SAN BRUNO, Calif. - West Coast Conference features five teams inside the top 103 in the latest NET rankings and the conference will be featured on two national broadcasts as well as on the Peacock streaming app this weekend. Nationally top-10 ranked Gonzaga will face Oregon this weekend.
Notes From Around The Coast
Five In Top 103 In NET Rankings
West Coast Conference men’s basketball features five teams in the top 103 of the latest NET rankings, led by No. 3 Gonzaga and No. 26 Saint Mary’s, along with No. 70 Santa Clara, No. 101 Pacific and No. 103 Seattle U. Ranked No. 8 among conferences in KenPom, the West Coast Conference also features four teams in the top 100 in the latest KenPom rankings. Gonzaga stands at No. 3 with Saint Mary’s at No. 34, Santa Clara at No. 71 and San Francisco at No. 96.
In The National Polls
Gonzaga is ranked No. 7 in both national polls this week. Saint Mary’s is receiving votes in both polls, as well.
Quad 1/2 Wins
Gonzaga, Saint Mary’s and Santa Clara are a combined 9-6 in Quad 1 and Quad 2 games.
Upcoming National Broadcasts
West Coast Conference men’s basketball can be seen on national television and streaming apps three times this week. On Friday, Seattle U battles in-state foe Washington at 8:30 p.m. on ESPN2. On Sunday, Oregon State heads to Tempe, Ariz., to face Arizona State at noon on ESPN2. Shortly after that game concludes, Gonzaga battles Oregon at 3 p.m. on Peacock. The Ducks will also host Portland on the Big Ten Network on Wednesday at 8 p.m.
More Notes From Around The Coast
Three West Coast Conference teams rank in the top 63 in WAB (Wins Above Bubble) led by No. 5 Gonzaga and followed by No. 30 Saint Mary’s and No. 63 Santa Clara.
Currently 10-1 on the year, Gonzaga ranks No. 7 in ESPN’s strength of record rankings. The Bulldogs also rank No. 11 on ESPN’s strength of schedule rankings. The Bulldogs have defeated four top-25 ranked teams this season.
Gonzaga ranks fifth in the nation in margin of victory (26.2). Most recently, the Bulldogs took care of business against then-No. 25 UCLA with a 10-point neutral-site victory.
Gonzaga leads the league in rebounding at 44.0rpg, good for sixth in the nation. Graham Ike is second in the league in rebounding at 7.8 rpg.
For his efforts in the win over UCLA, Ike was named one of the USBWA’s Oscar Robertson National Players of the Week.
The Conference’s leader in rebounding is Andrew McKeever from Saint Mary’s at 10.2 rpg, which also ranks tied for 18th in the nation. McKeever boasts three double-doubles on the year, second only to Ike’s conference-leading total of five.
Two West Coast Conference teams rank inside the top 10 in field goal percentage. Gonzaga leads the league and ranks eighth (.525), followed by Seattle U in 10th (.521).
Portland’s Joel Foxwell tied the program single-game record with 15 assists in the Pilots’ 88-78 win over Kent State last Saturday. Foxwell added 11 points, giving him his second double-double of the season. The assist total also ranks tied for fourth in the nation among single-game bests this season. Among all freshmen, Foxwell leads the nation in assists at 7.1 apg.
Four West Coast Conference teams rank inside the top 25 nationally in free throw percentage - No. 4 Saint Mary’s (.799), No. 11 San Diego (.783), No. 14 Pepperdine (.782) and No. 22 Oregon State (.775).
Gonzaga isn’t the only team in the league riding a four-game winning streak. After holding on to a one-point victory Wednesday night at UC Davis, Seattle U has also won its last four in a row.
Based on NET, Saint Mary’s currently has played the 20th toughest schedule in the nation and Santa Clara has currently played the 27th toughest schedule in the nation.