Saint Mary’s (25-4) (NET: 26)
1-3 (Q1), 7-1 (Q2), 10-0 (Q3), 7-0 (Q4)
Always seemingly Gonzaga’s second fiddle in the WCC, Saint Mary’s has put together another really solid season and are likely in the field if the NCAA Tournament were to be fielded tomorrow. The Gaels have looked impressive for much of the year on both sides of the ball as Randy Bennett has built another winner.
Their most notable win was over Virginia Tech back at the Battle 4 Atlantis and that remains their only Quad 1 win to date. The Gaels did win their first eight games this season and have some nice Quad 2 wins, including in each of their last three contests on the road, though their resume is lacking a little oomph.
Regardless, there are no big problems with the four losses. The Quad 2 loss was in Idaho against Boise State in a one-point game, though Saint Mary’s would gladly get a second chance at a Vanderbilt team that crushed them in Atlantis months ago. Their other two losses came on the road against the other two great WCC teams but there’s good news there.
The final week of the regular season features home rematches for the Gaels against Santa Clara and Gonzaga and they’ve already gotten revenge on the Broncos on Wednesday night. If they can grab that Quad 1 win over Gonzaga then the Gaels are absolutely in the Tournament field and in phenomenal shape. Honestly, they’re probably safe right now.
San Diego State (18-8) (NET: 44)
2-4 (Q1), 5-2 (Q2), 5-2 (Q3), 6-0 (Q4)
This season has been about missed opportunities for a San Diego State team that hasn’t shied away from the national spotlight in recent memory. The Aztecs boast a squad that many thought could win the Mountain West but there’s still a pathway back to the Big Dance without that automatic bid.
Despite many chances along the way, the Aztecs only took advantage of one early Quad 1 chance, winning at Nevada back in early January. They actually just grabbed another by beating Utah State this week and have a slew of other Quad 2 wins from league play. They swept the Wolf Pack, have knocked off Boise State and New Mexico, and won big over Oregon in what remains a Quad 3 game.
A double-overtime home loss against Troy is their anchor at Quad 3, though the recent work has been just as concerning. San Diego State lost close games at Grand Canyon and Utah State earlier in league play, but just dropped a pair of Quad 2 losses last week to Grand Canyon and Colorado State, neither of which were super close in the end.
The Aztecs absolutely must shake off this recent struggle because they have big opportunities as the season draws to a close. They already looked fantastic with that big win over the Aggies, but two more Quad 1 chances come at New Mexico and Boise State in the next seven days. Winning those games could push San Diego State right back into the Tourney field.