Opinion: Gonzaga maintains ‘little team that could’ attitude even as its success grows

INDIANAPOLIS – It’s almost an inevitability that the more success someone has, the further away from their roots they get.

Not Gonzaga. Now a card-carrying member of men’s college basketball’s bluebloods, the ‘Zags remain that little team that could from Spokane, Wash. Endearingly so.

This is the sixth consecutive tournament that Gonzaga has reached the Sweet 16, the only school that can currently claim such consistent excellence. The Bulldogs are also the overall No. 1 seed, looking to become the first unbeaten men’s team since Indiana in 1976. Yet there the ‘Zags were Monday afternoon, as pumped to be moving on as the first Gonzaga team to do it, back in 1999.

“Man,” Drew Timme said as he took a seat for the news conference after Gonzaga’s 87-71 win over eighth-seeded Oklahoma. “It feels good to go to the Sweet 16.”

When Mark Few arrived a few minutes later, his hair was wet. Yes, he confirmed, his players had doused him in celebration. He wouldn’t confirm if he’s done his trademark celebratory handstand yet – but he wouldn’t deny it, either.

Gonzaga later posted video proof that the handstand did, indeed, occur. 

That winning feeling ?? pic.twitter.com/6vtv09ihUS

“We've been celebrating every one of these wins,” Few said. “You know, Zags go really, really hard and they prepare really hard, and after a win we celebrate hard and we know how to have a great time. And I think that's one of the things that makes our program so special.”

Maintaining that innocent enthusiasm after you’ve reached the pinnacle is not easy. Sustaining success is hard work, and the heightened expectations can become a grind. What was once considered a historic season becomes the standard, and momentous achievements become the assumption.

Sure, there’s satisfaction in there somewhere. But mostly it’s a ticking of boxes, making sure you’re doing all the things people know to expect of you. Think about a Duke or a Kentucky. You know what I’m talking about. There might be fun along the way, but is there room for joy?

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