Gaels next to challenge
Several programs have surfaced over the past decade to challenge Gonzaga’s domination of men’s basketball in the West Coast Conference. Pepperdine was a consistent threat from the late 1990s through 2002. San Diego has made runs.
Last season, Santa Clara held the lead entering the final week of the regular season, but lost two straight as Gonzaga secured its seventh consecutive outright or shared WCC championship.
Another year, another challenger. But perhaps the difference this go-around is that Saint Mary’s, which has finished no worse than third the last four years, has received as much or more preconference hype as the Bulldogs, who open WCC play today at Loyola Marymount.
“I don’t think there’s any question it’s a two-dog race with Saint Mary’s and Gonzaga,” Pepperdine coach Vance Walberg said. “They’ve definitely been the two elite teams in the preseason.”
Gonzaga coach Mark Few said the Gaels have earned their publicity.
“Deservedly so,” Few said. “We all knew they had everybody back from last year and added a heck of a player (Patrick Mills) at the point guard spot and some shooters. They’re playing well and they’ve played a schedule where they could get a lot of confidence and I think that helps. They played most of their games at home.
“They look to be playing better than anybody right now.”
Gonzaga (11-4) was narrowly favored over Saint Mary’s in the WCC preseason poll. The Bulldogs opened the season ranked No. 14 nationally, but have dropped out of the polls. The Gaels, who played their first six games at home, aren’t ranked, but they’ve been No. 24 twice, only to lose their ensuing game.
Mills, who helped the Australian national team qualify for the 2008 Olympics, ranks in the top 15 in seven of the 12 statistical categories charted by the WCC.
“He was set to go to Utah” with ex-Utes head coach and current Bulldogs assistant Ray Giacoletti, Few said. “Then they took another guy while he was flying over and they didn’t have any more scholarships left.”
“I knew how good Mills would be,” Walberg added. “My son (Jason) was at Saint Mary’s (before transferring to Pepperdine) and he told me they had a really good one.”
San Diego, led by former Gonzaga assistant Billy Grier, and Santa Clara also merit consideration. The Broncos join GU and Saint Mary’s as the only WCC teams with winning records.
“With the inside-outside of San Diego (Gyno Pomare and Brandon Johnson) and Santa Clara (John Bryant and Brody Angley), those two clubs are maybe ahead of the others after (Gonzaga and Saint Mary’s),” Loyola Marymount coach Rodney Tention said.