Pepperdine

WCC Basketball Preview: 2009-10

CHN — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 13:10:30 -0800

Gonzaga lacks the star power of recent seasons, so perhaps this is the year they get knocked out of 1st place. Portland looks to have the best chance, but Santa Clara, San Diego, and Saint Mary's are no slouches either.

Conference Rank: 16th

10 year average: 12th

Conference Page

All-WCC Team
Pos.	Player	Team	Yr.

G	Matt Bouldin	Gonzaga	Sr
G	Nik Raivio	Portland	Sr
G	Brandon Johnson	San Diego	Sr
F	Dior Lowhorn	San Francisco	Sr
C	Omar Samhan	Saint Mary's	Sr

Player of the Year - Matt Bouldin Freshman of the Year - Matthew Dellavedova (SMC)
CHN Award Winners		Leaders
Mid-Major All-Americans Matt Bouldin (1st Team) Omar Samhan (3rd) Steven Gray Brandon Johnson Dior Lowhorn		Best Scorer: Dior Lowhorn Best Rebounder: Omar Samhan Best Playmaker: Brandon Johnson

WCC Standings
Nat'l	Team	League	Tourney

31	Gonzaga	WCC	1	NCAA
88	Portland	WCC	2	CBI/CIT
121	Santa Clara	WCC	3	CBI/CIT
173	St. Mary's	WCC	4
196	San Diego	WCC	5
254	Pepperdine	WCC	6
300	San Francisco	WCC	7
339	Loy Marymount	WCC	8

*Click on links for full Top 144 team preview

Poll: Who Do You Think Will Win the WCC?

College Basketball Preview - 348 Team Ranking - Alphabetical Ranks/Previews

Poll: Who Will Win the WCC?

Shawn Siegel — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 06:51:54 -0700

WCC Tournament: Preview & Odds

Evan Dorey — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 18:01:18 -0800

This is one in a series of conference tournament previews, in which I run down all the teams involved, give a brief statistical review and present the log5 projections, using in-conference offensive and defensive efficiency. The basic log5 methodology comes from Bill James, and this is an area Ken Pomeroy has looked at in the past as well. I claim nothing new in the application, but obviously with slightly different methodologies, these numbers may differ from others you find. I don’t claim to be an expert on any particular conference, and I’m sure there are some mis-characterizations on some players I’ve seen sparingly at best, so please add your thoughts in the comments. Anyway, with no further ado, the preview follows below:

West Coast Conference

The WCC the tournament are playing at a neutral site in Las Vegas for the first time, but the format, with a double bye for the top 2 seeds and a bye for seeds 3 and 4, is the same as it has been.

#	Team	SF	F	W
1	Gonzaga	100.00%	95.87%	82.74%
2	St. Mary's	100.00%	68.55%	12.68%
3	Portland	85.03%	30.13%	3.57%
4	Santa Clara	64.98%	3.18%	0.82%
5	San Diego	35.02%	0.95%	0.15%
6	Pepperdine	14.97%	1.32%	0.04%

Gonzaga is of course the huge favorite, but Patty Mills’ return will give St. Mary’s a somewhat better shot than these odds indicate.

#1 – Gonzaga Bulldogs (24-5, 14-0) ; Efficiency Margin: +0.286

Last NCAA Tournament bid: 2008 (1^st Round)

A perfect conference season earned the Bulldogs yet another conference title, and they richly deserve it, having dominated the league, outscoring opponents by an average of 20 points, and finishing atop the conference in all but a couple of offensive categories. The conference’s top offense is among the nation’s best in making shots, both from two and three, and in avoiding turnovers, and is very difficult to stop. The defense has also been excellent, but does have a weakness, as Gonzaga hasn’t been great at stopping three-pointers. It’s made up for it by being the country’s best defenders inside the arc, but teams that take a lot of outside shots can catch the Bulldogs by surprise.

Players to watch:

6-11 SR Josh Heytvelt, 15.2 PPG, 6.8 RPG, 58.4 eFG% - Heytvelt leads the team in scoring, and is the Bulldogs’ most efficient offensive player. He rarely turns the ball over, and shoots 55% from the field, with the ability to step out and hit the three point shot.

6-5 JR Matt Bouldin, 13.8 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 1.6 SPG, 59.2 eFG% - Bouldin is another very efficient forward, about equal to Heytvelt in shooting percentages from the floor and at the stripe, and a good player at forcing steals and holding onto the ball.

#2 – St. Mary’s Gaels (23-5, 10-4) ; Efficiency Margin: +0.135

Last NCAA Tournament bid: 2008 (1^st Round)

The Patty Mills injury seemed to have totally derailed the Gaels when they lost four of five games, though this stretch did include the toughest three road games in the league schedule. A recovery in the second half of February saw them secure second place, and put themselves back in the conversation for an NCAA at-large bid. While they finished just one game ahead of Portland, they are the clear #2 team in the league. It’s interesting that despite Mills being the headline player, St. Mary’s plays best inside, an excellent offensive rebounding team that hits more than 50% of shots inside the arc. St. Mary’s opponents tend to take most of their shots inside the arc, where the Gaels take advantage of good rebounding and strong defense.

Players to watch:

6-11 JR Omar Samhan, 13.9 PPG, 9.3 RPG, 2.1 BPG, 55.8 eFG% - Mills may get most of the credit, but Samhan is a real force for the Gaels inside, along with Diamon Simpson. Samhan shoots 56% from the field, and manages to nearly average a double-double without leading his team in points or rebounds. He’s also a very good free throw shooter, and his shot-blocking adds an important defensive element.

6-0 SO Patrick Mills, 18.8 PPG, 2.4 RPG, 3.9 APG, 2.4 SPG, 49.8 eFG% - Mills’ status will be a critical question for the Gaels in their quest for the conference title; he’s easily the most important player on offense, 2^nd in the conference in scoring and 3^rd in assists. He’s not a great percentage shooter, but does a good job on a high volume of attempts, and his quickness helps him to lead the league in steals.

#3 – Portland Pilots (18-11, 9-5) ; Efficiency Margin: +0.082

Last NCAA Tournament bid: 1996 (1^st Round)

The Pilots were right in the battle for the conference’s second spot, but lost twice on their season-ending road trip to lose their hold on the second round bye. Their offense is all about ball movement and getting opportunities from three; they’re well over 40% from behind the arc. Portland hasn’t been as good defensively, able to shut down opponents on the outside, but not very strong on the inside and quite foul-prone.

Players to watch:

5-9 JR T.J. Campbell, 11.3 PPG, 2.3 RPG, 5.0 APG, 65.4 eFG% - Campbell doesn’t take a lot of shots, but maybe he should take more, he’s a spectacular long-distance specialist, hitting 54% from behind the arc. Besides his shooting, he’s also a great distributor of the ball, a deadly combination of skills.

6-4 JR Nik Raivio, 15.7 PPG, 6.6 RPG, 1.3 SPG, 48.9 eFG% - Raivio leads the Pilots in both scoring and rebounding, he’s an average shooter, but takes a lot of shots and helps to give the team’s better shooters chances.

#4 – Santa Clara Broncos (15-16, 7-7) ; Efficiency Margin: +0.021

Last NCAA Tournament bid: None

Santa Clara had an up and down season, starting poorly, then running off a six-game winning streak that including beating St. Mary’s pretty handily, but then losing a pair of road games against weak opposition to finish the season. It’s been just about average on both ends of the floor, so a .500 record is appropriate. The Broncos are good inside scorers, but have really struggled with turnovers, giving up the ball nearly once out of every four possessions. They’ve also forced very few turnovers, which has somewhat undermined a stalwart interior defense.

Players to watch:

6-10 SR John Bryant, 18.0 PPG, 13.9 RPG, 2.5 BPG, 60.7 eFG% - The WCC’s player of the year is a spectacular big man, a game-changing force who has been key to the Broncos’ inside success this season. He’s second nationally in rebounding, and has put up the nation’s best rate on the defensive glass. He’s also an excellent shot-blocker, and hits 61% from the floor and78% from the free-throw line. Few teams in the country have a single player as important to them as Bryant is to the Broncos.

6-2 FR Kevin Foster, 14.4 PPG, 2.6 RPG, 52.0 eFG% - The freshman guard has improved his play markedly over the second half of the season, and is averaging almost 20 points in his last four games. He’s an very good three-point shooter, and can rack up a lot of points from behind the arc, including 31 in a memorable duel with St. Mary’s Patty Mills.

#5 – San Diego Toreros (16-15, 6-8) ; Efficiency Margin: -0.030

Last NCAA Tournament bid: 2008 (2^nd Round)

San Diego has been one of the biggest disappointments of the season, as a team that returned a lot from last year’s group that beat UConn in the NCAA tournament has floundered in the WCC. The Toreros opened the tournament with a solid win over Loyola, but face a much tougher challenge in Santa Clara. They’re the fifth of five teams that have held WCC opponents beneath a point-per-possession, thanks to getting opponents to give the ball up a lot, and defending shots effectively. San Diego’s problem has been on the offensive end, where its been one of the worst teams in the conference, terrible on the offensive glass and struggling to make free throws.

Players to watch:

6-8 SR Gyno Pomare, 14.1 PPG, 6.1 RPG, 1.2 BPG, 53.5 eFG% - Pomare has regressed a little from his strong junior season, but still leads the Toreros in both points and rebounds, and is the team’s most efficient offensive option. He’s a good inside scorer who rarely turns the ball over and can chip in with some key blocks.

6-6 SO Rob Jones, 9.1 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 46.8 eFG% - Jones doesn’t really play all that well, but is the second most important player to the USD offense. His shooting has been below average, and he rarely gets to the free throw line, but he’s a good rebounder and inside defender.

#6 – Pepperdine Waves (9-22, 5-9) ; Efficiency Margin: -0.168

Last NCAA Tournament bid: 2002 (1^st Round)

Pepperdine actually pulled a bit of an upset in making the second round, despite finishing as the #6 seed, as it has been easily the second-worst team in the conference, and is extremely unlikely to advance past Portland. The Waves have been terrible offensively, making just 37% of shots, including barely 40% of twos and under 30% of threes. Their defense has been a little better, but has struggled to defend the inside, allowing a high percentage of two-point shots and poor on the glass.

Players to watch:

6-3 FR Keion Bell, 12.8 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 2.3 APG, 1.5 SPG, 49.7 eFG% - The freshman has improved over the course of the season, and has been very good of late, averaging nearly 20 over his last two games. He needs a lot of work in a couple of typical freshman weak areas, shot selection and turnovers, but he has shown the ability to score inside and a good ability for assists and steals.

6-7 FR Taylor Darby, 6.1 PPG, 6.2 RPG, 37.0 eFG% - An interesting freshman prospect, Darby has a long way to go with his offensive game, but is an excellent rebounder, and has improved his percentages over the last month.

My statistical all-West Coast team (a very inside-heavy one):

St. Mary’s SO G Patrick Mills, 18.8 PPG, 2.4 RPG, 3.9 APG, 2.4 SPG, 49.8 eFG%

San Francisco JR F Dior Lowhorn, 20.1 PPG, 6.9 RPG, 52.3 eFG%

Gonzaga SR F Josh Heytvelt, 15.2 PPG, 6.8 RPG, 58.4 eFG%

St. Mary’s JR C Omar Samhan, 13.9 PPG, 9.3 RPG, 2.1 BPG, 55.8 eFG%

Santa Clara SR C John Bryant, 18.0 PPG, 13.9 RPG, 2.5 BPG, 60.7 eFG%

WCC All-Conference Team: Bryant is POY

Press Release — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 05:53:07 -0800

SAN BRUNO, Calif. -- Santa Clara senior center John Bryant turned in one of the most dominating seasons in the last 30 years in WCC history and was rewarded on Monday by being named the Conference Player of the Year in a vote by the league's head coaches. Saint Mary's senior forward Diamon Simpson joined Bryant among the yearly conference award recipients, taking home his second consecutive Defensive Player of the Year honor. Santa Clara's Kevin Foster and Portland's T.J. Campbell shared the Newcomer of the Year award, while Portland Head Coach Eric Reveno was named the Coach of the Year.

Bryant, who is the eighth different Santa Clara player to earn WCC's top honor, was an immovable force during conference play, ranking second in the league in scoring with 18.0 points per game to go along with a staggering 15.1 rebounds per game. Bryant's 15.1 rpg average is the highest clip in the WCC since former San Francisco standout Bill Cartwright averaged 16.1 rpg during the 1978-79 season. In addition, the San Pablo, CA native also paced the conference in field goal percentage (.621) and blocked shots (34). Bryant currently leads the nation in overall rebounds (430), double-doubles (24), and 20-point/20-rebound games (5).

Saint Mary's senior forward Diamon Simpson becomes the first player in WCC history to win multiple Defensive Player of the Year awards. Simpson, last season's WCC Defensive Player of the Year, ranked in the top 10 in rebounding (2nd-9.6rpg), steals (7th-1.43 spg), blocks (5th-1.36 bpg), and defensive rebounds (2nd-6.36). Simpson enters the WCC Tournament needing just three more steals to become the first player in conference history to lead his respective school's career blocks, rebounds and steals charts.

Campbell and Foster made significant impacts on their respective teams this season. Campbell paced the WCC in assists (4.86 apg) during conference play, while scoring 12.6 ppg and shooting an amazing 60 percent (39-for-65) from the three-point line. Foster enjoyed a standout first season, ranking third in the WCC in scoring (16.5 ppg) during conference play. In addition, Foster ranked sixth in assists (3.14 apg) and third in three-point field goals (38). Foster enters the WCC Tournament with 448 points, shattering Kurt Rambis' school freshman scoring record (414).

Reveno, in his third season at the helm of the Portland program, led the Pilots to the program's highest season win total since posting a 19-11 record and going to the 1996 NCAA Tournament. The Pilots, picked sixth in the WCC preseason poll, finished third in the final regular season standings with a 9-5 conference mark. The nine league victories are tied for the second most in program history, trailing only the 1995 season (10-4).

2009 WCC CONFERENCE HONORS

Player of the Year
John Bryant, SCU

Defensive Player of the Year
Diamon Simpson, SMC

Co-Newcomer of the Year
T.J. Campbell, POR
Kevin Foster, SCU

Coach of the Year
Eric Reveno, POR

All-WCC First Team
Matt Bouldin, GON - JR - G
John Bryant, SCU - SR - C
T.J. Campbell, POR - JR - G
Josh Heytvelt, GON - SR - C
Dior Lowhorn, USF - JR - F
Patrick Mills, SMC - SO - G
Gyno Pomare, USD - SR - F/C
Nik Raivio, POR - JR - G
Omar Samhan, SMC - JR - C
Diamon Simpson, SMC - SR - F

All-WCC Freshman Team
Keion Bell, PEP - G
Jarred DuBois, LMU - G
Kevin Foster, SCU - G
James Rahon, SCU - G
Marc Trasolini, SCU - F

All-WCC Honorable Mention
Austin Daye, GON - SO - F
Kevin Foster, SCU - FR - G
Steven Gray, GON - SO - G
Jeremy Pargo, GON - SR - G
Robin Smeulders, POR - JR - F
Jared Stohl, POR - SO - G

2009 WCC Tournament: Schedule/Pairings

Press Release — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 08:16:58 -0800

SAN BRUNO, Calif. - With the conclusion of the West Coast Conference men's basketball regular season, conference squads now turn their attention to the WCC Tournament, which begins on Friday, March 6 at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Gonzaga secured the top seed, posting a perfect 14-0 record in conference play to win its ninth consecutive WCC regular season title and the Bulldogs' 11th in the last 12 seasons. It marks an unprecedented third undefeated conference season for the Zags. Saint Mary's owns the No. 2 seed and like Gonzaga will earn a bye until the semifinals on March 9.

Portland earned the No. 3 seed, while Santa Clara finished fourth in the conference standings to earn the No. 4 seed. The Pilots and the Broncos earn first round byes and will play in the quarterfinal round on March 7. San Diego, last season's tournament champion, is the No. 5 seed, while Pepperdine is the No. 6 seed. San Francisco is the No. 7 seed, while the Loyola Marymount Lions are the No. 8 seed.

A limited number of single session tickets for the Friday, March 6 game will go on sale Wednesday, March 4 at 10:30 a.m. Single session tickets for all remaining dates will not be available until the day of the game at 10:30 a.m.

Single session tickets will be available at the Orleans Arena Box Office on 4500 West Tropicana Avenue in Las Vegas. Phone and Internet orders will be also taken before 2:00 p.m. on the day of the game by calling 888-834-2234 or visiting www.orleansarena.com. The number of single session tickets available will depend on the quantity of unused student tickets returned by the participating institutions.

Men's single session ticket prices are $65/$50 for preliminary sessions on March 6 and 7, $75/$55 for the semifinals on March 8, and $85/$65 for the championship game on March 9. Women's single session ticket prices are $15 for the preliminary sessions on March 6-8 and $20 for the championship game on March 9. A limited number of packages including all four women's sessions are still available for $35.

For more information on the 2009 West Coast Conference Basketball Championships, please visit www.wccsports.com.

The 2009 WCC Tournament marks the first year that the conference's premier event will be held at a neutral site. The capacity for the Orleans Arena at the four-day event is 7,845, making it the largest venue to ever house the WCC Tournament. The 2009 basketball championships will be the 23rd annual event on the men's side and the 17th annual women's tournament. The WCC advanced three teams to last year's NCAA Tournament, the most in conference history and the fifth highest percentage of teams from one conference last season.

2009 WCC Men's Basketball Tournament Seeds
1. Gonzaga
2. Saint Mary's
3. Portland
4. Santa Clara
5. San Diego
6. Pepperdine
7. San Francisco
8. Loyola Marymount

WCC Tournament Schedule

March 6th
#5 San Diego vs #8 Loyola Marymount - 6 PM
#6 Pepperdine vs #7 San Francisco

March 7th
#5/8 vs #4 Santa Clara - 6 PM
#6/7 vs #3 Portland

March 8th
#4/5/8 vs #1 Gonzaga - 6:30 PM, ESPN2
#3/6/7 vs #2 Saint Mary's - 8:30 PM, ESPN2

March 9th
Championship - 6 PM, ESPN

College Basketball: 20 Random Thoughts & Observations

Shawn Siegel — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 22:42:14 -0800

A rare Sunday morning version of the ever popular 20 Random Thoughts & Observations by CollegeHoops.net editor Shawn Siegel.

1 - Villanova's failed attempt to score from close range at the buzzer had to remind you of Charles Smith's Epic Fail with the Knicks. (1993 Playoffs, Knicks vs Bulls, Game 5. Still hilarious.)

2 - Kansas has yet to come close to winning on the road (0-2), but luckily their Big 12 road schedule begins with Colorado, Iowa State, and Nebraska.. a good chance for Bill Self's young squad to gain some confidence before their true road test (OU, Baylor, etc).

3 - Blake Griffin's line sounds good enough at face value: 29 & 15. But consider his 29 points were 48% of the Sooners total, and his 15 boards were 40% of their total as well. Talk about carrying a team.

4 - How did Duke and FSU only manage 33 points combined in the first half? Were they both facing the Ravens defense?

5 - Its been a forgone conclusion that Jerry Wainwright will not be DePaul's coach to begin next year. If you need more proof (and believe me, you don't) then how bout a 22 point home loss to South Florida. Ouch!

6 - If you didn't notice, 2 triple-OT games on the same day is impressive. Both URI/SJU and Cal/Washington played some bonus basketball. I've been slow to give Cal much credit.. but 15-2 is 15-2

7 - Statistically, UTM standout Lester Hudson hasn't improved that much from last year.. but now that OVC play has started, look out for some monster stat lines. How about these numbers from last night: 30 points, 10 rebounds, 7 assists.. and 8 steals.

8 - Fred Hill brought in some big time names to Rutgers this yeas, but apparently it hasn't helped. The Knights are already 0-4 in league play.. and fans have already turned their attention to the recruiting trail.

9 - Gonzaga wasn't good enough to beat Porland State at home, but at least they knocked off Portland last night. Take that Rose City!

10 - Sure, UK beat Vandy in their SEC opener.. but 8 shots for Patrick Patterson? Can someone explain to me while he's still not getting the ball. I don't get it.

11 - UNLV, riding high on an 8 game winning streak fell back down to Earth with a 7 point loss at TCU.. which makes you wonder, when did TCU get any good? The Horned Frogs are 11-5, and coming off wins over UNLV and Texas Tech. This is a program that hasn't even finished at .500 the past 3 years. The emergence of JUCO big man Zvonko Buljan has been a major boost to a team that needed a solid inside presence. He's averaging about 17 & 9 over his last 3 games.

12 - Speaking of coming back to Earth, chalk down another loss for Boston College.. the #1 hit wonders.

13 - It's looking possible that the only team that might push Memphis in the CUSA race is Tulsa and not UAB as expected.

14 - Belmont's become a familiar face in the NCAA Tournament, and the Bears are once again beating up on ASun foes. They beat North Florida by 34, Stetson by 25, and now Campbell by 33.

15 - After being humbled in Maui, Oklahoma State is on a good run and is now up to 15th in the RPI. Still, their upcoming road trip to Baylor will prove if their recent form was just a matter of some home cooking.

16 - I mentioned this a couple weeks ago, that when Pepperdine and Loyola Marymount, it might be the worst WCC battle of all time. The Waves won by a point, and the 2 WCC doormats now have a combined 3 D1 wins on the year.

17 - Good job NJIT losing by 23 points to Columbia yesterday. And I'm not even being sarcastic. It was one of the Highlanders best road efforts of the season.

18 - Dayton's loss at UMASS on Saturday signified that the Flyers aren't ready to make a push for an at-large tourney bid. The A10 might have to settle for just 2 teams in the Dance.

19 - Utah State continues to be a highly efficient squad (3rd in KenPom's stats.) The Aggies once again hit over 50% of their shots in a win against NMSU, led by 7 of 10 from Gary Wilkinson who has amazingly shot over 50% in all but one game this season.

20 - I'll bet you think you can beat Indiana point guard Daniel Moore one on one.

College Basketball: 20 Random Thoughts & Observations

Shawn Siegel — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 12:18:54 -0800

20 Random Rants, Thoughts, and Observations from the Week in College Basketball by CollegeHoops.net Editor Shawn Siegel:

1 - Most college basketball teams are guard oriented, but Leonard Hamilton didn't get the memo. Outside of Toney Douglas, FSU has virtually no one of much worth in the backcourt. Douglas is an underrated player, but there's too much pressure on him.

2 - How about Oregon State knocking off Nebraska the other day. A home win over the Huskers isn't a big deal to most teams, but the Beavers haven't beaten a BCS squad in non-conference play since December of 2005.. (and Feb of 07 if you include conference play.)

3 - Ohio State shouldn't have any problem with Jacksonville tonight, but if you get ESPNU or are a Buckeyes fan, keep an eye on Dolphins guard Ben Smith. The 5-9 speedster is one of the most fun to watch players out there.

4 - Josh Mayo didn't make CHN's Mid-Major All-American team in the preseason, but he's making us look foolish (yes, it happens). UIC's senior leader is averaging 20.5 ppg on 50% shooting from the floor and behind the arc. The Flames have already knocked off Vandy and Georgia Tech, and are primed to challenge for the Horizon League title.

6 - Interesting quote recently from Bruce Pearl about how JP Prince might be his second best player. Like Kansas, Tennessee was supposed to get a major bump from newcomers like Maze and Hopson. But its been the usuals, like Smith, Chism, and Prince who are still the program's top players.

7 - Cedric Jackson's game winning shot over Syracuse was awesome. Its all the more amazing considering Jackson is one of the worst shooters in the country, hitting on only 30% of field goals and 14.7% of threes.

8 - There's no reason Jonny Flynn should ever take less than 10 FG's in a game.

9 - The entire SWAC conference has 5 wins so far.. and 69 losses.

10 - While Blake Griffin's numbers have been great, did you know that one player averaging more points per 40 minutes than Griffin is Pitt's Sam Young. Young also tops big names like James Harden and Luke Harangody in that category. (Teammate DeJuan Blair actually leads the nation in boards per 40 minutes, topping Griffin who is #2)

11 - Not only has the SEC gotten off to an embarrasingly bad start, but they've done it against the weakest competition of any BCS league. The've played the 21st hardest schedule in the country.

12 - Dereck Whittenburg's tenure at Fordham started with a lot of promise, and he looked to be on the verge of bigger and better things.. but the 1-7 Rams are one of the worst teams in the country, losing home games left and right so far. Will this be his final year in the Bronx?

13 - Texas struggled to put away Texas State and Texas Southern in the past week. Top 10 teams are supposed to destroy opponents like that at home. Something to worry about as UT's competition picks up from here on out.

14 - Dexter Pittman may have lost a lot of weight, but he is one big boy..

15 - Despite losing to Arizona, Gonzaga still has the #1 RPI thanks to playing a brutally tough non-conference schedule.

16 - Santa Clara is retiring Kurt Rambis's number in a couple weeks. You have to admit you were a fan.

17 - Cincy's Yancy Gates is one of the few big-name freshmen living up to the hype. His 10 ppg and 6 rpg averages might not sound amazing, but consider he's putting up those numbers in just 19.4 mpg. His per 40 scoring average is one of the Top 20 in the loaded Big East.

18 - The WCC has a lot of talent in Gonzaga and Saint Mary's, but it also features two of the worst teams in the country. Pepperdine, ruined last year by player departures and coaching changes, is 0-9 against D1 teams while Loyola Marymount is 0-10. LMU is being outscored by 15 ppg, while the Waves only 13 ppg.

19 - #1 and #2 in the country in steals right now belongs to a pair of brothers.. Travis & Chavis Holmes down at VMI. Both are also scoring over 20 ppg for the up-tempo Keydets.

20 - I can't wait for Saturday.. one of the best days of college basketball action you'll ever see.

I'm busy setting up our new UGroups section. If you're interested in managing a blog/group about your favorite team or conference, email me ASAP.

Disagree with my comments? Lets hear it:

WCC Basketball Preview: 08-09

CHN — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 18:31:23 -0800

Conference Rank: 10th

Conference Page

All-WCC Team
Pos.	Player	Team	Yr.

G	Jeremy Pargo	Gonzaga	Sr
G	Patrick Mills	St. Mary's	So
G	Brandon Johnson	San Diego	Sr
F	Diamon Simpson	St. Mary's	Sr
C	John Bryant	Santa Clara	Sr
CHN Award Winners		Returning Leaders
High-Major All-Americans Austin Daye Matt Bouldin Josh Hetyvelt Jeremy Pargo Mid-Major All-Americans John Bryant Brandon Johnson Dior Lowhorn Patrick Mills Gyno Pomare Diamon Simpson		Points: Dior Lowhorn 20.5 Rebounds: John Bryant 9.6 Assists: Jeremy Pargo 6.0

WCC Standings
Nat'l	Team	League	Tourney

13	Gonzaga	WCC	1	NCAA
35	St. Mary's	WCC	2	NCAA
61	San Diego	WCC	3	NIT
151	Santa Clara	WCC	4
179	San Francisco	WCC	5
222	Portland	WCC	6
251	Pepperdine	WCC	7
274	Loy Marymount	WCC	8

*Click on links for full Top 144 team preview

Poll: Who Do You Think Will Win the WCC?

Other WCC Content

Conference Media Poll

WCC Poll & All-Conference Team

Other

Rise & Fall: The WCC

WCC Media Poll & All-Conference Team

Press Release — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 22:25:11 -0700

LAS VEGAS, Nev. - If you remember how the top three finished in the West Coast Conference men's basketball regular-season chase a year ago then you won't see anything out of the ordinary to start the 2008-09 campaign.

Gonzaga University edged Saint Mary's College and the University of San Diego in the 2008-09 WCC men's basketball pre-season poll as selected by the league coaches. The announcement was made at the 2008 WCC Basketball Media Day at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas, site of the 2009 WCC Basketball Tournament.

The Bulldogs received five of the eight first-place votes - coaches couldn't vote for their teams - and garnered 46 points. The Gaels had a pair of first-place votes and 44 points and USD received the other first-place nod and 39 points.

Gonzaga, SMC and USD all advanced to the NCAA Tournament a year ago.

Rounding out this year's poll is Santa Clara University (30) in fourth, the University of San Francisco (23) picked fifth, followed by the University of Portland (22) in sixth, Loyola Marymount University (12) in seventh and Pepperdine University (11) in eighth.

The WCC Pre-season All-Conference team was also unveiled at the media day, highlighted by eight returning 2008 All-WCC first team members, the most returning all league players in conference history. Headlining the preseason all-conference list was Gonzaga's Jeremy Pargo, the reigning WCC Player of the Year, as well as Saint Mary's Patrick Mills and Diamon Simpson, last season's WCC Newcomer of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year.

The Zags return 10 letterwinners, including three starters, from last season's squad that posted a 25-8 overall record, captured its eighth consecutive WCC regular season title and advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the 10th consecutive season. Headlining the list of returners for the Bulldogs is Pargo, the 2008 WCC Player of the Year. Pargo leads a talented backcourt that includes junior guard Matt Bouldin, a 2008 All-WCC first team member, and sophomore Steven Gray, a 2008 All-WCC freshman team selection. Austin Daye, another WCC All-Freshman selection and a WCC honorable mention pick a year ago, also returns to bolster the Gonzaga attack.

Saint Mary's, looking for a return trip to the NCAA Tournament, returns four starters and eight letterwinners overall from last season's squad that tied the school record for most wins in a season with a 25-7 overall mark. Mills, a sophomore guard, returns to the Gaels after starring for the Australian National Team at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Mills will team with Simpson, a senior forward, to give the Gaels one of the top inside-outside tandems in the league.

Head coach Bill Grier had a successful debut season at San Diego, leading the Toreros to the 2008 WCC Tournament title and their fourth NCAA Tournament bid in program history. Once there, the Toreros pulled off one of the most memorable upsets of the tournament, knocking off No. 4 seeded University of Connecticut 70-69 in overtime in the first round. The Toreros return all five starters and 10 letterwinners overall from last season's squad. Leading the way for the Toreros is the senior duo of guard Brandon Johnson and forward Gyno Pomare, both of whom earned 2008 All-WCC first team honors.

This season, the WCC welcomes three new head coaches to the fold. Bill Bayno takes over at Loyola Marymount, while Pepperdine welcomes back Tom Asbury, who guided the Waves for six successful seasons (1988-94). Rounding out the list of new head coaches is Rex Walters, who is guiding USF.

2008-09 WCC Men's Basketball Preseason Coaches Poll
(First-Place Votes In Parentheses)

1. Gonzaga (5) 46
2. Saint Mary's (2) 44
3. San Diego (1) 39
4. Santa Clara 30
5. San Francisco 23
6. Portland 19
7. Loyola Marymount 12
8. Pepperdine 11

2008-09 WCC Men's Pre-season All-Conference Team

Matt Bouldin, GON
John Bryant, SCU
Austin Daye, GON
Brandon Johnson, USD
Dior Lowhorn, USF
Patrick Mills, SMC
Jeremy Pargo, GON
Gyno Pomare, USD
Omar Samhan, SMC
Diamon Simpson, SMC

Clip of the Day: Pepperinde Madness: Keion Bell Dunk

Shawn Siegel — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 17:27:35 -0700

Clip of the Day

Thanks to the genius of YouTube, the world has access to thousands of great college basketball videos to keep us busy every second of every day. We'll be featuring daily movies to whet your college basketball appetite. Even if you've seen them before, some clips are just too good not to watch again and again.

Pepperdine Midnight Madness

Freshman guard Keion Bell dunks over four people.. enjoy

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