Another college hoop conference preview on tap today, with the West Coast Conference in the spotlight this time. It’s a conference with what amounts to one cinch NCAA team and a couple others who figure as bubble candidates. Not many surprises in this outfit the way I see it.
1. Gonzaga… About the only issue for this team as far as conference play is concerned is complacency. Gonzaga is loaded. Pangos and Bell comprise a terrific backcourt, the bigs are good, and the recruiting class could be tremendous. I can’t wait to see freshman Domantas Sabonis in action. You might remember his dad?
2. BYU… As Tyler Haws goes, so go the Cougars. Veteran team, ample depth, solid coach. The big question is where the points come from in the paint. If BYU solves that issue, they’re Big Dance bound.
3. Saint Mary’s… Randy Bennett scored with the graduate transfer rule when he latched onto ex-Stanford star Aaron Bright. Of course, that’a assuming Bright relocates his 2012 form. The Gaels had some intensity issues at times last year. A repair of that tendency has this team back in the tournament convo come February.
4. Portland… This should be the best Pilots entry in some time. Kevin Bailey is terrific and Eric Reveno appears to have some good newcomers to supplement a very veteran cast of starters. Portland looks to be a solid fourth place entry.
5. San Francisco… I see quite a bit of separation from the top four to the rest of this league. The Dons are probably the best of the rest thanks to their ability to get some points inside but the backcourt is shaky.
6. San Diego… The Dee/Anderson backcourt is very good. But there’s little to be excited about among the bigs and I can’t see the Toreros being any better than .500.
7. Loyola Marymount… Mike Dunlap takes over the reigns from Max Good. The Lions were a very lazy team at times last season. So in spite of losing some good players, particularly Anthony Ireland, I think you’ll see this team improve this year.
8. Pepperdine… Losing Malcolm Banks was a big blow. Stacy Davis will be outstanding, and I’ve been impressed with the improvement the program has shown under Marty Wilson. But there’s just not enough talent on hand for more than mediocrity.
9. Santa Clara… Another good guard tandem with Brownridge and Clark. That’s pretty much it. Kerry Keating’s team had little inside power last year, and that problem still appears to be unresolved.
10. Pacific… A rough go of it in store for the Tigers this season. TJ Wallace and David Taylor are the only returnees with any real experience. The most interesting newcomer is mini-guard Dulani Robinson. Ron Verlin did a nice job with Pacific last season, but prospects for this year are bleak.
--
More free content, including the rest of my CBB conference previews and daily free picks, now on my homepage