Gonzaga is closing in on two important items on its season check list: An outright WCC title and a spot in the NCAA Tournament. They are not tied together, of course, since the WCC Tournament champion takes the conference's automatic berth.

The Bulldogs return to the court tonight against San Diego at Jenny Craig Pavilion for its second chance at the outright WCC championship. Their first attempt didn't go so well in a 73-65 loss at BYU on Thursday.

My game advance dealt with the strengths and weaknesses of Gonzaga's NCAA Tournament resume. The Zags still have work to do, with three more regular season games and the upcoming WCC Tournament, but they're trending the right way. That is, GU has bounced back from its five previous losses with winning streaks, though BYU snapped the Zags' modest two-game winning streak.

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