West Coast Conference NCAA Tournament Betting

West Coast Conference NCAA Tournament Betting

It’s been a banner year for the WCC. This conference flirted with the idea of sending four teams to March Madness for most of the year, and there’s no doubt that Gonzaga and St. Mary’s will both take part in the NCAA Tournament. The Bulldogs and Gaels are both ranked in the top 20, so they will both take at-large bids. San Francisco is clearly on the bubble and needs a strong performance in the WCC Tournament to go dancing, while BYU is probably on the wrong side of the bubble at this point.

Gonzaga should be a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament once again. The Bulldogs have yet to win a national championship under Mark Few, but they have come close twice. They are currently the No. 1 ranked team in the country with a 24-3 record and wins over Texas, UCLA, and Texas Tech in non-conference play. Drew Timme and Chet Holmgren are both Wooden Player of the Year candidates, and this team ranks third in offensive efficiency and sixth in defensive efficiency.

St. Mary’s ensured that it will earn an at-large bid in March Madness with a win over Gonzaga at home in its season finale. The Gaels have good non-conference wins over Notre Dame, Oregon, Utah State, and Missouri State, and all of its losses have been Quad 1 losses. Randy Bennett has the Gaels playing great defense once more, and its ability to draw international recruits despite being a small school remains strong.

The San Francisco Dons haven’t been to the NCAA Tournament since 1998, but this has been their best season since that point. The back-to-back national champions in 1955 and 1956 used to be a college basketball power, and they are looking to rediscover that in a loaded WCC. The Dons scored a ton of quality wins in non-conference play, knocking off Davidson, Towson, UAB, UNLV, Fresno State, Arizona State, and Southern Illinois. Seniors Yauhen Massalski and Jamaree Bouyea have had good seasons, as the Dons have been extremely exciting on both ends of the floor.

Wins over San Diego State, Oregon, Missouri State, and Utah State really strengthen BYU’s at-large case. However, a bad loss to Utah Valley and an abysmal loss to Pacific will be held against the Cougars. BYU might need to win three games in the WCC Tournament in order to feel good about its March Madness hopes.

West Coast Tournament Format

It’s nearly impossible for higher seeds to win the WCC Tournament given the schedule. The bottom four teams must win five games in six days, and they are playing rested teams every step of the way. The No. 5 and No. 6 seeds earn a bye into the second round, while the No. 3 and No. 4 seeds earn a double bye into the quarterfinals. The top two seeds earn a rare triple bye directly into the semifinals, so it’s no wonder that Gonzaga is continually in the WCC Championship Game given the gauntlet style format.

The 2022 WCC Tournament will be held at Orleans Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada from March 3 to March 8. There will be no games on Sunday due to BYU’s school policy and to give teams a day off in this format. The semifinals will get started at 6 p.m. ET on Monday, March 7, as the first game will be on ESPN and the second game will be on ESPN2. The WCC Championship Game will take place on Tuesday, March 8, at 6 p.m. ET on ESPN.

Most Wins All-Time in West Coast Tournament

When you've got a powerhouse like Gonzaga in a mid-major conference like the WCC, it's no wonder that the Bulldogs have played in every single league final in the West Coast Conference since 1998. The Bulldogs have a whopping 18 titles, 17 of which have been won since 1999, and this program is perennially one of the best in college basketball.

No team has had anywhere near the same success as Gonzaga. Saint Mary's has the second-most WCC titles with four conference tournament championships, and the next best run any team has had in terms of titles in the WCC has been Pepperdine. The Waves won championships in 1991 and 1992, and they lost in the final to Santa Clara in 1993 before winning the WCC once more in 1994. That Santa Clara team was led by future NBA MVP Steve Nash, while Doug Christie was the catalyst for Pepperdine’s first two titles.

Loyola Marymount also won three straight championships from 1988 through 1990, though the last of those titles came without a tournament, as the tourney was canceled following the on-court death of Hank Gathers in the semifinals. That led to one of the most heartwarming moments in college basketball history, as Bo Kimble led the Lions all the way to the Elite Eight. Kimble shot his first free throw of every game left-handed to honor Gathers.

West Coast Tournament Championship Games

NCAA Basketball Conferences

• America East
• American Athletic
• Atlantic 10
• Atlantic Coast
• Atlantic Sun
• Big 12
• Big East
• Big Sky
• Big South
• Big Ten
• Big West
• Colonial Athletic Association
• Conference USA
• Horizon League
• Ivy League
• Metro Atlantic Athletic
• Mid-American
• Mid-Eastern Athletic
• Missouri Valley
• Mountain West
• Northeast
• Ohio Valley
• Pac-12
• Patriot League
• Southeastern
• Southern
• Southland
• Southwestern Athletic
• Summit League
• Sun Belt
• West Coast
• Western Athletic

Access live betting and NCAA Basketball Betting Odds from your mobile device at BookMaker Sportsbook! You can wager on sporting events as they unfold on television with BookMaker’s live betting platform. Real-time spreads, totals, props and moneyline odds are all available by clicking here so start betting with BookMaker Sportsbook now!