Busting Brackets
Fansided

WCC Basketball power rankings: Gonzaga, BYU survive close calls to stay on top

By J.D. Caldwell

LAHAINA, HI - NOVEMBER 27: TJ Haws #30 of the BYU Cougars drives to the basket and lays the ball in during the second half of the game against the Virginia Tech Hokies at the Lahaina Civic Center on November 27, 2019 in Lahaina, Hawaii. (Photo by Darryl Oumi/Getty Images)
LAHAINA, HI - NOVEMBER 27: TJ Haws #30 of the BYU Cougars drives to the basket and lays the ball in during the second half of the game against the Virginia Tech Hokies at the Lahaina Civic Center on November 27, 2019 in Lahaina, Hawaii. (Photo by Darryl Oumi/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
4 of 6
Next
LAS VEGAS, NV – MARCH 05: A San Francisco Dons cheerleader (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NV – MARCH 05: A San Francisco Dons cheerleader (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) /

5. Santa Clara Broncos (18-6, 5-4) NET: 100

Santa Clara has been alternating win-loss-win-loss throughout conference play.  Probably the most impressive accomplishment for coach Herb Sendek’s team is the fact that the Broncos responded to a 50-point loss at Gonzaga two weeks earlier, by staying within single digits throughout most of the second half at home on Jan. 30, before bowing 87-72.

Sophomore Guglielmo Caruso has missed all of the WCC schedule, thus far.  Caruso was averaging 11.6 ppg and 5.5 rpg.  He is out indefinitely with a lower-leg injury.

Santa Clara is led by Trey Wertz 12.5 ppg, Josip Vrankic 12.0 ppg, and D.J. Mitchell 10.5 ppg.  6’9 Vrankic pumped in 33 points against Pepperdine on Jan. 23 and is averaging 18.0 points in their last seven games.

The Broncos will try to atone for the overtime loss at home to Pepperdine when the two teams meet on Thursday.

4. San Francisco Dons (16-8, 5-4) NET: 83

First-year coach Todd Golden has his team meeting expectations thus far in conference play.  The Dons defeated BYU 83-82 at home on Jan. 25 and Gonzaga escaped with an 83-79 victory last Saturday.

Junior guard Charles Minlend leads the Dons scoring 14.8 ppg.  Junior Jamaree Bouyea and 7’0 senior Jimbo Lull add 13.5 ppg and 11.3 ppg, respectively.

Coming off the bench, 6’1 sophomore Khalil Shabazz is averaging 10.4 ppg.  Shabazz poured in 32 points in the win over BYU and is averaging 19.7 in the last three games.

San Francisco will host Pacific on Thursday and will travel to BYU Saturday.