Monday's Pregame Beat

Tonight, there are only eight games on the schedule. Both the Sun Belt and the Summit League will be playing their semifinal games, but more importantly there will be four bids handed out tonight.

And if you are one of the teams mentioned here, then you will want to pay attention (for a complete list of the Automatic bid winners and the title games, click here):

9:00 pm: St. Mary's vs. Gonzaga: It is always worth tuning in when these two teams play. St. Mary's is in an interesting spot. They are on the bubble right now, and if the tournament started today, there is a chance that they could be included. But without a ton of great wins, and getting swept by Gonzaga, it would be tough for them to earn an at-large if they drop this game. Gonzaga, on the other hand, is a lock. If the Zags lose, than they are getting an at-large spot, which means that one less bubble team will be getting in.

So do the Gaels have a shot? Well, they have the talent. Omar Samhan is a beast inside, Matthew Dellavedova and Mickey McConnell are talented guards that can shoot the lights out, and the Gaels have a number of quality reserves. That said, Gonzaga is loaded. Matt Bouldin and Elias Harris is one of the best 1-2 punches on the west coast, Robert Sacre is a legitimate seven footer, Steven Gray would be a star anywhere else out west, and the rest of Gonzaga's roster is full of athletes and quality subs. Oh, and the Gaels have already lost to the Zags twice.

7:00 pm: William & Mary vs. Old Dominion: Like SMC-Gonzaga game, William & Mary is probably on the wrong side of the bubble with a loss (they are a long shot to get in as of now). Old Dominion, on the other hand, will likely get a bid so long as they don't get blown out tonight, which means that it is a pretty safe bet a Monarchs loss will cost a bubble team a bid.

This will be a fun match-up to watch. ODU is long, athletic, and one of the best in the country at both defending the three and hitting the offensive glass. W&M struggles to rebound the ball and plays a four guard offense most of the time. But the one thing W&M can do is shoot. If they get hot, ODU could be in trouble. But like Gonzaga, the Monarchs have won both games in this series this year.