NCAA Basketball: 10 teams most likely to win their first National Championship in 2019

1. Gonzaga Bulldogs

Highest program finish: National Championship game in 2017

Over a span of the last 20 years, the program has been growing to get to this point. They reached the Final Four in 2017, so now the new question will be when – not if they’ll win a national championship. Gonzaga got a huge boost for next season with sophomores Rui Hachimura and Killian Tillie both snubbing the NBA to stay in college. They lose Johnathan Williams but gets Brandon Clarke from San Jose State to replace him.

Why Gonzaga can win it all next season

Not only does the projected starting lineup of Josh Perkins, Zach Norvell Jr., Rui Hachimura, Killian Tillie and Brandon Clarke present some of the best athleticism in the country, but there are at least two years of college experience with each player. They can shoot threes, play defense and there’s still great depth on the bench with Corey Kispert and top-100 recruits coming in.

Why Gonzaga can’t win it all

This might be the one team that truly doesn’t have a glaring weakness. From the backcourt to the frontcourt, and especially with the coaching staff, the Bulldogs have everything needed to win it all. Their biggest issue will be with the schedule. They have some huge non-conference games, but they’ll have to win some to avoid getting seeded lower than they should since they reside in the WCC.

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The reason though they’re not in the same situation as Nevada is that of their history. It’s unproven that the Wolf Pack can go unbeaten in the Moutain West, while the Bulldogs have dominated the WCC without suffering a “bad loss” in years. They should get a high enough seed to prepare them for a run, culminating Mark Few’s unprecedented success at a mid-major school.