West Coast Conference Primer for Saturday, February 11, 2012
WCC Standings:
1. Saint Mary’s: 11-1, 22-3
2. Gonzaga: 9-2, 19-4
3. Loyola Marymount: 9-3, 16-9
4. Brigham Young: 8-3, 20-6
5. San Francisco: 6-6, 16-10
6. San Diego: 5-7, 10-14
7: Portland: 3-9, 6-19
8: Pepperdine: 2-11, 8-16
9: Santa Clara: 0-11, 8-16
1. Saint Mary’s: 11-1, 22-3
2. Gonzaga: 9-2, 19-4
3. Loyola Marymount: 9-3, 16-9
4. Brigham Young: 8-3, 20-6
5. San Francisco: 6-6, 16-10
6. San Diego: 5-7, 10-14
7: Portland: 3-9, 6-19
8: Pepperdine: 2-11, 8-16
9: Santa Clara: 0-11, 8-16
Today’s Games: all times Pacific.
Pepperdine at Brigham Young, 3:00 PM
Loyola Marymout at Gonzaga, 5:00 PM
San Francisco at San Diego, 6:00 PM
Santa Clara at #13 Saint Mary’s 8:00 PM
Pepperdine at Brigham Young, 3:00 PM
Loyola Marymout at Gonzaga, 5:00 PM
San Francisco at San Diego, 6:00 PM
Santa Clara at #13 Saint Mary’s 8:00 PM
The Big Game: Loyola Marymount at Gonzaga
All four of the top teams are in action today, and yes it’s top four now. With Loyola Marymount’s win over BYU in Provo and half game better conference record the Lions have worked their way into the conversation for best in the West Coast Conference. In fact, with games at Gonzaga and Saint Mary’s yet to be played the Lions still have a shot at winning the conference. For that sentence to be said after today, they will need to win this game and the same goes for Gonzaga.
Coming off an impressive home win over Saint Mary’s on Thursday, the Zags streak of eleven straight WCC titles isn’t over just yet. At this point though, winning the rest of their games won’t be enough, they need someone to knock off Saint Mary’s. If that happens, the Zags and Gaels will once again share the title.
Loyola Marymount is the team best suited to do just that. They’re undefeated in WCC road games coming into tonight, including a big 82-68 win at the 22,700 seat Marriott Center over BYU. In the last meeting between the Zags and Lions, January 14th in Los Angeles, the Zags escaped with only a four point win. As the Lions are a significantly better team on the road this game should be just as close as the last one.
Loyola Marymount comes into tonight’s game shooting only 43% from the field while the Zags hold their opponents to 42% shooting. If the Gonzaga defense keeps up the intensity they have shown over the season, and especially of late such as against Saint Mary’s high powered offensive attack, they should win this game. Despite the Lions low shooting percentage, Drew Viney and Anthony Ireland score 15.7 and 15.1 points per game respectively. On top of that Ashley Hamilton and Jarred DuBois both score in double figures. Gonzaga’s defense needs to be solid at all positions due to the Lions balanced scoring among their starting five. The Lions need to keep their composure in the face of a raucous Kennel Club to win this game and they have shown they’re capable of surviving tough road environments. This looks to be a very exciting game. Not just because of the action on the floor, but the implications the result will have on the remainder of the WCC season and NCAA tournament seeding for WCC teams.
The Other Games:
San Francisco at San Diego:
This should be the only other competitive game tonight. San Francisco’s record is significantly better than San Diego’s, but in conference they are only 1 game apart. Seeding in the WCC tournament is at stake here, specifically the 5 seed. Barring some horrible collapse coupled with a unexpectedly strong finish by one of the two teams playing in this game, no team other than Saint Mary’s, Gonzaga, Loyola Marymount or BYU will have a bye in the WCC tournament (seeds 1 and 2 get a double bye into the semi-finals, seeds 3 and 4 get a bye into the quarter finals, seeds 8 and 9 get stuck with a play in game). San Francisco has been rising in the WCC, slowly but surely, over the past few years. The addition of BYU pushed them down a spot but they can prove they are without a doubt the best of the rest in the conference with a win tonight. That would also help the Dons in their push for an invitation to the NIT or CIT.
This should be the only other competitive game tonight. San Francisco’s record is significantly better than San Diego’s, but in conference they are only 1 game apart. Seeding in the WCC tournament is at stake here, specifically the 5 seed. Barring some horrible collapse coupled with a unexpectedly strong finish by one of the two teams playing in this game, no team other than Saint Mary’s, Gonzaga, Loyola Marymount or BYU will have a bye in the WCC tournament (seeds 1 and 2 get a double bye into the semi-finals, seeds 3 and 4 get a bye into the quarter finals, seeds 8 and 9 get stuck with a play in game). San Francisco has been rising in the WCC, slowly but surely, over the past few years. The addition of BYU pushed them down a spot but they can prove they are without a doubt the best of the rest in the conference with a win tonight. That would also help the Dons in their push for an invitation to the NIT or CIT.
Besides seeding in the WCC tournament, San Diego is playing for themselves and their coach. Former Gonzaga assistant Bill Grier led the Toreros to a WCC Tournament Championship upset of his former team in his first season at San Diego. The Toreros followed that upset up with another, knocking #4 seed Connecticut out of the 2008 NCAA tournament in the first round before being eliminated in the second round. Since then the Toreros under Mr. Grier have been under .500 every season except his second, when they finished 16-16. It would be sad to see the WCC lose a coach who has been in the conference since 1991, but that looks quite possible as the Toreros have to win out to finish the regular season above 500.
Santa Clara at #13 Saint Mary’s:
Here we have an East Bay/South Bay game that has in years past been a pretty decent match up. Santa Clara enters this game win-less in WCC play despite posting a decent 8-5 out of conference record including neutral site wins over New Mexico and Villanova. Since that promising start they have lost leading scorer Kevin Foster to a DUI arrest which came just after he passed Steve Nash on the Broncos’ all time scoring list. They have now tied a school record with 12 straight losses. Santa Clara’s last win was at home on December 29th against Eastern Michigan.
Here we have an East Bay/South Bay game that has in years past been a pretty decent match up. Santa Clara enters this game win-less in WCC play despite posting a decent 8-5 out of conference record including neutral site wins over New Mexico and Villanova. Since that promising start they have lost leading scorer Kevin Foster to a DUI arrest which came just after he passed Steve Nash on the Broncos’ all time scoring list. They have now tied a school record with 12 straight losses. Santa Clara’s last win was at home on December 29th against Eastern Michigan.
Saint Mary’s is looking to bounce back from their loss in Spokane on Thursday. A home game against the worst team in the league is an easy way to do that. However if they look past the lowly Broncos to the Wednesday game with Loyola Marymount and if Santa Clara comes to play looking to avoid a record setting 13th straight loss, this could be the slip up the Zags need to win yet another WCC title. Saint Mary’s won the previous game this season down in Santa Clara 92-77 on January 21st.
Pepperdine at Brigham Young:
Brigham Young beat Pepperdine 77-64 earlier this year in Malibu. Even if only half of the huge Marriott Center is filled tonight this will be by far the most people the Waves have played in front of all season. Somehow their game against the Washington State Cougars at Seattle’s Key Arena drew about 9,000 spectators, despite being in University of Washington country and nowhere near Pepperdine’s home in Malibu. BYU had a legitimate dream of winning the WCC in only their first year in the conference. Now they find themselves in a strange place, fourth. The talk was always of the WCC’s big three of Gonzaga, Saint Mary’s and BYU. A win tonight, which should be easy, could move the Cougars back into the top three in the conference if Loyola Marymount falls in Spokane.
Check back tomorrow for a wrap up with analysis of a more statistical nature.
Brigham Young beat Pepperdine 77-64 earlier this year in Malibu. Even if only half of the huge Marriott Center is filled tonight this will be by far the most people the Waves have played in front of all season. Somehow their game against the Washington State Cougars at Seattle’s Key Arena drew about 9,000 spectators, despite being in University of Washington country and nowhere near Pepperdine’s home in Malibu. BYU had a legitimate dream of winning the WCC in only their first year in the conference. Now they find themselves in a strange place, fourth. The talk was always of the WCC’s big three of Gonzaga, Saint Mary’s and BYU. A win tonight, which should be easy, could move the Cougars back into the top three in the conference if Loyola Marymount falls in Spokane.
Check back tomorrow for a wrap up with analysis of a more statistical nature.
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