The Gaels, who have a West Coast Conference Tournament quarterfinal matchup with Portland at Orleans Arena at 9 p.m. Saturday, have a school-record seven Australian players on their roster.
#VegasMadness
Vegas Madness continues today at the Orleans Arena with day two of the women’s West Coast Conference tournament and the men’s tournament getting underway.
The No. 4 Bulldogs were undefeated and the top-ranked team in the country before a 79-71 setback to Brigham Young at home on Saturday closed out the regular season.
It’s March, and that means one thing in the sports world — a lot of college basketball. And it all starts today in Las Vegas.
The West Coast Conference women’s tournament begins at noon Thursday at Orleans Arena, with top-seeded Gonzaga beginning its run with a quarterfinal game Friday.
Handicapper Doug Fitz said he thinks the defeat to BYU will benefit Gonzaga, which is a minus-400 favorite at the Westgate to win the West Coast Conference tournament.
A look at the schedule and top matchups each day in early March when seven conference basketball tournaments are played at Orleans Arena, Thomas & Mack Center and T-Mobile Arena.
Gonzaga (29-1) was No. 1 in the nation prior to losing its first game of the season, an 79-71 upset by BYU on Saturday. The Bulldogs, who had been No. 1 for the last four polls, received two first-place votes.
How each of the seven conferences with tournaments in March are looking a month and a half before the action tips off in the city.
Forward Cameron Oliver’s decision to return after considering the NBA Draft was a big boost for UNR. The Wolf Pack were picked by the media to finish second in the Mountain West.
Fresno State finished second in the Mountain West last season and then won the conference tournament championship. Now the Bulldogs return three starters, but they lost their top two scorers.
The NCAA granted guard Gian Clavell an extra season of eligibility, giving Colorado State a key player heading into the basketball season. The Rams were picked by the media to finish seventh in the Mountain West.
As coach Dave Wojcik enters this season, his expectations are considerably higher than that of the media, which picked the Spartans to finish last in the Mountain West.
Consider: Since the 2012 season, Mountain West teams are a combined 304-330. But the telling part, the absolutely eye-opening and ridiculous part, comes against Power 5 schools, in which the conference is 17-81 over that time.
Mountain West commissioner Craig Thompson said the league would be careful about expanding, disputing a Salt Lake Tribune report last week that the conference might add teams even if it doesn’t lose any to the Big 12.
LISTEN TO THE TOP FIVE HERE