WEST COAST CONFERENCE PREVIEW

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1. Gonzaga: The frontcourt is loaded, thanks to the addition of transfers Kyle Wiltjer (Kentucky) and Byron Wesley (USC). The Bulldogs should win the league by several games, but their fate in the postseason once again depends on the backcourt.

2. BYU: No change in approach: The Cougars never met a shot they didn't like, with guard Tyler Haws serving as the chief gunner. This group isn't as well-rounded as those of recent vintage, however.

3. Saint Mary's: The Gaels have one of the league's best big men in Brad Waldow but are without an elite guard. This isn't one of coach Randy Bennett's best teams -- the loss at home to Northern Arizona was a sign of that -- but the race for second place is wide open.

4. San Diego: Few players in the WCC are as fun to watch as USD guard Johnny Dee (19.5 points per game). But success depends on the Toreros getting consistent play from their frontcourt.

5. Pepperdine: The forward tandem of Stacy Davis and Jett Raines is one of the best in the league. If they get steady support from the backcourt, the Waves could challenge Saint Mary's and San Diego for third place.

6. Portland: Always sound fundamentally, the Pilots have size, solid guards and a veteran core (with a heavy European influence). If not for two overtime losses, they would be 11-1 entering league play. Potential for upside surprise: High.

7. USF: The Dons usually make huge strides in the second half of the season as the newcomers assimilate. Coach Rex Walters needs that to be the case again -- forward Kruize Pinkins is the top playmaker -- after an erratic start.

8. Santa Clara: The backcourt of Brandon Clark and Jared Brownridge is one of the league's best. The frontcourt was vulnerable before the Broncos lost starting big man Yannick Atanga for the year with torn knee ligaments. Now: Big trouble.

9. Pacific: The Tigers were picked last in the coaches' preseason poll but have shown signs of being competitive with wins over Nevada and Fresno State. Sophomore guard T.J. Wallace leads the way.

10. Loyola Marymount: The nonconference schedule included three Pac-12 opponents plus Wichita State. The Lions better hope that prepared them for league play, or it will be a long, long winter.

 

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Pacific : Similar teams meet in WCC opener



The Pacific men?s basketball team had four days of individual workouts and two practices this week leading to today?s West Coast Conference opener against USF.

Some of the players used the time to rest and heal, while others worked earnestly on improving their skills. They all know how tough the next two months are going to be. They hope they?re ready to compete.

?We feel pretty good about where we are,? second-year head coach Ron Verlin said. ?I think we matured and got better as the preseason rolled along.?
The Tigers (8-4) and Dons (6-6) tip off today at Spanos Center.

Verlin said his team and USF are a lot alike.

?In this game you have two pretty darned evenly matched teams,? Verlin said. ?The key matchup with be the four spot.?
Pacific power forward Eric Thompson likely will start opposite USF?s Mark Tollefsen, a 6-foot-9 junior forward. Tollefsen plays with energy, and is long and athletic. He?s second on the team in scoring (15.2 points per game) and rebounds (5.8 rebounds per game). Gabe Aguirre also will match up with Tollefsen, but he isn?t the Dons? only inside threat. Kruize Pinkins, a 6-7 senior, leads USF in scoring (16.5 ppg) and rebounding (6.8 rpg).

Thompson, a 6-8 junior, has been inconsistent as he?s recovered from a torn meniscus in the off-season and transitioned to Division I out of Saddleback College. His high water mark was a 22-point, nine-rebound outing against Alaska Anchorage on Nov. 26 at the Great Alaska Shootout. But he hasn?t scored in double digits since and was held scoreless with two rebounds and fouled out on Dec. 6 at Idaho State.
?He can do it and we?ll know over time,? Verlin said. ?Some guys have to settle in and now we?re 12 games in and you have to know your role and embrace your role at the highest level. Now, you know what you want to be and now you have to do it over and over. And if he does, he can really help this team.?

Dulani Robinson, the reigning WCC player of the week, helped the Tigers beat Nevada by scoring their last eight points, including six from the free-throw line, and Fresno State with a last-second 3-pointer. Sophomore guard T.J. Wallace stayed off his sprained big toe as much as he could this week. The injury, commonly referred to as turf toe, likely will linger all season. The Tigers? co-captain and leading scorer (14.4 points per game) and rebounder (6.5 rebounds per game) hasn?t missed a practice, Verlin said.

?It?s better. He didn?t do anything on it for four days,? Verlin said. ?Honestly, it?s not good but he?s going to get through it.?
USF coach Rex Walters said his team also is finding itself as it opens conference today. The Dons are coming off a 69-65 overtime loss on Sunday at Cleveland State.

?We?re really starting to identify the guys that right now can do what we ask them to do,? Walters said in an online interview with USF radio announcer Pat Olson. ?We?re getting close to being the team I think we can be.?

The Dons swept Pacific last season.