“Feast Week” is in full swing, and the West Coast Conference has seen action in 20 games this past week. Unfortunately, it was a rough week for the conference which posted an 8-12 record. Through the first three weeks of competition, the conference seems to be settling into a top-four team system, with everyone else jostling for positioning in the middle of these rankings. A couple of big wins and competitive losses means the dream of a three-bid West Coast Conference is alive and well! The West Coast Conference power rankings for week three are here!
West Coast Conference Power Rankings: Week 3
#1: Gonzaga Bulldogs (5-0)
11-18-24 at San Diego State-W, 80-67
11-20-24 vs Long Beach State-W, 84-41
Another week passes, and the Gonzaga Bulldogs’ grip on the number one spot in these rankings only gets tighter. The Zags officially hit the road for their first true road game and took down their soon-to-be Pac-12 rivals, the San Diego State Aztecs, in the hostile Viejas Arena. The 13-point win was highlighted by the Zags keeping the Aztecs at bay all night en route. Graham Ike finally broke out with a dominant 23-point, nine-rebound outing while shooting 78% from the floor. Mark Few’s defense held San Diego to 37.7% from the floor, 32% from three, won the rebounding battle 39-33, and only turned the ball over eight times. The Zags always seem to have their toughness and physicality questioned. They answered said questions successfully on the road in southern California.
The second outing of the week was simply “Goliath” crushing “David.” Betting lines favored the Zags by over 32 points. They ended up winning by 43. Five players scored in double figures, and they only turned the ball over four times. The gauntlet now awaits Gonzaga. Their next five games may end up being a showdown with West Virginia, then, #9 Kentucky, and #2 UConn with possible matchups against #16 Indiana and #17 Arizona in the Atlantis Tournament. Gonzaga isn’t running from anyone this year.
#2: Saint Mary’s Gaels (6-0)
11-20-24 vs Stanislaus State-W, 78-38 (Division II Opponent)
11-23-24 vs Cal Poly San Luis Obispo-W, 80–66
Randy Bennett’s Gaels moved to 6-0, but the schedule has been forgiving, to say the least. This week was no different as they throttled a Division II opponent before taking down Cal Poly, who is currently ranked 251 on KenPom. Staying unbeaten keeps them at number two, but the difficulty is about to take a step up. USC, Utah, Utah State, Boise State, and either Arizona State or New Mexico await Saint Mary’s.
Depth remains a legitimate concern, with the most important reserves being freshman Mikey Lewis, who has been outstanding in his first six college games, and Harry Wessels, the Australian big man who has no issues overpowering weaker opposition but has yet to prove his mettle against real competition. Still, Paulius Murauskas is averaging a double-double with 14.3 points and 10.3 boards a game, and Mitchell Saxen is starting to come alive as he continues to anchor the interior.
#3: San Francisco Dons (4-1)
11-21-24 vs Memphis-L, 64-68
The Dons may have lost their lone game of the week, but fans have to tip their cap to Chris Gerlufsen and his team for scheduling like a team that wants to elevate themselves in the world of college basketball. The Dons have a great win against Mountain West favorites Boise State and took on a solid Memphis squad inside the Chase Center. It was an ugly, defensive-focused game that saw both teams shoot under 38%, both teams turned the ball over 15 times, and the Don’s three leading scorers combined for a brutal 7-29 shooting display. Past USF teams would have crumbled under this type of game with a lack of defense and being athletically overwhelmed. Instead, they battled all game long and even had possession with a chance to tie the game late.
USF’s loss keeps them at the three spot, but with a game against Clemson on the docket, there is little wiggle room for Saint Mary’s to slip up. These two teams will be very fun to watch all year long as it seems the West Coast Conference may finally have a team ready to challenge for the number two spot in the conference. Three players are averaging over 12 points a game, and freshman Tyrone Riley IV has been the real deal through five contests thanks to 16 points and 5.4 rebounds a night.
#4: Washington State Cougars (5-1)
11-18-24 vs Northern Colorado-W, 83-69
11-21-24 vs Eastern Washington-W, 96-81 (Neutral Site)
Washington State has firmly placed itself as a balanced squad when looking at advanced metrics. They sit at 89th overall in offensive efficiency and 94th overall in defensive efficiency, according to KenPom. This week’s outcome shouldn’t come as much of a surprise as they faced a pair of overmatched opponents in Northern Colorado and Eastern Washington. Cedric Coward looks like a legitimate West Coast Conference Player of the Year candidate. He put up averages of 26 points, five assists, and five rebounds, and his season-long shooting splits now sit at 56% from the floor, 40% from three, and 84% from the charity stripe.
Things will get very interesting for the Cougars once the calendar flips to December, as they will face back-to-back road matchups against a solid Nevada squad and a dangerous Boise State team. Junior Nate Calmese has been dynamic as the team’s lead guard with 17.2 points and 2.5 steals a game and LeJuan Watts has been a force even at six-foot-six with a team high 8.3 boards per game.
#5: Oregon State Beavers (4-1)
11-21-24 vs Oregon-L, 75-78
Skepticism was warranted despite the Beavers’ 4-0 start to the season. After all, they played a very weak schedule and didn’t leave the confines of Corvallis. The Beavers finally took on a legitimate opponent, with longtime rival Oregon coming to town. In what could have been a brutal wake-up call, Wayne Tinkle’s squad answered the call in a close loss. Michael Rataj validated his early season production with a 20-point, 10-rebound double-double while knocking down three shots from deep. As a team, they shot the ball well from three with a teamwide 40% from the arc and won the rebounding battle in convincing fashion.
The Beavers took on a top 35 KenPom team and were competitive. They will need to quickly get back to their winning ways as the remaining non-conference opponents are not overly impressive. Still, they are winning games, have individuals producing at an all-conference level, and were very much in the mix against a high-level opponent.
West Coast Conference Power Rankings: Ranking the Rest
#6: Santa Clara
#7: Loyola Marymount
#8: Portland
#9: San Diego
#10: Pacific
#11: Pepperdine
The Last Word
The back half of this conference has struggled mightily. Outside of the top five teams, the West Coast Conference only picked up two wins last week. Last week, Santa Clara received backlash for their rocky start, this week, attention shifts towards the Lions of Loyola Marymount. The team’s top two transfers, Jevon Porter and MJ Amey, have been disappointing. Both players are shooting under 35% from the floor, Porter has already missed a game, and Amey has been quiet as a rebounder and passer. The Lions have the talent to assert themselves into the top five of the West Coast Conference. Unfortunately, they failed the “eye test” three weeks into the season. Another upcoming week will mean another chance for teams to shake up the West Coast Conference power rankings.
