WCC at a glance

In predicted order of finish

1 Gonzaga Bulldogs

Coach: Mark Few, 188-41, 8th season; same overall

Players to watch: Derek Raivio, sr., g; Sean Mallon, sr. f; Josh Heytvelt, so., f; Jeremy Pargo, so, g.

Outlook: The Bulldogs have some major depth issues on the frontline, but if Heytvelt stays injury free and JC transfer Abdullahi Kuso can learn the system as quickly as his predecessor, J.P. Batista, they should continue to rule the WCC. Another concern will be finding enough minutes – and touches – to keep all of the potential backcourt standouts happy.

2 Loyola Marymount Lions

Coach: Rodney Tention, 12-18, 2nd season; same overall

Players to watch: Brandon Worthy, sr., g; Matthew Knight, sr., f; Jon Ziri, jr., g.

Outlook: The Lions struggled early in their first season under Tention last winter, but overcame their slow start to finish 8-6 in WCC play and came within a point of upsetting Gonzaga in the title game of the conference tournament. Look for Knight and Worthy, a pair of returning all-conference players, to have big years as LMU becomes a major player in the WCC race.

3 San Francisco Dons

Coach: Jessie Evans, 28-31, 3rd season; 160-112 overall

Players to watch: Armondo Surratt, sr., g; Alan Wiggins, Jr., sr. f; Danny Cavis, jr., f.

Outlook: The Dons have perhaps the best player in the WCC in Surratt, a Miami transfer who averaged 14.2 points and 5.1 assists as a junior. Throw in the versatile Wiggins and another pair of backcourt transfers – Antonio Kellogg (Connecticut) and Manny Quezada (Rutgers) – who are eligible this season and USF looks like a legitimate WCC title contender.

4 San Diego Toreros

Coach: Brad Holland, 182-162, 13th season; 205-192 overall

Players to watch: Ross DeRogatis, sr., g; Brandon Johnson, so., g; Gyno Pomare, so, f.

Outlook: The graduation losses of last year’s leading scorer, Nick Lewis, and defensive whiz Corey Belser are a concern, but if the outstanding young talent Holland put on display last season matures as expected, look for USD to factor heavily into the conference race – and for Johnson and Pomare, who were both named to last year’s WCC all-freshman team, to become stars.

5 Saint Mary’s Gaels

Coach: Randy Bennett, 85-68, 6th season, same overall

Players to watch: Brett Collins, sr., g; John Winston, sr., g; John Winston, sr., g.

Outlook: The Gaels return four starters from last year’s 17-12 team, but the one not returning is three-time all-WCC forward Daniel Kickert, the school’s all-time scoring leader with 1,865 points. The Australian native averaged 16.7 points last season, and his absence will probably be enough to keep Saint Mary’s from making another serious run at a regular-season conference title.

6 Santa Clara Broncos

Coach: Dick Davey, 230-180, 15th year; same overall

Players to watch: Brody Angley, jr., g; Mitch Henke, jr. f; John Bryant, so., c.

Outlook: The once-dominant Broncos are stuck in a middle-of-the-pack rut that has been wearing on SCU faithful for several years. Davey needs to turn things around in a big way and has a solid point guard in Angley and muscle inside. But the graduation loss of all-WCC forward and leading scorer Travis Niesen provides a major roadblock.

7 Portland Pilots

Coach: Eric Reveno, 1st year

Players to watch: Darren Cooper, sr., g; Ben Sullivan, sr. c; Kevin Field, sr., c.

Outlook: The NCAA’s decision to grant Cooper an extra year of eligibility helps, and for the first time in recent memory the Pilots have some proven talent up front. But the graduation losses of all-WCC point guard Pooh Jeter and running mate Donald Wilson – coupled with junior Jeremiah Dominguez’s decision to transfer – leave Reveno, a first-year Division-I head coach, without many answers on the perimeter.

8 Pepperdine Waves

Coach: Vance Walberg, 1st year

Players to watch: Michael Gerrity, so., pg; Russell Hicks, jr., c; Willie Galick, so., f.

Outlook: Walberg, another rookie Division-I head coach, has brought a fast-paced offensive philosophy to Malibu and has some promising young players who seem capable of playing that way. But Pepperdine’s dramatic falloff during the five-year reign of Walberg’s successor, Paul Westphal, and the uncertainty that clouds any coaching change will be too much to overcome.