Bracketology 2020: Providence, UCLA and Kansas among biggest winners

LAHAINA, HI - NOVEMBER 25: Cody Riley #2 and Chris Smith #5 of the UCLA Bruins line up on the lane against Kolby Lee #40 of the BYU Cougars during the second half at the Lahaina Civic Center on November 25, 2019 in Lahaina, Hawaii. (Photo by Darryl Oumi/Getty Images) /

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SPOKANE, WASHINGTON – DECEMBER 21: Head coach Mark Few of the Gonzaga Bulldogs (Photo by William Mancebo/Getty Images) /

Gonzaga Bulldogs (27-2, 13-1 WCC)

Considering that BYU made this list on the backs of beating Gonzaga on Saturday, how did the Bulldogs be a “winner” for this piece? That’s because the result that benefitted them came from a game that tipped off just a couple of hours ago.

San Diego State looked to be rolling into the Mountain West Conference Tournament unbeaten, after dispatching Boise State on the road last Sunday. They should’ve had an easy time at home against UNLV, although the Rebels fought them hard at home in the first go-around. But UNLV grabbed a double-digit lead at the half, before holding on for dear life in the final seconds.

The Aztecs and Bulldogs have been linked in the past month from a Bracketology standpoint, with both mid-majors looking to remain out west and avoiding traveling to the East Region for matchups against the likes of Duke. Gonzaga had the early edge thanks to the Selection Committee but losses by either would have an impact.

Luckily for the Bulldogs, their high-profile loss at home against a top-20 BYU team is much better than losing at home against UNLV, currently a Quad 3 defeat. And considering that Duke fell by 20+ points to NC State earlier in the week, Gonzaga still gets to be the top seed in the West Region, with matchups against Saint Mary’s and BYU still likely to come. The loss may sting for Bulldog fans but in the bigger picture, things went well for them overall this week.

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