Q: Is this the year Gonzaga is dethroned in the West Coast Conference? — Josh, Spokane, Wash.

A: It could be. Saint Mary’s has certainly closed the gap and is having a terrific season. But just because the Zags lost to Saint Mary’s in overtime on Feb. 4 in Moraga doesn’t mean it’s time to give up on Gonzaga. And Gonzaga doesn’t have go undefeated every year in the WCC in order to be a good team. I would imagine these teams will remain locked in a tie for first place until they meet again March 1 in Spokane. I still think Gonzaga has a talented and deep team. The Zags are road tested and, as a result, may play their best basketball in March. Mark Few is one of the best young coaches in the game. The Zags have won seven consecutive regular season conference titles. That’s an impressive run. It will likely end at some point, but I’m sure the Zags are more focused on a 10^th consecutive trip to the NCAA tournament.

Q: Mr. Davis, West Virginia University’s Bob Huggins has his inherited team playing pretty good ball. How long until he recruits blue chippers like he did his only year at K-State? And do you see him having a deep bench in three-four years? Or is this wishful thinking? — Shane, Pittsburgh

A: I don’t think you can call it wishful thinking. The success Bob Huggins has had in his past, both at Kansas State and Cincinnati, would be the reason for his hiring at West Virginia. Huggins wasn’t hired just because West Virginia is his alma mater. He was hired because he has been successful on the court and in recruiting. The West Virginia administration is counting on Huggins to deliver and you need good players to win. The problems that led to his dismissal at Cincinnati have been well documented. Given the tone of college athletics today, it was no surprise Huggins was given a second chance at K-State. The firing of John Brady at LSU shows us that winning is the bottom line. Huggins already has commitments from three players — forward Kevin Jones, forward Roscoe Davis, and point guard Darryl Bryant — who are ranked among the top 25 at their position. It takes three or four years for coaches to build the type of talent and depth that fits their system. The style of play utilized by Huggins appeals to certain players. Whether he brings a Bill Walker or Michael Beasley to Morgantown remains to be seen. But if he can do it in Manhattan, Kan., he should be able to do it anywhere.

Q: Does it seem likely that Arizona State will play in the tournament this year? — ASU fan, Tempe, Ariz.

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A: I don’t think likely is the right word at this point in the season. Possible? Absolutely. But I think everyone would agree the Sun Devils have more work to do. Ending a five-game losing streak with a 59-54 win over Arizona on the road was a good start, but Herb Sendek’s team needs to rise up again and again in the final weeks of the Pac-10 season. We found out this week that the committee will look at how a team does in its final 12 games. ASU takes a 15-7 record into Thursday’s game against Stanford. The next two games are against Cal and Washington State. Winning two of those three would get the selection committee’s attention. Arizona State’s best non-conference win came against Xavier. As of Monday, the Sun Devils were 75^th in the NCAA’s RPI. That puts them on the bubble with more to prove. And the opportunities are there in the Pac-10.

Q: When calculating RPI, does strength of schedule rate the opposition as of the date you played them or does it change to include current ratings. For example, if you play a team that is not rated and they beat you and later they get rated, how does this affect this your team’s RPI? — Brando, Paducah, Ky.

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A: The RPI has a lot of mathematical twists and turns. It can be hard to understand, Brando. When you ask about ratings, remember that the rankings by The Associated Press and the coaches are not a factor. Here’s the easiest way to look at it. The RPI changes every day. Every time one of your team’s opponents, or one of your opponents’ opponents, wins or loses it changes your team’s strength of schedule. There has been a lot of talk recently about Kentucky working its way back into the tournament picture. Earlier this week, an NCAA official put it to me this way: If Kentucky continues to win and improve its RPI, it helps Indiana’s strength of schedule. That was before Vanderbilt beat Kentucky 93-52.

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