I'm giving Gonzaga's exceptional roster the benefit of the doubt for now, but Killian Tillie will miss up to eight weeks with a stress fracture in his ankle. That covers the portion of the schedule when the Bulldogs can prove they warrant a lofty seeding. . . . Xavier never falls off too far, so consider this a vote of confidence. . . . Mike Brey's talked a lot this offseason about Notre Dame 's history of exceeding expectations when it gets counted out. He's right. T.J. Gibbs and Rex Pflueger are the centerpieces of a team that should not be overlooked. . . .