There were a couple upsets Monday, but not in the games that mattered to the bubble. So that sets up the big game at 9 pm where #19 St Mary’s will try to defend their regular season title against Gonzaga in the WCC championship game. Gonzaga is an interesting bubble case with a top 10 NET ranking but not a lot of substance once you dig in to that rating. I think they are safe, but it couldn’t hurt to take the decision out of the committee’s hands.

Three other conferences have their finals at 7 pm. In the Horizon, regular season champion Robert Morris (25-8) takes on Youngstown State (21-12). In the Northeast, regular season champion Central Connecticut (25-6) tries to stop St. Francis PA (15-17) from getting in with a losing record after they beat 2nd place LIU on Saturday. And the Coastal has a similar situation, with 2nd place UNC-Wilmington (26-7) trying to stop Delaware’s (16-19) hot streak after they took out the regular season champion Towson on Monday night.

The Big 12 and ACC kick off their tournaments today. Anyone playing today is a long shot, with the best chances belonging to Cincinnati, Pitt and maybe Florida State – who all start the day at 17-14. If last year is an indication, none of these teams have a chance at an at-large bid, but there is always the possibility that they recreate some of the magic that NC State did last year when they won 5 straight games to claim the ACC title.

The bigger bubble games will start tomorrow and Thursday as the SEC, Big 10 and Big East kick off their tournaments. For now, you have 3 conference championships and some ACC and Big 12 games before the real showcase game begins in Las Vegas between the Gaels and Bulldogs.

Enjoy the games