Posted at 2:30 PM EST. Odds subject to change.

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WCC Conference Torunament

Orleans Arena, Las Vegas, NV

San Francisco +9 over Gonzaga

Streaming: ESPN 2

11:30 PM EST. The Bulldogs of Gonzaga are in the field of 68, as they are solidly pegged for a #6 to a #8 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Long gone are the days when the Zags had to justify their standing as the kings of the mid-major, as the quality of the competition of the West Coast Conference (WCC), and largely across the board at the mid-major level, has improved greatly over the 25 years Mark Few has been at the program. The WCC has two perennial NCAA teams in the Zags and Saint Mary’s, but the Dons of San Francisco have seen their profile rise as well, first under Kyle Smith, who led the Dons to three 20-win seasons, and then Todd Golden, who led San Francisco to the 2022 NCAA Tournament, the Dons' first in 24 years.

Chris Gerlufen is in his second year in San Francisco, and while expectations were high before the season, with the Dons slotted right behind the Zags and Saint Mary’s in the WCC, which is where they finished, going 11-5 in the conference and 24-6 overall. Being the third wheel in a two-team conference put the Dons in the position needed to make a run and win this WCC Tournament to ensure they get a ticket to The Big Dance. That is an edge that the Zags simply do not have.

To that end, the Dons have a game under their belts after knocking off Portland State 72-51 in what was a glorified practice yesterday. Still, it can’t hurt that San Francisco got a little warm-up, while the Zags have been sitting idle for over a week, as the last time they took the court was last Saturday when they flattened rival Saint Mary’s in the WCC regular-season finale. Perhaps the Zags come into this game focused and ready to make a run at the WCC title, even if they don’t need it, but there is a very good chance that the Bulldogs could be flat here with so much time since their last game, while the Dons are already tuned up with a clear mission. Make no mistake, the Dons are very much capable of winning this game, but we’re content to scoop up these inflated points and put them in our back pockets.

Sherwood

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