2018-19 #WCChoops Schedule | WCC Conference Play Preview | Crumpacker 2018-19 Archives
By John Crumpacker
#WCChoops Columnist
If the first week of conference play is any indication, it’s going to be an interesting next two months for West Coast Conference men’s basketball.
Four games fell into the “surprising’’ category as BYU won at 10-7 Pacific 90-87, Pepperdine defeated 13-3 Loyola Marymount convincingly 77-62 and lost a tough one to 14-2 San Francisco 72-69 on a last-second 3-point shot by Frankie Ferrari, and Santa Clara topped 12-5 San Diego by a dozen 68-56.
Then again, maybe these surprises really aren’t surprises given that BYU’s Dave Rose, Pepperdine’s Lorenzo Romar and Santa Clara’s Herb Sendek can all coach a little bit.
Just as WCC coaches and close observers predicted, second place through fifth place in the standings will be an interesting battle. First place? That’s a given with loaded Gonzaga now ranked No. 5 nationally and carrying a similar NET (NCAA Evaluation Tool) ranking with its top tier non-conference results, including a win over No. 1 Duke and losses to No. 3 Tennessee and No. 12 North Carolina.
Two other WCC teams are being given NET respect with USF at 39 and Saint Mary’s at 67; San Diego is just outside the top 100 at 102. Since 68 teams receive NCAA Tournament bids, including four redheaded stepchild “play-in’’ games, having three teams within the top 68 is significant and could bode well for the conference in mid-March.
Pepperdine doesn’t figure to be in that discussion but at 8-8, the Waves are unquestionably improved in the first season of Romar’s second stint in Malibu; Pepperdine was 6-26 in 2017-18. Along with that improvement as a team, at least one Wave returned this season markedly better than he was a year ago.
Sophomore guard Jade’ Smith was named WCC Player of the Week for helping Pep win two of three games. He averaged 15.7 points, 8.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.0 steals as the Waves beat Alabama A&M and LMU and lost to USF 72-69. As a freshman, Smith averaged 3.9 points, 2.6 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 0.9 steals per game.
Even more impressive is the fact that at 6-foot-4, Smith is Pep’s leading rebounder (6.6).
If form holds, Gonzaga should roar through the conference on the way to the NCAA Tournament while others in the top half of the standings take turns beating each other up. Sounds like fun.
What We Learned
- It sure seems odd to see Saint Mary’s and BYU in the middle of the standings after the first week of WCC play, with four teams currently carrying better overall records than either the Gaels (10-7) and Cougars (9-8). Granted, it’s very early in the conference schedule and, at 1-1, Saint Mary’s and BYU are tied with four other teams, behind 2-0 San Francisco and 1-0 Gonzaga. Of the two, BYU is the more worrisome for its fans after the Cougars dropped four of their last five games.
- Anyone who wants to defeat Gonzaga had better bring oodles of offense and plan to score early, often and in bunches. The Zags lead the WCC in points per game at 93.6 and have a scoring margin of +23.9. Coach Mark Few’s team has so many options on offense (Rui Hachimura, Brandon Clark, Zach Norvell Jr., Josh Perkins) that opponents are simply overwhelmed. Now that Killian Tillie (foot) and Geno Crandall (hand) are back on the court, the task of knocking off Gonzaga is even more of an Mt. Everest-like challenge.
- While there is no shortage of players around the WCC who score high in entertainment value to spectators, whether live or on TV, for my money ($11, last time I checked the old wallet), I’ll take Norvell – when his shot is on, that is. A streak shooter like Norvell can knock down 3-pointers in succession to energize his team and electrify the home crowd at the Kennel. However, when he’s clanging ‘em off the rim, give me Ferrari running the show for USF or T.J. Haws, the Ginger Ghost, doing a little bit of everything for BYU, or his teammate, Yoeli Childs, showing his pro potential in every game of what could be his final season in Provo. As for Hachimura, he’s a given with his prodigious talent.
Stat Line of the Week
A player does not have to be on the winning side to be accorded SLOTW. Such is the case this week with the honor going to Pepperdine’s Kameron Edwards in defeat. The Waves put up a good fight vs. USF, losing 72-69, and Edwards, who has dealt with a variety of injuries in his time in Malibu, answered the call with 19 points, 11 rebounds, 4 assists and 1 steal.
Quote of the Week
“Our defense was stubborn, and that’s who we are.’’
LMU coach Mike Dunlap, after his team beat Portland 76-64 to give him his 400
th NCAA victory.
Query of the Week
On a whimsical note, I wonder if Saint Mary’s sophomore guard Tommy Kuhse has heard of the great Boston Celtic Bob Cousy or seen any of his black-and-white clips? I believe their surnames are pronounced the same.
Tweet of the Week
???? pic.twitter.com/BeQbuwicKQ— Stadium (@WatchStadium) January 6, 2019
The week ahead
The WCC’s new 16-game conference schedule means there will be fewer than five games on some nights, like Thursday, when there are only three games: Portland at BYU, Pacific at Gonzaga and Pepperdine at Santa Clara. Saturday features a full slate with Pepperdine at San Diego at 1 p.m. in the WCC Game of the Week followed by Santa Clara at BYU, Gonzaga at USF, Pacific at Portland and Saint Mary’s at LMU in the evening.
Follow the three dots…
If the game is on the line, you want Pacific’s Lafayette Dorsey on the line. The sophomore marksman is hitting .923 from the free throw line (60 of 65). Portland’s Josh McSwiggan (.892) is threatening 90 percent. … In Pepperdine’s surprising 77-62 win over LMU, the Waves had five players in double figures and outscored the Lions 33-12 on 3-point shots (11 to 4). … It’s not often that a player records a double-double and his rebound total is greater than his scoring total. That’s what San Diego’s Isaiah Pineiro did as his Toreros lost to Santa Clara 68-56. He scored 12 points and had a robust 16 boards. … Pepperdine sophomore guard Colbey Ross is putting together a nice season. He’s fifth in the conference in scoring (18.9) and first in assists (7.3). … Gonzaga might not be where it is – 14-2 – without the contributions of redshirt junior Brandon Clarke. He’s averaging 17.0 points, 8.1 rebounds and 3.3 blocks per game while shooting .689 from the field. His shot-blocking prowess helped preserve the Zags’ win over No. 1 Duke in November.