Talking Points: No. 1 might not mean No. 1

1

With another West Coast Conference championship secured, Gonzaga is almost assured of entering the NCAA Tournament as the top-ranked team in the land. But Zags fans might be in for a shock come Selection Sunday.

Gonzaga is No. 1 in the polls, yet it’s far from No. 1 in the computers. According to ESPN.com, the Zags entered Monday’s conference title game against St. Mary’s ranked 11th nationally in RPI. RPI stands for Ratings Percentage Index, and it is weighed much more heavily by the NCAA selection committee than the national polls.

According to CBSSports.com, Gonzaga was 10th in RPI going into Monday. The Zags also were No. 10 according to RealTimeRPI.com. In Jeff Sagarin’s computer ratings for USA Today, Gonzaga stood as the fifth-best team in the country.

Gonzaga might be No. 1 in the polls. But come Sunday the Zags might not even be a No. 1 seed.

2

The Seahawks reportedly have worked out a trade that will bring receiver Percy Harvin to Seattle. Not to be outdone (well, maybe by just a little), the 49ers apparently have landed receiver Anquan Boldin.

Considering that by the end of last season the Seahawks and 49ers might have been the two best teams in the NFL (we know they didn’t win the Super Bowl; these things happen), and that both of them have a bunch of draft picks this year, we’ll repeat an earlier assertion: Next year’s Super Bowl champion is coming out of the NFC West.

3

With their lineup riddled by injuries (re: old age), the New York Yankees have contacted free agents Derrek Lee and Scott Rolen and might seek out Chipper Jones. Babe Ruth may be out of the question for the Yankees, but we hear that Reggie Jackson is still alive.