This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2017, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

The CBS analyst working the NCAA Tournament games in Salt Lake City this week isn't expecting "anything major."

"I don't think that Gonzaga or Arizona will lose," Steve Lappas said. "But anything can happen in the NCAAs."

A No. 16 seed never has beaten a No. 1 seed, so odds are the Zags will beat South Dakota State. And No. 2 seeds have gone 120-8 against No. 15 seeds, so the odds also favor Arizona beating North Dakota.

"You push me to the wall, I'm going to say that out of this West Region, it's either going to be Gonzaga or Arizona," Lappas said. "That would be a heck of a regional final."

It'll be huge if either loses Thursday. But if (10) VCU beats (7) St. Mary's or (9) Vanderbilt beats (8) Northwestern, "I wouldn't really call that an upset," Lappas said.

TBS will air all four first-round games in Utah. Turner and CBS once again are partnering, which is why CBS staffers are calling the games. Andrew Catalon will call the game with Lappas providing the analysis.

The altitude might be an issue; Salt Lake City is 1,800 to 4,000 feet higher than any of the schools playing here. Gonzaga and Saint Mary's both played in Provo this season, "so they have an idea what they're in for, and that could help," Lappas said.

Arizona did not play at Utah this season but did play here from 2012 to 2016.

Lappas, a former Villanova and UMass coach, thinks the two top seeds have a chance to advance deep into the tournament — particularly Gonzaga.

"Look at the year they had. They had six top-25 wins," he said. "The thing about them is they really do a great job on both sides of the ball. They're tremendous on offense. Second in the nation in field goal percentage. The leading scoring margin in the country. But they also guard. They're one of the leaders in the nation in defending the 3 and defensive field goal percentage.

"Now, granted, the competition they play is not as great as some of these other leagues."

The West Coast Conference did get both Gonzaga and Saint Mary's into the tournament. But while BYU is in the NIT, the other seven teams are sitting home.

And it's possible BYU fans will root for Gonzaga so they can brag they're the only team to beat an NCAA champion.

"Well, you've got to get a little solace there somewhere," Lappas said with a laugh.

But being a top seed can be a double-edged sword. The Zags came to Salt Lake City as a No. 1 seed four years ago and edged No. 16 seed Southern 64-58 — and the crowd turned on them.

"People want to see some history, so they can start rooting against you," Lappas said. "It can be harder, for sure."

And he thinks the more interesting games in the Vivint Smart Home Arena could turn out to be Northwestern-Vanderbilt and Saint Mary's-VCU.

"Northwestern is a great defensive team, and they're playing against one of the best free-throw shooting teams in the country. Something's got to give," Lappas said. "And the other thing to watch is that Saint Mary's plays the slowest tempo in the country. So you're probably going to have to beat them playing their game.

"Gonzaga was good enough to do it three times this year. But in the NCAA Tournament, it could be a little different. I think Saint Mary's bears watching."

As they're bracketed, the WCC rivals can't meet for a fourth time until the regional final. But if Arizona dispenses with South Dakota State, the Gaels could be a challenge for the Wildcats on Saturday.

"You never know, but I think we'll have some great games both days," Lappas said.

Scott D. Pierce covers TV for The Tribune. Email him at spierce@sltrib.com; follow him on Twitter @ScottDPierce. —

On TV

TBS will air four games Thursday from the Vivint Smart Home Arena:

• (1) Gonzaga vs. (16) South Dakota State, noon

• (8) Northwestern vs. (9) Vanderbilt, 2:30 p.m.

• (7) St. Mary's vs. (10) VCU, 5:20 p.m.

• (2) Arizona vs. (15) North Dakota, 7:50 p.m.