WCC Basketball: BYU, Pacific rises in latest 2020-21 power rankings

Jan 7, 2021; Spokane, Washington, USA; Brigham Young Cougars forward Matt Haarms (3) reacts after being called for a foul during a game against the Gonzaga Bulldogs in the first half of a WCC men’s basketball game at McCarthey Athletic Center. Mandatory Credit: James Snook-USA TODAY Sports /

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WCC Basketball Gonzaga Bulldogs James Snook-USA TODAY Sports /

More than usual, WCC Basketball has been in the spotlight of college hoops. And that’s because of the conference’s crown jewel, the Gonzaga Bulldogs. They started out the season ranked No. 1 in the country and has proven to be as good as predicted.

However, Gonzaga wasn’t the only program in the WCC to make some noise in conference play. San Francisco had arguably the first real upset of the season, beating No. 4 Virginia in an impromptu matchup. BYU had another victory over a ranked foe, beating San Deigo State on the road towards the end of conference play.

That’s where things started to get rough for the league. After coming back from Christmas break, there were seven matchups that had to get canceled to start WCC play, thanks to four programs that had to go on “pause” due to covid related issues. No team was more affected than the BYU Cougars, who saw its first three games postponed and had to play Gonzaga, Saint Mary’s, and San Francisco on the road.

The good news for the league is that everyone (on the men’s side) is back on the court playing and several games have been rescheduled. It remains to be seen whether or not all 16 games for each program in the WCC will be played but there’s optimism.

The games played are still unbalanced, with the Dons having played six games and Pepperdine just two, but there has been enough on the court action to at least make a judgment as to where the teams stand at this moment before Thursday’s slate. Here’s how I rank these teams currently.