West Coast Preview

West Coast Conference 2006-07 Preview

by Gregg Lavoie

Some things just never change on the west coast. Like the sun’s daily setting over the Pacific and the Oakland A’s inevitable second-half hot streak, so too is the story in college basketball’s West Coast Conference (WCC). Some claim that repetition is boring, but the Bulldogs of Gonzaga would probably argue that point.

After capturing its sixth consecutive WCC regular season title in 2005-06, expect Gonzaga to win its seventh straight this season despite the loss of All-American Adam Morrison and First Team All-WCC center J.P. Batista.

The WCC continues to improve every season, becoming stronger and more talented from top to bottom. Coming into the 2006-07 season, the WCC is ranked as the 12th-best conference in the nation. That’s saying a lot for a conference that nobody had heard about a decade ago.

The Bulldogs of Gonzaga continue to face the toughest non-conference schedule of any team in the WCC. This season, Gonzaga has scheduled five teams ranked in the pre-season Top 25 – Duke, Memphis, Nevada, Texas and Washington. Pepperdine and Saint Mary’s will both play Connecticut and Washington, Santa Clara has scheduled Kentucky and Nevada and San Francisco will face off against Ohio State. Other than the Zags, the WCC struggled last season against non-conference opponents. Ignore Gonzaga’s 15-4 non-conference record, and the WCC compiled just a 37-57 non-conference mark. This season should see major improvements in that statistic.

Look for both Loyola Marymount and San Francisco to make a strong push for NIT bids, if not NCAA at-large bids, this season. The Lions took some bumps and bruises last season under first-year coach Rodney Tention, but by the end of the year they were playing as well as any team in the WCC, as was evident by their 68-67 gut-wrenching loss to Gonzaga in the WCC Tournament championship. The Dons had a rough go of it last season, finishing 11-17 overall and 7-7 in WCC play, but third-year coach Jessie Evans seems to have them on the right track. San Francisco returns the top two scorers from last year’s team, and adds some very talented fresh faces that will look to form a solid supporting cast.

Santa Clara, Saint Mary’s and San Diego could surprise a few people during conference play, but don’t look for them to do anything special enough to warrant a post-season bid. And for Pepperdine and Portland, things won’t improve much from last year. The two will remain locked in the WCC cellar, only to appear for a short stint in the conference tournament before bowing out with losing records, both overall and in conference play.

Speaking of Pepperdine and Portland, both teams will feature first-year coaches. After hitting rock bottom last season by going 7-20, Waves coach Paul Westphal resigned. Vance Walberg, a California junior-college coaching legend, will fill Westphal’s shoes and. Walberg compiled an incredible 133-11 record in four years at Fresno City College. Portland hired former Stanford aide Eric Reveno in hopes of turning around a team that allowed 74.7 points per game.

All-WCC First Team
Matthew Knight, Sr. C, Loyola Marymount
Derek Raivio, Sr. G, Gonzaga
Armondo Surratt, Sr. G, San Francisco
Alan Wiggins, Sr. F, San Francisco
Brandon Worthy, Sr. G, Loyola Marymount

Honorable Mentions: John Bryant, Santa Clara; Brody Angley, Santa Clara; Michael Gerrity, Pepperdine; Darren Cooper, Portland; Diamon Collins, Saint Mary’s, Sean Mallon, Gonzaga

Conference MVP
Brandon Worthy, Loyola Marymount

Freshman of the Year
Matt Bouldin, Gonzaga

Newcomer of the Year
Antonio Kellogg, San Francisco

Defensive Player of the Year
Alan Wiggins, San Francisco

1. Gonzaga Bulldogs
2005-06 record: 29-4, 14-0 WCC (1st place)
Projected starting five:
Derek Raivio, Sr. G (11.1 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 2.8 apg)
Jeremy Pargo, So. G (2.7 ppg, 2.2 rpg, 2.0 apg)
Abdullahi Kuso, Jr. F (transfer from Tallahassee Community College)
Sean Mallon, Sr. F (6.8 ppg, 4.5 rpg)
Josh Heytvelt, So. F (3.6 ppg, 2.1 rpg)

The Bulldogs have been able to cope with major losses in the past (i.e. Cory Violette, Blake Stepp, Casey Calvary, Ronny Turiaf, Richie Frahm, etc.), but the loss of Player of the Year Adam Morrison and All-WCC First Teamer J.P. Batista leaves a hole that will be incredibly hard for coach Mark Few to fill. The two stars combined to average 47 points and 15 rebounds a game, accounting for over half the team’s points per game (80.4) as well as nearly half its rebounds (37.6 per game).

But, as the past has a resounding way of showing, Few has done just fine in the years after he loses his major stars. Few, who will be entering his eighth year at the reins, has compiled a 188-41 record and has led his Bulldogs to seven NCAA Tournament appearances in his first seven years (Gonzaga has made eight straight). So why would this season prove to be any different? Few has always done a magnificent job of meshing role players with up and coming stars to produce solid teams that dominate the WCC.

Few has a slew of young talent at his disposal. Juniors Pierre Marie Altidor-Cespedes, David Pendergraft and Kuso and sophomore Pargo will be looked upon to play older than their age. Freshman guard Matt Bouldin was Colorado’s Mr. Basketball his junior and senior years and Few expects great things from him in due time. In December, all depth problems should be solved when forward Micah Downs, a transfer from Kansas, and center David Burgee, a transfer from BYU, become eligible.

Schedule
Key non-conference games:
Dec. 2 vs. Texas (in Phoenix, Ariz.)
Dec. 9 vs. Washington
Dec. 21 vs. Duke (at Madison Square Garden)
Dec. 30 vs. Nevada
Feb. 17 vs. Memphis

2. Loyola Marymount Lions
2005-06 record: 12-18, 8-6 WCC (2nd place tie)
Projected starting five:
Brandon Worthy, Sr. G (15.0 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 4.3 apg)
Jon Ziri, Jr. G (5.8 ppg, 4.3 rpg)
Matthew Knight, Sr. F (16.2 ppg, 10.0 rpg)
Marko Deric, So. F (0.8 ppg, 0.6 rpg)
Max Craig, Fr. C (redshirt)

The Lions have arguably two of the top five players in the WCC. Knight, a 6-8 forward, led the conference in rebounding while averaging a double-double last season. He should benefit from another year of progression and the emergence of seven-foot freshman Max Craig, who is expected to see a lot of minutes. Senior guard Brandon Worthy will probably win WCC Player of the Year this season. Worthy is a great penetrator who will either take it hard to the hoop or dish it to one of his talented big men.

Loyola Marymount coach Rodney Tention has a roster full of backups other than Worthy, Knight and guard Jon Ziri. Look for freshmen Mason Maynard, Terron Sutton and Brad Sweezy all to make big contributions to the Lions’ cause. Marko Deric, a sophomore who played just five minutes a game last season, will also be asked to do more.

With just four seniors on the team, Tention will have to rely heavily on his young players. This will likely mean that the Lions will take their lumps over the first course of the season, but be seasoned and ready to go by the time conference play rolls around. Fortunately, Tention was clever enough to realize that getting trounced by powerhouses at the beginning of the season does nothing for the confidence of a young player, so he eased up on the non-conference schedule. The Lions don’t have a pre-season Top 25 team on their schedule, other than Gonzaga of course.

Schedule
Key non-conference games:
Nov. 13 at Mississippi State
Nov. 23-25 Great Alaska Shootout
Dec. 2 at USC
Dec. 19 vs. Boise State
Dec. 29 at Akron

3. San Francisco Dons
2005-06 record: 11-17, 7-7 WCC (4th place)
Projected starting five:
Antonio Kellogg, So. G (transfer from Connecticut)
Armondo Surratt, Sr. G (14.2 ppg, 5.1 apg, 1.75 spg)
Alan Wiggins, Jr. F (14.1 ppg, 8.3 rpg, 2.1 bpg)
Johnny Dukes, Sr. F (3.5 ppg, 2.0 rpg)
Danny Cavic, Jr. F (5.4 ppg, 3.3 rpg)

Like Loyola Marymount, San Francisco has two of the best players in the WCC. Senior guard Armondo Surratt and junior forward Alan Wiggins will be relied on to carry the load for the Dons this season. Surratt blossomed as a point guard last year, averaging 14.2 points per game and 5.1 assists, which led the WCC. Wiggins is one of the best two-way players in the conference, and his stock keeps rising with every game he plays. The 6-9 forward averaged 14.1 points a contest last year and led the team with 8.3 rebounds a game. Wiggins also averaged 1.1 steals a game, not to mention his conference-leading 2.1 blocks per outing.

The problem for the Dons is that, after Surratt and Wiggins, it’s a crapshoot. Sophomore transfers Antonio Kellogg (Connecticut) and Manny Quezada (Rutgers) will give coach Jessie Evans a lot of depth at the guard position. Kellogg was a highly-touted recruit for the Huskies, but never got the playing time he felt he deserved. Evans will try and resolve that issue.

Forwards Danny Cavic (6-6) and Johnny Dukes (6-8) will team up with Wiggins (6-9) to form a very athletic, but undersized front line for the Dons.

A tough non-conference schedule (road games at Pacific, UNLV, Ohio State, Hawaii and Louisville) will surely give San Francisco everything it bargained for, but should help the youthful team come time for conference play.

Schedule
Key non-conference games:
Nov. 20 at Ohio State
Nov. 25 at UNLV
Nov. 28 at Pacific
Dec. 28 at Louisville

4. Santa Clara Broncos
2005-06 record: 13-16, 5-9 WCC (6th place tie)
Projected starting five:
Brody Angley, Jr. G (10.1 ppg, 4.9 apg, 1.9 spg)
Calvin Johnson, So. G (6.4 ppg, 2.2 rpg)
Josh Higgins, Jr. F (transfer from Western Kentucky)
John Bryant, So. F (6.6 ppg, 6.2 rpg)
Sean Denison, Sr. F (8.2 ppg, 6.4 rpg)

The Broncos return four starters from last year’s team that won 13 games and are still a very young squad. Junior point guard Brody Angley will look to turn around an offense that averaged just 68.4 points per game last season. Like former Santa Clara point guard Steve Nash, Angley is an extremely smart and efficient leader. Last season, Angley was second on the team in points per game (10.1) and first in assists (4.9) and steals (1.9).

Santa Clara’s strength this season will be its size in the frontcourt. Seven-foot Western Kentucky transfer Josh Higgins will be complemented by 6-11 senior Sean Denison (8.2 ppg, 6.4 rpg) and 6-10 sophomore John Bryant (6.6 ppg, 6.2 rpg). The formidable threesome presents a great opportunity for the clever Angley to penetrate and dish time and time again.

Because of the size inside, things should open up for shooting guard Calvin Johnson. Johnson, a sophomore, averaged 6.4 points a contest last season, and will hope to improve on his 33.6 three-point percentage. Johnson attempted 122 threes last season, but that number should see an increase this season.

Schedule
Key non-conference games:
Nov. 18 vs. Utah
Nov. 20 at California
Nov. 25 vs. Nevada
Dec. 19 at Kentucky

5. Saint Mary’s Gaels
2005-06 record: 17-12, 8-6 WCC (2nd place tie)
Projected starting five:
Jason Walberg, Sr. G (4.2 ppg, 2.2 rpg)
John Winston, Jr. G (transfer from UNLV)
Brett Collins, Jr. F (6.2 ppg, 2.8 rpg)
Daniel Kickert, Sr. F (16.6 ppg, 6.6 rpg)
Blake Sholberg, Jr. C (3.4 ppg, 3.1 rpg)

The loss of go-to guy Daniel Kickert is going to have a major affect on the Gaels this season. Kickert led the team in scoring (16.7 ppg) last season and accounted for nearly a quarter of the team’s total offense. He was also second on the squad in rebounds (5.6). With the loss of Kickert, coach Randy Bennett will look to senior forward Brett Collins to take on the leadership role. Collins was second on the team in scoring last season, averaging 11.6 points per game.

The one thing Bennett has going for him is that the Gaels are set with their starting lineup. He has Collins and Ian O’Leary (6.9 ppg, 3.6 rpg) surrounding center Blake Sholberg (4.0 ppg, 2.7 rpg), while Todd Golden (6.7 ppg, 3.8 rpg) and John Winston (8.3 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 3.7 apg) will form the backcourt. The problem for Saint Mary’s will be depth.

Sophomore forward Diamon Simpson could be poised for a breakout year if he can work hard enough to crack the starting lineup. As a freshman, Simpson averaged 8.2 points per game and led the Gaels with 6.9 rebounds per contest. He also led the team with 45 blocked shots. But Simpson will have to greatly improve his free throw shooting after he shot just 56.4 percent from the stripe last season, not a good statistic for an athletic wingman who is going to drive hard to the hoop. The only other bright spot off the bench for the Gaels could be JUCO transfer Tron Smith, who averaged 25 points a game at Citrus College last season. Bennett hopes he can do the same at the Division I level.

Schedule
Key non-conference games:
Nov. 12 vs. Murray State
Dec. 2 at Seton Hall
Dec. 12 at Nevada
Dec. 17 at Connecticut
Dec. 19 at St. Joseph’s

6. San Diego Toreros
2005-06 record: 18-12, 6-8 WCC (5th place)
Projected starting five:
Ross DeRogatis, Sr. G (12.0 ppg, 3.8 apg)
Brandon Johnson, So. G (9.3 ppg, 4.1 rpg)
Ray Murdock, So. G (5.1 ppg, 2.0 rpg)
Gyno Pomare, So. F (10.4 ppg, 5.0 rpg)
Nir Cohen, Sr. C (7.1 ppg, 3.8 rpg)

It won’t be easy for coach Brad Holland to replace his two best players from last year’s squad, Nick Lewis and Corey Belser. But luckily for Holland, he does have some options to turn to. Sophomores Brandon Johnson and Gyno Pomare are coming off great first-year campaigns in which both earned WCC All-Freshman Team honors. Johnson averaged 9.3 points per game and led the Toreros with 122 assists (4.1 per game) and Pomare averaged 10.4 points and five rebounds a game.

San Diego also returns senior guard Ross DeRogatis, who led the WCC in three-pointers last season with 82. He was also second on the team in scoring, averaging 12 points a contest.

But after those three, the pickins’ are slim for the Toreros. Senior center Nir Cohen and sophomore guard Ray Murdock will be asked to expand their roles.

Incoming freshman DeJon Jackson may just be the key to the puzzle for 13th-year coach Holland. Jackson was named Fresno’s Player of the Year during his senior season and may get thrown into the mix right away.

Don’t expect much from San Diego this season. It is most certainly a team in transition with an eye on the future. Bright lights may flash every now and then this season, but with youth comes inconsistency and inconsistency always shadows raw talent.

Schedule
Key non-conference games:
Nov. 29 at San Diego State
Dec. 2 at Central Michigan
Dec. 8 vs. Eastern Michigan
Dec. 16 vs. Furman

7. Portland Pilots
2005-06 record: 11-18, 5-9 WCC (6th place tie)
Projected starting five:
Walter Thompson, So. G (transfer from Williston (ND) State Junior College)
Darren Cooper, Sr. G (14.9 ppg, 2.2 rpg)
Ethan Niedermeyer, Fr. F (redshirt)
Ben Sullivan, Sr. F (7.1 ppg, 3.8 rpg)
Kevin Field, Sr. C (4.3 ppg, 4.0 rpg)

About the only good news first-year coach Eric Reveno had for motivation this off-season was that the NCAA granted senior Darren Cooper an extra year of eligibility due to personal hardships, a rare ruling. Cooper averaged 14.9 points a game last season and connected on 45 percent of his three-point attempts.

Unfortunately for the Pilots and Reveno, the loss of All-WCC guard Pooh Jeter will be devastating. Jeter led Portland in scoring (18.5 ppg), assists (3.0 per game) and steals (1.21 per game).

Other than Cooper, the team is mostly a work in progress. Just two other starters return from last year’s team that won 11 games. Senior Ben Sullivan averaged just over seven points per game last season and fellow big man Kevin Field averaged four points and four boards per contest.

Freshman forward Ethan Niedermeyer and transfer Walter Thompson will be looked at to step right in and contribute immediately for the Pilots. But let’s face it; things don’t look very promising for Portland this season.

Schedule
Key non-conference games:
Nov. 10 at Oregon State
Nov. 29 at Washington State
Dec. 19 at Notre Dame
Dec. 28 at Oregon

8. Pepperdine Waves
2005-06 record: 7-20, 3-11 WCC (8th place)
Projected starting five:
Michael Gerrity, So. G (14.1 ppg, 3.2 apg)
Chase Griffin, Sr. G (6.4 ppg, 2.5 rpg)
Willie Galick, So. F (7.1 ppg, 3.2 rpg)
Chris Oakes, So. F (5.9 ppg, 5.2 rpg)
Jarrad Henry, Jr. C (3.8 ppg, 3.8 rpg)

Things should improve for the Waves this season, but that isn’t saying a whole lot coming off a season in which they won just seven times. New coach Vance Walberg should have an immediate impact on his players, but it won’t be nearly enough to displace his Waves as the doormat of the WCC.

Pepperdine will be led by sophomore Michael Gerrity, one of the better point guards in the conference. Gerrity averaged 14.1 points per game last season and led the Waves with 3.2 assists an outing. Senior shooting guard Chase Griffin will need to step up his game big time after averaging just 6.4 points per game last year.

The young frontcourt of Pepperdine does present Walberg with some promise. Sophomores Willie Galick and Chris Oakes grew by leaps and bounds last season, and combined to average 13.0 points and 8.4 rebounds per game. Those numbers don’t leap off the page, but it certainly seems that there is some raw talent off which to build.

Time and patience, Pepperdine faithful. Time and patience. It’s going to be another long season.

Schedule
Key non-conference games:
Nov. 12 at Washington
Nov. 13 at Northern Iowa
Dec. 2 at Oklahoma State
Dec. 4 at Colorado
Dec. 20 at Connecticut

WCC Summary

Gonzaga should continue its supreme rule over the WCC, but with a cast of unproven players, things could get a little tight for the Bulldogs. Loyola Marymount and San Francisco have just as much, if not more, talent than Gonzaga this season. But, as we all know, Gonzaga knows how to win, and its players understand how to do it. The other two teams aren’t quite at that point yet, but a few big non-conference victories could make them believers instantly.

Look for the WCC to garner three post-season tournament bids this year. With the automatic bid that is given to the conference winner, there could be one other NCAA Tournament at-large bid, but two NIT bids is much more likely. The WCC becomes stronger every season, but unless Gonzaga gets upset in the conference tournament, there will probably be just one WCC team in the NCAA field this season.