2021-22 #WCCHOOPS SCHEDULE | 2021-22 #WCCHOOPS MATCHUPS
SAN MATEO, Calif. – As part of its long-term relationship, the West Coast Conference has announced that at least 14 men's basketball conference games involving WCC schools will air nationally on ESPN Networks this season, including additional exposure during the 2022 University Credit Union (UCU) West Coast Conference Basketball Tournament in Las Vegas.
The West Coast Conference will once again be a featured part of ESPN’s Thursday night and Saturday coverage. In all, 14 conference games will be showcased on ESPN, ESPN2, or ESPNU during the 2021-22 conference campaign. West Coast Conference basketball will be featured on ESPN’s popular Championship Week coverage once again in 2022, with five live telecasts from Las Vegas: two quarterfinal games (Saturday, March 5), the WCC semifinals (Monday, March 7) and the championship game on Tuesday, March 8 (ESPN).
The West Coast Conference's national telecast package is highlighted by a pair of clashes between 2021 NCAA National Runner-Up Gonzaga and 2021 NCAA Tournament participant BYU. Both teams will also play perennial power Saint Mary’s twice on the ESPN Networks.
Gonzaga will make six ESPN appearances during conference play and will appear three times during the non-conference schedule. BYU will play eight ESPN games during WCC play, followed by six by Saint Mary’s.
Additional non-conference games televised on ESPN Networks will be released at a later date, once confirmed.
All games aired on an ESPN network will also be available through the ESPN app, accessible on computers, smartphones, tablets and connected devices to fans who receive their video subscription from an affiliated provider.
This marks year four of the modified WCC men’s basketball schedule. The 16-game schedule is the result of changes adopted by the WCC Presidents’ Council in 2018 as part of the Conference’s
Men’s Basketball Enhancement Plan.
These schedule initiatives demonstrate the league-wide commitment by West Coast Conference Presidents and Athletic Directors to adopt an innovative approach to advance men’s basketball on the national stage.
As the season approaches, check the interactive schedule on WCCsports.com or follow West Coast Conference Basketball on Twitter (@WCChoops) for additional non-conference telecasts along with local and regional telecast information from the conference and its member institutions.
The complete West Coast Conference on ESPN schedule follows.
2021-22 #WCCHOOPS ESPN SELECTIONS*
| Day |
Date |
Time |
Network |
Away |
Home |
| Saturday |
Nov. 13 |
7:30 PM |
ESPN2 |
Texas |
Gonzaga |
| Saturday |
Dec. 4 |
5:00 PM |
ESPN2 |
Alabama |
Gonzaga |
| Sunday |
Dec. 12 |
2:00 PM |
ESPN |
Washington |
Gonzaga |
| Thursday |
Jan. 6 |
8:00 PM |
ESPNU |
Saint Mary's |
Santa Clara |
| Saturday |
Jan. 8 |
7:00 PM |
ESPN2/U |
Saint Mary's |
BYU |
| Thursday |
Jan. 13 |
8:00 PM |
ESPN2/U |
BYU |
Gonzaga |
| Saturday |
Jan. 22 |
7:00 PM |
ESPNU |
Saint Mary's |
Loyola Marymount |
| Thursday |
Jan. 27 |
8:00 PM |
ESPNU |
BYU |
Santa Clara |
| Saturday |
Jan. 29 |
6:30 PM |
ESPNU |
BYU |
Pacific |
| Thursday |
Feb. 3 |
6:00 PM |
ESPN2 |
Gonzaga |
Pepperdine |
| Saturday |
Feb. 5 |
7:00 PM |
ESPN/2 |
Gonzaga |
BYU |
| Thursday |
Feb. 10 |
8:00 PM |
ESPNU |
BYU |
Loyola Marymount |
| Saturday |
Feb. 12 |
7:00 PM |
ESPN/2 |
Saint Mary's |
Gonzaga |
| Saturday |
Feb. 19 |
7:00 PM |
ESPN/2/U |
BYU |
Saint Mary's |
| Thursday |
Feb. 24 |
6:00 PM |
ESPN2 |
Gonzaga |
San Francisco |
| Saturday |
Feb. 26 |
5:00 PM |
ESPN2/U |
Pepperdine |
BYU |
| Saturday |
Feb. 26 |
7:00 PM |
ESPN/2 |
Gonzaga |
Saint Mary's |
UCU WEST COAST CONFERENCE BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT ON ESPN
Saturday, March 5
West Coast Conference Basketball Championship Quarterfinal 1
West Coast Conference Basketball Championship Quarterfinal 2
Monday, March 7
West Coast Conference Basketball Championship Semifinal 1
West Coast Conference Basketball Championship Semifinal 2
Tuesday, March 8
West Coast Conference Basketball Championship Final
*All times Pacific unless noted
ABOUT WEST COAST CONFERENCE BASKETBALL – 2020-21
#WCChoops enjoyed another storybook season in 2020-21 with No. 1 Gonzaga marching to its second Final Four and NCAA Championship game in five years after spending the entire season as the No. 1 team in the nation. The WCC once again sent multiple teams to the NCAA Tournament – BYU and Gonzaga – a season removed from the canceled 2020 event when three Conference teams were projected as locks for single-digit seeds by every meaningful publication/metric.
Saint Mary’s advanced to the NIT, qualifying for their 14th straight postseason appearance (NCAA or NIT). Pepperdine became the second WCC program to win the CBI Invitational Championship (Santa Clara, 2013).
#WCCHOOPS NOTABLES
- After landing the top-rated recruiting class in program history, Gonzaga is poised to debut at No. 1 in the preseason national polls for the second straight season in 2021-22
- Gonzaga entered the National Title game winners of 35 straight games, the second best in WCC history. San Francisco owns the second longest streak in NCAA history at 60 games (1954-56) which included back-to-back NCAA Championships (1955-56).
- Gonzaga’s 93-90 overtime thriller against UCLA in the National Semis was its 31st consecutive win - the best single-season streak in program and WCC history. The previous record of 29 was held by San Francisco (1956 & 1977) and Gonzaga (2017).
- Gonzaga’s Mark Few enters the 2021-22 season with 630 career wins. Few owns the top active career winning percentage in Division I (630-125/.835).
- Gonzaga’s Mark Few was named Naismith National Coach of the Year and NABC National Coach of the Year
- Three Gonzaga men’s basketball players earned consensus All-American honors – Corey Kispert (1st), Jalen Suggs (2nd) & Drew Timme (2nd)
- No. 1 Gonzaga led the nation in multiple offensive categories, including: scoring offense (91.6), field goal percentage (54.9), two-point percentage (63.6), scoring margin (23.1) and points in the paint (49.5).
- Three Gonzaga student-athletes were named Wooden All-Americans, headlined by Wooden Award Finalist Corey Kispert. Jalen Suggs & Drew Timme gave the Zags three on the 10-member team – the most from a single program in the history of the award.
- For the third straight season, the Zags reached the top of the AP national poll and have spent 33 weeks at No. 1 since 2012-13.
- Pepperdine downed Longwood (80-66), Bellarmine (82-71) & Coastal Carolina (84-61) in the finals to become the second WCC program to win the CBI Invitational Championship. Santa Clara won the 2013 event.
- Senior Saint Mary’s point guard Tommy Kuhse turned in a strong performance in the opening round of the NIT, scoring 17 points and dished 11 assists in a tough 69-67 setback against Western Kentucky (3/17/21).
- BYU’s Alex Barcello scored 20 points in a 73-62 loss to No. 11 UCLA in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament (3/20/21).
- Five WCC teams appeared in the top-100 in the final 2020-21 NET rankings Gonzaga (No. 1), BYU (No. 20) & Saint Mary’s (No. 62). No fewer than eight WCC teams rate in the top-135.
- Three WCC teams rate in the top-75 in the final KenPom 2020-21 ratings: Gonzaga (No. 1), BYU (No. 20), Saint Mary’s (No. 75). Six WCC programs cracked the top-100: Pepperdine(No. 90) San Francisco (No. 93) & LMU (No. 94). No fewer than eight WCC teams rate in the top-150.
A STRONG DECADE FOR #WCCHOOPS
From 2012-21, West Coast Conference programs produced...
1 -- NCAA Elite 90 Award Winner
2 -- National Coach of the Year Winners
2 – NCAA Title Game Appearances
2 -- Final Fours
4 -- Elite Eight Appearances
7 -- Sweet-16 berths
10 -- NBA Championships won by WCC alums
10 -- WCC programs to compete in at least one Postseason Tournament
14 -- Academic All-Americans
20 -- AP All-Americans
26 -- NCAA Tournament Wins
73 -- Overall Postseason Victories
About the West Coast Conference
The West Coast Conference was formed in 1952 and has evolved and grown to become a nationally recognized and competitive force in Division I intercollegiate athletics with 15 conference-sponsored sports. The WCC is characterized by the stability of its membership and its unique emphasis on combining excellence in athletics with excellence in academics. For more information, visit WCCsports.com and follow the West Coast Conference on Twitter @WCCsports.