St. Mary's received four years of probation from the NCAA on Friday for recruiting violations by a former assistant coach. The Gaels could struggle to schedule well enough to get at large bids in the future because of this.
Leave it to me to be the contrarian when it comes to Gonzaga. There is talent, depth and a lot of potential on the roster. But can it all fit together to be the dominant team that everyone is expecting?
St. Mary's broke a decade's worth of dominance by Gonzaga in the West Coast Conference, but it didn't pay off in the NCAA Tournament. Could the Gaels shock the preseason projections and repeat as dual champions? The returning depth and value say yes.
BYU had a year that on paper looked like a success, but inconsistency against top opponents might have kept the Cougars from a special season. Have the top players moved past that, and can this team take the West Coast Conference title?
