Where do the Zags stand in NCAA brackets?

A GRIP ON SPORTS • After a quiet Tuesday, we can welcome you to your hump day with a cacophony of stories. There’s a little from here, a little from there, a whole bunch about the Gonzaga Bulldogs. Add it all up, and it’s a crowded day. Read on.

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• There is a lot to debate about college basketball these days – shot-clock length, attendance, rankings – but the No. 1 point of contention right now nationally seems to be whether the Zags deserve a No. 1 seed. Jim Meehan touches on the debate today in his weekly Gonzaga notebook , but he’s not alone. Every time someone posts a mock bracket, the top couple lines are argued about, with Gonzaga at the heart of the storm. Do the Zags belong atop the bracket? Sure. So do about six or seven other teams. Happens every year. Only four teams can be No. 1 seeds. This season, Kentucky is a lock. The Wildcats would have to lose two or three games down the stretch to forfeit the top line and, with their talent, does anyone see that happening? Nope. So they will be a one. After that, who knows? Virginia is playing well, but is missing its top scorer right now. There is no guaranteeing the Cavaliers will win out – there is always a small margin of error for Tony Bennett’s teams – which will force the committee to determine their standing with Justin Anderson healthy. Duke, Wisconsin, Villanova and Arizona all join the Zags in the debate for a top line. All have strengths, all have weaknesses. And we’re not even talking about their teams but their resumes. Duke defeated Virginia in Charlottesville, but they lost at home to Miami. Wisconsin has won eight consecutive games, but the Badgers last loss was to Rutgers. Arizona defeated Gonzaga earlier this season but has lost to UNLV, Oregon State and Arizona State. The Zags? Despite playing one of the top dozen nonconference schedules in the nation, GU has only lost once: The overtime game in Tucson. The Zags are No. 3 in ESPN’s basketball power rankings, trailing only Kentucky and Virginia. Nonconference wins over SMU, Georgia, St. John’s and UCLA – all but the first away from home – shouldn’t be discounted. But they are. Why? Because of a track record. See, a couple of years ago, the Zags earned a No. 1 seed. They lost in the second round. To Wichita State, a team that went on to win 37 of its next 38 games. Still, all most people remember was the “L.” In the second round. That has happened to a top seed less than two-dozen times the past 30 years. It’s used as an argument to deny this year’s Gonzaga team the top line. Really? That’s as weak an argument as one could possibly have. This year’s team has to be considered in a vacuum. That’s not opinion, it’s part of the NCAA committee’s charge. The committee has to look at this year alone. Like Italian driving, what’s behind you doesn’t matter. If you want to deny the Zags a top seed, you must do it based on this year’s results, not what happened in the past. Of all the contenders – besides Kentucky, which is in a different galaxy all together – for the top line, only the Zags don’t have a bad loss. Now. That could change as the WCC regular and post-season wind down, but their only defeat today is at Arizona, a tough place to win at any time. Duke has Miami, at home. Wisconsin has Rutgers. Arizona has three. If Gonzaga wins out, a task you would expect of a No. 1 seed, then it deserves to wear white throughout the West Region. Not because of anything that’s happened in the ancient past, but because it’s earned it. This season.

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• WSU: It’s football, not hoop, on the front-burner in Pullman right now, what with the NFL combine coming up. Jacob Thorpe has some notes about that in today’s morning post as well as some staff news on the blog. … Spring football is around the corner and ESPN.com’s Pac-12 blog has some things to watch for the North schools. … The Pac-12’s basketball resume isn’t strong this year , outside of Utah and Arizona. The No. 3 school? It probably isn’t Stanford . The tournament might be fun this season. … Bud Withers caught up with George Raveling recently. … The crowds at Pac-12 games this season are not healthy.

• Gonzaga: Besides Jim’s notebook (linked above), we found this long article on Kyle Wiltjer this morning on Grantland.

• EWU: The Eagles have had more than their share of injuries this season and, as the regular season winds down, there are even more. Jim Allen has the story . … Tom Clouse’s women’s basketball notebook leads today with Eastern’s recent success. … Hey, another column with a Vernon Adams mention. And another one . The story that wouldn’t go away.

• Chiefs: It’s Wednesday, right? So Chris Derrick has a WHL notebook for you. … Portland traveled to Tri-City last night and headed home with a 5-1 victory. … Everett is ready to welcome back a key player.

• Preps: The high school basketball playoffs rolled on yesterday, with Central Valley’s boys and Lewis and Clark’s girls each winning games at Chiawana . … Bill Pierce has a history lesson on the blog concerning a famous name in these parts. … If you decry the advent of year-round specialization in high school sports, you won’t like this L.A. Times story .

• Seahawks: Marshawn Lynch’s pending decision on retirement hangs over the Hawks as the brain trust takes in the combine this week. The future of the roster has to be decided and Lynch has a big part in that. … The decision by Doug Baldwin to apologize bodes well for the team down the road.

• Mariners: Two more previews today, with one being the fifth spot in the starting rotation , the other Mike Zunino and the catching position.

• Sounders: As training wears on, Seattle will be getting back injured pieces to the puzzle. … The News Tribune is doing a book-like series of blog posts based on an interview with the new general manager.

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• And we’re done. It’s all downhill from here to the weekend, right? Until later …