Busting Brackets
Fansided

WCC Basketball: Breakout candidates from each team for 2020-21 season

By Jason Burgess

LAS VEGAS, NV - MARCH 06: A logo for the West Coast Conference basketball tournament is shown on the court before the championship game between the Brigham Young Cougars and the Gonzaga Bulldogs at the Orleans Arena on March 6, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Bulldogs won 74-54. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NV - MARCH 06: A logo for the West Coast Conference basketball tournament is shown on the court before the championship game between the Brigham Young Cougars and the Gonzaga Bulldogs at the Orleans Arena on March 6, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Bulldogs won 74-54. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) /
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LOS ANGELES, CA – DECEMBER 02: Mattias Markusson #14 of the Loyola Marymount Lions (Photo by Victor Decolongon/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA – DECEMBER 02: Mattias Markusson #14 of the Loyola Marymount Lions (Photo by Victor Decolongon/Getty Images) /

WCC Basketball breakout candidate – Ivan Alipiev (LMU)

Loyola Marymount had the only coaching change in the conference this summer when Stan Johnson replaced Mike Dunlap as the head man for the Lions. Now, after finishing with just 11 wins last season it is time to look towards a brighter future at Loyola Marymount. With just Jordan Bell and Erik Johansson the only significant contributors that are gone from last season, and just two graduate transfers and one freshman joining the team, there is room for this group to grow as a unit and a guy that could take a big leap next season is junior forward Ivan Alipiev.

The 6-8 Bulgarian was third on the team in scoring with his 8.1 per game and started in half of the team’s 32 games as a sophomore. He improved his shooting percentage by 10 points in his sophomore season and got off to a good start with 12 double-digit games in his first 16, but reached that mark just four times in his final 16.

Like a lot of European big men, Alipiev likes to shoot from long range, with over half his field-goal attempts coming from behind the arc. If he can become more efficient with his shot, he could take a leap forward and join senior Eli Scott as someone coach Johnson can rely on in his first year.