Mark Few Answers Questions About Gonzaga’s Future, Big 12
Earlier on Thursday, The Athletic’s Stewart Mandel said a Gonzaga move to the Big 12 was ‘inevitable.’ So, of course reporters had to ask head coach Mark Few about it in advance of their Friday NCAA Tournament opener.
“Well, that’s a question for them, not for me,” said Few, when a reporter fired a question about why the Big 12 or Pac-12 hasn’t scooped them up yet. “But the WCC has been great for us because it hasn’t gotten in our way. The best thing we’ve done I think over the years is — even back to ’99, we wanted to stay in growth mode. We did not want to just be a one-hit wonder. I was always pushing and pushing and pushing.
“And we’ve had great leadership at the athletic director position. We’ve had two great presidents in Father Spitzer and Thayne McCulloh. We’ve had a great board. Then we’ve just been able to just keep — to not stay still and to not stay satisfied.
“It’s been a challenge. To your point, within this last year, this might be some of the greatest challenges we’re facing with the portal and NIL and just lack of direction and rules and regulations and stuff like that, especially from a program that likes to follow rules and regulations.”
It’s something that Few suggests has hit the 2022-23 version of Bulldogs. That’s even if they’re a very solid 28-5 and No. 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
“I think this team is almost indicative of that,” Few said. “Every year it’s different. This team, I think, was under some pretty heavy scrutiny early in the year, and rightfully so. We weren’t playing that great. But they lo and behold have held up to the expectations put upon the program, and here we are back in March and they’re playing their best basketball.”
With all that said, Few mentioned the importance of keeping up with the arms race, and the Big 12 would obviously help with that.
“Again, we’re always looking at what’s best for Gonzaga,” Few said. “Like I said, how do we grow. We’ve got to measure out all these opportunities that are out there and figure out what’s the best path moving forward to keep our program on the highest national level, which is where we’re at.”
With that 3-seed, Gonzaga starts its March Madness run against No. 14 seed Grand Canyon. Tip off is set for 2:35 p.m. CT in Denver, Co.
