Gonzaga WCC opener preview: Pepperdine Waves usher in new era

A new coach, roster and soon-to-be new arena have the Waves heading in a new direction

Jan 4, 2024; Spokane, Washington, USA; Gonzaga Bulldogs guard Ryan Nembhard (0) shoots the ball against Pepperdine Waves forward Boubacar Coulibaly (12) in the first half at Spokane Arena. Mandatory Credit: James Snook-Imagn Images / James Snook-Imagn Images

The Pepperdine men’s basketball program is getting a makeover.

By the end of 2026, the Mountain at Mullin Park is set to finish construction. The $150 million project will include new locker rooms for both basketball and volleyball teams, a center-hung video board and a multi-purpose court that can be used as a practice facility and recreational space. In addition to upgraded seats, LED boards and two suite spaces, the 3,600-seat venue sits right on a hillside overlooking the Pacific Ocean.

While the sunset views from Malibu, California, never get old, the future home of the Waves signifies the beginning of a new chapter for the men’s basketball program. Since its last NCAA Tournament appearance in 2000, Pepperdine hasn’t finished a season more than five games above .500. It had a winning record once, during the COVID-19-shortened campaign, in Lorenzo Romar’s second stint at the helm. 

Romar was let go shortly after the season-ending loss to San Diego in the West Coast Conference Tournament, though the Waves didn’t announce his replacement as swiftly. Eventually, former Grand Canyon assistant coach Ed Schilling was brought in to lead the rebuild job, and he didn’t even need to do the demolition part himself either — nearly 90% of last season’s minutes departed over the offseason.

Schilling and his new coaching staff got right to work by bringing in eight transfers and three recruits to set their foundation. With the current structure of the WCC hierarchy, Schilling’s project on the court is going to take some serious elbow grease for it to come to fruition. But that could change as the landscape is set to shift once Gonzaga, Washington State, Oregon State and Grand Canyon go their separate ways in 2026 — right when Pepperdine’s new Mountain is set to rise.

Here’s a look at the Waves’ 2024-25 roster:

GUARDS:

Schilling and company reeled in one of the WCC’s best playmakers out of the portal in 6-foot-1 junior Moe Odum. Coming off a productive season with Pacific, safe to say the Bronx, New York, native has adjusted to his surroundings in Malibu, California. Through 14 games, Odum ranks second in the league in assists (7.5 per game) and third in assist-to-turnover (3.3).

Delaware transfer Zion Bethea is the eldest backcourt player. The 6-foot-3 New Jersey native started his career at Hofstra in 2020-21, before he took a redshirt year the following season. Bethea put up 10.7 points per game in his return to St. Francis Brooklyn in 2022-23.

Bethea has started and appeared in 12 games this season, averaging 7.2 points on 32.6% from the field.

The rest of the Waves’ backcourt has yet to establish themselves on the court like their veteran counterparts. Wake Forest transfer Aaron Clark appeared in seven games as a freshman, averaging 4.5 minutes in those contests. The former four-star prospect could be the Waves' most notable addition. Taj Au-Duke, Jaxon Olvera, Stevie Prudholme and Isaac Pratt join the ranks, while 6-foot-2 redshirt freshman Isaiah Dean looks to see the floor for the first time as well.

WINGS:

Through the highs and lows of nonleague play, San Francisco transfer Stefan Todorovic has been a consistent bright spot for the Waves. The 6-foot-8, 190-pound forward is top 25 in the country in scoring at 19.7 points per game. Todorovic is 92-for-186 (49.5%) from the field and 30-for-77 (39.0%) from 3-point territory.

Lithuanian sophomore Dovydas Butka has four years of experience playing against some of the top talent from Europe, as the 6-foot-9 forward helped Lithuania to a second-place finish in the 2022 U20 European Championship, followed by an NKL Championship with Zalgiris Basketball Club's youth team in 2023.

Javon Cooley, a 6-foot-5 graduate student from Marist, has yet to suit up for Schilling and company. The Chicago native posted a true shooting percentage of 70.7% last season. He wasn't much of a 3-point shooter early on, though over the past two seasons, he's shot 79-of-196 (40.3%) from behind the arc.

FORWARDS/CENTERS:

The team's top returning scorer from last season, 6-foot-10 redshirt senior Boubacar Coulibaly, battled through injuries but ultimately showed flashes of potential during his time on the court.

Coulibaly's tenacity on the boards and his overall presence down low make him quite the formidable matchup for other WCC bigs. So far this season, Coulibaly is putting up 9.8 points and 7.2 rebounds per game. He recorded a 22-point performance on 10-for-10 shooting against Northern Arizona on Dec. 14.

John Squire, a 6-foot-8 sophomore, is the only other holdover from Romar's final season at Pepperdine. He cracked the rotation down the stretch of 2023-24 but has yet to log significant minutes this season.

The Waves brought over more help up front in the form of Alonso Faure, a 6-foot-10 Spaniard who played over 100 games at Loyola Maryland and made 39 starts, including 11 last season. Faure hasn't made a similar impact with the Waves yet — he's averaging 9.1 minutes off the bench — though

WRAP IT UP:

Despite the beaches and sunny weather, winning at Pepperdine hasn't been easy the past two decades. The introductions of NIL and the never-ending transfer portal haven't made the job any easier, but that didn't stop Schilling from taking on such an opportunity to lead a Division-I program. The job did come with a mountain, after all.

MORE GONZAGA NEWS & ANALYSIS

• What Gonzaga's Mark Few said after UCLA loss

• What Gonzaga's players said after loss vs. UCLA

• Gonzaga falls short to UCLA in West Coast Hoops Showdown: 3 takeaways

• Gonzaga to honor Domantas Sabonis in pregame ceremony

• Where does Gonzaga rank on ESPN BPI?

• 2025 NBA Draft: Gonzaga’s Ryan Nembhard could join Jalen Suggs with Orlando Magic

FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA

Continue to follow our Gonzaga coverage on social media by liking us on Facebook and following us on Instagram and Twitter.