College Basketball Postseason Shapes Up for March

As the calendar flips toward March, college basketball's postseason landscape is taking shape, with conference tournaments on the horizon and the NCAA Tournament's Selection Sunday looming on March 15. In the West Coast Conference, Gonzaga remains the dominant force in men's basketball despite not leading the standings, holding a 13-1 record through early February and ranking sixth in the NCAA Evaluation Tool. The Bulldogs, who have claimed the conference's automatic bid 22 times since 1995, face stiff challenges from Santa Clara (13-1, 41st in NET) and Saint Mary's (11-2, 28th in NET), both capable of securing at-large bids if they falter in the tournament. Gonzaga's schedule includes rematches against key rivals like Santa Clara and San Francisco, where close calls earlier in the season could turn decisive. The conference tournament features a stepladder format, with all 11 teams participating, top seeds earning byes, and potential for multiple NCAA entries given recent at-large successes.

On the women's side, Gonzaga leads at 10-2 and 62nd in NET, powered by freshman Lauren Whittaker's conference-leading 19.5 points and 10.1 rebounds per game. She anchors an offense that...