It's pretty much a given that Gonzaga is going to win the West Coast Conference. But just who is the second-best team in this underrated conference? That question will get decided tonight when BYU hosts Saint Mary's.

I'm going with the Cougars at home. I back up this opinion by pointing out that BYU is ranked No. 30 in the NET rankings, while St. Mary's is at No. 43. The KenPom ratings give BYU a 66 percent chance of winning. The preseason conference poll put BYU at No. 2 ahead of St. Mary's.

The Cougars swept St. Mary's last season winning 62-52 on the road and 65-51 at home.

The Gaels could be out of rhythm having played just twice since Dec. 22. Their last game was was on Dec. 28. They were supposed to play Santa Clara two days ago, but that matchup was postponed due to COVID-19.

The key to matching up well against the Gaels is defending inside as St. Mary's loves to pound the ball into the low post scoring nearly 70 percent of its points inside the 3-point line. BYU, though, ranks 52nd in defensive two-point percentage. The Cougars have a pair of ace inside defenders in Fousseyni Traore and Seneca Knight.