Bracketology: Saint Mary’s rises, Bubble battles begin

Saint Mary’s took down Gonzaga in Las Vegas for the West Coast Conference title Tuesday night, giving SMC both the regular season and tournament titles.  After a bumpy start, it’s been quite a season for the Gaels.  It’s also worth noting that while Gonzaga has a more signature win (at Kentucky), Saint Mary’s owns a 2-1 head-to-head edge against the Zags, along with the aforementioned titles.  Both are Top 20 NET teams, so SMC may have helped its potential seed by knocking off the Zags a second time.

Bracketology

Wednesday and Thursday feature some critical bubble battles – or at least tourney openers for bubble teams.  We could well have a better view of the cutline by Thursday night, and should most certainly know whether a few teams are still in the mix or likely out of contention.  Buckle up, March is often a wild ride.