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BtB 2009-10 West Coast Conference Preview

Chris Dobbertean — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 00:18:44 -0000

The theme of the 2009-10 season in the West Coast Conference's is rebuilding. While Gonzaga ended 2008-09 in the Sweet Sixteen, where they lost to North Carolina, and St. Mary's ended a season that began with so much promise in the NIT quarterfinals, both these teams suffered significant losses that will result in tempered expectations this time around. And the changes aren't limited to the teams who finished at the top of the standings, as Loyola Marymount begins their first full season under Max Good, their fifth coach in this century.

With just about everyone going through some changes, the WCC race should be more competitive than last year's, when the Bulldogs ran the table and swept through the league tournament. The big question is how will a more even, and potentially bruising, league race impact the conference's chances at multiple bids. Las Vegas will serve as the neutral host for the conference tournament for the second straight year. With the Zags dominance last season, this will really be the first year we get to see if a neutral-site event will impact the conference's postseason fortunes, if at all. More on the eight WCC members after the jump.

Let's first take a look at last season's WCC standings.

West Coast Conference Standings

(updated 3.28.2009 at 12:54 AM EDT)

	Conf		Overall
	W	L	W	L
Gonzaga Bulldogs	14	0	28	6
St. Mary's, Calif. Gaels	10	4	28	7
Portland Pilots	9	5	19	13
Santa Clara Broncos	7	7	16	17
San Diego Toreros	6	8	16	16
Pepperdine Waves	5	9	9	23
San Francisco Dons	3	11	11	19
Loyola Marymount Lions	2	12	3	28

Now, here are my WCC picks for 2009-10, presented in reverse order.

Loyola Marymount (last NCAA: 1990) This March, 20 years will have passed since the Lions made their electrifying, emotional run to the Elite Eight. To me, it seems like only yesterday that Bo Kimble shot his free throws left-handed to honor his late friend Hank Gathers. For fans of LMU, the story of Alexander the Great must seem more recent. In those two decades, the Lions have become the WCC's perennial bottom feeders, averaging 20 losses a season during the new millenium. Head coach Max Good will attempt to improve on last year's 28-loss campaign with the help of five freshmen, Seton Hall transfer Larry Davis, a 6-4 guard, and Oregon transfer Drew Viney, a 6-7 forward.

San Francisco (last NCAA: 1998) The Dons are another program that's fallen on hard times. (Remember the dismissal of Jessie Evans and ill-fated interim tenure of Eddie Sutton back in '07-'08?) Rex Walters begins his second season by the Bay looking to climb up the standings. He'll get a lot of help from Dior Lawhorn (20.1 ppg), who's somehow managed to win the WCC's scoring title twice despite the presence of the high-flying Zags, and Manhattan transfer Rashad Green, brother of Danny, who just won a national title in Chapel Hill. USF will also feature an international frontcourt, as Walters secured the services of three European players, 7-foot C Tomas Bruha, 6-10 C Moustapha Diarra, and 6-8 F Nikola Stojiljkovic. The big question for Walters is who will run the offense now that Manny Quezada has graduated.

Santa Clara (last NCAA: 1996) Kerry Keating's third season at the helm of the Broncos could be a rough one. Santa Clara finished just under .500 at 16-17, and that was with WCC Player of the Year John Bryant on the roster. Keating will have to find a way to replace his 18 points and 14 boards a game. Sophomore forward Marc Trasolini will really have to step up to match those numbers, though he did average 6.8 points and 4.8 boards in limited action last season. Expect the Broncos to be more guard oriented this season, with 6-2 sophomore Kevin Foster (14.9 ppg, 2.5 apg) taking a bigger role in the offense.

Pepperdine (last NCAA: 2002) Tom Asbury begins the second year of his second stint on the sidelines in Malibu with a lot of hope. In a league where just about everyone is going through significant changes, the Waves actually return all five starters and most of their bench contributors. However, these returnees will have to, well, play A LOT better to move up the standings. The Waves simply didn't take good enough care of the ball or score enough to be very competitive. Point guard Keion Bell was the only player on the team to average in double figures (12.9 ppg), but he turned the ball over nearly 4 times a game. Comparatively, he dished out just a bit more than 2 assists per contest. The Waves will need more from their frontcourt this season to be a force. Mychel Thompson can improve on his scoring average of just under 10 points per game and Taylor Darby needs to make sure his scoring and rebounding averages aren't mirror images of one another (6.1 of each per game).

San Diego (last NCAA: 2008) The biggest moment for the Toreros in a 16-16 campaign was their upset win over Mississippi State in Starkville late last December. Point guard Brandon Johnson, who lost most of last season to a ruptured Achilles, was granted a fifth year of eligibility and will be back running the offense. The importance of Johnson's return can't be understated, as he averaged almost 17 points and 3.5 assists per game during his junior season. San Diego will have some frontcourt issues as F/C Gyno Pomare, who averaged almost 14 points and 6 boards a game, graduated, and Rob Jones, who averaged nearly 10 points and 5.5 boards left the program. Coach Bill Grier hopes 6-9 Brazilian junior college transfer Rafael Crescensio and 6-9 holdover Roberto Mafra (5.0 ppg. 2.5 rpg) can make an impact inside.

Saint Mary's (last NCAA: 2008) Everyone knows that the Gaels lost Patty Mills to the NBA Draft, but he wasn't the only significant player to leave Moraga after a 28-win campaign. Saint Mary's lost three other starters, most notably F Diamon Simpson (13.8 ppg, 10.8 rpg). Center Omar Samhan (14.1 ppg, 9.4 pg) is back, however, as is Mickey McConnell, who gained valuable experience running Randy Bennett's offense when Mills was out with a broken hand. Wayne Hunter will also see some time at the point, and watch for 6-1 Jorden Page, who played on Australia's team at the U19 Worlds this summer. He's seen by many as the natural successor to Mills. Bennett will need more from players like F Clint Steindl (2.7 ppg) and C Ben Allen (2.2 ppg) for the Gaels to stay high in the standings.

Portland (last NCAA: 1996) The Pilots won 19 games in 2008-09 and nearly pipped St. Mary's to second, falling a game short in the standings. Now, Portland, boasting five returning starters (four of them seniors) has rebuilding Gonzaga in its sights. The backcourt is a dangerous one. T.J, Campbell runs the offense efficiently (11.1 ppg, 4.8 apg, 53.1% 3 point shooting), while Nik Raivio (16 ppg) and Jared Stohl (11.2 ppg, 45.6 % from beyond the arc) can really score. The forward corps, featuring the 6-10 Robin Smeulders (10.6 ppg, 5.9 rpg), 6-9 Kramer Knutson (6.5 ppg, 3.4 rpg), and 6-8 Luke Sikma (6.1 ppg, 5.7 rpg) should do pretty well against most of the teams they meet in conference play. If the Pilots can do some damage in the non-conference portion of their schedule, which features three games at the loaded 76 Classic in Anaheim, a home game against Oregon, and trips to Nevada and Washington, an at-large bid is a definite possibility.

Gonzaga (last NCAA: 2009) Sure the Bulldogs lost a lot after last season, but write them off at your peril. Mark Few simply doesn't rebuild, even after losing four starters. While Gonzaga lost Austin Daye, Micah Downs, Josh Heytvelt, and Jeremy Pargo, who combined to average 47-plus points per game last season, there are plenty of players who are able to step up. Matt Bouldin (13.6 ppg, 3.4 apg) is the only returning starter, but he'll be joined in the backcourt by the talented Steven Gray (9.1 ppg) and Demetri Goodson (3.8 ppg, 1.6 apg). If Goodson can consistently play like he did against Western Kentucky in the 2nd round of the NCAAs last season, the Zags offense will be in good hands. The Bulldogs' two BIG men, 7-footer Robert Sacre and 7-5 Will Foster, will have to produce more than the average of 4 points and 5 boards they combined to contribute last year. The real inside scoring will probably have to come from a crop of newcomers that includes 6-9 Sam Dower, 6-7 Elias Harris, 6-10 Kelly Olynyk, 6-11 Andy Poling and most intriguing of all, 6-7 Bol Kong. Kong, born in the Sudan, comes to Spokane after a stay in Vancouver. This looks like a lot of question marks for a team picked to finish first in its conference, but it's Gonzaga. They seem to provide good answers consistently.

So, the Bulldogs are, yet again, the preseason pick for the WCC's auto bid. You'll see them in my 2009-10 Final Preseason Bracket on November 9. To wrap up this preview, here is my preseason All-WCC team, featuring the best returning players from last season.

Preseason All-WCC Team

Player of the Year: Matt Bouldin, 6-5 G, Sr. (Gonzaga)

Remainder of the Team
T.J. Campbell, 5-9 G, Sr. (Portland)
Dior Lawhorn, 6-7 F, Sr. (San Francisco)
Nik Raivio, 6-4 G, Sr. (Portland)
Omar Samhan, 6-11 C, Sr. (Saint Mary's)

Poll

Who is your pick to win the WCC this season?

Gonzaga

242 votes

Loyola Marymount

2 votes

Pepperdine

2 votes

Portland

29 votes

Saint Mary's

3 votes

San Diego

3 votes

San Francisco

2 votes

Santa Clara

2 votes

285 votes | Poll has closed

Zags Host Pilots to Open West Coast Conference Play

Zach B — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 13:00:07 -0000

Portland Pilots (9-6) at a glance
Stat Leaders	Games of Note	All-time Series
Nik Raivio (16.2 ppg)	W vs. Washington (80-74)	Zags 46-14 (since 1980)
Luke Sikma (6.4 rpg)	W vs. Nevada (63-61)	Zags have won last ten
T.J. Campbell (5.1 apg)	L @ Portland State (81-76)	Last Portland win was in 2003

The murderous non conference schedule for the Gonzaga Bulldogs is all but over. The Zags will take on two more non conference opponents before the season is over; the Memphis Tigers and the powerhouse that is the South Carolina Upstate Spartans. The next step for the Bulldogs is the West Coast Conference. The Portland Pilots open up Gonzaga's conference schedule as they travel to Spokane to take on the Zags on Saturday at 5 P.M. PST.

The Pilots have been one of the few bright spots in this conference thus far. Coach Eric Reveno's team has been accustomed to battling to stay out of the cellar in the conference but this year Portland finds itself sitting at third in the WCC, right behind St. Mary's and Gonzaga. Reveno, who is now in his third year as the Portland head man, seems to be turning this program around and has this team above .500 heading into conference play for the first time in his tenure.

continue reading more about the Pilots and Zags match up after the jump...

Portland's 9-6 record is especially impressive considering some of the teams they have chosen to play against. In their first 15 games, they played against Washington, Portland State, Nevada, Oregon, BYU, Air Force, and California. This is a very impressive list of teams, especially when you consider the schedules that some major conference teams are putting together. There two major wins came against Washington (haha) and Nevada. It's always great to see Washington lose, especially when it comes at the hands of a WCC team. Portland has also played some teams very tough. They lost to Portland State by five and took Oregon to overtime. Because of their inexperience they had some tough losses, falling to Northern Colorado and Eastern Washington.

The Pilots are led by a name that should be very familiar to Gonzaga fans; Nik Raivio. Nik is the younger brother of former Gonzaga star Derek Raivio and has been holding up the family name very well. Nik is averaging 16 points a game and nearly six rebounds. He's also got the size that Derek never had at 6'4'', 200 lbs. Raivio does not shoot the three-point shot the way his brother did but few have that ability. He makes up for it with his ability to get to the hoop and make plays using his size. The Pilots have some nice role players to help Raivio. Robin Smeulders and Luke Sikma are two very solid WCC forwards and have the ability to score at will in the post and Smeulders has been one of the surprise players this season. The Pilots will get more help in the paint as they hope to welcome back Kramer Knutson to the team. Knutson, a 6'9'' center suffered a concussion two weeks ago but should be ready to go Saturday. He attempted to come back against Seattle but suffered a migraine and could not play. Look for him to be the primary defender of Josh Heytvelt as he is by far the Pilots best post defender. Point guard T.J. Campbell is a very serviceable distributor of the ball for Portland. Campbell was a Junior College All-American a season ago and is averaging 10 points and five assist a game for UP. He has proved to be a real steal for this Portland team.

For Gonzaga, the West Coast Conference schedule could not come at any better time. The non conference schedule battered and bruised this team but they were able to end it on a high note with a huge win against Tennessee in Knoxville. The Zags sit at a disappointing 9-4 but luckily the schedule sets up so they won't have a tough test until the end of January when St. Mary's comes to Spokane. They should be able to build on the momentum from the Tennessee win with this sort of schedule.

While I do have a lot of respect for what Reveno is doing with the Portland Pilots, I don't expect the Zags to be challenged by the Pilots. As mediocre as Gonzaga has been this season rebounding the ball, Portland has been worse. They are only pulling down 35 rebounds a game. Sikma is their leading rebounder but he is only averaging six rebounds a game. Knutson returning should be able to help out the Pilots in this regard but look for them to struggle against the length of Gonzaga. The Pilots have also struggled on the defensively. They are allowing their opponents to shoot 47% from the field which is ten percentage points more than what Gonzaga is allowing their opponents to shoot. This is due in large part to Portland's inability to defend in the paint. Knutson should be able to help with this but Heytvelt should be able to have a field day against the Pilots. Hopefully he will avoid floating out around the perimeter and pound the Pilots in the post. It is definitely Josh Heytvelt's game to dominate if he chooses so. Austin Daye should be a match up nightmare for the entire WCC, especially for the Pilots who really have nothing to go against his length.

The one area of concern this season for Gonzaga has been perimeter defense and allowing players to go off on them from beyond the arc. We saw this happen against Arizona and Connecticut in doses and it really exploded with Jeremiah Dominguez and Portland State. The Pilots have three players that could light up Gonzaga if the perimeter defense is slacking. T.J. Campbell, Ethan Niedermeyer, and Jared Stohl all shoot over forty percent from deep. Stohl, who shoots 41% from three, is the Pilots primary deep threat and has shot the most (96). Campbell and Niedermeyer both shoot at a higher percentage but have not attempted as many. This is definitely a source of concern for Mark Few's team. I really see this as the only way that Portland will be able to keep in close on Saturday in the McCarthey Athletic Center.

Coming off the Tennessee victory, Gonzaga should be filled with confidence and I expect that to carry over on Saturday. Look for Gonzaga to put up a bunch of points due to Portland's below average defense. This should be another game where Heytvelt and Daye dominate the boards and will hopefully increase their confidence in the paint. Gonzaga should also be boosted by the home crowd and the return of the students. My prediction has the Bulldogs getting on the Pilots early and often led by they play of Mr. Heytvelt. Zags win 91-69, with plenty of alley-oop dunks and crowd pleasing plays.

Live Game Thread opens up at 4:30 PST. Stick around and chat basketball while you watch the Zags!

Poll

What happens on Saturday night?

Zags Dominate; Win by 20 or more

54 votes

Zags Struggle but Win Close

25 votes

Pilots stun Gonzaga; Complete Portland's sweep of Spokane

3 votes

82 votes | Poll has closed