West Coast Conference Preview

The following preview is provided by Blue Ribbon. For the most thorough preview available of the upcoming season, order the 2002-03 Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook, on sale now at 1-800-775-2518.   Blue Ribbon Forecast No. Team  '01-02 Conf. Rec. (Overall) 1. Gonzaga  13-1 (29-3)  2. Pepperdine  13-1 (22-8)  3. San Francisco  8-6 (13-15)  4. San Diego  7-7 (16-13)  5. Santa Clara  8-6 (13-15)  6. St. Mary's  3-11 (9-20)  7. Loyola Marymount  2-12 (9-20)  8 Portland  2-12 (6-24)  All-Conference Team Did You Know? G: Blake Stepp JR, Gonzaga G: Terrance Johnson SO, Pepperdine F: Jimmy Miggins SR, Pepperdine F: Darrel Tucker SR, San Francisco C: Cory Violette JR, Gonzaga Player of the Year Jimmy Miggins SR, Pepperdine Newcomer of the Year Jovan Harris JR, San Francisco Top Backcourts 1. Pepperdine 2. San Francisco 3. (tie) Gonzaga and Portland Top Frontcourts 1. Gonzaga 2. Pepperdine 3. San Francisco 2002-03 Conference Tournament March 7-10, Jenny Craig Pavilion, San Diego, CA 2001-02 NCAA Tournament Postseason Record 0-2 (.000) NCAA Gonzaga Pepperdine The West Coast Conference tournament will have a new look this season as it goes to an eight-team play-in format that rewards the top teams for their performance during the regular season. Under the new format, the No. 5 through No. 8 seeded teams will play each other in the first round, with the winners advancing to face the No. 3 and No. 4 teams in the quarterfinals. The winners of the quarterfinals then advance to face the No. 1 and No. 2 teams in the semifinals. The format isn't the only tournament change on the horizon. Although this year's tournament will be played in San Diego for the third consecutive season, it will begin rotating regionally beginning in 2004. The 2004 and 2005 tournaments will be played in the Bay Area, the 2006 and 2007 tournaments in the Pacific Northwest, and the 2008 and 2009 tournaments in Southern California. San Diego is the only WCC team that has never won the conference tournament, despite the fact the Toreros have posted an overall record of .500 or better for seven consecutive seasons. Gonzaga coach Mark Few has won more games in his first three seasons as a Division I head coach than anybody in NCAA history. Few's 81-20 record puts him ahead of North Carolina State's Everett Chase, who won 80 games from 1947-49. Gonzaga and Pepperdine, last year's regular season co-champions, again appear to be the class of the conference. Gonzaga, which has won or shared three of the last four WCC titles and has won four straight conference tournament titles, returns three starters and seven letter winners, including first-team all-conference big men Zach Gourde and Cory Violette. Pepperdine returns four starters, including all-conference first-teamers Boomer Brazzle and Jimmy Miggins. The Waves also return 2001-02 WCC Freshman of the Year Terrance Johnson.

 

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