Visit Bubbleteams.com to view each conference tournament bracket and check out the other conference tournament previews.
America East:
UMBC defeated Stony Brook to advance to the conference quarterfinals where they will face top seed Albany.
FIRST ROUND
At Events Center
Vestal, N.Y.
Friday, March 3
Game 1: No. 8 Maryland-Baltimore County 88, No. 9 Stony Brook 70
QUARTERFINALS
Saturday, March 4
Game 2: No. 2 Binghamton vs. No. 7 Maine, noon
Game 3: No. 3 Boston University vs. No. 6 Maine, 2:30 p.m.
Game 4: No. 1 Albany vs. No. 8 Maryland-Baltimore County, 6 p.m.
Game 5: No. 4 Hartford vs. No. 5 New Hampshire, 8:30 p.m.
SEMIFINALS
Sunday, March 5
Game 6: Winners of Games 2 and 3, Noon
Game 7: Winners of Games 4 and 5, 2:30 p.m.
CHAMPIONSHIP
At higher seed
Saturday, March 11
Game 8: Winners of Games 6 and 7, Noon ET (ESPN2)
Atlantic Sun:
Lipscomb dominated Gardner-Webb and Belmont handily beat Stetson to set the championship match between the top two teams in the Atlantic Sun.
At Memorial Center
Johnson City, Tenn.
QUARTERFINALS
Thursday, March 2
Game 1: No. 1 Lipscomb 78, No. 8 Mercer 62
Game 2: No. 4 Gardner-Webb 64, No. 5 East Tennessee State 63
Game 3: No. 2 Belmont 90, No. 7 Campbell 76
Game 4: No. 6 Stetson 54, No. 3 Florida Atlantic 44
SEMIFINALS
Friday, March 3
Game 5: No. 1 Lipscomb 70, No. 4 Gardner-Webb 51
Game 6: No. 2 Belmont 72, No. 6 Stetson 59
CHAMPIONSHIP
Saturday, March 4
Game 7: No. 1 Lipscomb vs. Game 6 winner, 2 p.m. (ESPN2)
Colonial:
Delaware and Georgia State each pulled of upsets to advance to the quarterfinals. 5 seed Northeastern advanced to face Old Dominion and 6 seed VCU barely beat William & Mary to set up a solid quarterfinal game against Hofstra.
At the Richmond Coliseum
Richmond, Va.
FIRST ROUND
Friday, March 3
Game 1: No. 9 Delaware 52, No. 8 Drexel 49
Game 2: No. 5 Northeastern 74, No. 12 James Madison 56
Game 3: No. 10 Georgia State 72, No. 7 Towson 64
Game 4: No. 6 VCU 62, No. 11 William & Mary 59
QUARTERFINALS
Saturday, March 4
Game 5: No. 1 UNC Wilmington vs. No. 9 Delaware, 12 p.m.
Game 6: No. 4 Old Dominion vs. No. 5 Northeastern, 2:30 p.m.
Game 7: No. 2 George Mason vs. No. 10 Georgia State, 6 p.m.
Game 8: No. 3 Hofstra vs. No. 6 VCU, 8:30 p.m.
SEMIFINALS
Sunday, March 5
Game 9: Game 5 winner vs. Game 6 winner, 3:30 p.m.
Game 10: Game 7 winner vs. Game 8 winner, 6 p.m. (ESPNU)
CHAMPIONSHIP
Monday, March 6
Game 11: Game 9 winner vs. Game 10 winner, 7 p.m. (ESPN)
Horizon:
Wisconsin-Green Bay advanced to the semifinals to face 2 seed Butler and Loyola-Chicago defeated Illinois-Chicago to advance and play host Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
FIRST ROUND
At higher seeds
Tuesday, Feb. 28
Game 1: No. 6 Illinois-Chicago 77, No. 7 Wright State 64
Game 2: No. 5 Detroit 92, No. 8 Cleveland State 58
Game 3: No. 4 Loyola-Chi. 76, No. 9 Youngstown State 61
QUARTERFINALS
At The Klotsche Center
Milwaukee, Wis.
Friday, March 3
Game 4: No. 3 Wisconsin-Green Bay 76, No. 6 Illinois-Chicago 66
Game 5: No. 4 Loyola-Chi. 64, No. 5 Detroit 55
SEMIFINALS
Saturday, March 4
Game 6: No. 2 Butler vs. No. 3 Wisconsin-Green Bay, 4:30 p.m. (ESPNU)
Game 7: No. 1 Wisconsin-Milwaukee vs. No. 4 Loyola-Chi, 7 p.m. (ESPNU)
CHAMPIONSHIP
At higher seed
Tuesday, March 7
Game 8: Game 6 winner vs. Game 7 winner, 9 p.m. (ESPN)
MAAC:
St. Peter's and Niagara each won their opening round games and Canisius dropped in a buzzer beater to advance to the second round of the MAAC Tournament.
At Pepsi Arena
Albany, N.Y.
FIRST ROUND
Friday, March 3
Game 1: No. 5 Saint Peter's 80, No. 10 Rider 51
Game 2: No. 7 Niagara 84, No. 8 Fairfield 77
Game 3: No. 9 Canisius 74, No. 6 Loyola, Md. 72
SECOND ROUND
Saturday, March 4
Game 4: No. 4 Siena vs. No. 5 Saint Peter's, 5 p.m.
Game 5: No. 2 Iona vs. No. 7 Niagara, 7:30 p.m.
Game 6: No. 3 Marist vs. No. 9 Canisius, 10 p.m.
SEMIFINALS
Sunday, March 5
Game 7: No. 1 Manhattan vs. Game 4 winner, 6 p.m.
Game 8: Game 5 winner vs. Game 6 winner, 8:30 p.m.
CHAMPIONSHIP
Monday, March 6
Game 9: Game 7 winner vs. Game 8 winner, 9 p.m. (ESPN2)
Missouri Valley:
Top seed Wichita State defteated Indiana State to advance to the semifinals to face 5 seed Bradley, an upset winner against bubble team Creighton and Southern Illinois advanced to the semifinals to face Northern Iowa.
At Savvis Center
St. Louis, Mo.
FIRST ROUND
Thursday, March 2
Game 1: No. 9 Indiana State 72, No. 8 Drake 63
Game 2: No. 7 Evansville 52, No. 10 Illinois State 45
QUARTERFINALS
Friday, March 3
Game 3: No. 1 Wichita State 81, No. 9 Indiana State 63
Game 4: No. 5 Bradley 54, No. 4 Creighton 47
Game 5: No. 2 Southern Illinois 71, No. 7 Evansville 55
Game 6: No. 6 Northern Iowa 57, No. 3 Missouri State 42
SEMIFINALS
Saturday, March 4
Game 7: No. 1 Wichita State vs. No. 5 Bradley, 2:30 p.m.
Game 8: No. 2 Southern Illinois vs. No. 6 Northern Iowa, 5 p.m.
CHAMPIONSHIP
Sunday, March 5
Game 9: Winners of Games 7 and 8, 2 p.m.
Ohio Valley:
The top two seeds, Murray State and Samford, won close contests to advance to the championship game of the OVC.
FIRST ROUND
At higher seeds
Tuesday, Feb. 28
Game 1: No. 1 Murray State 65, UT-Martin 52
Game 2: No. 4 Jacksonville St. 86, No. 5 Eastern Kentucky 59
Game 3: No. 2 Samford 78, Tennessee State 67
Game 4: No. 3 Tennessee Tech 78, No. 6 Austin Peay 74
SEMIFINALS
At The Gaylord Entertainment Center
Nashville, Tenn.
Friday, March 3
Game 5: No. 1 Murray State 69, No. 4 Jacksonville St. 64
Game 6: No. 2 Samford 73, No. 3 Tennessee Tech 67
CHAMPIONSHIP
Saturday, March 5
Game 7: No. 1 Murray State vs. No. 2 Samford, 4 p.m. (ESPN2)
Patriot:
The Patriot League held form as all top four seeds advanced to the semifinals.
FIRST ROUND
Friday, March 3
At Sojka Pavilion
Lewisburg, Pa.
Game 1: No. 4 American 75, No. 5 Lafayette 62
Game 2: No. 1 Bucknell 59, No. 8 Army 47
At Hart Center
Worcester, Mass.
Game 3: No. 3 Lehigh 48, No. 6 Colgate 44
Game 4: No. 2 Holy Cross 78, No. 7 Navy 50
SEMIFINALS
Sunday, March 5
At Sojka Pavilion
Lewisburg, Pa.
Game 5: No. 1 Bucknell vs. No. 4 American, 1 p.m.
At Hart CenterWorcester, Mass.
Game 6: No. 2 Holy Cross vs. No. 3 Lehigh, 1 p.m.
CHAMPIONSHIP
At higher seed
Friday, March 10
Game 7: Game 5 winner vs. Game 6 winner, 4:30 p.m. (ESPN2)
Southern:
Appalachian State and Chattanooga both scored upsets to advance to the semifinals. Elon needed overtime to defeat NC Greensboro and advanceto meet 3 seed Davidson.
At North Charleston Coliseum
North Charleston, S.C.
FIRST ROUND
Thursday, March 2
Game 1: No. 8 Appalachian St. 66, No. 9 Wofford 65
Game 2: No. 10 UNC Greensboro 69, No. 7 Western Carolina 65
Game 3: No. 11 The Citadel 65, No. 6 Furman 53
QUARTERFINALS
Friday, March 3
Game 4: No. 8 Appalachian St. 74, No. 1 Georgia Southern 61
Game 5: No. 5 Chattanooga 65, No. 4 College of Charleston 63
Game 6: No. 2 Elon 64, No. 10 UNC Greensboro 61 OT
Game 7: No. 3 Davidson 79, No. 11 The Citadel 73
SEMIFINALS
Saturday, March 4
Game 8: No. 8 Appalachian St. vs. No. 5 Chattanooga, 12 p.m.
Game 9: No. 2 Elon vs. No. 3 Davidson, 2:30 p.m.
CHAMPIONSHIP
Sunday, March 5
Game 10: Game 8 winner vs. Game 9 winner, 2 p.m. (ESPN2)
Sun Belt:
Troy upset Arkansas State to join New Orleans and Arkansas-Little Rock as each advanced to the conference quarterfinals.
At the Murphy Center
Murfreesboro, Tenn.
FIRST ROUND
Friday, March 3
Game 1: W4 New Orleans 76, E5 Florida International 56
Game 2: E4 Arkansas-Little Rock 72, W5 North Texas 55
Game 3: W6 Troy 107, E3 Arkansas State 83
QUARTERFINALS
Sunday, March 5
Game 4: E2 Middle Tennessee vs. W3 Denver, 1 p.m.
Game 5: E1 Western Kentucky vs. W4 New Orleans, 3:30 p.m.
Game 6: W1 South Alabama vs. E4 Arkansas-Little Rock, 7 p.m.
Game 7: W2 Louisiana-Lafayette vs. E3 Arkansas State, 9:30 p.m.
SEMIFINALS
Monday, March 6
Game 8: Game 4 winner vs. Game 5 winner, 7:30 p.m.
Game 9: Game 6 winner vs. Game 7 winner, 10 p.m.
CHAMPIONSHIP
Tuesday, March 7
Game 10: Game 8 winner vs. Game 9 winner, 9:30 p.m. (ESPN2)
West Coast:
San Diego and Santa Clara each advanced to the second round where they will meet San Francisco and St. Mary's, respectively.
At McCarthey Athletic Center
Spokane, Wash.
FIRST ROUND
Friday, March 3
Game 1: No. 5 San Diego 85, No. 8 Pepperdine 72
Game 2: No. 7 Santa Clara 72, No. 6 Portland 68
QUARTERFINALS
Saturday, March 4
Game 3: No. 4 San Francisco vs. No. 5 San Diego, 9 p.m.
Game 4: No. 3 Saint Mary's vs. No. 7 Santa Clara, 11:30 p.m.
SEMIFINALS
Sunday, March 5
Game 5: No. 1 Gonzaga vs. Game 3 winner, 8 p.m. (ESPN2)
Game 6: No. 2 Loyola Marymount vs. Game 4 winner, 10 p.m. (ESPN2)
CHAMPIONSHIP
Monday, March 6
Game 7: Game 5 winner vs. Game 6 winner, 9 p.m. (ESPN)
Friday, March 03, 2006
Bubblicious !!
Thursday and Friday have seen some additional shifts amongst the teams on the bubble, so be sure to visit Bubbleteams.com to check out updated scores and schedules.
Expansion and contraction:
First one in !
The Penn Quakers clinched first place in the Ivy League with a 57-55 win at Yale. The Quakers earn the automatic berth and earn the first bid to the 2006 NCAA Tournament.
Northern Iowa: Just when everyone was ready to count out the Panthers, they go and defeat fellow bubble team and conference foe Missouri State to advance to the conference semifinals in the MVC. It would be unlikely the committee would now keep out the Panthers, despite a late season swoon. A top 25 RPI, a nice slate of solid wins (LSU, Wichita State twice, Iowa) and this latest win should be just enough to bump the Panthers over the top and push them into the NCAA Tournament.
Missouri State: What do you tell a team that has a top 20 RPI, a 20-8 overall record (12-6 in conference) with 4 wins against the top 50 RPI after they lose during Championship Week? Well, if that team were from a Big 6 power conference, you would congratulate them on what would likely be a top seed in the NCAA Tournament. Now, if that team is from the Missouri Valley Conference, you are much more likely to say they do not deserve a bid as much as some 8-8 team from the Big East of the ACC simply because of the teams they played. This is the fate that the Bears face after their loss to Northern Iowa in the MVC quarterfinals. Everything statistical and numerical would point to Missouri State getting an at-large bid to the Big Dance, but this year.... with the craziness that has occurred just in the last week?? Who knows what the future will bring the Bears come Selection Sunday?
Seton Hall: There was much consternation over the Pirates after they had lost three straight games... all to teams at the bottom of the Big East. It had looked grim for the Pirates facing two games against Cincinnati and Pitt. After a win against Cincinnati, Seton Hall looked in better shape, if they could just somehow win at Pitt. Lo and behold, the Hall did what teams who deserve an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament are supposed to do. They won a BIG game, defeating the Panthers at Pitt and all but locked up an at-large bid to the Big Dance. Seton Hall still has a shaky RPI and a few bad losses, but with wins at NC State, Pitt and at home against WVU and a 5-4 record against the top 50 RPI, it would be unfathomable for the Selection Committee to hold out the Hall now, especially after the recent collapses of Cincinnati and Syracuse. Welcome to the field of 65 Seton Hall..... you definitely earned it.
Bradley: The Braves have muddied the waters of the MVC after their win against Creighton in the conference quarterfinals. The Braves continued their hot streak, winning their sixth game in a row and their tenth in their last 12 games. Bradley still has a spotty resume, with no real marquee non-conference wins; yet it is getting harder and harder to leave the Braves out of the NCAA Tournament. The question is..... who do they replace?
Creighton: Creighton looked to be solid for an at-large bid.... that is until the lost their last two games (and four of their last six), including a loss in the MVC quarterfinals against Bradley. Creighton looked all but in a week ago, but despite a 28 RPI and a 6-6 record vs the top 50 RPI, it is questionable whether the Blue Jays have done enough in the committee's eyes to earn an at-large bid. Much will depend on the happenings across the nation over the next ten days. Should conference favorites like George Mason and George Washington lose in their conference tournament, it will make it even harder and harder to justify the inclusion of Creighton in this year's Big Dance.
Southern Illinois: The Salukis made life on the bubble even more challenging after their quarterfinal win against lowly Evansville. Southern Illinois will earn few points for this victory (and they may even drop a few spots in the RPI), yet they are still alive in the race for the automatic bid out of the MVC and they are fighting with several fellow bubble brethren from their own conference. It is hard to tell just what the Selection Committee would do with this team. Should they make the conference finals, it might be enough to push them over the top of other bubble teams, like Creighton and the loser of Northern Iowa and Missouri State.
Arizona: Hah, like the committee would leave out the Wildcats. Despite an 18-10 record, Arizona is 11-6 in the Pac Ten and is the #19 RPI team in all the land. Arizona is in, regardless of their last two games.
California: The Bears had their chance, blowing a double-digit lead in the second half to UCLA at home. California must win their season finale against USC and hope their 12-6 conference record stands for more than a mediocre RPI, a lack of a solid non-conference win and several questionable losses (Oregon State and Arizona State). The Bears need two more wins to solidify their standing with the Selection Committee.
Syracuse: The Orangemen may have suffered the WORST loss of ANY team in the past twenty years looking to play their way off the bubble and into the NCAA Tournament. Margin of victory is usually not a consideration of whether a team is included or left out of the Big Dance, yet how can the NCAA Selection Committee ignore a 39 point thrashing by a 12-14 team that is only 5-10 in their own conference. Amazingly Syracuse can still reverse the damage b winning at home against Villanova this weekend. Syracuse still would likely need at least one win in the Big East Tournament, although a win against the Wildcats would push the Orange to 20 wins and likely raise their RPI into the low 20s. There has never been an at-large team with an RPI better than 33 left out of the tournament (15-12 Oklahoma had a #33 RPI in 1994 and was not invited). What is even more disturbing is how is appeared the Syracuse players had no interest in the outcome of their game. In the end that may be the most damaging result of their HUGE loss to DePaul.
UAB: One BIG is usually not enough to propel a bubble team into the Big Dance. A team still needs to win their remaining games (or at least a majority of them) to make a solid case for an at-large bid. That being said, defeating the #3 team in the nation and ending a 15 game winning streak is a pretty damn good start! UAB just needs to avoid the hangover that often follows a big win, like theirs over Memphis. The Blazers MUST NOT lose to Marshall this weekend. Their win against the Herd should lock them either a 2 or 3 seed in the conference tournament. As long as they make the conference semifinals, UAB should be golden for another return trip to the NCAA Tournament this season.
Expansion and contraction:
First one in !
The Penn Quakers clinched first place in the Ivy League with a 57-55 win at Yale. The Quakers earn the automatic berth and earn the first bid to the 2006 NCAA Tournament.
Northern Iowa: Just when everyone was ready to count out the Panthers, they go and defeat fellow bubble team and conference foe Missouri State to advance to the conference semifinals in the MVC. It would be unlikely the committee would now keep out the Panthers, despite a late season swoon. A top 25 RPI, a nice slate of solid wins (LSU, Wichita State twice, Iowa) and this latest win should be just enough to bump the Panthers over the top and push them into the NCAA Tournament.
Missouri State: What do you tell a team that has a top 20 RPI, a 20-8 overall record (12-6 in conference) with 4 wins against the top 50 RPI after they lose during Championship Week? Well, if that team were from a Big 6 power conference, you would congratulate them on what would likely be a top seed in the NCAA Tournament. Now, if that team is from the Missouri Valley Conference, you are much more likely to say they do not deserve a bid as much as some 8-8 team from the Big East of the ACC simply because of the teams they played. This is the fate that the Bears face after their loss to Northern Iowa in the MVC quarterfinals. Everything statistical and numerical would point to Missouri State getting an at-large bid to the Big Dance, but this year.... with the craziness that has occurred just in the last week?? Who knows what the future will bring the Bears come Selection Sunday?
Seton Hall: There was much consternation over the Pirates after they had lost three straight games... all to teams at the bottom of the Big East. It had looked grim for the Pirates facing two games against Cincinnati and Pitt. After a win against Cincinnati, Seton Hall looked in better shape, if they could just somehow win at Pitt. Lo and behold, the Hall did what teams who deserve an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament are supposed to do. They won a BIG game, defeating the Panthers at Pitt and all but locked up an at-large bid to the Big Dance. Seton Hall still has a shaky RPI and a few bad losses, but with wins at NC State, Pitt and at home against WVU and a 5-4 record against the top 50 RPI, it would be unfathomable for the Selection Committee to hold out the Hall now, especially after the recent collapses of Cincinnati and Syracuse. Welcome to the field of 65 Seton Hall..... you definitely earned it.
Bradley: The Braves have muddied the waters of the MVC after their win against Creighton in the conference quarterfinals. The Braves continued their hot streak, winning their sixth game in a row and their tenth in their last 12 games. Bradley still has a spotty resume, with no real marquee non-conference wins; yet it is getting harder and harder to leave the Braves out of the NCAA Tournament. The question is..... who do they replace?
Creighton: Creighton looked to be solid for an at-large bid.... that is until the lost their last two games (and four of their last six), including a loss in the MVC quarterfinals against Bradley. Creighton looked all but in a week ago, but despite a 28 RPI and a 6-6 record vs the top 50 RPI, it is questionable whether the Blue Jays have done enough in the committee's eyes to earn an at-large bid. Much will depend on the happenings across the nation over the next ten days. Should conference favorites like George Mason and George Washington lose in their conference tournament, it will make it even harder and harder to justify the inclusion of Creighton in this year's Big Dance.
Southern Illinois: The Salukis made life on the bubble even more challenging after their quarterfinal win against lowly Evansville. Southern Illinois will earn few points for this victory (and they may even drop a few spots in the RPI), yet they are still alive in the race for the automatic bid out of the MVC and they are fighting with several fellow bubble brethren from their own conference. It is hard to tell just what the Selection Committee would do with this team. Should they make the conference finals, it might be enough to push them over the top of other bubble teams, like Creighton and the loser of Northern Iowa and Missouri State.
Arizona: Hah, like the committee would leave out the Wildcats. Despite an 18-10 record, Arizona is 11-6 in the Pac Ten and is the #19 RPI team in all the land. Arizona is in, regardless of their last two games.
California: The Bears had their chance, blowing a double-digit lead in the second half to UCLA at home. California must win their season finale against USC and hope their 12-6 conference record stands for more than a mediocre RPI, a lack of a solid non-conference win and several questionable losses (Oregon State and Arizona State). The Bears need two more wins to solidify their standing with the Selection Committee.
Syracuse: The Orangemen may have suffered the WORST loss of ANY team in the past twenty years looking to play their way off the bubble and into the NCAA Tournament. Margin of victory is usually not a consideration of whether a team is included or left out of the Big Dance, yet how can the NCAA Selection Committee ignore a 39 point thrashing by a 12-14 team that is only 5-10 in their own conference. Amazingly Syracuse can still reverse the damage b winning at home against Villanova this weekend. Syracuse still would likely need at least one win in the Big East Tournament, although a win against the Wildcats would push the Orange to 20 wins and likely raise their RPI into the low 20s. There has never been an at-large team with an RPI better than 33 left out of the tournament (15-12 Oklahoma had a #33 RPI in 1994 and was not invited). What is even more disturbing is how is appeared the Syracuse players had no interest in the outcome of their game. In the end that may be the most damaging result of their HUGE loss to DePaul.
UAB: One BIG is usually not enough to propel a bubble team into the Big Dance. A team still needs to win their remaining games (or at least a majority of them) to make a solid case for an at-large bid. That being said, defeating the #3 team in the nation and ending a 15 game winning streak is a pretty damn good start! UAB just needs to avoid the hangover that often follows a big win, like theirs over Memphis. The Blazers MUST NOT lose to Marshall this weekend. Their win against the Herd should lock them either a 2 or 3 seed in the conference tournament. As long as they make the conference semifinals, UAB should be golden for another return trip to the NCAA Tournament this season.
Conference Tournament Previews 3/03/06-(WCC)
We are continuing to post the conference tournament previews from our other website here.
Visit Bubbleteams.com to view each conference tournament bracket and check out the other conference tournament previews.
West Coast:
At McCarthey Athletic Center
Spokane, Wash.
FIRST ROUND
Friday, March 3
Game 1: No. 5 San Diego vs. No. 8 Pepperdine, 9 p.m.
Game 2: No. 6 Portland vs. No. 7 Santa Clara, 11:30 p.m.
QUARTERFINALS
Saturday, March 4
Game 3: No. 4 San Francisco vs. Game 1 winner, 9 p.m.
Game 4: No. 3 Saint Mary's vs. Game 2 winner, 11:30 p.m.
SEMIFINALS
Sunday, March 5
Game 5: No. 1 Gonzaga vs. Game 3 winner, 8 p.m. (ESPN2)
Game 6: No. 2 Loyola Marymount vs. Game 4 winner, 10 p.m. (ESPN2)
CHAMPIONSHIP
Monday, March 6
Game 7: Game 5 winner vs. Game 6 winner, 9 p.m. (ESPN)
Recap: Gonzaga stormed through the West Coast Conference, finishing undefeated in league play for the second time in three years. The Bulldogs did not finish unblemished without having to face several close calls and near misses. Gonzaga eked out close wins against San Francisco (77-74 at Gonzaga), St. Mary's (62-61at Gonzaga) and San Diego (64-63 at San Diego. In the end, the Bulldogs showed why they are the most talented team in the WCC and why they are very deserving of another invitation to the NCAA Tournament.
Favorite: Gonzaga could not be a heavier favorite. The Bulldogs are riding a 16 game winning streak and they are hosts for the conference tournament this year. In addition, as a 1 seed, Gonzaga gets a free pass to the league semifinals. Gonzaga was one of only three WCC teams to finish the regular season with a winning record. San Diego and St. Mary's finished with identical 15-11 records.
Darkhorse: Except for Gonzaga, no other WCC team won more than 8 league games. If not for the close calls the Bulldogs overcame during the regular season, Gonzaga would be considered an almost improbable favorite to repeat as WCC champion. Two teams that might give the Bulldogs trouble are two of the teams that gave Gonzaga their closest calls at home this season, St. Mary's and San Francisco. The San Francisco Dons need to get past their quarterfinal math against the Pepperdine-San Diego winner. Despite coming into the conference tournament 7-7 in league play and 11-16 overall, San Francisco was able to stay within ten points of the Bulldogs in two losses this season. St. Mary's has the benefit of having to avoid Gonzaga until the conference finals. The Gaels, winners of eight of their last 9 games (their only loss was a 1 point defeat after Sean Mallon hit a free throw for Gonzaga with under a second left in the game), have to face the winner of Portland-Santa Clara and then face a slumping Loyola Marymount team (losers of four in a row entering the tournament) in the semifinal game.
Visit Bubbleteams.com to view each conference tournament bracket and check out the other conference tournament previews.
West Coast:
At McCarthey Athletic Center
Spokane, Wash.
FIRST ROUND
Friday, March 3
Game 1: No. 5 San Diego vs. No. 8 Pepperdine, 9 p.m.
Game 2: No. 6 Portland vs. No. 7 Santa Clara, 11:30 p.m.
QUARTERFINALS
Saturday, March 4
Game 3: No. 4 San Francisco vs. Game 1 winner, 9 p.m.
Game 4: No. 3 Saint Mary's vs. Game 2 winner, 11:30 p.m.
SEMIFINALS
Sunday, March 5
Game 5: No. 1 Gonzaga vs. Game 3 winner, 8 p.m. (ESPN2)
Game 6: No. 2 Loyola Marymount vs. Game 4 winner, 10 p.m. (ESPN2)
CHAMPIONSHIP
Monday, March 6
Game 7: Game 5 winner vs. Game 6 winner, 9 p.m. (ESPN)
Recap: Gonzaga stormed through the West Coast Conference, finishing undefeated in league play for the second time in three years. The Bulldogs did not finish unblemished without having to face several close calls and near misses. Gonzaga eked out close wins against San Francisco (77-74 at Gonzaga), St. Mary's (62-61at Gonzaga) and San Diego (64-63 at San Diego. In the end, the Bulldogs showed why they are the most talented team in the WCC and why they are very deserving of another invitation to the NCAA Tournament.
Favorite: Gonzaga could not be a heavier favorite. The Bulldogs are riding a 16 game winning streak and they are hosts for the conference tournament this year. In addition, as a 1 seed, Gonzaga gets a free pass to the league semifinals. Gonzaga was one of only three WCC teams to finish the regular season with a winning record. San Diego and St. Mary's finished with identical 15-11 records.
Darkhorse: Except for Gonzaga, no other WCC team won more than 8 league games. If not for the close calls the Bulldogs overcame during the regular season, Gonzaga would be considered an almost improbable favorite to repeat as WCC champion. Two teams that might give the Bulldogs trouble are two of the teams that gave Gonzaga their closest calls at home this season, St. Mary's and San Francisco. The San Francisco Dons need to get past their quarterfinal math against the Pepperdine-San Diego winner. Despite coming into the conference tournament 7-7 in league play and 11-16 overall, San Francisco was able to stay within ten points of the Bulldogs in two losses this season. St. Mary's has the benefit of having to avoid Gonzaga until the conference finals. The Gaels, winners of eight of their last 9 games (their only loss was a 1 point defeat after Sean Mallon hit a free throw for Gonzaga with under a second left in the game), have to face the winner of Portland-Santa Clara and then face a slumping Loyola Marymount team (losers of four in a row entering the tournament) in the semifinal game.
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