranking. RV=Others receiving votes. *AP does not release post-NCAA tournament rankings.
PollPre[25]Wk 2[26]Wk 3[27]Wk 4[28]Wk 5[29]Wk 6[30]Wk 7[31]Wk 8[32]Wk 9[33]Wk 10[34]Wk 11[35]Wk 12[36]Wk 13[37]Wk 14[38]Wk 15[39]Wk 16[40]Wk 17[41]Wk 18[42]Wk 19[43]Final[44]
AP 9 10 10 13 20 RV RV RV RV 25 RV RV RV RV N/A*
Coaches 11 12 11 12 17 21 24 24 22 21 RV RV RV RV RV RV 21
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Schedule

Gonzaga's non-conference schedule[45] included home games against Arizona, UCLA, Montana, Northern Arizona, Mount St. Mary's, and Saint Martin's. Gonzaga played true road games at SMU and Washington State, and also faced off with Pittsburgh in the Armed Forces Classic in Okinawa, Japan. The Zags were invited to play in the Battle 4 Atlantis, where they played against three of the following in the Bahamas: Syracuse, UConn, Texas, Michigan, Texas A&M, Washington, and Charlotte.[46] Gonzaga also played Tennessee in the 13th annual Battle in Seattle at KeyArena. Gonzaga played 18 conference games (home-and-home) during the season.[47] Gonzaga was featured on the ESPN networks at least 14 times in 2015–16. The WCC Tournament featured five games televised on the ESPN networks.[48][49]

More information Date time, TV, Rank# ...
Date
time, TV		 Rank# Opponent# Result Record High points High rebounds High assists Site (attendance)
city, state
Exhibition
Oct 31*
 No. 9 vs. No. 22 Baylor
Secret Scrimmage		 L –  –
   –     –     –    Zions Bank Basketball Center 
Salt Lake City, UT
Nov 7*
5:00 pm, KHQ		 No. 9 Eastern Oregon W 90–58  –
  33 – Wiltjer  14 – Wiltjer  5 – Perkins  McCarthey Athletic Center (6,000)
Spokane, WA
Regular season
Nov 13*
4:00 pm, ESPN		 No. 9 vs. Pittsburgh
Armed Forces Classic		 Cancelled[n 1] Butler Marine Base 
Okinawa, JP
Nov 18*
6:00 pm, KHQ/RTNW		 No. 10 Northern Arizona W 91–52  1–0
  26 – Sabonis  9 – Karnowski  6 – Perkins  McCarthey Athletic Center (6,000)
Spokane, WA
Nov 21*
6:00 pm, KHQ/RTNW		 No. 10 Mount St. Mary's
Battle 4 Atlantis opening round		 W 101–56  2–0
  15 – Melson,
Sabonis 		 14 – Sabonis  5 – Dranginis  McCarthey Athletic Center (6,000)
Spokane, WA
Nov 25*
9:00 am, ESPN2		 No. 10 vs. Washington
Battle 4 Atlantis quarterfinals		 W 80–64  3–0
  24 – Wiltjer  11 – Dranginis,
Wiltjer 		 3 – McClellan  Imperial Arena (1,374)
Nassau, BS
Nov 26*
10:00 am, ESPN		 No. 10 vs. No. 25 Texas A&M
Battle 4 Atlantis semifinals		 L 61–62  3–1
  18 – Wiltjer  7 – Wiltjer  5 – Dranginis  Imperial Arena (1,331)
Nassau, BS
Nov 27*
9:00 am, ESPN		 No. 10 vs. No. 18 UConn
Battle 4 Atlantis third-place game		 W 73–70  4–1
  17 – Wiltjer  9 – Sabonis  5 – Dranginis  Imperial Arena (2,122)
Nassau, BS
Dec 2*
8:00 pm, FS1		 No. 13 at Washington State W 69–60  5–1
  22 – Wiltjer  14 – Sabonis  4 – Dranginis  Beasley Coliseum (8,209)
Pullman, WA
Dec 5*
12:15 pm, ESPN		 No. 13 No. 19 Arizona L 63–68  5–2
  33 – Wiltjer  16 – Sabonis  5 – Perkins  McCarthey Athletic Center (6,000)
Spokane, WA
Dec 8*
6:00 pm, KHQ/RTNW		 No. 20 Montana W 61–58  6–2
  16 – Sabonis,
Wiltjer 		 10 – Sabonis  3 – Perkins  McCarthey Athletic Center (6,000)
Spokane, WA
Dec 12*
7:00 pm, ESPN2		 No. 20 UCLA L 66–71  6–3
  20 – Wiltjer  8 – Sabonis,
Wiltjer 		 4 – Dranginis  McCarthey Athletic Center (6,000)
Spokane, WA
Dec 14*
6:00 pm, KHQ/RTNW		 Saint Martin's W 86–50  7–3
  21 – Sabonis  12 – Sabonis  8 – Perkins  McCarthey Athletic Center (6,000)
Spokane, WA
Dec 19*
8:00 pm, ESPNU		 vs. Tennessee
Battle in Seattle		 W 86–79  8–3
  36 – Sabonis  16 – Sabonis  3 – Dranginis  KeyArena (16,770)
Seattle, WA
WCC regular season
Dec 21
6:00 pm, ESPN2		 Pepperdine W 99–73  9–3
(1–0)		  23 – Sabonis  11 – Wiltjer  6 – Sabonis  McCarthey Athletic Center (6,000)
Spokane, WA
Dec 23
6:00 pm, KHQ/RTNW		 Loyola Marymount W 85–62  10–3
(2–0)		  26 – Wiltjer  13 – Sabonis  7 – Dranginis  McCarthey Athletic Center (6,000)
Spokane, WA
Dec 31
2:00 pm, KHQ/RTNW		 at Santa Clara W 79–77  11–3
(3–0)		  26 – Perkins  7 – Wiltjer  4 – Perkins  Leavey Center (3,121)
Santa Clara, CA
Jan 2
8:00 pm, ESPN2		 at San Francisco W 102–94 OT 12–3
(4–0)		  35 – Sabonis  14 – Sabonis  4 – Sabonis  War Memorial Gymnasium (3,253)
San Francisco, CA
Jan 9
5:00 pm, KHQ/RTNW		 Portland W 85–74  13–3
(5–0)		  32 – Wiltjer  17 – Sabonis  7 – Perkins  McCarthey Athletic Center (6,000)
Spokane, WA
Jan 14
6:00 pm, ESPN2		 No. 25 BYU
Rivalry		 L 68–69  13–4
(5–1)		  35 – Wiltjer  10 – Wiltjer  7 – Perkins  McCarthey Athletic Center (6,000)
Spokane, WA
Jan 16
5:00 pm, KAYU/RTNW		 No. 25 San Diego W 88–52  14–4
(6–1)		  25 – Wiltjer  15 – Sabonis  5 – Perkins  McCarthey Athletic Center (6,000)
Spokane, WA
Jan 21
8:00 pm, ESPNU		 at Saint Mary's
Rivalry		 L 67–70  14–5
(6–2)		  23 – McClellan  13 – Sabonis  7 – Sabonis  McKeon Pavilion (3,500)
Moraga, CA
Jan 23
1:00 pm, KHQ/RTNW/TWCSN		 at Pacific W 71–61  15–5
(7–2)		  23 – Wiltjer  20 – Sabonis  5 – Dranginis  Alex G. Spanos Center (4,309)
Stockton, CA
Jan 28
6:00 pm, KHQ/RTNW		 Santa Clara W 84–67  16–5
(8–2)		  35 – Wilter  17 – Sabonis  4 – McClellan  McCarthey Athletic Center (6,000)
Spokane, WA
Jan 30
5:00 pm, KHQ/RTNW		 San Francisco W 86–48  17–5
(9–2)		  15 – Melson,
Sabonis,
Wiltjer 		 10 – Dranginis  5 – Perkins  McCarthey Athletic Center (6,000)
Spokane, WA
Feb 4
7:00 pm, KHQ/RTNW		 at Loyola Marymount W 92–63  18–5
(10–2)		  23 – Wiltjer  11 – Sabonis  7 – Dranginis  Gersten Pavilion (3,422)
Los Angeles, CA
Feb 6
9:00 pm, ESPN2		 at Pepperdine W 69–66  19–5
(11–2)		  20 – Sabonis  11 – Sabonis  5 – Dranginis,
Perkins 		 Firestone Fieldhouse (3,210)
Malibu, CA
Feb 11
8:00 pm, ESPNU		 at Portland W 92–66  20–5
(12–2)		  21 – Wiltjer  11 – Sabonis  9 – Perkins  Chiles Center (4,852)
Portland, OR
Feb 13*
7:00 pm, ESPN2		 at No. 16 SMU L 60–69  20–6
  20 – Sabonis  16 – Sabonis  7 – Perkins  Moody Coliseum (7,249)
Dallas, TX
Feb 18
6:00 pm, KHQ/RTNW		 Pacific W 90–68  21–6
(13–2)		  26 – Wiltjer  10 – Sabonis  6 – Perkins  McCarthey Athletic Center (6,000)
Spokane, WA
Feb 20
7:00 pm, ESPN2		 Saint Mary's
Rivalry		 L 58–63  21–7
(13–3)		  21 – Perkins  13 – Sabonis  3 – McClellan  McCarthey Athletic Center (6,000)
Spokane, WA
Feb 25
7:00 pm, KHQ/RTNW		 at San Diego W 82–60  22–7
(14–3)		  18 – Melson  17 – Sabonis  3 – Dranginis,
McClellan 		 Jenny Craig Pavilion (4,076)
San Diego, CA
Feb 27
5:00 pm, ESPN2		 at BYU
Rivalry		 W 71–68  23–7
(15–3)		  21 – Wiltjer  14 – Sabonis  5 – Perkins  Marriott Center (18,987)
Provo, UT
WCC Tournament
Mar 5
9:00 pm, ESPN2		 (2) vs. (7) Portland
Quarterfinals		 W 92–67  24–7
  26 – McClellan  8 – Dranginis,
Wiltjer 		 5 – Dranginis  Orleans Arena (7,209)
Las Vegas, NV
Mar 7
8:30 pm, ESPN2		 (2) vs. (3) BYU
Semifinals/Rivalry		 W 88–84  25–7
  29 – Wiltjer  14 – Sabonis  5 – Perkins  Orleans Arena (8,362)
Las Vegas, NV
Mar 8
6:00 pm, ESPN		 (2) vs. (1) Saint Mary's
Championship/Rivalry		 W 85–75  26–7
  20 – McClellan  8 – Sabonis  5 – Perkins  Orleans Arena (7,418)
Las Vegas, NV
NCAA tournament
Mar 17*
6:57 pm, truTV		 (11 MW) vs. (6 MW) No. 20 Seton Hall
First Round		 W 68–52  27–7
  21 – Sabonis  16 – Sabonis  7 – Perkins  Pepsi Center (19,500)
Denver, CO
Mar 19*
5:40 pm, TNT		 (11 MW) vs. (3 MW) No. 13 Utah
Second Round		 W 82–59  28–7
  22 – McClellan  10 – Sabonis  3 – Dranginis,
McClellan,
Sabonis,
Wiltjer 		 Pepsi Center (19,551)
Denver, CO
Mar 25*
6:40 pm, CBS		 (11 MW) vs. (10 MW) Syracuse
Sweet Sixteen		 L 60–63  28–8
  23 – Wiltjer  17 – Sabonis  6 – Perkins  United Center (21,490)
Chicago, IL
*Non-conference game. #Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses.
MW=Midwest Region.
All times are in Pacific Time.
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See also

Footnotes

  1. [1]
    The referees cancelled the game at halftime due to dangerous court conditions. The game did not count toward either team's win–loss record, and player statistics from the game were not counted as official. Pittsburgh was leading 37–35.[50]

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