West Coast has nationwide interest

Even with the late starts, there should be be plenty of eyes on the West Coast Conference Tournament. Saint Mary's (23-7) and Gonzaga (22-9) are popular favorites, but they have high RPIs and could play themselves out of the NCAA Tournament by stumbling here.

ESPN bracketologist Joe Lunardi had each as No. 11 seeds coming into last night's play, which would make for some frayed nerves. Gonzaga (65 RPI, 104 strength of schedule) has been to 12 consecutive NCAA Tournaments. Its first WCC game is 10:30 p.m. Sunday against a yet-undetermined opponent. ESPN2 will carry the game. Folks at bubble schools such as Boston College and Alabama will tune in, regardless of the hour.

As conference tournaments hit the first weekend, here are four leagues kicking off postseason play:

Regular-season champ:

George Mason (25-5) is riding a nation's-best 15-game winning streak and is playing for NCAA seeding at this point. From the funky fact file, the four wins George Mason had during its 2006 Final Four run are its only NCAA Tournament victories. The other four times it made the tournament, it was one-and-done.

Six teams enter this tourney with 20 wins...Drexel (20-9), the No. 5 seed, has lost its first game in this tournament the last 3years and is only 1-7 in the last 7...The No. 1 seed has won the CAA tourney 8 of the previous 9 years... Georgia State will be led by assistant coach Paul Graham (not "Snoop" from Philadelphia), after head coach Rod Barnes was fired Monday.

George Mason (24 RPI) and Old Dominion (27) are likely to get in. Everyone else will have to win this tournament.

At Richmond, Va.

FIRST ROUND/Today

UNC Wilmington (8) vs. Georgia St. (9), 12

Drexel (5) vs. Towson (12), 2:30

Delaware (7) vs. Northeastern (10), 6

James Madison (6) vs. William & Mary (11), 8:30

QUARTERFINALS/Tomorrow

George Mason (1) vs. UNCW/GSU, 12

VCU (4) vs. Drexel/Towson, 2:30

Old Dominion (2) vs. Delaware/Northeastern, 6

Hofstra (3) vs. James Madison/Wm. & Mary, 8:30

SEMIFINALS/Sunday

Saturday's afternoon winners, 12

Saturday's evening winners, 2:30

CHAMPIONSHIP/Monday

Semifinal winners, 7

Regular-season champ:

Fairfield has improved its record in each of the 5 years Ed Cooley has been the coach, and is on the verge of getting into the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1997. Fairfield has been to the NCAAs three times, twice with losing records.

Siena, the No. 7 seed, will need an unlikely huge weekend to claim its fourth consecutive tournament championship. The Saints and La Salle (1988-90) are the only MAAC teams to win three straight...Rider starts four Philadelphia-area kids, including freshman Danny Stewart (Neumann-Goretti), who was named to the league's all-rookie team.

This is a one-bid league.

At Bridgeport, Conn.

FIRST ROUND/Today

Niagara (8) vs. Marist (9), 7:30

Siena (7) vs. Manhattan (10), 9:30

QUARTERFINALS/Tomorrow

Saint Peter's (4) vs. Loyola (Md.) (5), 2:30

Fairfield (1) vs. Niagara/Marist, 4:30

Iona (2) vs. Siena/Manhattan, 7:30

Rider (3) vs. Canisius (6), 10

SEMIFINALS/Sunday

Saturday's afternoon winners, 2

Saturday's evening winners, 4

CHAMPIONSHIP/Monday

Semifinal winners, 7

Regular-season champ:

College of Charleston, led by former Georgia Tech coach Bobby Cremins, won its first regular-season title since 1999. Senior guard Andrew Goudelock is the league's player of the year. He is fifth in the nation in scoring (23.0) and the school's all-time points leader (2,372).

Appalachian State's David Sims (2010 Player of the Year) is his school's all-time leading scorer (2,151). He had 40 in a close loss to Mississippi State in November...Davidson, the No.4-South Division seed, is in danger of missing the NCAA Tournament for the third consecutive year, since making the 2008 regional finals.

This is a one-bid league.

At Chattanooga, Tenn.

FIRST ROUND/Today

Davidson (4S) vs. UNC Greensboro (5N), 2

Appalachian St. (3N) vs. Ga. Southern (6S), 4:30

Furman (3S) vs. Samford (6N), 7

Elon (4N) vs. The Citadel (5S), 9:30

QUARTERFINALS/Tomorrow

Western Carolina (1N) vs. Davidson/UNCG, 2

Wofford (2S) vs. Appalachian St./GSU, 4:30

Chattanooga (2N) vs. Furman/Samford, 7

Charleston (1S) vs. Elon/The Citadel, 9:30

SEMIFINALS/Sunday

Saturday's afternoon winners, 6

Saturday's evening winners, 8:30

CHAMPIONSHIP/Monday

Semifinal winners, 9

Regular-season champ:

Saint Mary's will be the No. 1 seed in the tournament, but blew a chance at an outright championship with two late losses. In an unusual bit of scheduling, the Gaels play Weber State on March 11 in a regular-season nonconference game after the WCC Tournament.

Gonzaga was able to claim a share of an 11th consecutive conference title. Only UCLA, which won 13 straight Pac-8 crowns from 1967-79, has had a longer run...Mountain West member BYU, which suddenly has the feel of a train wreck waiting to happen, joins the WCC next year for everything but football, for which it will be an independent...Loyola Marymount was a huge disappointment. The Lions were picked to finish second by the league's coaches, but went 2-12 in conference play (10-20 overall) to finish tied for last.

Saint Mary's (49) and Gonzaga (65) came into the week with high RPIs, so one of them will be sweating it out on Selection Sunday.

At Las Vegas

FIRST ROUND/Today

Portland (5) vs. Loyola Marymount (8), 9

Pepperdine (6) vs. San Diego (7), 11:30

SECOND ROUND/Tomorrow

Santa Clara (4) vs. Portland/Loyola, 9

San Francisco (3) vs. Pepperdine/San Diego, 11:30

SEMIFINALS/Sunday

St. Mary's (1) vs. Santa Clara/Portland/Loyola, 9

Gonzaga (2) vs. USF/Pepperdine/San Diego, 11:30

CHAMPIONSHIP/Monday

Semfinals, 9

COMING TOMORROW

Big Sky, Summit, Sun Belt conferences.