The Cage Crusades: Gonzaga Zags Labeled Latest Postseason Jesuit Jewel
December 21st, 2024 - 10:58
In 2016-17, NCAA playoff runner-up Gonzaga became one of only five different Jesuit schools a total of seven times reaching the NCAA Tournament Final Four since 1990 (joining Georgetown 07/Marquette 03/Loyola of Chicago 18/Villanova 09-16-18). The Zags duplicated their second-place finish in 2021.
The first year both the NCAA Tournament and NIT finals had Jesuit school representation was 1943. In a 33-year span ending in 1975 (first season NCAA playoff field expanded to at least 32 entrants), only five years (1946-50-57-64-66) emerged when neither the NCAA nor NIT had a Jesuit institution participate in their championship contests.
The "Catholic League" dominated national postseason competition in 1955 when all four title-tilt participants were linked to the largest Christian church. Are we in midst of another "J-school" revival? Dayton, Gonzaga and Villanova were legitimate Final Four contenders the last several seasons. Following is a list of championship game appearances for Jesuit schools in aforementioned 33-year span from mid-1940s to mid-1970s:
Year NCAA Tourney Final NIT Final 1943 Georgetown St. John's 1944 DePaul/St. John's 1945 DePaul 1946 No Jesuit school participants in NCAA or NIT final 1947 Holy Cross 1948 St. Louis 1949 Loyola of Chicago/San Francisco 1950 No Jesuit school participants in NCAA or NIT final 1951 Dayton 1952 St. John's Dayton 1953 St. John's/Seton Hall 1954 La Salle Duquesne/Holy Cross 1955 La Salle/San Francisco Dayton/Duquesne 1956 San Francisco Dayton 1957 No Jesuit school participants in NCAA or NIT final 1958 Seattle Dayton/Xavier 1959 St. John's 1960 Providence 1961 Providence/St. Louis 1962 Dayton/St. John's 1963 Loyola of Chicago Canisius/Providence 1964 No Jesuit school participants in NCAA or NIT final 1965 Villanova 1966 No Jesuit school participants in NCAA or NIT final 1967 Dayton Marquette 1968 Dayton 1969 Boston College 1970 Marquette/St. John's 1971 Villanova 1972 Niagara 1973 Notre Dame 1974 Marquette 1975 Providence