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

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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MORAGA, CA – MARCH 02: Matthias Tass #11 of the Saint Mary’s Gaels (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) /

WCC Basketball breakout candidate – Matthias Tass (Saint Mary’s)

Head coach Randy Bennett loses a couple of key pieces from his Saint Mary’s squad that won 26 games last season, including leading scorer Jordan Ford and forward Tanner Krebs. He does, however, return an all-conference caliber player in Malik Fitts who averaged 16.5 points and 7.1 rebounds last season. But, the Gaels will be looking for some new faces to step into bigger roles, and one of those guys is junior forward Matthias Tass.

Tass was having a solid sophomore season, averaging 6.6 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 2.2 assists, but his season was cut short in December when he suffered a torn ACL. It is unknown if the 6-10 240lb. a native of Estonia will be ready for the beginning of the season, but whenever he does return to the floor, he is one of the guys who could explode in Moraga next season.

He showed glimpses of what he could do in big games before he got hurt, he netted 22 in a win over Long Beach State, had 15 in an upset win over No. 15 Utah State, and in his final game of the year, he scored 11 in a win over Nevada. When Tass returns to the floor, he should also return to being a big piece in Saint Mary’s hopes of returning to the NCAA Tournament.