The field at the West Coast Conference tournament is bigger this year with Pac-12 refugees Oregon State and Washington State joining the party in Las Vegas. Overall the balance of power in the league hasn’t changed appreciably. The newcomers finished in the middle of the pack, while the two teams expected to finish at the top did so once again.
At the very top, however, the script has changed for the last couple of years as Saint Mary’s has usurped front-runner status from long-time mainstay Gonzaga. But one of those two teams raised the trophy every year since 2009, and that streak is unlikely to end this year.
West Coast Conference tournament schedule, bracket
First round
Thursday, March 6
San Diego vs. Pacific, 5:30 p.m.
Second round
Friday, March 7
Pepperdine vs. Portland, 9 p.m.
San Diego-Pacific winner vs. Loyola Marymount, 11:30 p.m.
Third round
Saturday, March 8
Pepperdine-Portland winner vs. Oregon State, 9 p.m.
San Diego-Pacific-Loyola Marymount winner vs. Washington State, 11:30 p.m.
Quarterfinals
Sunday, March 9
Pepperdine-Portland-Oregon State winner vs. Santa Clara, 8:30 p.m.
San Diego-Pacific-Loyola Marymount-Washington State winner vs. San Francisco, 11 p.m.
Semifinals
Monday, March 10
Pepperdine-Portland-Oregon State-Santa Clara winner vs. Saint Mary’s, 9 p.m.
San Diego-Pacific-Loyola Marymount-Washington State-San Francisco winner vs. Gonzaga, 11:30 p.m.
Championship
Tuesday., March 11
Semifinal winners, 9 p.m.
All times Eastern
West Coast Conference tournament favorite
Saint Mary’s enters the tourney as the top seed for the third consecutive year. The Gaels are coached by Randy Bennett, no relation to Tony, but nevertheless bring to mind a vintage Virginia squad as they control the tempo, play tight defense and select smart shots. They headed the WCC standings by three games and swept Gonzaga home-and-home. The Bulldogs can never be counted out, of course, but they didn’t secure the No. 2 spot until the final day of the regular season with a win at San Francisco. The Dons, incidentally, handed the Gaels their lone league loss but would have to get past the Zags in the semifinals to earn a rematch.
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West Coast Conference tournament top players
Augustas Marciulionis, G, Saint Mary’s – The league player of the year and last season’s WCC tourney MVP with NBA genes picked up where he left off, putting up 14.4 points and 6.1 assists a game.
Mitchell Saxen, C, Saint Mary’s – Another key veteran for the experienced Gaels, the two-time conference defensive player of the year is averaging eight rebounds while adding 10.4 points on the offensive end.
Ryan Nembhard, G, Gonzaga – the Nation’s assists leader handing out 10 dimes a game can score a bit as well when he has to (10.9 ppg), but the Zags are at their best when the long-time floor general is mainly the distributor.
Graham Ike, F, Gonzaga – The Zags’ scoring leader at 17 a game, he is not a dominant post presence but knows how to find openings near the rim. It also helps that he makes free throws at a nearly 80% clip.
Malik Thomas, G, San Francisco – One of the league’s most explosive scorers, the high-volume shooter paces the Dons with 19.1 points a game hitting just a shade under 40% from the arc.
Adama-Alpha Bal, G, Santa Clara – The lead guard for the back-court oriented Broncos averages 13 points and 3.1 assists.
West Coast Conference tournament bubble storylines
The Gaels and Bulldogs are safely in the field, so there won’t be any bubble drama unless either happens to lose on Monday. San Francisco and Santa Clara have potential to be bid thieves but would almost certainly need to earn the automatic berth.