1972–73 Gonzaga Bulldogs men's basketball team

1972–73 Gonzaga Bulldogs men's basketball
Conference	Big Sky Conference
Record	14–12 (6–8 Big Sky)
Head coach	Adrian Buoncristiani (1st season)
Assistant coach	Dan Fitzgerald
Home arena	Kennedy Pavilion

1972–73 Big Sky men's basketball standings

v t e	Conf							Overall
Team	W		L		PCT			W		L		PCT
Weber State	13	–	1		.929			20	–	7		.741
Idaho State	10	–	4		.714			18	–	8		.692
Montana State	9	–	5		.643			17	–	10		.630
Montana	7	–	7		.500			13	–	13		.500
Gonzaga	6	–	8		.429			14	–	12		.538
Boise State	5	–	9		.357			11	–	15		.423
Idaho	3	–	11		.214			7	–	19		.269
Northern Arizona	3	–	11		.214			6	–	20		.231

The 1972–73 Gonzaga Bulldogs men's basketball team represented Gonzaga University during the 1972–73 NCAA University Division basketball season. Members of the Big Sky Conference, the Bulldogs were led by first-year head coach Adrian Buoncristiani and played their home games on campus at Kennedy Pavilion in Spokane, Washington. They were 14–12 overall and 6–8 in conference play, in fifth place.[1]

Senior forward Greg Sten led the Big Sky in scoring and was selected to the all-conference team; senior forward Joe Clayton was second team and junior center Stewart Morrill was honorable mention.[2][3]

Previously an assistant coach at UC Santa Barbara. Buoncristiani succeeded Hank Anderson, who left Gonzaga after 21 years as head coach for a similar position at Montana State in Bozeman, a conference rival.[4][5] Less than a week after accepting the job in April, Buoncristiani was involved in a traffic accident in Spokane in which his car was demolished, but "ABC"[6] escaped with only minor injuries.[7][8]

References

1. Brown, Bruce (March 5, 1973). "Big Sky coaches seek added help". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). p. 19.
2. "Honors mounting up for Zags' Greg Sten". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). March 7, 1973. p. 31.
3. "'Sky team named". Deseret News. (Salt Lake City, Utah). UPI. March 7, 1973. p. D4.
4. "Zags appoint Buoncristiani". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). April 20, 1972. p. 23.
5. "GU tabs cage coach". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). April 19, 1972. p. 31.
6. "ABC walks off court". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). (photo). February 23, 1976. p. 16.
7. "Start startling for Zag boss". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). April 25, 1972. p. 18.
8. Missildine, Harry (April 26, 1972). "Buoncristiani arrives - pow!". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). p. 18.

External links

• Sports Reference – Gonzaga Bulldogs: 1972–73 basketball season