WCC basketball power rankings: Gonzaga, Saint Mary's remain unbeaten as Santa Clara hits its stride
There is no such thing as an "off night" in the West Coast Conference.
Just ask Washington State. The Cougars (13-5, 3-2 WCC) headed into last Thursday's matchup as a 15.5-point favorite over Pacific, which hadn't won a league game since February 2023. None of that mattered, though, after Tigers junior Lamar Washington dropped 40 points and delivered the game-winning 3-pointer to pull off a wild upset from Beasley Coliseum in Pullman, Washington.
As injuries start to pile up for the Cougs, they dropped their second straight league game in an 88-75 loss to Gonzaga on Saturday.
Meanwhile, Santa Clara has navigated the treacherous WCC waters with flying colors. Since dropping their opener to San Francisco in an overtime loss on the road, the Broncos (12-6, 4-1 WCC) have won four in a row following a decisive 77-54 win in their second game against the Dons on Saturday. Carlos Stewart led the way with 25 points and helped flip the script in the second half by spearheading a 33-8 scoring run.
Having won nine of its last 10 contests, Santa Clara has climbed all the way up to No. 3 in our latest WCC power rankings. Check out the rest:
1. GONZAGA BULLDOGS
Last result: W, 88-75 vs. Washington State (Jan. 10)
2024-25 record: 14-4, 5-0 WCC
Stat to know: Graham Ike is the only player in the WCC who ranks among the top five in both scoring (17.6 points per game, No. 5) and field goal percentage (58.5%, No. 3) in conference play. The 6-foot-9 forward led the league in both statistical categories last season.
Up next: Thursday at Oregon State, 8 p.m., CBS Sports Network
2. SAINT MARY'S GAELS
Last result: W, 103-56 at San Diego (Jan. 11)
2024-25 record: 15-3, 5-0 WCC
Stat to know: The Gaels scored 1.65 points per possession during their 47-point blowout over the Toreros. That's the highest point-per-possession for any Division I team on the road over the last 18 seasons, according to barttorvik.com.
Up next: Saturday at Pepperdine, 7 p.m., ESPN+
3. SANTA CLARA BRONCOS
Last result: W, 77-54 vs. San Francisco (Jan. 11)
2024-25 record: 12-6, 4-1 WCC
Stat to know: The Broncos' 23-point win over the Dons was the largest by either team in the series since a 32-point drubbing by Santa Clara, 17 years ago.
Up next: Thursday at Loyola Marymount, 7 p.m., ESPN+
4. SAN FRANCISCO DONS
Last result: L, 77-54 at Santa Clara (Jan. 11)
2024-25 record: 14-5, 3-2 WCC
Stat to know: Malik Thomas leads the WCC in conference play at 24.8 points per game while also knocking down 42.9% of his 3-point attempts, which ranks second only to his former Dons teammate, Stefan Todorovic, now at Pepperdine.
Up next: Thursday at Pepperdine, 7 p.m., ESPN+
5. OREGON STATE BEAVERS
Last result: W, 91-55 at Pacific (Jan. 11)
2024-25 record: 13-5, 3-2 WCC
Stat to know: Parsa Fallah paces the league in field goal percentage (65.1%) after going 6-for-7 (85.7%) from the field to finish with 25 points in the 36-point win over the Tigers.
Up next: Thursday vs. Gonzaga, 8 p.m., CBS Sports Network
6. WASHINGTON STATE COUGARS
Last result: L, 88-75 at Gonzaga (Jan. 11)
2024-25 record: 13-5, 3-2 WCC
Stat to know: Nate Calmese recorded a career-high eight assists in the 13-point loss to the Bulldogs. The junior ranks among the top five players in the WCC in assist rate and steal rate, per KenPom.com.
Up next: Thursday at San Diego, 7 p.m., ESPN+
7. LOYOLA MARYMOUNT LIONS
Last result: L, 81-56 at Saint Mary's (Jan. 7)*
2024-25 record: 9-8, 1-4 WCC
Stat to know: Three players put up 12 points per game or better for the Lions this season, led by Jevon Porter at 13.7 points.
Up next: Thursday vs. Santa Clara, 7 p.m., ESPN+
8. PEPPERDINE WAVES
Last result: W, 87-70 at Pacific (Jan. 4)*
2024-25 record: 7-10, 1-3 WCC
Stat to know: Averaging 7.3 assists per game, Moe Odum ranks No. 5 in the country in assist rate.
Up next: Thursday vs. San Francisco, 7 p.m., ESPN+
9. PACIFIC TIGERS
Last result: L, 91-55 vs. Oregon State (Jan. 4)
2024-25 record: 6-14, 1-5 WCC
Stat to know: Lamar Washington leads the WCC in minutes per game (36.2) after logging 45 minutes to lead the way in last Thursday's upset over WSU.
Up next: Thursday at Portland, 7 p.m., ESPN+
10. SAN DIEGO TOREROS
Last result: L, 81-54 at Oregon State (Jan. 4)
2024-25 record: 4-14, 1-4 WCC
Stat to know: Santiago Trouet is No. 4 in the league in rebounds with 8.3 per game during conference play.
Up next: Thursday vs. WSU, 7 p.m., ESPN+
11. PORTLAND PILOTS
Last result: L, 81-72 at San Francisco (Jan. 11)
2024-25 record: 5-13, 0-5 WCC
Stat to know: Max Mackinnon scored a career-high 28 points as he, Austin Rapp (19 points) and Chris Austin (12 points) combined to account for 82% of the Pilots' scoring in their loss to the Dons.
Up next: Thursday vs. Pacific, 7 p.m., ESPN+
* Last Saturday's matchup between LMU and Pepperdine was postponed due to the wildfires in the Palisades, California, area.
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