Speculation to end as Gonzaga learns NCAA tournament seed today

Pretty quiet out there.

Two years ago, Selection Sunday brought the anticipation of Gonzaga making history with the first No. 1 seed in program history. Some years this day is met with concern that the Zags might be sent a few time zones away for the opening weekend of the NCAA tournament.

This year it seems fairly calculable. Duke and Virginia tumbled in the ACC semifinals Friday but the resulting bracket shakeup seems to have taken place just above Gonzaga, where the Zags typically check in at 6 or 7 on the S-curve (ranking teams 1-68). Of 63 projections updated Saturday on bracketmatrix.com, 60 have Gonzaga as a No. 2 seed. Two have the Zags as a No. 3 and one has GU as the last No. 1 seed.

Most brackets expect Gonzaga to play in Seattle next week but not in the West Region. Most brackets have the Zags avoiding the same region as Kentucky, the presumptive overall No. 1 seed.

Of course, only one bracket matters and it will be revealed this afternoon.

True to their stance throughout the last three weeks, the Zags seem more worried about location more than the seed line.

“I didn’t even think of that really,” said senior guard Kevin Pangos, when asked earlier this week in Las Vegas about potentially being a No. 2 seed. “The seeding would definitely be nice but in the end you have to beat everyone you face anyway. It would be nice to be on the West Coast.”

If Gonzaga does land a two seed, it would be the program’s second No. 2. The 2004 team hammered No. 15 Valparaiso in Seattle in the first round before falling to No. 10 Nevada 91-72.

“They’ve been remarkably consistent all year, dating back to the Texas scrimmage,” coach Mark Few said. “This is a resilient group, a battle-tested group. We kind of grinded our way through the league and we got back to being in attack mode (in Las Vegas). Without a doubt, that’s when we’re at our best.”

Gonzaga’s last five tournaments have followed the same pattern: one win and then elimination in the round of 32. The 2009 team advanced to the Sweet 16 before losing to eventual national champion North Carolina 98-77.

The Zags have matched the 2013 team’s school-record 32 wins.

“We have all the pieces,” said junior forward Kyle Wiltjer, who averaged 11.6 minutes and 5.0 points for 2012 national champion Kentucky. “We want to do something special but it’s all talk until the tournament.”