If the NCAA Tournament were to start today, the Gonzaga Bulldogs (26-2, 14-1 WCC) would be the No. 3 seed in the West region, according to the selection committee.
In the NET rankings, the Zags are No. 5 with a 6-1 record in Quad 1 and a 6-0 record in Quad 2. Their KPI (Key Performance Indicator) is No. 17, and BPI (Basketball Power Index) is No. 8.
Initially, Gonzaga was supposed to be a No. 4 seed before Texas Tech Red Raiders junior forward JT Toppin’s season-ending injury. He tore his ACL in his right knee on Feb. 17.
“The interesting thing with Gonzaga is when we adjourned on Wednesday, Gonzaga was actually on the four line and so as we worked through some issues with Texas Tech and tried to figure out how that injury to JT Toppin really kind of impacted our thinking with them, when we scrubbed and we got back in on Thursday morning, Gonzaga moves up to the three line and Texas Tech fell back to the four.“ – Vice Chair of NCAA Men’s Basketball Committee Keith Gill
If Gonzaga were to win out the last three regular-season games and the West Coast Conference tournament in Las Vegas, Nevada, a No. 2 seed is very possible. Especially now with the Cincinnati Bearcats upsetting the No. 3-seeded Kansas Jayhawks in Lawrence, Kansas, this afternoon.
Arden Cravalho is a Gonzaga University graduate from the Bay Area… Follow him on X @a_cravalho
