West Coast Recap

West Coast Conference 2005-06 Recap

by Brad Best

Once again the Gonzaga Bulldogs took care of business in the West Coast Conference, earning its sixth straight conference title. Led in scoring and spirit by All-American Adam Morrison, the Bulldogs went on to record a perfect 14-0 conference record. Loyola Marymount had an awful non-conference record (3-11), although they had some heart-breaking losses in the mix, but they started buying into first-year coach Rodney Tention’s system by the start of conference and their 8-6 record was good enough for a second place tie.

San Diego was the biggest disappointment. Following a 10-3 non-conference record, the Toreros could only manage a 6-8 conference record and a fifth place finish. Santa Clara was a disappointment as well. Travis Niesen finished third in WCC scoring but overall team play from night to night was too inconsistent to produce wins.

The two bottom teams in the league have both replaced their coaches. Pepperdine’s Paul Westphal has been replaced by Vance Walberg, who has experienced success in the high school and college ranks in the Fresno, Calif. area. Eric Reveno takes over the coaching reins at Portland. He served as an assistant coach at Stanford for the past nine seasons.

With Gonzaga and first place out of reach early, four teams battled it out for second place. Loyola Marymount was the front-runner. San Francisco and San Diego had flashes of being contenders but ultimately faded. So it was St. Mary’s that turned around a lackluster season and nabbed a share of second place with Loyola Marymount.

Conference Tournament

No upsets occurred in the first round of the WCC tournament. No. 5 San Diego ousted No. 8 Pepperdine, while No. 6 Santa Clara took care of No. 7 Portland. San Diego earned a hard-fought victory over No. 4 USF in the quarterfinals. San Diego was led by senior Nick Lewis. In the other quarterfinal game, No. 3 St. Mary’s held off Santa Clara in overtime to move on to the next round.

After two byes, Gonzaga finally got to take the court, their home court actually, and faced off against San Diego. The Torero’s Corey Belser has proven to be one of the most effective defenders against Morrison in three year’s worth of match-ups. But Morrison and the Bulldogs prevailed in overtime to move on to the finals. On the other side of the bracket, No. 2 Loyola Marymount took on St. Mary’s. Matthew Knight produced 16 points and 15 rebounds to lead the Lions over the Gaels.

In the championship game, Gonzaga continued to dodge bullets from their opponent, as they have done all year, and were fortunate that a lay-up opportunity by Loyola Marymount missed the mark and preserved their victory. This also ensured that Gonzaga would be the only team representing the WCC in the NCAA tournament.

NCAA Tournament

Gonzaga entered the tournament as a No. 3 seed and faced off against No. 14 Xavier in Salt Lake City. Xavier held the lead for much of the contest, but Adam Morrison and his much maligned mustache would not be denied. Morrison knocked down a three, battled for a defensive rebound and sunk his free throw shots in the final moments to give the Bulldogs a lead that they would not relinquish. J.P. Batista was the only other Bulldog to score in double figures.

The second round match-up pitted Gonzaga against No. 6 Indiana. Gonzaga didn’t need another 35 point performance from Morrison to defeat the Hoosiers. The Bulldogs had a more balanced scoring attack on this night and handed Coach Mike Davis his final loss as a Hoosier.

Billed as a west coast showdown, Gonzaga took on No. 2 UCLA in the Sweet Sixteen. UCLA came out flat and Gonzaga was able to build an early led and were ahead 42-29 at the half. But UCLA, despite their poor shooting, did not give up or go away. Still down by nine points with 3:26 to play, the Bruins mustered an improbable comeback and dealt Gonzaga a stunning loss in the final seconds.

Hoopville All-Conference Team Awards

All WCC First Team
Brandon Worthy, G, Loyola Marymount
Pooh Jeter, G, Portland
Nick Lewis, F, San Diego
Adam Morrison, F, Gonzaga
J.P. Batista, C, Gonzaga

Conference MVP
Adam Morrison, Gonzaga

Freshman of the Year
Diamon Simpson, St. Mary’s

Newcomer of the Year
Armondo Surratt, San Francisco

Defensive Player of the Year
Corey Belser, San Diego

Gonzaga Bulldogs
2005-06 record: 29-4, 14-0 WCC

While Gonzaga had an outstanding season, Adam Morrison’s emotions said it all as UCLA knocked them out in their Sweet Sixteen finale. Gonzaga had hoped for, expected and thought they had more than a Sweet Sixteen appearance. This team wanted a Final Four opportunity.

Team MVP – Adam Morrison 28.4 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 1.7 apg
Top Scorer – Adam Morrison 28.4 ppg
Top Rebounder – J.P. Batista 9.5 rpg
Top Assists – Pierre Altidor-Cespedes 2.8 apg

Starters Leaving
Adam Morrison (NBA)
J.P. Batista (Graduation/NBA)

Key Returning Players
Derek Raivio, Jr. G, 10.7 ppg, 2.2 rpg, 2.6 apg
Sean Mallon, Jr. F, 6.9 ppg, 4.5 rpg
Josh Heytvelt, Fr. F 4.4 ppg, 2.7 rpg

Outlook: The team will be back, but its two top players are moving on. Coach Mark Few is a terrific recruiter and will not doubt reload and have the Bulldogs back as the team to beat in the WCC.

Loyola Marymount Lions
2005-06 record: 12-18, 8-6 WCC

They started the season like lambs but lived up to their lion namesake by finishing in second place in the WCC. Chris Ayer and Wes Wardrop stepped up and were major contributors in their senior seasons.

Team MVP – Matthew Knight 16.3 ppg, 10 rpg
Top Scorer – Matthew Knight 16.3 ppg
Top Rebounder – Matthew Knight 10 rpg
Top Assists – Brandon Worthy 4.3 apg

Starters Leaving
Wes Wardrop (Graduation)
Chris Ayer (Graduation)

Key Returning Players
Matthew Knight, Jr. F, 16.3 ppg, 10 rpg
Brandon Worthy, Jr. G, 15 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 4.3 apg

Outlook: With Knight and Worthy returning, the Lions still have a potent inside-outside game. Look for a much better non-conference record next season and a team that will compete for the top of the conference.

Saint Mary’s Gaels
2005-06 record: 17-12, 8-6 WCC

The nucleus of the team came together late in the season, and the Gaels put together a string of victories down the stretch to claw their way into second place. But due to their slow start, their only hope of postseason play was to win the conference tournament.

Team MVP – Daniel Kickert 16.7 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 1 apg
Top Scorer – Daniel Kickert 16.7 ppg
Top Rebounder – Diamon Simpson 6.9 rpg
Top Assists – John Winston 3.7 apg

Starters Leaving
Daniel Kickert (Graduation)

Key Returning Players
John Winston, Jr. G, 8.3 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 3.7 apg
Brett Collins, Jr. F, 11.6 ppg, 3.9 rpg
Diamon Simpson, Fr. F, 8.2 ppg, 6.9 rpg

Outlook: With momentum from this season and a core group of talented players, look for the Gaels to at least make the NIT next season.

San Francisco Dons
2005-06 record: 11-17, 7-7 WCC

The addition of transfer Armondo Surratt was just what the Dons needed. He can score and make the rest of the team better. The Dons were in the hunt for second until the last week and appear to be a program on the rise.

Team MVP – Armondo Surratt 14.2 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 5.1 apg
Top Scorer – Armondo Surratt 14.2 ppg
Top Rebounder – Alan Wiggins 8.3 rpg
Top Assists – Armondo Surratt 5.1 apg

Starters Leaving
Jerome Gumbs (Graduation)
Jason Carter (Graduation)

Key Returning Players
Armondo Surratt, Jr. G, 14.2 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 5.1 apg
Alan Wiggins, Jr. F, 14.1 ppg, 8.3 rpg

Outlook: With juniors Surratt and Wiggins set to return for their senior seasons, don’t count out the Dons. They should be among the scoring leaders next year and propel their team into the top half of the conference.

San Diego Toreros
2005-06 record: 18-12, 6-8 WCC

The Toreros posted a surprisingly good non-conference record despite having lost two of their best players from the previous year. But hopes were dashed when they dropped their first two conference games and then could only beat the bottom teams in conference. Seniors Nick Lewis and Corey Belser had solid years.

Team MVP – Nick Lewis 18 ppg, 4.9 rpg
Top Scorer – Nick Lewis 18 ppg
Top Rebounder – Corey Belser 6.9 rpg
Top Assists – Brandon Johnson 4.1 apg

Starters Leaving
Nick Lewis (Graduation)
Corey Belser (Graduation)

Key Returning Players
Ross DeRogatis, Jr. G, 12 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 3.7 apg
Gyno Pomare, Fr. F, 10.4 ppg, 5 rpg
Brandon Johnson, Fr. G, 9.3 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 4.1 apg

Outlook: Even though the Toreros lose their leading scorer and best defender, there’s a lot to like about the young Toreros going into next season. Their four freshmen saw lots of minutes and we’ll be ready from the start next year.

Santa Clara Broncos
2005-06 record: 13-16, 5-9 WCC

Travis Niesen and Brody Angley were officially co-MVPs of the team. Niesen had a standout senior season and Angley continued to impress as a sophomore. But this was a team that couldn’t win when it was supposed to and could never put a real winning streak together.

Team MVP – Travis Niesen 18.9 ppg, 6.6 rpg
Top Scorer – Travis Niesen 18.9 ppg
Top Rebounder – Travis Niesen 6.6 rpg
Top Assists – Brody Angley 4.9 apg

Starters Leaving
Travis Niesen (Graduation)

Key Returning Players
Brody Angley, So. G, 10.1 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 4.9 apg
John Bryant, Fr. C, 6.6 ppg, 6.2 rpg
Sean Denison, Jr. C, 8.2 ppg, 6.1 rpg

Outlook: It’s hard to tell how this time will fare without Niesen in the lineup. But with Angley still onboard and Bryant clogging up the middle, the Broncos will have their share of opportunities to show their mettle.

Portland Pilots
2005-06 record: 11-18, 5-9 WCC

Good guard play wasn’t enough to earn a winning season for the Pilots. Pooh Jeter and Darren Cooper were a lethal tandem but rebounding and defending was a problem.

Team MVP – Pooh Jeter 18.6 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 3 apg
Top Scorer – Pooh Jeter 18.6 ppg
Top Rebounder – Marcus Lewis 5.8 rpg
Top Assists – Pooh Jeter 3 apg

Starters Leaving
Pooh Jeter (Graduation)
Donald Wilson (Graduation)

Key Returning Players
Darren Cooper, Sr. G, 14.9 ppg, 2.2 rpg, 2.2 apg
Marcus Lewis, So. F, 10.4 ppg, 5.8 rpg

Outlook: Darren Cooper was granted a season-of-competition waiver and eligibility to come back and play next season. That’s great news for the Pilots who will be under a new coach and a new system next year and be fighting to stay out of the cellar.

Pepperdine Waves
2005-06 record: 7-20, 3-11 WCC

The Waves were ill served by youth and injuries this year. Injuries down the stretch to Michael Gerrity really sunk this team. They lost their final eight games and won only one game away from home all season.

Team MVP – Tashaan Forehan-Kelly 15.5 ppg, 5.8 rpg
Top Scorer – Tashaan Forehan-Kelly 15.5 ppg
Top Rebounder – Tashaan Forehan-Kelly 5.8 rpg
Top Assists – Michael Gerrity 3.3 apg

Starters Leaving
Tashaan Forehan-Kelly (Graduation)

Key Returning Players
Michael Gerrity, Fr. G, 14.1 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 3.3 apg
Willie Galick, Fr. F, 7.1 ppg, 3.2 rpg

Outlook: Paul Westphal’s young team couldn’t save his job. Hopefully a year of growing pains will translate into more success for incoming coach Vance Walberg who will try to get the program back on track.

2006-07 WCC Outlook

Gonzaga did what good teams do: they found a way to win a lot of close games. Morrison and Batista had the skill and the will to win that may be tough to replace next year. Look for Gonzaga to have a few blemishes on its conference record next season but still come out on top.

For the rest of the teams in the WCC, look for more success in the 2006-07 season than they experienced this year. Loyola Marymount, St. Mary’s, San Diego and San Francisco will all retain a core compliment of players that should help them knock off a few high profile opponents and have a shot at postseason play.