WCC Basketball: Top 5 returning players of the 2017-2018 season

By Connor Hope | May 31, 2017

Jan 14, 2017; Spokane, WA, USA; Gonzaga Bulldogs forward Johnathan Williams (3) fights for position against St. Mary's Gaels forward Calvin Hermanson (24) and center Jock Landale (34) during the second half at McCarthey Athletic Center. The Bulldogs won 79-56. Mandatory Credit: James Snook-USA TODAY Sports /

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Jan 14, 2017; Spokane, WA, USA; Gonzaga Bulldogs forward Johnathan Williams (3) fights for position against St. Mary’s Gaels forward Calvin Hermanson (24) and center Jock Landale (34) during the second half at McCarthey Athletic Center. The Bulldogs won 79-56. Mandatory Credit: James Snook-USA TODAY Sports /

Since returning players are pretty much set in stone, it is time to take a look at the best returning players in the WCC for the 2017-2018 season.

With the number of transfers at an all-time high, players declaring for the NBA draft, and seniors graduating, it can be hard to keep track of who is returning and who is leaving. In the WCC, many of the top young players are deciding not to return to their teams for the 2017-2018 season.

Players like Jazz Johnson are transferring in hopes of landing on more successful teams. Others such as Eric Mika, Nigel Williams-Goss, and Zach Collins are taking their rising NBA Draft stock and going to play professionally.

With this turnover, new recruits come in and take the spotlight. Zach Norvell, Core Kispert, and Jesse Wade are all high-value recruits set to make their Gonzaga debuts. Other programs, such as Pacific, will have a few high-value transfers eligible to play.

With the spotlight on who is leaving and who is arriving, those who return to their teams can get forgotten. The WCC has quite a few talented returnees that should make this season fun to watch.

When determining the best returning players, only players that played significant minutes during conference play were considered. This left talented players such as Gonzaga’s Rui Hachimura, who averaged 5.0 minutes per game in WCC play, out of contention.

The players on this list are those that impressed us last season and should continue to improve going into this season. Each player on this list has a good shot of landing on the 2017-2018 All–WCC First Team, with the top 5 each having the ability to win WCC Player of the Year.

So who are the top returning players in the WCC?