WEST COAST TOURNAMENT
March 3 - 8, All games at Orleans Arena, Las Vegas NV

PROJECTED FINAL FOUR:
GONZAGA, SAINT MARY'S, SAN FRANCISCO, BYU

THE WAY WE SEE IT: For the seventh time in the last eight years, the first two teams slotted into our Final Four are the same teams. And just as we called out on these pages last year, it all starts where it has since what seems like the days of James Naismith with GONZAGA the leader of the pack. The Bulldogs have won this tourney 16 of the last 19 years, while arriving to the title game all twenty seasons. With it, the Zags are 47-5 SU and 31-20-1 ATS in this event, including 33-0 SU against No. 3 or worse opponents. As a result, they will look to earn a coveted No. 1 seed in the Big Dance for the fifth time in the last six years. One note of interest: the G-Men have been installed as favorites of 24 or more points three times in this event. They won and covered all three games by an average score of 96-63. You're on your own fading them here... SAINT MARY'S earned back the No. 2 position in the year's seeding when the five returning starters from last year's unit refused to lose consecutive games, going 6-0 SUATS off a loss. The Gaels, though, are just 5-10-2 ATS in their last seventeen games in this tournament, as well as 1-11 SUATS when taking 6 or more points in this event... Thanks to a 10-0 start this season, SAN FRANCISCO was vastly improved this campaign. They paid the price for their success, though, going just 2-12 ATS when coming off consecutive wins. However, the opposite holds true for the Dons in this tourney where they stand 12-3 ATS when playing off a pair of wins... Last season BYU advanced to the Big Dance for the first time since 2015, and then proceeded to lose in the first round. After winning 16 of their first 20 games this campaign, the Cougars hit the wall dropping 5 of their next 7 games (at press time). The biggest hurdle they face in this, their final WCC Tourney (the Mormons will join the Big 12 next season), is the fact that they are 4-14-2 ATS all-time in this tournament, including 0-9-2 ATS when coming off a win of more than 6 points. 

THE SLEEPER: SANTA CLARA – The Broncos are peaking at the right time, going 10-5 SU and 10-4-1 ATS down the stretch at press time. They were also 13-5 ATS when coming off a win this season, and are 6-0 ATS when coming off consecutive SUATS wins in this tourney. 

KEY TOURNAMENT BEST PLAY: TAKE ANY FAVORITE WITH SAME-SEASON REVENGE. Safe to say this tourney has been a chalk lovers' haven, with favorites going 91-70-6 ATS overall, including 77-45-5 ATS when favored by fewer than 12 points. However, when any of these favorites is looking to avenge a same-season loss, they zoom to 12-1 SUATS. Enough said.

TECH NOTES – Favorites w/ same-season revenge are 12-1 ATS… DKY round favs are 3-11 ATS L11Y… 1ST round dogs off a DD SU win are 11-1 ATS… SEM round favs 10 < pts are 18-9-1 ATS… FNL round favs < 14 pts are 7-0 ATS L9Y… #1 seed favs < 13 pts are 20-7 ATS all-time (8-1 L9)… #2 seed teams off a DD SU win are 1-8-2 ATS L9Y… #4 seeds are 11-22-1 ATS all-time (0-5-2 ATS L4Y)… #5 seeds w/ revenge are 9-2 ATS L17Y… #8 or worse seed dogs off a SU loss are 7-16-1 ATS

Best records in this Tourney: Pepperdine 9-1 ATS L4Y… Gonzaga 13-6-1 ATS L8Y… Loyola-Cal 10-5-1 ATS L9Y.
Worst records in this Tourney: BYU 4-14-2 ATS… St Marys-Cal 2-6 ATS as dogs L8Y… Portland 4-10 ATS L10Y… San Diego 4-8 ATS L8Y

Note: this excerpt was extracted form this week's PLAYBOOK Basketball Newsletter, which previews the first four conference tourneys starting this week. Click here to download the full issue.