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The Zags want another Final Four appearance and it may be within reach

Since many members from last year's national championship runner-up team are gone, it is up to veteran players like Josh Perkins and Silas Melson to preach a sense of urgency.

SPOKANE, Wash. – The Gonzaga University basketball program's biggest knock was making it to the Final Four. After getting over the hump last year during their 20th NCAA appearance, they hope to make a repeat appearance.

A repeat run to the Final Four is within reach. Since many members from last year's National Championship runner-up team are gone, it is up to veteran players like Josh Perkins and Silas Melson to preach a sense of urgency. With a national championship under their belt, they know how attainable, and difficult, it is to reach that point.

Perkins said players like Przemek Karnowski and Nigel Williams-Goss stepped to push last year's team.

“At any time, it’s time to go home if you don’t win. So it’s the little things right now that matter,” Melson added. “I just gotta preach that message to the young guys and having guys like J3 and Silas next to me, and even guys like Snacks who didn’t get to play and we’re watching – they know.”

By the way, Snacks is a nickname for Zach Norvell Jr.

Melson said it is sometimes difficult to focus on the team’s ultimate goal.

"Yeah, it's always hard to not look past things,” he said. “I mean, it takes a lot of maturity, it takes a lot of leadership to focus on the one task you have at hand because we all know what's at stake. Everyone wants to get to that Alamo, get to that Final Four, but you're not going to get there if you don't take it one game at a time.”

The Zags’ first opponent, UNC Greensboro, is no slouch as a No. 14 seed with 27 wins. But they do not know the stage as well as the Zags, only reaching the Big Dance for the third time in program history. The team has both a mental and physical hurdle in its matchup with the Zags.

“We knew we’d get a great program and a great team. Gonzaga speaks for themselves…they made it to the National Championship game last year, so we know it’ll be a challenge but we’re excited to get to work on something specific,” said UNC Greensboro head coach Wes Miller.

“Gonzaga is such a great team, but we're not afraid. We're not scared of anybody,” said UNC Greensboro junior guard Francis Alonso.

UNC Greensboro beat North Carolina State on the road, a team in this tournament out of the ACC, so it is fair to say the team is battle-tested.

There will be much more to discuss about matchup after meeting the players and coaches at Taco Bell Arena in Boise, Idaho, starting at 10:20 a.m. on Thursday.

Tune into KREM 2 News on Wednesday at 7 p.m. for the Bulldog Madness special.

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