Despite narrow escape, Gonzaga's statement is loud and clear

Gonzaga didn't just survive West Virginia in the Sweet 16 on Thursday, it proved a point - that the Zags are worth all the hype of a No. 1 seed.

There were questions coming into the NCAA tournament about the validity of a team that fell one win short of a perfect regular season but collected most of its wins in the lightweight league known as the West Coast Conference.

Those questions remained after a slow start against South Dakota State in Round 1, and perhaps even grew after nearly squandering a massive lead to Northwestern in Round 2.

But they should be put to rest by what transpired in the Sweet 16.

If there's no way to prepare for ordinary power conference teams by playing in the WCC, there's certainly no way to prepare for one like West Virginia.

The fourth-seeded Mountaineers brought their trademark press defense - a style impossible to emulate in practice - to San Jose and forced 16 Gonzaga turnovers.

The Bulldogs shot a very modest 41 percent from the field and a pedestrian 66 percent from the free-throw line.

They were out-muscled on the glass, and star guard Nigel Williams-Goss managed only 10 points on 2-of-10 shooting.

Little went right for Mark Few's team, and the contest - like most involving West Virginia - was choppy and ugly. Few said afterward it the most physical affair his program has played in for years.

Still, the Zags found a way to win it, proving they're equipped to handle anything thrown at them, including a dose of adversity.

Gonzaga squads of the past would've found a way to lose this type of contest, but this one found a way to win it. For that, Few and his boys are off to the Elite Eight for only the second time in his 18-year tenure.

Gonzaga is still looking for its first Final Four banner to hang in the McCarthey Athletic Center, but Thursday's outcome suggests there'll be one on the way very, very soon.