#1-seed Gonzaga (30-3) vs. 16-seed Fairleigh Dickinson
MARCH 21 | 4:27 P.M. | SALT LAKE CITY, UT | VIVINT SMART HOME ARENA
TV: truTV
LIVE VIDEO | LIVE STATS
 
THE TIP-OFF:
- Gonzaga and Fairleigh Dickinson meet for the first time on Thursday in the first round of the 2019 NCAA Tournament in Salt Lake City, Utah, at 4:27 p.m. Pacific. The Zags are 5-0 all-time vs. the Northeast Conference.
- GU is making its 21st consecutive NCAA Tournament Appearance and 22nd overall. The 21 straight berths to the field is the fourth-longest current streak in the nation (Kansas, Duke, Michigan State).
- The Zags are 31-21 all-time in 21 previous NCAA Tournament appearances with nine trips to the Sweet 16, three trips to the Elite Eight, one Final Four and an appearance in one national championship game.
- GU is 28-19 in the NCAA Tournament under head coach Mark Few with a berth in all 19 previous seasons of Few's head coaching career.
- The Bulldogs receive a one-seed for the third time in program history. Gonzaga has been in Salt Lake City in each of those three occasions.
- GU has played more NCAA Tournament games in Salt Lake City than any other site, winning six of the nine games played there.
- The Zags are first in the nation in field goal percentage (53.2), scoring margin (23.8), scoring offense (88.8), assist-to-turnover ratio (1.76).
- Gonzaga has never played an NCAA Tournament game in Anaheim, Calif., site of the West Regional semifinals and finals.
- Last season, [4] GU defeated [13] UNC-Greensboro and [5] Ohio State in Boise, Idaho, advancing to the Sweet 16 where it fell to [11] Florida State.
 
SERIES NOTES:
- This is the first-ever meeting between Gonzaga and Fairleigh Dickinson.
- The Bulldogs are 5-0 all-time versus current members from the Northeast Conference, 3-0 under Mark Few.
- Gonzaga won its latest meeting with a member from the NEC, beating Bryant in Spokane in 2016, 109-70.
 
SCOUTING THE KNIGHTS:           
- Fairleigh Dickinson beat Prairie View A&M in Tuesday's First Four, 82-76.
- Darnell Edge paced the Knights with a career-high 33 points. Jahlil Jenkins scored 20 of his 22 points in the second half to go along with six assists and four rebounds, while Kaleb Bishop and Mike Holloway Jr. each double-doubled. The duo each scored 10 points, while Holloway corralled 14 rebounds and Bishop nabbed 11.
- The Knights shot 68 percent (17-of-25) from the field in the second half.
- FDU suffered a 25-point home beatdown to St. Francis (Pa.) in mid-February, dropping to 12-13 on the season. But they've not lost since, rattling off nine straight wins (by an average of 13.5 points) en route to a share of the NEC regular-season title and the conference championship (which they won on St. Francis' home floor).
- The Knights win over Prairie View A&M was FDU's first-ever in the NCAA Tournament (1-5).
- All five FDU starters average double-figures; Kaleb Bishop (10.1 PPG, 6.3 RPG), Mike Holloway Jr. (12.5 PPG, 5.5 RPG, Xzavier Malone-Key (11.4 PPG, 3.9 RPG), Darnell Edge (16.4 PPG, 2.4 APG) and Jahlil Jenkins (13.5 PPG, 4.5 APG).
- First-team All-NEC selection Edge led the conference in 3-point shooting (46.9 percent) and knocked down more than three on eight occasions this season. The Knights went 7-1 in those games.
- Fairleigh Dickinson ranks fifth nationally in 3-point field goal percentage (40.3).
- No player in the Fairleigh Dickinson rotation stands above 6-foot-8.
 
NCAA TOURNAMENT NOTES
- Gonzaga is making its 21st consecutive NCAA Tournament Appearance and 22nd overall.
- The 21 straight berths to the field is the fourth-longest current streak in the nation (Kansas, Duke, Michigan State).
- The Zags are 31-21 all-time in 21 previous NCAA Tournament appearances with nine trips to the Sweet 16, three trips to the Elite Eight, one Final Four and an appearance in one national championship game.
- GU is 28-19 in the NCAA Tournament under head coach Mark Few with a berth in all 19 previous seasons of Few's head coaching career.
- Gonzaga is one of only two teams to win its opening-round NCAA Tournament game each of the last 10 seasons, Kansas is the other.
- The Bulldogs are 22-15 all-time as a single-digit seed, with a 12-2 record in first round games as a single-digit seed. 
- The Bulldogs receive a one-seed for the third time in program history. Gonzaga has been in Salt Lake City in each of those three occasions.
- GU has played more NCAA Tournament games in Salt Lake City than any other site, winning six of the nine games played there.
- The Zags began their Final Four run in Salt Lake City in 2017, beating South Dakota State in the first round and Northwestern in the second round. Gonzaga fell to Wichita State in the second round in 2013 in Salt Lake City, after defeating Southern in the first round.
- Last season, [4] GU defeated [13] UNC-Greensboro and [5] Ohio State in Boise, Idaho, advancing to the Sweet 16 where it fell to [11] Florida State.
 
FACT CHECKING
- During Few's coaching career, his GU teams are 21-6 (.778) as the higher seed, including a 14-2 mark since 2009.
               - 2018: #9 Florida State def. #4 Gonzaga
               - 2013: #9 Wichita State def. #1 Gonzaga
               - 2008: #10 Davidson def. #7 Gonzaga
               - 2005: #6 Texas Tech def. #3 Gonzaga
               - 2004: #10 Nevada def. #2 Gonzaga
               - 2002: #11 Wyoming def. #6 Gonzaga
- Since 2009, the Zags have lost only two games against a lower-seeded team, a span of 10 NCAA Tournaments.
- Few's teams have also pulled seven upset wins in his 19 previous NCAA Tournaments.
 
FAMILIAR TERRITORY
- Josh Perkins has started in all 12 of his NCAA Tournament appearances for the Zags. He has dished out 38 assists and averages 8.3 points in the NCAA Tournament.
- Perkins 12 appearances in the NCAA Tournament ranks third in program history, while his 38 assists are three away from the most in GU history in the tournament. His 12 steals all-time in the tournament are also three shy of the most in program history.
- Zach Norvell Jr. averages 19 points per game in the tournament, in three appearances, which ranks third in program history.
- Killian Tillie has appeared in eight games in the NCAA Tournament.