Gonzaga Falls to Texas in NCAA Tournament

Mark Few reflects on the Bulldogs' second-round loss in a hard-fought game.

Mar. 22, 2026 at 2:23am

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Gonzaga head coach Mark Few discussed his team's 74-69 loss to 11-seed Texas in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Few acknowledged the Longhorns were a talented team, not a Cinderella, and praised their strong interior play that hurt the Bulldogs. He also reflected on the difficulty of processing tournament losses and the abrupt end to the season for his tight-knit team.

Why it matters

Gonzaga has been a perennial powerhouse in men's college basketball, but this loss to an 11-seed Texas squad shows the unpredictability and challenges of the NCAA Tournament. Few's comments provide insight into how top programs handle unexpected tournament defeats and the emotional toll it takes on coaches and players.

The details

Few noted that Texas' isolation scoring and interior presence, particularly from their role players, were the key factors in the Longhorns' upset victory. He praised Texas' coaching and resources, saying they were not a typical Cinderella team. Few also discussed the difficulty of addressing his players after a sudden tournament exit, saying it's hard to make sense of the abrupt end to their season despite their 31-win campaign.

  • The game was played on Saturday, March 22, 2026 in Portland, Oregon.

The players

Mark Few

The head coach of the Gonzaga Bulldogs men's basketball team.

Texas Longhorns

The 11-seed men's basketball team that defeated Gonzaga in the NCAA Tournament.

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What they’re saying

“I think we're all adults here in this room, some of these monikers we put on everybody from Cinderella to blue bloods and all that, I have a hell of a time understanding it. I mean, they make literally no sense.”

— Mark Few, Head Coach, Gonzaga Bulldogs

“Listen they have some great isolation players. I thought we did a nice job in the first half on [Dailyn] Swain and [Tramon] Mark, but in the second half those isolation players got loose. They have a terrific big guy who puts a lot of foul pressure on you.”

— Mark Few, Head Coach, Gonzaga Bulldogs

“We all need time. Look, the suddenness of this tournament, no matter how many years you've done it, is just shocking to have to walk in the locker room and address these guys that really, truly, honestly, care about each other and love each other and would do anything to get one more possession together.”

— Mark Few, Head Coach, Gonzaga Bulldogs

What’s next

The Gonzaga Bulldogs will need to regroup and look ahead to the 2026-27 season as they transition to the Pac-12 conference after this campaign.

The takeaway

Gonzaga's loss to Texas underscores the unpredictability and emotional toll of the NCAA Tournament, even for perennial powerhouse programs. Few's comments provide insight into how top coaches process sudden tournament defeats and the challenge of moving forward after a tight-knit team's season comes to an abrupt end.