This year the West Coast Conference regular season champion are the Gaels of Saint Mary's. For the first time since 2000 a team other than Gonzaga is in this position. The NCAA record for consecutive regular season conference titles is 13 set by UCLA from 1966/67-78/79. Gonzaga's streak of 11 straight is the second best. UNLV's 10 ranks third. It's a western record that's for sure. Kansas' 8 is now the best active streak, and heck they're even west of the Mississippi.
The Zags could easily win the WCC for years to come, but this year the conference goes to Saint Mary's. The WCC is finally more than a one horse race. Now that Gonzaga has lost their stranglehold on first place they have had the past decade, the conference is better off.
The Zags brought the attention to the WCC needed to grow the conference. The other teams have stepped up and have now beaten Gonzaga for dominance. I started off as a Zag fan, with a disdain for the other WCC teams. I still am a Zag fan first, but right now I am pretty happy for the other 8 teams.
Now that one streak is over I hope the Zags can work on another, the consecutive NCAA tournament appearances record. Gonzaga is going for a 14th straight NCAA tournament appearance. Only Michigan State, Duke and Kansas have longer active streaks than Gonzaga. 27 is the record, set by North Carolina from 1975-2001. Hopefully there will be a lot of fun to be had watching the Zags from now until 2029 and beyond.
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