The most significant achievement in Gardner-Webb basketball history was a one-and-done appearance in the Division II tournament, thanks to a loss to Georgia College and State. Sure, the Bulldogs can boast that Artis Gilmore spent two years there when G-W was a junior college, but the team doesn't have much of a basketball pedigree. That changed when coach Tim Craft and the Bulldogs dumped Radford in the Big South title game to reach the NCAA tournament for the first time. The victory was a surprise to some, but this isn't a team that staggered into prosperity. Gardner-Webb beat Wake Forest and Georgia Tech on the road and finished with 23 wins. Can the Bulldogs keep barking in the Big Dance?
ESPN+ has your answers, as Joe Lunardi has enlisted a team of Bracketologists to compile advanced metrics, key scouting intel and best- and worst-case tournament scenarios for all 68 teams to help you make smart picks in your bracket.
TOURNEY PROFILE
Best wins: at Georgia Tech, at Wake Forest
Worst loss: Eastern Illinois
Regular-season conference finish: T-3rd Big South
Polls and metrics: The BPI ranks the Bulldogs at 142, while KenPom is less impressed, slotting them at 169.
All-time tourney record: 0-0
Coach's tourney record: Tim Craft (0-0)
Bracketology chart | BPI information
PERSONNEL
(Note: Player statistics are through games of March 4.)
STARTING LINEUP
G David Efianayi (18.5 PPG, 3.8 RPG)
G/F Jose Perez (15.1 PPG, 5.7 RPG)
G Nate Johnson (10.0 PPG, 3.8 RPG)
G Christian Turner (3.0 PPG, 1.4 RPG)
F DJ Laster (13.1 PPG, 5.5 RPG)
Key Bench Players
F Eric Jamison (7.0 PPG, 4.4 RPG)
G Jaheam Cornwall (6.5 PPG, 2.4 RPG)
G Justin Jenkins (2.3 PPG, 1.3 RPG)
Biggest strength: The Bulldogs have an efficient offense that can hurt rivals in a variety of ways. Gardner-Webb shoots 39.3 percent from behind the arc and has players capable of succeeding off the dribble and inside the lane, too. Three different Dawgs compiled at least 90 assists this season, and the team is capable of taking care of the ball fairly well. Gardner-Webb also made 70.9 percent of its free throw attempts, a good thing, because the team averages 21.5 foul shot tries per game.
Biggest weakness: This is not a good rebounding team. In fact, Gardner-Webb takes a minus-0.8 margin into the tournament. No player averages even six a game, and rivals have had great success on the offensive boards. It's a good thing the Bulldogs are so efficient on the offensive end, because they don't get a lot of second shots, and by surrendering offensive rebounds, they make themselves vulnerable defensively.
Best player: Because he plays in the Big South, Efianayi, a 6-2 senior, doesn't get a lot of attention. But he does a lot well. He showed his worth during the Big South title game by taking over late and securing the Bulldogs' first-ever NCAA tourney berth. Efianayi is a strong finisher inside and is tough off the dribble. His court vision allows him to set up teammates when defenses collapse on him, and he made 41.8 percent of his 3-point attempts this season. He led the team in blocked shots, despite being a guard, and was second in steals.
X factor: People expected Efianayi to have a big game in the conference title tilt, but when Laster went for a career-high 32, many were surprised. The 6-6 senior is a strong interior player who excels when he can work over his left shoulder, but he also hit 43.8 percent of his 48 3-point tries, so he has to be watched outside. Laster is the best offensive rebounder on the team, and he is a solid interior defender.
SCOUTING REPORT
How they beat you: Gardner-Webb has a versatile collection of offensive players, so it is able to force rivals to defend the whole half-court area. Its high skill level means it can work well in pick-and-roll sets, drive the basketball and kick and hit the long ball. The Bulldogs will get out and run, and in Efianayi and Perez have two players who can finish well on the break. It helps to have a sturdy interior performer like Laster who can succeed in the post but also draw big players away from the basket with his ability to shoot. Gardner-Webb plays good man-to-man defense and forces plenty of turnovers thanks to its collection of aggressive perimeter defenders.
How you beat them: It's important not to let the Bulldogs get too comfortable inside, because the team makes 54.1 percent of its 2-point tries. Even though Gardner-Webb converts at a 39.3 percent rate from long range, it is imperative to stop penetration and make this team into more of a perimeter bunch. When a team has the ball, it should be patient, the better to avoid turnovers, and it must crash the offensive boards hard to take advantage of what should be a considerable size advantage.
WHAT THE NUMBERS SAY
(Note: All statistics in this section are courtesy of kenpom.com and are accurate through games of March 4.)
NATIONAL RANKS
Offensive efficiency, 109th (107.7)
Defensive efficiency, 254th (108.2)
3-point percentage, 38th (37.7)
3-point percentage D, 140th (33.8)
Free throw rate, 31st (39.2)
Free throw rate D, 42nd (27.7)
TO percentage, 64th (16.8)
TO percentage D, 210th (18.1)
HOW FAR WILL THEY GO?
Best-case scenario: First round
The Bulldogs end up in the First Four round and knock off an opponent from another small conference, as Radford did last year when it beat LIU. The Bulldogs use their diverse offensive attack and ability to create turnovers to overcome their lack of success on the boards and prevail.
Worst-case scenario: First Four loss
Gardner-Webb struggles to play efficient offense when it runs into a taller team that makes life difficult inside and crowds the lane to prevent penetration. Meanwhile, the Bulldogs' lack of size leads to plenty of second-chance shots for the opponent at the other end.