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WCC Basketball: 2023 conference tournament preview and predictions

By Joey Loose

Feb 25, 2023; Spokane, Washington, USA; St. Mary's Gaels guard Alex Ducas (44) shoots the ball against Gonzaga Bulldogs guard Nolan Hickman (11) in the second half at McCarthey Athletic Center. Gonzaga won 77-68. Mandatory Credit: James Snook-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 25, 2023; Spokane, Washington, USA; St. Mary's Gaels guard Alex Ducas (44) shoots the ball against Gonzaga Bulldogs guard Nolan Hickman (11) in the second half at McCarthey Athletic Center. Gonzaga won 77-68. Mandatory Credit: James Snook-USA TODAY Sports /
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WCC Basketball Loyola Marymount Lions guard Cam Shelton Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
WCC Basketball Loyola Marymount Lions guard Cam Shelton Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports /

Predictions

First Round

#8 Portland vs. #9 San Diego (March 2, 9:00 pm)

These two teams are both trending in a decent direction under new systems, but are both still a few years away. San Diego has been better under new coach Steve Lavin, but their defense has been abysmal. Portland knocked off Villanova earlier this season and has already swept the Toreros; they’ll get a third win to kick off the tournament.

Portland wins

#7 Pacific vs. #10 Pepperdine (March 2, 11:30 pm)

It’s been a remarkably rough season at Pepperdine, though the Waves did get some confidence with an upset over BYU a few weeks ago. They’ve got a great young piece in Houston Mallette, but they’ve already lost twice to a Pacific team that looks better on both sides of the ball. Expect the potential for offensive fireworks, but for the Tigers to pull it out in the end.

Pacific wins

Second Round

#5 BYU vs. #8 Portland (March 3, 9:00 pm)

While BYU won their only matchup this season by 13 points at home, could it be possible for this Portland team to make the same kind of noise they made earlier in the season? The Cougars are a much better defensive team and have really found their shooting stroke in recent games. Though the season has been very disappointing in Provo, expect the Cougars to have enough to withstand Portland for a second time this year.

BYU wins

#6 San Francisco vs. #7 Pacific (March 3, 11:30 pm)

San Francisco barely avoided the opening round of the tournament by virtue of sweeping the Tigers this season, winning the two games by a combined 29 points. The Dons are certainly rebuilding after making the NCAA Tournament last season, but have beaten up on some of the bottom feeders in the league this season. Their defense has struggled in recent weeks, but Keylan Boone and this Pacific offense will fall short again.

San Francisco wins

Quarterfinals

#4 Loyola Marymount vs. #5 BYU (March 4, 10:00 pm)

Major attention was given to Loyola Marymount for their upset win at Gonzaga and an overtime win against Saint Mary’s, but the Lions got blasted at BYU less than one month ago. While the Cougars aren’t exactly riding any kind of hot streak, they did seem to figure things out in their regular season finale and will be riding a wave after their earlier win. Many want to see the Lions getting another shot at Gonzaga or Saint Mary’s, but they’ll come up short against a hungry Cougars team.

BYU wins

#3 Santa Clara vs. #6 San Francisco (March 5, 12:30am)

Not only did Santa Clara win both prior matchups by at least 12 points, but they’ve been a significantly better team than the Dons this season. As previously mentioned, Podziemski has been vital to the Broncos’ success but he’s been far from the only key piece. All those things aside, the Broncos have also won seven straight games and have much more momentum than San Francisco.

Santa Clara wins