With a month to go in the season, WSU’s NCAA Tournament hopes are beginning to fade. Here’s what the Cougs need to do to make the tournament.
Path 1: Win Out
While the Cougars are currently 15-7, and barely clinging to a winning record in conference (5-4), the team has nine games remaining, and among those are five resume-building opportunities. The Cougs travel to San Francisco, Saint Mary’s and Oregon State, all Quad 1 road games. The Cougs also host Gonzaga in a rare Quad 1 home game. They will also have a Quad 2 opportunity when Santa Clara comes to town.
If the Cougars win out, they will finish the season with a 4-4 Quad 1 record (they are currently 0-4) and a 6-2 Quad 2 record (they are currently 5-2). Their overall record would be 24-7, and they would be 14-4 in conference, likely good for a top-four seed.
That resume is more than likely enough to receive an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament.
Path 2: Lose once, but win and reach the WCC semifinals
If the Cougars do drop one of their nine remaining games, they would finish 23-8, and still be a bubble team for the NCAA tournament. However, if they want to boost their chances, they could add to their resume with a big win in the WCC tournament. The Cougs would need one win to reach the WCC semifinals and two wins to reach the WCC finals. If the Cougs can make some noise in the WCC tournament, it could be enough to get them in.
Path 3: Lose more than twice, but steal a bid by winning WCC
If the Cougars lose more than two more games, they will be effectively eliminated from the NCAA tournament at-large contention. That does not mean they can not reach March Madness, however. There is always the possibility, however slim, that the Cougars could steal a bid by winning the WCC Tournament. It will not be easy. In the past twenty-five years, Gonzaga has won twenty WCC titles, and the only other team to win any has been Saint Mary’s. It would take a historic run from Wazzu to win the WCC tournament but never say never.