SAN DIEGO _ Gonzaga and BYU played Tuesday night in Las Vegas in the championship game of the West Coast Conference men's basketball tournament. The Zags won 74-54 before 8,030 at the Orleans Arena.
It might have been the final WCC game for one and possibly both teams.
It's been over a week since Mountain West Commissioner Craig Thompson confirmed to the Union-Tribune that he's been in expansion discussions with Gonzaga and other schools, and increasingly it appears this is more than just idle talk.
"We're trying to do what's best for our program," Gonzaga coach Mark Few told the Las Vegas Review-Journal after securing a spot in a 20th straight NCAA Tournament. "We've been a good soldier that has generated a huge (monetary) number _ what we've done with our facilities, with our program, with our travel, every phase. We want everyone (in the WCC) to take that step and move forward. It's complicated.
"In the end, we'll analyze everything and do what we feel is best for the program."
Thompson, meanwhile, prepares to hole up at a board room in New York for the next five days with the NCAA Tournament selection committee, evaluating wins and losses, determining who's in and who's out. Also on the 10-person committee: Tom Holmoe, BYU athletic director.
Figure they might be chatting during breaks.
Here's a look at the most pressing questions surrounding the ever-shifting sands of conference realignment and how it might impact Gonzaga, BYU, the WCC and the Mountain West.
