A Grip on Sports: Today is the day the music stops, though local teams learned their fate, if not their destination, long ago

A GRIP ON SPORTS • After weeks and weeks of intrigue, investigation and interest, today is the day the NCAA men’s basketball tournament selection committee must finally turn off the dialogue. And slot some 70 to 75 teams into 68 seats. It is the most frustrating game of musical chairs in the most frustrating year we can remember.

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• Outrage will be all the rage at 4 p.m. this afternoon. The word “why” will be thrown around with impunity, joined by the phrase “it’s not fair.” “Them?” “Are you kidding me?” “No way!” Such expressions will all be part of the chorus.

Selection Sunday. In some ways, in some sections of society, today will be worse than the first Tuesday in November. And just as contentious. Mystifying. Joyful. Sad.

Except in these parts. No local schools’ basketball team resides on the ethereal bubble – with one notable exception. But Washington State’s women and their dozens of die-hard fans, have had more than a week to come to grips with the sad reality their team is going to miss the tournament. That seven other Pac-12 schools will be playing. That one play, one injury, late in the season changed everything.

But that’s it. The Eastern men had their opportunity and squandered it. No one else who could sniff an NCAA berth did.

The Eagle women will hear their name called, pack their bags and get ready to play. The school that defeated them in Cheney in December by a lone basket, will also hear its name. But the Gonzaga women will be waiting for one other piece of news. Will they be able to play at home, eschewing the usual NCAA road perils as one of the top 16 seeds?

No such thoughts for the Bulldog men. They know they are headed out of town, despite Spokane hosting the first two rounds. Six or seven seeds are just not handed that advantage.

Will WSU? The Cougars probably lost any chance of traveling via bus instead of jet when Colorado dumped them from Friday’s Pac-12 semifinals. A six seed is probably the best they can aspire for this afternoon. And a road game. The consolation prize, one we’re sure the players and coach Kyle Smith don’t care about at all? Oregon was able to grab the conference’s automatic berth last night, meaning the final year of the Pac-12 (AWKI) will include sending four schools to the Big Dance. And more money into the future coffers of the Pac-2.

Of course, the Ducks’ Cinderella-run turned another school, say Virginia, with its two local high school stars in the rotation, back to March pumpkins. We all know that fruit stinks to high heaven this time of year. It’s a smell that may permeate such places as diverse as Norman, Oklahoma to New York, New York.

We won’t know who is singing the blues until this afternoon, sure, but with so many odd conference tournament champions – Long Beach State parts ways with former GU coach Dan Monson and then sees him guide the team to the Big West title, defeating our alma mater, UC Irvine, along the way – making oddly satisfying runs – North Carolina State wins five games in five days? – to earn bids, the committee’s work has to be as unorthodox as it gets.

And will be greeted with the usual sighs of relief and wails of despair. Only louder and more vociferous than ever before. It’s not that there are fewer chairs than usual. It’s just there are more deserving folks fighting for them. And a bigger crowd of disgruntled non-participants when the music stops at 3 p.m.

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WSU: The Cougars will gather in the intimate confines of Beasley Coliseum this afternoon for a celebration of their first NCAA Tournament berth since 2008. Greg Woods’ story explains how you can join in. … Greg also spent some time yesterday looking back at the semifinal loss to Colorado. … The baseball team got past UCLA in L.A. yesterday. … Elsewhere in the Pac-12 and the nation, there are thoughts on what the committee will do just about everywhere one looks. … Jon Wilner has his thoughts as well in the Mercury News. … He also delves into Stanford’s coaching search and comes up with one name he thinks is perfect for the ACC-bound Cardinal. Yep, it’s Kyle Smith. … John Canzano has his thoughts on Oregon’s March madness, a run to the Pac-12 tournament title and into the NCAAs. The Ducks’ N’Faly Dante dominated Colorado inside and almost single-handedly ended the Buffs’ title hopes. … The final part of the season hasn’t been the best for Tommy Lloyd and his Arizona squad. … Washington is reportedly turning down an NIT invitation. In that the Huskies are not alone. The NCAA, bowing to Power 6 pressure, changed the qualifying rules last offseason. Reserved more spots for middling-to-poor schools in the big conferences. Now those schools are saying they don’t want to play. Does anything illustrate how screwed up college athletics is these days better? … Well, how about the demise of the Pac-12? That’s pretty damning too. … The Arizona women don’t know if they will play in the NCAA Tournament. But they know they still will be playing. … Will Colorado host? … In football news, Oregon is going through spring workouts with a different quarterback but the same philosophy. … Oregon State has put in a couple weeks. Now it takes a break. … Colorado is ready to start its second spring under Deion Sanders. … Arizona is still adding to its roster.

Gonzaga: The only local school with two certain participants? Right here. So we decided to link the S-R’s overarching coverage in this section. Jim Meehan has an overview of what today means to the area’s D-I schools. … The Zag men have had NCAA success for a quarter century. That means there are a lot of stories to tell. Theo Lawson took on the assignment of trying to tell them in this long, almost novella-length, story. … Lisa Fortier’s success doesn’t stretch back that far but she’s reached a decade. And that means she’s had some great teams as well. Greg Lee wonders if this is her best one and lists the best in the school’s history (we linked the latter story yesterday as well). … Charles Apple has a Further Review page on the women’s run.

EWU: There are no worries in Cheney either. The women are in. Where and when? That’s another story. They will find out today. Dan Thompson shares Joddie Gleason and her team’s plans. … Yes, March Madness. Accompanied by a helping of spring football. Dan has a preview of that as well. … Elsewhere in the Big Sky, Montana State is headed to the tournament.

Preps: Former Central Valley High star (and Stanford standout) Lexie Hull is living the dream. Still. And that may include playing in the Olympics.

Velocity: Downtown was packed yesterday. A big reason why? The home opener for Spokane’s newest pro team. The Velocity made the 5,086 who packed ONE Spokane Stadium happy by sending Richmond back to Virginia carrying a 2-1 defeat. Justin Reed covered the match itself and Garrett Cabeza the surrounding hoopla.  

Chiefs: Finally. The Chiefs helped draw folks downtown with an important game at the Arena last night. When it ended, Spokane was on the good side of a 7-6 score and had achieved a goal. The team clinched a WHL playoff berth.

Kraken: Speaking of the playoff berths, don’t expect Seattle to earn one. The Kraken’s fourth consecutive loss at home, this one 4-1 to Nashville, has probably sealed their fate. … The Predators were down and out last season. Now they are headed to the postseason.

Sounders: Seattle nursed a goal lead for most of their home match with Colorado. But a late Rapids’ goal finished off a 1-1 draw.

Mariners: After the M’s pounded out wins in split-squad games, Matt Calkins wrote about a player who is back in baseball after dealing with burnout.

Seahawks: Seattle signed a younger linebacker, one the Dolphins let go so they could sign a former Hawk to replace him. Weird.

Reign: Seattle begins its season today, with one player trying to hold the new roster together.

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• Need a bracket? Well, fire up the Google machine and we’re sure you’ll be able to find a blank one somewhere. Men or women. Then get ready to spend the rest of the week trying to figure out the final survivors. Good luck. We gave up years ago. … Hey, we just realized it’s St Patty’s Day as well. Don’t forget to wear green. Until later …