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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 03: Acting head coach Sam Scholl of the San Diego Toreros yells to his players during a quarterfinal game of the West Coast Conference basketball tournament against the Brigham Young Cougars at the Orleans Arena on March 3, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Cougars won 85-79. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NV – MARCH 03: Acting head coach Sam Scholl of the San Diego Toreros yells to his players during a quarterfinal game of the West Coast Conference basketball tournament against the Brigham Young Cougars at the Orleans Arena on March 3, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Cougars won 85-79. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) /

4) LMU Lions (8-1)

While BYU may be the most disappointing team so far, LMU has been the most surprising in a positive way. Picked to finish 7th in the WCC, the Lions have the second best record behind the perfect Zags. Leading Mike Dunlap’s squad is senior guard James Batemon, who is averaging 18.8 points, 3.3 rebounds and 3.8 assists. Batemon is also one of the peskier defenders in the WCC, leading the conference with 1.9 steals per game.

What makes the Lions 8-1 record so impressive is how well they have played on the defensive end of the floor. They are giving up fewer than 60 points per game and forcing over 15 turnovers. Whether this trend holds is yet to be seen, but Mike Dunlap appears to be turning the corner in his fifth season as the head coach at LMU.

3) San Diego Toreros (6-2)

Keeping upward momentum going through a coaching change is a tough task to accomplish, but the San Diego Toreros have done just that under Sam Scholl. They Toreros still do not have a high quality win outside of their home victory over Colorado, but the eye test paints them as one of the better teams in the WCC and the west coast in general.

While defense has been the bread and butter of San Diego’s success, but Isaiah Pineiro, Olin Carter and Isaiah Wright may also be the most potent scoring trio in the WCC behind the Zags. This combination of staunch defense and above average offense has kept San Diego in every game they have played, and could make them a tough challenge for the #1 Gonzaga Bulldogs.