SAN BRUNO, Calif. - A three-bid league in the NCAA Men's Basketball Championship for the first time since 2022, No. 12-ranked Gonzaga, No. 22-ranked Saint Mary's and Santa Clara (receiving votes) competed in the NCAA Tournament. West Coast Conference men's basketball featured four teams in the postseason as Seattle U advanced to the second round of the NIT.
West Coast Conference A Three-Bid League For First Time Since 2022
Three men’s basketball teams competed in the NCAA Tournament in No. 12-ranked Gonzaga, No. 22 Saint Mary’s and Santa Clara (RV). The West Coast Conference, the Big Ten, the Big 12, the SEC, the ACC and the Big East were the only conferences with at least three NCAA Tournament selections. This was the first time since 2022 (Gonzaga, Saint Mary’s, San Francisco) and the fourth time in conference history (2022, 2012, 2008) the conference boasted three NCAA bids. In addition, Seattle U advanced to the second round in the NIT, giving the conference four postseason teams.
In The Polls
In the latest national polls, Gonzaga is ranked No. 12 in the Associated Press poll and No. 10 in the USA Today Coaches Poll, while Saint Mary’s is ranked No. 22 in both polls and Santa Clara is receiving votes in both polls.
NCAA Tournament Results
No. 3 seed Gonzaga advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament after defeating Kennesaw State in the first round (73-64). No. 11 seed Texas beat the Bulldogs in the second round, 74-68. No. 7 seed Kentucky topped Santa Clara in the first round in overtime, 89-84, while No. 10 seed Texas A&M topped No. 7 seed Saint Mary’s, 63-50, in the first round.
More Notes From Around The Coast
For a record seventh consecutive tournament and 12th time in the last 14 events, West Coast Conference men’s basketball teams earned multiple bids in the NCAA Tournament. The Bulldogs competed in the NCAA Tournament for the 27th consecutive season, and the Bulldogs won their first game in the tournament for the 17th consecutive year, the only team in the nation to accomplish the feat. Saint Mary’s earned an NCAA bid for a record fifth consecutive season. Santa Clara competed in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1996.
Gonzaga and Saint Mary’s are two of 15 Division I teams to compete in five straight NCAA Tournaments.
In the last seven NCAA Tournaments, 16 West Coast Conference teams have earned a berth and 14 have been the better seed in their opening game.
As of April 7, three new head coaches will make their debuts next season - Mickey McConnell at Saint Mary’s, JR Blount at San Diego and Griff Aldrich at Pepperdine.
Gonzaga entered the NCAA Tournament with a top-20 scoring offense (No. 17, 85.1) and a top-20 scoring defense (No. 18, 66.0).
On March 31, Mark Few was voted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.
Associated Press Third-Team All-American Graham Ike is the 2026 West Coast Conference scoring champion, averaging 19.7 ppg. Ike just missed another double-double in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, scoring 19 points with eight rebounds against Kennesaw State. He scored 25 points against Texas in the second round.
McConnell, inheriting Randy Bennett’s team after serving as associate head coach, takes over a Saint Mary’s team that entered the NCAA Tournament with the No. 7 ranked scoring defense in the nation, allowing just 64.5 points per game. The Gaels also ranked No. 1 in the nation in free throw shooting for most of the season.
Santa Clara’s 26 wins tied for the second most wins in a season in program history. The program record is 27 set in 1968-69. West Coast Conference Freshman and Sixth Man of the Year Allen Graves averaged 11.8 points per game and 6.5 rebounds per game.
Seattle U reached the second round of the NIT. SU earned its fourth 20-win season in the past five years, and the Redhawks first-round NIT victory over St. Thomas (Minn.) gave them five consecutive postseason wins.