WCC Basketball: Breakout candidates from each team for 2019-20

By Andy Patton | Jul 18, 2019

SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH - MARCH 21: Filip Petrusev #3 of the Gonzaga Bulldogs dunks against the Fairleigh Dickinson Knights during the second half in the first round of the 2019 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Vivint Smart Home Arena on March 21, 2019 in Salt Lake City, Utah. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images) /

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SPOKANE, WA – FEBRUARY 15: Head coach Mike Dunlap of the Loyola-Marymount Lions huddles with his team during a timeout in the first half against the Gonzaga Bulldogs at McCarthey Athletic Center on February 15, 2018 in Spokane, Washington. (Photo by William Mancebo/Getty Images) /

G/F Dameane Douglas – LMU Lions

LMU has a history of excellent guard play. James Batemon, who graduated after leading the team with 16.4 points per game last year, is the latest in a long line of great guards from the Lions.

Next on that list could very well be 6’7 rising sophomore guard Dameane Douglas.

Douglas averaged 8.3 points, 4.9 rebounds and 1.3 assists last year, en route to a spot on the WCC All-Freshman team.

Although Douglas averaged a crisp 24.7 minutes per game, he only started 22 of LMU’s 33 games. He took over as a full-time starter on January 26, and after that his averages went up to 10.2 points, 5.3 boards, 1.5 assists and 1.0 steals.

Without Batemon, Douglas could be LMU’s go-to guy. Averaging 15+ points per game is entirely possible for the big guard, especially if he can continue to shoot the three ball well. He only took 26 last year but he knocked down 15 of them, good for a blistering 57%.

Douglas is next in a lineage of good guard play down in Los Angeles, and I wouldn’t be surprised if there are ALL-WCC first-team awards in his future.