Game Info 1/24

It's a full slate Thursday for the WCC. The dual nightcap for today will be amazing as it features three of the game's best offenses. That's horrible news for me however, as they don't start until 10pm my time  and I'll undoubtably be very amped up at the end of a late night when I should go to bed early. Oh, being a fan of WCC basketball is so rough when the product is so high quality.

6:00 PM PST:
Pepperdine Waves at Loyola Marymount Lions
Gersten Pavilion, Los Angeles, California.
Pepperdine is 9-9 on the season, 1-4 in WCC play and currently on a three game losing streak.
Loyola Marymount is 8-11 on the season, 1-5 in WCC play and currently on a three game losing streak.
TV: Time Warner Cable SportsNet
Radio: KXLU 88.9 FM in Los Angeles.
Online: Live audio from KXLU, live video from Pepperdine Sports.



Pepperdine has a chance to separate itself from the bottom tier of the WCC and avoid falling below .500 on the season with a win. Loyola Marymount does not want to fall any farther below .500 and certainly wants to avoid sittin at the bottom of the WCC standings. More over though these two teams are playing a rivalry game. This will be the 157th meeting between these two programs and the fourth annual PCH Cup, as these two schools are located just 19 miles apart on the Pacific Coast Highway.

Offensively it will be fun to watch two great yet underappreciated guards go at it. Pepperdine's redshirt senior Lorne Jackson brings the only senior leadership to this young Waves squad. He also leads the team with 14.3ppg. Anthony Ireland leads the Lions with 19.9ppg, which is good for 15th best in the Nation.

7:00 PM PST:
San Francisco Dons at Portland Pilots
Chiles Center, Portland, Oregon.
San Francisco is 8-11 on the season, 1-5 in WCC play and currently on a one game winning streak.
Portland is 8-12 on the season, 1-4 in WCC play and currently on a two game losing streak.
TV: Comcast SportsNet Northwest, Comcast SportsNet Plus.
Radio: KPDQ 800 AM in Portland, KGMZ 95.7 FM in the Bay Area.
Online: Live audio from KPDQ.

Who's the worst team in the WCC? We'll find out once this game is over. Portland shouldn't be as bad as their win/loss totals due to their absolutely brutal non-conference schedule. They might be though, since they've failed to apply that experience to WCC play. San Francisco has a worse record in WCC play but they've played one more game than the Pilots have.

Cody Doolin will own the backcourt in this one so the frontcourt battle will be the one to watch. Ryan Nicholas (12.7ppg and 9.7rpg) for the Pilots going up against Cole Dickerson (14.9ppg and 10.4rpg) for the Dons. These two are both 6'7'' and in the 230lbs range.

8:00 PM PST:
Brigham Young Cougars at #10 Gonzaga Bulldogs
McCarthey Athletic Center, Spokane, Washington.
BYU is 15-5 on the season, 5-1 in WCC play and is currently on a one game winning streak.
Gonzaga is 17-2 on the season, 4-0 in WCC play and currently on a one game losing streak.
TV: ESPN2
Radio: KSL 102.7 FM and 1160 AM along the Wasatch Front, KGA 1510 AM in the Inland Northwest.
Satellite Radio: BYU Radio: Sirius XM 143.
Online: Live video from Watch ESPN, Live audio from KSL and KGA.

These are two of the best offenses in the nation. Gonzaga ranks 8th in points per game while BYU is 17th, only 1.1ppg separate these two squads. The Zags are tied for 5th (with Saint Mary's) in points per possession at 1.15. BYU's top two scorers, Tyler Haws (21.6) and Brandon Davies (18.0) are 7th and 44th in the nation in points per game. Also in this game is another player who sits at 44th in the nation, also for points per game, Gonzaga's Kelly Olynyk averages 18ppg as well.

BYU has been atop the standings so far this season as has Gonzaga. Gonzaga is looking to reclaim their crown while BYU is looking to earn their first. This game is going to have a lot to do with who wins the WCC later on down the road.

People have been saying and complaining about the drop in scoring in college basketball over the years and particularly this year. Teams regularly finish with totals in the 40s or 50s. In the best conference in the land, the Big Ten, that's the rule not the exception. If you're tired of the slow, methodical and often downright bad offense that's being played then you better be watching ESPN2 tonight.

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San Diego Toreros at Saint Mary's Gaels
McKeon Pavilion, Moraga, California.
San Diego is 11-9 on the season, 4-1 in WCC play and currently on a one game losing streak.
Saint Mary's is 15-4 on the season, 4-1 in WCC play and currently on a three game winning streak.
TV: Comcast SportsNet Bay Area, Time Warner Cable SportsNet and ESPN Pacific Rim.
Radio: XX 1090 AM in San Diego.

Now this is a match up. Two teams tied for third, both with solid winning records in both conference play and overall. San Diego been turning it on now that WCC play is underway but Saint Mary's has been rolling all year. They've dropped some dumb ones and escaped twice (with the same score no less) by one point at the last second against Harvard on New Years Eve and then most recently last wednesday against BYU.

While the Toreros have been the nice surprise since the start of the WCC season they just aren't the offense that the Gaels are. The other game at 8pm features two high powered offenses that I spoke highly of a few inches up on your screen. This Gaels offense needs to be mentioned along side those because, well, they are alongside them in the stats. At 77.8 points per game the Gaels score the 20th most points in the nation. Their 1.15 points per possession has them tied with Gonzaga for 5th. They shoot 55.2% from two and 38.5% from three which puts the Gaels at 9th and 25th in the nation.

The Toreros have two young guards who look to be exceptional going forward. The Gaels have one senior Olympian running the show who is, it goes without saying, exceptional right now and has been that for the past 4+ years. This is gonna be fun, too bad it's at the same time as the BYU @ Gonzaga game though. Keep this game on in your peripherial vision though, there should be a lot of great plays.