In this weekly notes WCC column, I share my insights on the four teams in our coverage footprint: Gonzaga, Oregon State, Saint Mary’s, and Washington State.
Through last week, both the Gaels and the Zags have sailed through their early conference schedules unscathed, while the Cougars and Beavers have losses to lesser teams, falling below .500.
Here’s a breakdown of each team’s outlook heading into Week 11.
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Saint Mary’s Gaels (5-0, 15-3)
In the ever-changing landscape of college sports, one thing remains the same: Saint Mary’s basketball is underrated.
The Gaels have cruised out to a 15-3 start and have decimated every team they’ve faced in the WCC this year, except Pacific, and currently sit at 5-0 in the conference.
Yet they remain unranked as of Monday’s AP Top 25 Men’s Basketball Poll.
As the season progresses, the main storyline surrounding Saint Mary’s is whether they can repeat as the WCC regular season and tournament conference champions.
Outside of West Coast observers, many don’t realize that Saint Mary’s won both titles last year. The scary thing is the Gaels didn’t lose much talent, either. Other than Alex Ducas, they returned most of their key players.
Augustas Marciulionis is their star, but they have six players who average eight points or more.
Saint Mary’s three losses have all come against respectful opponents—Utah State, Arizona State, and Boise State. But they’ve looked much improved since their loss against the Aggies.
The Gaels have also notched notable wins over USC, Nebraska, and Utah. Saint Mary’s should throttle Pepperdine this Saturday before their conference schedule becomes difficult.
Notes
– Marciulionis leads the team with 14.4 points and 5.6 assists
– The Gaels are looking to win their sixth WCC Tournament Title
– Saint Mary’s alumni include Patty Mills, Matthew Dellavedova, and Jordan Ford
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Gonzaga Bulldogs (5-0, 14-4)
Gonzaga is doing their expected thing in the WCC, hopping out to an undefeated 5-0 start. Last week’s results were nothing special for the Bulldogs, with casual wins at home against Washington State and San Diego.
Even though the Zags were expected to handle the Cougars, it was a nice result for what could prove a renewed rivalry. The two schools are located 83 miles apart and have played 77 games against each other.
The key for GU is who will emerge as their guy in clutch moments. The Zags are led on offense by Graham Ike, who averages 16.6 points per game, but he still hasn’t had a defining moment this season.
Behind Ike is a bunch of players who average in-between 10-14 points per game. Ryan Nembhard is probably GU’s best all-around player, averaging 11.4 points, 9.4 assists, and 1.7 steals per game.
Gonzaga is still a top-tier team, but they need to find a way to close out games against stiff competition. It feels unlikely they’ll blow any huge leads in WCC play, and the early-season losses against Kentucky and West Virginia loom large.
Notes
– Khalif Battle is Gonzaga’s second-leading scorer, averaging 13.4 points per game
– The Bulldogs have made the NCAA Tournament 25 seasons in a row
– Mark Few’s son, Joe Few, is on the Zags roster but only plays two minutes per outing
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Washington State Cougars (3-2, 13-5)
After a hot start to the regular season, Washington State skidded hard, losing back-to-back games against Gonzaga and Pacific last week.
The loss against the Bulldogs should’ve been expected with all of the Cougar injuries, but no one likes losing to a rival.
The Cougs are currently without their best player, Cedric Coward, and are missing other key pieces in Isaiah Watts, Marcus Wilson, and Rihards Vavers. The only player expected to return this year is Watts.
The real downer for WSU was their loss against Pacific. Washington State entered that matchup with a 13-3 record and an outside shot at the NCAA Tournament. It was also the first time WSU had a real student section this season.
But the Cougs were caught looking ahead to the Zags and fell behind early. They trailed most of the game before tying the contest on a tip-back dunk, eventually forcing overtime.
WSU had the game locked up in OT, but Coug’d it, giving up a game-winning three as time expired.
The Cougars will look to bounce back this week against a weaker slate of foes in Portland and San Diego.
Notes
– Nate Calmese leads Washington State, averaging 16.4 points per game
– The Cougars made the NCAA Tournament for the first time last year since 2008
– Isaiah Watts is the Grandson of former NBA player Slick Watts
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Oregon State Beavers (3-2, 13-5)
Oregon State feels like a squad that’s a tick from being a top team in the WCC. The Beavers currently sit at 3-2 in the conference, but they’re improving quickly.
Last week, they had mixed results, with a big win over Pacific and a heartbreaking loss against Santa Clara. The Saturday win was expected because the Tigers weren’t going to sneak up on two State schools in a row.
But Thursday’s loss to the Broncos could be a sign of growth for going forward.
Even though OSU could have left Santa Clara with a win, the one-point loss against the Broncos marks a vast improvement over the 21-point drubbing they took in L.A. to Loyola Marymount the week prior.
Parsa Fallah had his best week since nonconference play, scoring 24 against Pacific and 25 against Santa Clara. If Fallah can remain consistent on offense, he’ll prove a pivotal second option behind Michael Rataj.
Rataj leads the team with 16.6 points and 8.5 rebounds per game, with eight double-doubles in the year.
Oregon State has two vital games this week against Gonzaga and San Francisco. They’re about to find out who they really are.
Notes
– Nate Kingz is the Beavers’ third-leading scorer, averaging 11.4 points per game
– Oregon State last made the NCAA Tournament in 2020-21, advancing to the elite eight
– Gary Payton and Gary Payton II, both OSU, were known as “The Glove” and “The Mitten.”
