Is Gonzaga the best college basketball team in the country?

The Zags have a 24-0 record and a No. 1 ranking in both major polls, evidence that seems to insist the answer might be yes.

But maybe a better way to answer the first question is with a better one: Can Gonzaga actually win the NCAA championship?

Remember, this will be the Zags’ 19th consecutive trip to The Dance – and they’ve still never quite reached the Final Four, let alone win it all.

And yet...

A lot of knowledgeable hoops folk believe Gonzaga is a different animal this season, offering a daunting combination of depth, talent and toughness.

Tennessee coach Rick Barnes watched the Zags beat his Vols in Knoxville, and said of the Gonzaga team directed by his close friend Mark Few: “That’s as good a team as he’s had. He’s got a team capable of being undefeated going into postseason play.”

THE ZAGS may have caught people by surprise a bit this year, despite the incredible success Few has enjoyed in Spokane.

Last year could have been something pretty special, with 7-footer Domantas Sabonis inside and silky shooting Kyle Wiltjer burying 3-balls and banging to the rim.

But once again, the NCAA Tournament dream came to a crashing halt in a 63-60 loss to Syracuse in a Sweet 16 game — although the officials later apologized to Few for blowing a 10-second violation call with about a minute to play and the Zags up 60-59.

That one hurt, then Sabonis and Wiltjer both left for the NBA.

This season appeared to call for a rebuilding effort, but Few stunned the college hoops world by adding the equivalent of an entire team.

Seven-foot freshman center Zach Collins is scoring in double figures — despite playing less than 20 minutes per game backing up Polish monster Przemek Karnowski in the post.

Then there are the three transfers — juniors Nigel Williams-Goss from Washington and 6-9 Jonathan Williams from Missouri, along with graduate addition Jordan Mathews, a sharpshooter from Cal.

Each of the transfers was a double-figure scorer at his former school, and point guard Williams-Goss is a bona fide star.

Oh, and throw 6-10 French freshman forward Killian Tillie into that mix.

NOW ADD all those newcomers to a returning nucleus that includes guards Josh Perkins and Silas Melson – plus Karnowski, of course.

Gonzaga always seems to be stocked in the middle, but against good teams, problems have cropped up with ball-handling and finding someone to keep the Zags in rhythm.

Besides the bad call against Syracuse, Gonzaga turned the ball over five times down the stretch in that game.

And then there’s been the depth issue.

Few has attracted some stars to Spokane, but his teams have generally had to fear foul trouble or weariness late in games because there wasn’t much quality on the bench.

All evidence so far this year indicates that those two glaring trouble spots have turned into strengths.

“This is Gonzaga’s deepest and most balanced team,” said ESPN analyst Jay Bilas. “Williams-Goss runs the show like no one they’ve had in a while, and there are scorers and defenders at every position.”

Consider: Collins is developing so fast that he could start at center for most teams in the country. There are now three other solid guards to complement Williams-Goss. Mathews adds shooting prowess from deep.

“I can’t think of anything they’re missing,” said Arizona coach Sean Miller of the Zags.

So are they the best?

We’ll see in the tournament, but they’re damn close.

Steve Cameron is a special assignment reporter for The Press. He has covered sports at all levels for more than three decades. Reach Steve at scameron@cdapress.com.