Game 7: 30 minutes after Game 6 - No. 3 BYU Cougars vs. No. 2 Gonzaga Bulldogs (ESPN2 / ESPN3)
What to know: BYU had a tight game last night with the San Diego Toreros before finally pulling away late to pick up a five point win. Both teams match up well on paper with strong guard play and good inside presence. The Bulldogs can be a bit careless with the balls at time due to an inexperienced back court of Kevin Pangos and Gary Bell Jr. The Bulldogs had 19 turnovers in a loss at BYU. The Bulldogs will have their hands full guarding Noah Hartsock and Brandon Davies. The Cougars need to keep a man on Kevin Pangos. If the Bulldogs shots from behind the three point line are falling in, they are a tough team to defend against because it really opens up the floor for Elias Harris and Rob Sacre down low. Watch out for Sam Dower to quietly put up some good numbers in this game. Last year, Marquise Carter dragged the Bulldogs through the WCC tournament, so don't be surprised to see good numbers from him either.
Who is going to win: This is as hard of a game to call as any. The teams split the series during conference play, each winning at home. Gonzaga always brings swarms down to Las Vegas to the tournament, but Nevada is also Mormon country so expect to see just as many, if not more, BYU faithful. Excluding the slip up against University of San Francsico, Gonzaga has played the best basketball in the conference for the past month, winning by an average of 12 points. However, the Bulldogs already have a locked up at large bid even if they don't win the tournament. Pundits are placing BYU in the tourney, but their resume is a bit more shaky and could use an added win here. Still, with the way Gonzaga has played lately, and the fire of losing the conference for the first time in 11 years, expect the Bulldogs to come out hard, fast, and continue to the tournament finals.
To talk about the WCC Tournament with Gonzaga basketball fans, check out The Slipper Still Fits.