1976–77 Gonzaga Bulldogs men's basketball team

The 1976–77 Gonzaga Bulldogs men's basketball team represented Gonzaga University during the 1976–77 NCAA Division I basketball season. Members of the Big Sky Conference, the Bulldogs were led by fifth-year head coach Adrian Buoncristiani and played their home games on campus at Kennedy Pavilion in Spokane, Washington. They were 11–15 in the regular season and 7–7 in conference play.[1][2]

1976–77 Gonzaga Bulldogs men's basketball
ConferenceBig Sky Conference
Record11–16 (7–7 Big Sky)
Head coach
Home arenaKennedy Pavilion
1976–77 Big Sky men's basketball standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L PCTW L PCT
Idaho State †13–1 .92925–5  .833
Weber State11–3 .78620–8  .714
Gonzaga7–7 .50011–16  .407
Montana State6–8 .42912–14  .462
Northern Arizona5–9 .35712–15  .444
Boise State5–9 .35710–16  .385
Montana5–9 .3577–19  .269
Idaho3–11 .2145–21  .192
† Conference tournament winner

Gonzaga was third in the regular season standings and qualified for the four-team conference tournament, hosted by Idaho State in Pocatello.[1][3] The Bulldogs lost by a point in the semifinals to favored Weber State;[4] ISU won the tournament and advanced to the NCAA Tournament's Elite Eight, upsetting #2 UCLA in the Sweet Sixteen. It remains the best-ever showing in the NCAA tournament by a Big Sky team.

This was the Zags' sole appearance in the postseason while in the Big Sky, narrowly missing the next two conference tournaments. They joined the West Coast Athletic Conference (WCAC, now WCC) in the summer of 1979, and its tourney debuted in 1987.

Senior forward Jim Grady was on the all-conference team, and center Willie Moss was honorable mention.[5][6]

Postseason result
Date
time, TV		 Rank# Opponent# Result Record Site (attendance)
city, state
Big Sky tournament
Fri, March 4
6:00 pm		 (3) vs. (2) Weber State
Semifinal		 L 68–69  11–16
 ISU Minidome (4,427)
Pocatello, Idaho
*Non-conference game. #Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses.
All times are in Pacific time.

References
  1. "Zags draw Weber State". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). February 28, 1977. p. 17.
  2. "College cage standings". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). March 1, 1977. p. 16.
  3. "Gonzaga, Montana State in tough but not without chances". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). March 4, 1977. p. 31.
  4. English, Sue (March 5, 1977). "Cats survive GU scare". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). p. 11.
  5. "Grady wins All-Big Sky cage honors". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). Associated Press. March 15, 1977. p. 22.
  6. "Mayhew, Hayes head all-Big Sky cage team". Deseret News. (Salt Lake City, Utah). Associated Press. March 15, 1977. p. B6.
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