WCC Tournament: Double bye favors Gonzaga, St. Mary's

Conference tournament play began Tuesday, kicking off a 12-day mad scramble for NCAA tournament berths. Up next in our previews is the West Coast Conference, which could feature another Gonzaga-St. Mary's clash in the finals unless Portland or LMU spring an upset. Northeast Conference TournamentDate: March 5-8Site: Las VegasFirst RoundNo. 5 Loyola Marymount vs. No. 8 PepperdineNo. 6 San Diego vs. No. 7 Santa ClaraQuarterfinalsNo. 3 Portland vs. San Diego/Santa ClaraNo. 4 San Francisco vs. LMU/PepperdineSemifinalsNo. 1 Gonzaga vs. USF/LMU/Pepperdine No. 2 St. Mary's vs. Portland/San Diego/Santa ClaraFavorite: Gonzaga (25-5, 12-2)Contenders: St. Mary's (24-5, 11-3), Portland (20-9, 10-4), LMU (16-14, 7-7)Did you know: Portland, thought to be Gonzaga's toughest competition in league at one point this season, will be without leading scorer Nik Raivio as a result of an achilles strain. Outlook: The double-bye format certainly favors Gonzaga and St. Mary's, which w...