Busting Brackets
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WCC Basketball: 2023 conference tournament preview and predictions

By Joey Loose

Feb 25, 2023; Spokane, Washington, USA; St. Mary's Gaels guard Alex Ducas (44) shoots the ball against Gonzaga Bulldogs guard Nolan Hickman (11) in the second half at McCarthey Athletic Center. Gonzaga won 77-68. Mandatory Credit: James Snook-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 25, 2023; Spokane, Washington, USA; St. Mary's Gaels guard Alex Ducas (44) shoots the ball against Gonzaga Bulldogs guard Nolan Hickman (11) in the second half at McCarthey Athletic Center. Gonzaga won 77-68. Mandatory Credit: James Snook-USA TODAY Sports /
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WCC Basketball Gonzaga Bulldogs guard Malachi Smith James Snook-USA TODAY Sports
WCC Basketball Gonzaga Bulldogs guard Malachi Smith James Snook-USA TODAY Sports /

Bracketology

Traditionally, the WCC has been a conference where Gonzaga is expected to win and get a decent seed in the NCAA Tournament, but that’s not necessarily the end of the story. In recent years, teams like BYU, Saint Mary’s, and even San Francisco have also earned bids to the Big Dance and it’s certainly more expected than unusual to see multiple WCC teams in the NCAA Tournament.

As of the most recent updates, Saint Mary’s sits at 7th in the NET rankings while Gonzaga sits at 9th, just a few slots below them after splitting the season series. No matter what happens during this tournament, both of these teams are in the NCAA Tournament and should both have advantageous seeds. Gonzaga’s nonconference slate of victories is much more impressive than the Bulldogs, but they both belong in this position.

The most recent bracketology updates have Gonzaga somewhere around a 3-seed and Saint Mary’s somewhere around a 5-seed. If the Gaels defeat Gonzaga again in the title game, it’s very possible they grab one of those Top 4 seeds. On the contrary, Gonzaga winning another WCC title would virtually ensure them of at least a 3-seed. There’s no telling what the Selection Committee could decide to do if either team is upset in the semifinals, or in the title game by a different program.

Outside of Gonzaga and Saint Mary’s, nobody else in the WCC is on the Tournament radar. Santa Clara’s NET sits at 81 even with an impressive 22-8 record, though they certainly don’t have a resume that stands out, and it would take a WCC Tournament title to get them into the Big Dance. BYU (NET of 89) and Loyola Marymount (101) are both in respectable shape, but neither would get much better than a 14-seed even if they won this conference’s title.

No matter what happens, Gonzaga and Saint Mary’s are both in position to make a run in the Big Dance, even if either of them slip down the seed lines a spot or two. Both teams have shown their toughness this season, and all eyes will be on their potential third matchup if it happens in the title game. Can anyone else really upend these two superpowers?