Possiblities abound for GU men’s draw in NCAA tournament

It was a little easier last season when Gonzaga was ranked No. 1 and projected as a No. 1 seed.

It’s a different story this season. The unranked Bulldogs (28-6) won the WCC tournament to clinch their 16th consecutive NCAA trip but placing them on a seeding line has led to a variety of opinions from a cottage industry of Bracketologists.

Bracket gurus had been quick to put Gonzaga on or near the bubble because the Bulldogs lacked a marquee win. After winning five straight, two on the road to seal the WCC regular-season championship and three in Las Vegas to take the tournament title, GU has climbed a rung or two on many brackets. The official pairings will be revealed this afternoon during the CBS selection show.

ESPN.com projects Gonzaga as a seventh seed facing No. 10 Iowa in St. Louis, with a potential third-round matchup vs. No. 2 Duke. No. 11 Gonzaga would face No. 6 New Mexico in San Antonio, according to CBSsports.com.

Foxsports.com lists Gonzaga as a nine seed taking on No. 8 George Washington in San Diego with a possible third-round matchup against top-seeded Arizona. The Zags are a nine seed facing No. 8 Baylor in Orlando in USA Today’s bracket. The winner would probably face No. 1 Florida.

BYU, which lost to Gonzaga in the WCC championship game, is in the NCAA field in three of the four bracket projections.