Bracketology: Will Gonzaga’s loss to St. Mary’s cost them a No. 1 seed?

The Gonzaga Bulldogs suffered a shocking loss in the West Coast Conference tournament, potentially putting their spot as a no. 1 seed in jeopardy.

In a defeat that was extremely unexpected, the nation’s top team in the polls has lost its conference tournament. Gonzaga fell to St. Mary’s 60-47, handing the WCC’s automatic bid to the Gaels and definitely bursting someone’s bubble in the process.

The Bulldogs had run roughshod over the WCC in the regular season, going 16-0 in league play and entering the final on a 21-game winning streak. St. Mary’s hadn’t given the Bulldogs any trouble during the regular season, losing twice to the Zags, including a 94-46 loss in Spokane on Feb. 9.

The defeat also snapped Gonzaga’s streak of six straight WCC Tournament titles, the longest active string of conference tournament victories in the country. That distinction now falls to Iona, which. has won the MAAC four years in a row, while Kentucky can match the East Coast Gaels with an SEC Tournament title.

The headline here is obviously Gonzaga’s loss and whether it will impact the Bulldogs’ pursuit of a no. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Prior to this defeat, Gonzaga had only lost two games on the season, both of which came against potential top seeds in Tennessee and North Carolina.

While this loss to St. Mary’s was bad, it shouldn’t disqualify the Zags from a top seed. Gonzaga still dominated its league all year and was strong against a competitive non-conference schedule. The kingmaker for Gonzaga could be their win over Duke in Maui back in November, the only time this season the Blue Devils lost with a fully healthy roster.

The ACC figures to land two top seeds while the SEC champ should claim the third. Gonzaga could fall down to the final no. 1 seed with this loss, but their overall resume should be enough to hold off a team like Michigan State for that last spot on the top line.