Not expecting much more in Las Vegas from USD, which can take a bit of satisfaction from at least not being a one-and-done in the WCC Tourney. The Toreros actually have back-to-back wins courtesy Portland and UOP, and four straight covers, but matchups have already proven problematic against LMU, which rolled 78-62 at Jenny Craig Pavilion on February 1 when throttling the Toreros, who shot only 27.5% from the floor that night and made only 2 of 18 triples. The Lions are an intriguing darkhorse in this event, considering their recent near-miss vs Saint Mary's and their size, especially 6-11 hybrid Jevon Porter, though he's been a bit erratic. Still, LMU has balance with four DD scorers. Play LMU (WCC at Orleans Arena, Las Vegas).

The Toreros enter the WCC quarterfinals with their first two-game win streak since late November after knocking off Pacific 81-77 on Thursday in Vegas. Their mini-run should end Friday against Loyola Marymount, which swept them in the regular season, winning by seven and 16. The rested Lions just took conference leader Saint Mary's to the wire, losing 58-55, and should enter this tourney with confidence. They own a win over Santa Clara and have taken care of the lower-tier WCC teams all season.