BYU Men’s Basketball – Previewing the WCC slate
By Shaun Gordon
Team-by-team Breakdown
No. 7 Gonzaga (13-2)
Once again, the Bulldogs sit at the top of the conference, and it would take a seismic shift for that to change by the end of the season.
The Zags have already notched wins against No. 1 Duke, Arizona, Washington, Illinois, and Texas A&M, and their only two losses came against No. 3 Tennessee and No. 15 North Carolina.
While they’ve only been mediocre on defense, Gonzaga features the nation’s third best scoring offense at 93.7 points per game.
Loyola Marymount (12-2)
The Lions are off to an incredibly strong start, having already knocked off Georgetown, UNLV, and Boise State. Their two blips have come against UCLA and UC Riverside, with the latter being their only truly bad loss.
While Gonzaga beats you offensively, Loyola Marymount does it defensively. They’ve got a Top 10 scoring defense, only giving up 59.2 points per game.
San Francisco (12-2)
Loyola Marymount and San Francisco could be twins. The Dons also have big wins over Harvard, Cal, and Stanford, with losses against No. 20 Buffalo and a strong UC Santa Barbara squad.
Just like the Lions, San Francisco will beat you defensively. They’re a Top 10 defense as well, giving up just 59.9 points each contest.
San Diego (11-4)
After a breakout season in 2017-18, the Toreros are off to another strong start. They’ve beaten Colorado, Washington State, and San Diego State, with close losses to strong squads such as Washington, Oregon, and Mississippi.
Their defense isn’t as strong as it was last season, but their offense has improved. They’re scoring more than seven points more per game, averaging 77.6.
Pacific (10-5)
Pacific came on strong at the end of last year, and they’ve started this season off just as strong. They haven’t played the toughest schedule, and their best win came against a quality UC Irvine squad, but they’ve won the games they should win.
They’re solid but unspectacular on both sides of the ball, averaging 75.4 points and allowing 72.8.
St. Mary’s (9-6)
The Gaels are in a rebuilding year and only have one decent win (Cal), but they’ve avoided any bad losses.
St. Mary’s isn’t nearly as efficient offensively as they have been in recent seasons (77.3 ppg), but they’ve won games with a strong defense, allowing just 65.9 points per game.
Santa Clara (8-6)
The Broncos have been a middle-of-the-pack team for the past few years, and with that middle getting better they’re finding themselves farther down the standings. They’ve knocked off USC and Washington State, but also lost a head-scratcher to Idaho State.
They’re average on both sides of the ball, but have the ability to go off offensively. They’ve scored 80 or more points five times, including a 102-point outing against the Trojans.
Pepperdine (7-7)
The Waves finished their non-conference schedule at .500, but they’re not likely to keep that pace in the conference.
They’re a solid offensive team, averaging 79.8 points and topping 90 four times, but they’ve struggled defensively, giving up 75.2 points per game.
Portland (7-8)
The Pilots are improved this season, but so is the rest of the conference. They’ll look to play spoiler and pull off a few upsets, which they’re capable of doing. They’re not going to outscore many teams, but they’ve had their moments of great defense, and they can scrape their way to a few key wins.