Busting Brackets
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WCC Basketball power rankings: Gonzaga, San Francisco on top of early season list

By Connor Hope

LAHAINA, HI - NOVEMBER 21: Rui Hachimura #21 of the Gonzaga Bulldogs holds up the tournament MVP trophy after the 2018 Maui Invitational at the Lahaina Civic Center on November 21, 2018 in Lahaina, Hawaii. (Photo by Darryl Oumi/Getty Images)
LAHAINA, HI - NOVEMBER 21: Rui Hachimura #21 of the Gonzaga Bulldogs holds up the tournament MVP trophy after the 2018 Maui Invitational at the Lahaina Civic Center on November 21, 2018 in Lahaina, Hawaii. (Photo by Darryl Oumi/Getty Images) /
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LAS VEGAS, NV – MARCH 05: Portland Pilots mascot Wally Pilot performs during the team’s quarterfinal game of the West Coast Conference Basketball tournament against the Gonzaga Bulldogs at the Orleans Arena on March 5, 2016 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Gonzaga won 92-67. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NV – MARCH 05: Portland Pilots mascot Wally Pilot performs during the team’s quarterfinal game of the West Coast Conference Basketball tournament against the Gonzaga Bulldogs at the Orleans Arena on March 5, 2016 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Gonzaga won 92-67. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) /

10) Santa Clara Broncos (3-5)

The only team in the WCC with a losing record, the Broncos record speaks more to their injury troubles than to their roster’s talent. After Matt Hauser was lost for the year off to recover from last season’s injury, star point guard KJ Feagin broke his thumb and has been absent for the past six games. Losing Feagin put head coach Herb Sendek in a tough position, having to replace his top scorer and distributor for a big chunk of the season.

Despite the poor record and shorthanded backcourt, the future looks bright for the Broncos. Currently, the top four scorers for Santa Clara are all freshmen and sophomores, with Tahj Eaddy, Josip Vrankic and Trey Wertz all averaging over 10 points per game. This season looks like it is already lost for the Broncos, but with so many talented underclassmen stepping up, the Broncos may be looking to compete in the WCC sooner rather than later.

9) Portland Pilots (5-4)

Despite having a winning record, the Pilots have been relatively disappointing to this point in the season. Of Portland’s five victories, two came against non-Division I teams and the other three came against relatively weak opponents. In fact, the Pilots have not beaten an opponent with more than two wins this season.

Portland’s athletic department has been patient with head coach Terry Porter, who is in his third season with the team. However, this season looks like it is going to be more of the same. Josh McSwiggan and Marcus Shaver are both averaging around 15 points per game, but the Pilots will need more players to step up if they aim to be competitive by January.