Gonzaga Advances: Elite Eight Dream Catches Fire!

Dec 17, 2025; Spokane, Washington, USA; Gonzaga Bulldogs forward Graham Ike (15) shoots the ball against the Campbell Fighting Camels in the first half at McCarthey Athletic Center. Mandatory Credit: James Snook-Imagn Images | James Snook-Imagn Images Gonzaga opens the 2026 NCAA Tournament on Thursday night in Portland, and the No. 14 seed waiting for them has had a season worth knowing about before tipoff.

Kennesaw State arrives as the Conference USA champion, though the road to that title ran through just about everything a basketball program can face in a single year. The Owls lost their leading scorer, preseason C-USA Player of the Year Simeon Cottle, to a federal gambling investigation in January, stumbled to 10-10 in conference play, and entered their own tournament as a six seed. Then they won three games in three days against three higher seeds and cut down the nets.

That’s how a 21-13 team from Kennesaw, Georgia ends up as the No. 14 seed in the West Region, facing a Gonzaga squad that comes in at 30-3, WCC regular season and tournament champions, on Thursday night at 7:00 PM PST on TBS. It’s the first meeting between these two programs.

Alabama legend Antoine Pettway will coach a team in March Madness. His Kennesaw State Owls are dancing after winning the CUSA title: "We're going to fight. We're going to compete.