The new WCC season is tipping off in just a few weeks, and tensions are starting to get high as we approach opening night, just 16 days away. Starting around a month ago, teams started to play their non-conference schedule, including some big games that have already started to shape their season. As we approach the start of league play, let’s take a look at the power rankings, and who looks to be the front runners, competitors, or dark horses to win the eventual conference title in Las Vegas.
#1 Gonzaga
No surprise here. The Zags are the best program in the WCC, and have been for as long as I can remember. This season has had a somewhat disappointing start for their expectations, falling to West Virginia in the Bahamas and Kentucky in Seattle. Regardless, the Zags have piled in some good wins, including Baylor, Indiana, and San Diego State. An upcoming battle with the back to back National Champions, UConn Huskies, will determine the potential of this Bulldog squad. Gonzaga seems to be somewhat prone to getting upset, which will be tough for the Zags considering they will take three road trips to the Bay Area, where they take on three great programs.
#2 Saint Mary’s
The Gaels have been elite under Randy Bennett the last few seasons, even making the March Madness in the last three seasons, while also currently owning the WCC Championship. The big issue with the Gaels is the loss in production with their star Aidan Mahaney leaving for UConn. However, their season has started great, and the Lithuanian duo of Augustas Marciulionis and Paulius Marauskas has been lethal en route to their 9-1 start. Don’t forget about freshman Mikey Lewis off the bench, as his 10.1 points per game in just 16.9 minutes is more than impressive. It will be interesting to see if the Gaels can compete at the same level as last year, and take down the Zags once again.
#3 San Francisco
The Dons have always been a solid team in the WCC, headlined by their tournament appearance in 2022. Despite having two National Championships in the Bill Russell era, they have just one WCC Tournament Championship, back in 1998. They look to change the narrative this year, with great depth, and some big wins to start the year. Their only two losses this season have come to Memphis and Clemson, two teams who have been elite this season. The balanced attack of the Dons is hard to match, led by Malik Thomas, Marcus Williams, and Tyrone Riley IV, a freshman. Overall, the Dons have one of the best rosters in recent memory, and have a great chance to knock off some of the big dogs in the conference this season.
#4 Washington State
The newest member of the conference, along with Oregon State, is the Cougars. Starting strong at 8-2, Wazzu looks good, and may be a dark horse to win the conference. Their scoring leaders are Cedric Coward, Nate Calmese, LeJuan Watts, and Isaiah Watts, but have 6 players over 10 points per game. The elite scoring attack of the Cougars makes it look like there is a possibility of taking home the conference trophy in just their first season as a member.
#5 Santa Clara
The Broncos have been a victim of tough scheduling early on into the season, dropping some close games to power five opponents. Most notably, a heartbreaker at home against Stanford, losing on a game winner in the final seconds truly sums up their early campaign. Regardless, the Broncos have always been a good program, putting elite talent into the NBA, and winning big games, such as against Gonzaga in 2023-24. The Broncos have a great opportunity to go far in the tournament this year, but need to build up some steam before two early battles with San Francisco in the first two weeks of conference play.
#6 Oregon State
The other new program to the conference, the Beavers, are ready for a shot at a title. The Beavers have had a decent start to the year, but their most impressive outing was a test vs in-state rival Oregon, where they fell by just three points. Regardless, the Beavers, led by German born Michael Rataj, and Demarco Minor, are ready for action in the WCC.
#7 Loyola Marymount
The Lions look like the most average team in the conference. Starting the year 4-4, they fell victim to one of the hottest teams in the country, UC Irvine, losing by 15. They also managed to pick up a big win, against Nevada, just a few nights ago. Will Johnston and Jevon Porter lead LMU, and are both looking to have all-league type of seasons as they hope to lead the Lions to some big wins.
#8 Pacific
The Tigers are coming off a historically terrible season, winning just 6 games overall, and 0 in conference play. This year, DePaul transfer Elijah Fisher and Elias Ralph are hoping to lead this team to a few more wins. Watch out for Texas Tech transfer Lamar Washington, who is averaging 11.2 points and 6.5 assists per game this season. Expect the Tigers to break their streak of conference losses (17) and hopefully pull off some upsets throughout the year.
#9 Pepperdine
The Waves have had a pretty disappointing season, starting just 4-6 and playing pretty poor competition. Their best win came against New Mexico State, in Arizona a few weeks ago. Regardless, the one bright spot of the team is Stefan Todorovic, who currently leads the WCC in scoring, at 18.9 points per game. The entire potential of the Waves is structured on whether he can put the ball in the basket at a high rate. If so, Pepperdine may be a potential Cinderella in the conference tournament.
#10 Portland
Possibly the most intriguing team in the conference is the Portland Pilots. Despite their awful 3-7 record, wins against Denver and Long Beach State have kept them afloat. They also kept it reasonably close with the Oregon Ducks, losing just 80-70 to one of the best teams in the nation. The reason the Pilots are so intriguing is due to their freshman talent. Austin Rapp, a freshman forward averaging 12.6 points and 6.6 rebounds per game. The other freshman Vincent Delano, averages 7.9 points per game. Both players could be in conversations for the WCC all-freshman team, and could lead the Pilots to some wins in the 2024-25 season.
#11 San Diego
Finally, in last place is San Diego. The Toreros have been disappointing to start the season, but have gathered wins against Boston and Idaho, and kept it within 20 to Arizona State and San Diego State. However, if Kjay Bradley Jr. can score the ball at a high rate and Santiago Trouet can rebound at a high level, the Toreros may be up to good things, and could gather a few wins in conference play.