The Spokesman-Review’s Theo Lawson is one of 65 national media members voting in the Associated Press Top 25 basketball poll this season. Every week throughout the 2018-19 campaign, he’ll break down how he voted, offering three thoughts on the latest edition of the poll, an update on the Pac-12’s ranked teams and a look at local Top 25 representative Gonzaga.

Here’s a breakdown of eight head coaches, assistants and grad assistants with local ties who’ll be appearing in this year’s Big Dance.

Spoiler alert: the Gonzaga women will play Arkansas Little Rock in a first-round NCAA Tournament game on Saturday in Corvallis, Oregon.

Gonzaga’s Rui Hachimura was named first-team All-America by the U.S. Basketball Writers Association and Mark Few is a finalist for the USBWA’s Coach of the Year Award.

Redshirt sophomore QB Connor Neville, a former four-star high school prospect, announced Monday WSU had submitted his notification to transfer and entered his name into the NCAA’s transfer portal.

The final AP college basketball poll of the season mirrors the NCAA Tournament’s No. 1 seed line. Gonzaga’s three-week stay at No. 1 in the media poll ended with a disappointing 60-47 loss to Saint Mary’s in the WCC Tournament title game last Tuesday. The Zags (30-3) slipped to fourth, one day after receiving the fourth No. 1 seed from the selection committee.

A GRIP ON SPORTS • Filled out your bracket yet? If the answer is no, why the heck not? If it is yes, how far do you have Gonzaga going? Or Belmont? Or Zion Williamson? Read on.

A bevy of scientists has helped Montana’s most threatened fish avoid blinking out.

In one corner, the 2017 Zags. The 29-game winning streak to open the season. Top defensive team in the country. In the other corner, the 2019 Zags, with generational offensive numbers.

Picked up those inseparable buddies and Zags fans, Hysteria and Horse Sense, hitchhiking back from Las Vegas after cashing in their return flight tickets to put everything on Gonzaga to win against Saint Mary’s.

The magnitude of the moment is what matters the most. Yes, the games absolutely matter, but I’m talking about something different, something more meaningful. As this Gonzaga team begins its postseason journey, there are lessons I wish I had better understood as a young player. It’s those lessons that I hope to see this team embrace.

RayQuan Evans and Alphonso Anderson scored 32 points apiece and North Idaho overpowered Walla Walla 104-73 in the championship game of the Northwest Athletic Conference Tournament on Sunday.

Giannis Antetokounmpo scored a career-high 52 points, but Joel Embiid had 40 points and 15 rebounds to lead the Philadelphia 76ers over the Milwaukee Bucks 130-125 on Sunday.

From Twitter to the lengthy roster of college basketball analysts, it was nearly impossible to ignore the debate leading up to Selection Sunday about Gonzaga deserving a No. 1 or No. 2 seed.

Sean Couturier beat Matt Murray with 3 seconds remaining in overtime and the Philadelphia Flyers put together an improbable rally to edge the Pittsburgh Penguins 2-1 on Sunday night.

So in case the Gonzaga Bulldogs still didn’t have that top-line feeling back after Terrible Tuesday, they were given an imprimatur on Selection Sunday. And they had nothing to do with it.

The Spokane Chiefs are in a familiar spot. They just finished their second consecutive season with at least 40 wins and are rewarded with a first-round playoff date with the Portland Winterhawks. Except this time, it’s the Chiefs who have home ice, thanks to Seattle’s 6-5 win over Portland on Sunday. Game 1 is Friday night at the Arena.

The bracket is out. The bubbles have burst. The NCAA Tournament got real Sunday as CBS’s “Selection Sunday” show revealed the field.