Zags to the semis!
No. 7 Gonzaga moves to the WCC semifinals with a 83-69 win over Loyola Marymount. pic.twitter.com/lVuJIe57VR
— NCAA March Madness (@marchmadness) March 4, 2018
How good is Gonzaga?
The question seems to blow in this time of year as predictably as a cold front out of Canada invading the northeastern reaches of Washington state.
As of Monday morning, the Zags are No. 6 in the nation according to the just-released Associated Top 25 poll.
But, as usual, opinions vary.
Jerry Palm of cbssports.com projects that Spokane, Washingon-based Gonzaga will receive only a No. 5 regional seed when the NCAA tournament bracket is released Sunday.
Meaning, that, in the eyes of the stat-crunchers, the national finalists from last year may only be the 17th- to 20th-best team in the nation.
If you’re curious about the disparity, one idea is to tune in to ESPN at 8 tonight.
That’s when the network is scheduled to air Gonzaga-San Francisco in the semifinals of the West Coast Conference tournament.
The other WCC semifinal also is interesting.
It’s 20th-ranked Saint Mary’s against BYU, set to air at 10:30 p.m. on the four-letter network.
Palm projects Saint Mary’s, from Moraga, California, as a No. 9 regional seed.
Once again, it’s a suggestion that the WCC is either vastly overrated or underrated.
With the WCC semis tonight and the finals on Tuesday, it’s time to see for ourselves, I guess.
AP Top 25
March 5, 2018
1. Virginia 28-2 ACC
2. Villanova 27-4 Big East
3. Xavier 27-4 Big East
4. Michigan State 29-4 Big Ten
5. Duke 25-6 ACC
6. Gonzaga 28-4 West Coast
7. Michigan 28-7 Big Ten
8. Cincinnati 27-4 American
9. Kansas 24-7 Big 12
10. Purdue 28-6 Big Ten
11. Wichita State 24-6 American
12. North Carolina 22-9 ACC
13. Tennessee 23-7 SEC
14. Texas Tech 23-8 Big 12
15. Arizona 24-7 Pac-12
16. Auburn 25-6 SEC
17. Ohio State 24-8 Big Ten
18. West Virginia 22-9 Big 12
19. Clemson 22-8 ACC
20. Saint Mary’s 28-4 West Coast
21. Houston 24-6 American
22. Nevada 26-6 Mountain Wesst
23. Florida 20-11 SEC
24. Miami (Fla.) 22-8 ACC
25. Rhode Island 23-6 Atlantic 10
.@saintmaryshoops advances to semifinals! ?See you Monday night vs @BYUbasketball #GaelsRise #OurTime
Recap: https://t.co/BWx7E6BaAh
— Saint Mary's Gaels (@smcgaels) March 4, 2018