Huggins: Zags would face 'awakening' in Big 12

West Virginia manager Bob Huggins is not convinced that Gonzaga, a powerhouse successful caller years, volition prolong its occurrence if it makes the determination to the Big 12, 1 of America's premier leagues successful men's assemblage basketball.

ESPN's Pete Thamel reported Wednesday that Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark and Gonzaga diversion manager Chris Standiford had met successful Texas precocious to sermon the possibility, which would marque the Big 12 a league that would rival and apt surpass immoderate different successful men's basketball.

"I would deliberation it would beryllium a tremendous awakening for Gonzaga [to articulation the Big 12]," Huggins told reporters connected Thursday.

Sources besides told Thamel that some the Pac-12 and the Big East had "engaged with" Gonzaga arsenic well, but the grade of those conversations is unknown.

Throughout its tally arsenic a men's assemblage hoops standout implicit the past 20 years, Gonzaga has been slighted by Power 5 coaches who person openly questioned whether the programme could duplicate that occurrence successful a large conference. Beginning with the 1999-2000 season, manager Mark Few has failed to triumph the West Coast Conference regular-season rubric -- oregon astatine slightest a stock of it -- lone doubly (2000, 2012), but the programme has not won a nationalist championship.

Gonzaga's supporters, however, antagonistic with its consistency, its caller way grounds successful the NCAA tourney and the fig of NBA draught picks it has sent to the adjacent level. Gonzaga has played successful 2 of the past 5 nationalist title games. And since 2014, the programme has not missed the 2nd play of the NCAA tournament.

The schoolhouse besides has produced 11 first-round picks nether Few.

West Virginia has produced 1 first-round prime successful the NBA draught since 1968. But the Big 12 has been 1 of America's champion leagues implicit the past decade, and 2 of its members, Baylor and Kansas, person claimed the past 2 nationalist championships. The accomplishment of Houston successful 2023 volition lone heighten the league's endowment pool.

That gauntlet -- the Big 12's teams presently play each different squad successful the league doubly during the league docket -- is 1 of the toughest slates successful assemblage basketball.

"To get successful this league and play who we play day-after-day, I would deliberation it would beryllium a tremendous awakening," Huggins said astir Gonzaga. "You don't get to marque your ain docket successful the Big 12."