Bracketology 2023: Arizona State, North Carolina and Gonzaga among biggest winners

Gonzaga Bulldogs

It’s a rare year where Gonzaga isn’t part of the 1 seed conversation but the home loss to LMU basically took them out of the mix. They were a 4 seed in the bracket reveal out west but is there a chance that they can move up?

That’ll be difficult, considering the lack of opportunities that are in the WCC compared to the Big 12 and Big East. But the Bulldogs did have a home game against a conference opponent with an even higher NET ranking in Saint Mary’s, who also was ahead in the league standings thanks to an earlier win in Moraga.

This time around, the game was in Spokane. And Gonzaga took complete control of the game, up by as much as 19 points in the first half. The Gaels did make a nice comeback to get the game within five points but the Bulldogs were able to hold on for the 77-68 win, led by Drew Timme with 19 points. But Saint Mary’s may have gotten the last laugh, as they kept the score close enough to where they may still have the better NET ranking in the morning, which is the tiebreaker that’ll determine the 1 seed in the WCC Tournament.

Gonzaga will settle for the Quad 1 home win and resume-booster, all but guaranteeing them a spot in the West Region. The question will be whether they’re a 2, 3, or 4 seed by Selection Sunday. After this weekend, they may be closer to a 2 than a 4.