Bracketology 2024: Gonzaga, Michigan State and Memphis among teams in most need of a win this weekend

Gonzaga

Many moons have passed since Gonzaga has been a Cinderella; these Bulldogs have been a national power in recent years. However, things are different in Spokane this season as this Gonzaga squad isn’t quite at the same level as some of those recent teams. You could easily argue that they aren’t the best team in the WCC and could find themselves on the wrong side of the bubble for the first time in more than a quarter century.

At first glance things don’t seem dire, as the Bulldogs’ NET is at 26, but this is a deep study. The Bulldogs are 0-5 against Quad 1 opportunities, blowing their chances to build this resume in the nonconference. Unfortunately, Gonzaga has since fumbled opportunities in WCC play, picking up a Quad 2 loss at Santa Clara in December before last weekend’s shocking home loss to Saint Mary’s.

As a result, it puts even more pressure on Saturday’s game at Kentucky. Winning in Lexington is really difficult but not impossible. Gonzaga cannot lack Quad 1 wins on a resume that includes a lot of bottom-feeders in the WCC. They need a great performance against the Wildcats this weekend to get back into the spotlight. Can they actually get it done when they faltered against teams like UConn, Purdue, and San Diego State earlier in the season?

We’ve looked closely at these ten schools that all could really use a great performance this weekend. Which of these teams do you think will get the wins they need? Will other teams rise on the bubble both this weekend and in the weeks ahead?