Amanda Knapp
The West Coast Conference (WCC) is a collegiate athletic conference affiliated with NCAA Division I. The WCC men's basketball tournament is the annual concluding tournament for the NCAA college basketball in the WCC. The winner of the tournament each year is guaranteed a place in the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament for that season. The WCC has produced several notable basketball players, including Mahershala Ali, a two-time Academy Award-winning actor who played basketball at Saint Mary's, and David Cooke, a former NBA player. The Gonzaga–Saint Mary's men's basketball rivalry is considered one of the best college basketball rivalries on the West Coast, with the two teams meeting biannually as part of WCC conference play. As of March 2022, Gonzaga and Saint Mary's have met 20 times in the WCC Tournament, with Gonzaga winning the most recent matchup.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Known As | West Coast Conference, West Coast Athletic Conference, California Basketball Association |
| Record | 73 Seasons, 9062-8055 |
| NCAA Tournament | 98 Teams (101-98), 5 Final Fours, 2 Championships |
| Ranked in AP Poll | 34 (Preseason), 39 (Final), 612 (Total) |
| Members | Nine member schools across California, Oregon, and Washington |
| Members | Saint Mary's, Gonzaga, Brigham Young, Loyola Marymount, Pepperdine, University of the Pacific, Santa Clara, San Jose State |
| Former Members | Seattle University, Fresno State, USIU, Oregon State |
| Notable WCC Schools' Athletes | Mahershala Ali, David Cooke, Dan Dickau, Brandon Davies |
| Notable WCC Rivalries | Saint Mary's vs. Gonzaga, San Francisco vs. Gonzaga |
| Recent WCC Tournament Locations | Member teams' home courts, Orleans Arena in Paradise, Nevada |
Explore related products
What You'll Learn
Gonzaga's rise to national prominence
Gonzaga University's basketball programme has risen to national prominence since the mid-1990s, becoming a major basketball power despite the West Coast Conference (WCC) being a mid-major conference. The Gonzaga Bulldogs, as the team is known, have been to every NCAA tournament since 1999, when they made a Cinderella run to the Elite Eight. They have appeared in every final AP poll since the 2008-09 season and have the longest streak for any school in the Western United States of 23 consecutive NCAA tournament appearances.
Gonzaga's rise has helped make the WCC a household name, with the team gaining recognition as a major basketball power, akin to that of San Francisco from the 1940s to the early 1980s. The Bulldogs play their home games at the McCarthey Athletic Center in Spokane, Washington, on the university campus. The team has had 15 players receive the WCC Player of the Year award, and two players, Frank Burgess in 1961 and Adam Morrison in 2006, have led the nation in scoring. Morrison was named the Co-National Player of the Year for the 2005-06 season, and his season was later chronicled in the book "Glory Hounds".
Gonzaga's men's basketball team has a well-known rivalry with the Saint Mary's Gaels, with the two teams having met a total of 116 times since 1955 and currently playing biannually as part of WCC conference play. They have combined to win 26 out of the last 30 conference championship games, including each of the last 16. Analysts and media members have touted the rivalry as one of the best, if not the best, college basketball rivalries on the West Coast.
The Bulldogs' success has been chronicled in several books, including "BraveHearts: The Against-All-Odds Rise of Gonzaga Basketball", which was published in 2002 and retraces the inspirational journey of the men's basketball team, and "Unbracketed: Big-Time College Basketball Done the Right Way", which explores how smaller NCAA institutions, including Gonzaga, have turned Cinderella runs into long-lasting success.
Will Power: Basketball's Mental Game
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Saint Mary's Gaels vs Gonzaga Bulldogs rivalry
The Saint Mary's Gaels and the Gonzaga Bulldogs share an intra-West Coast Conference college basketball rivalry. Both teams have been consistently two of the top three teams in the conference over the last two decades. They have met a total of 116 times since 1955, playing biannually as part of WCC conference play, with the possibility of a third game in the WCC tournament and a fourth in the postseason. As of March 2025, they have met 23 times in the WCC Tournament but have never met in any postseason tournaments beyond conference play.
The rivalry between the two teams is considered one of the best college basketball rivalries on the West Coast, with the Gaels and the Zags combining to win 26 out of the last 30 conference championship games, including each of the last 16. Saint Mary's has upset a number-one-ranked Zags squad twice—in the 2019 WCC final as an unranked team and in 2022 as #23 in Moraga.
The West Coast Conference (WCC) is a collegiate athletic conference affiliated with NCAA Division I. It consists of nine member schools across California, Oregon, and Washington. All current full members are private, faith-based institutions, with seven members affiliated with the Catholic Church and four of these being Jesuit institutions. The WCC was chartered by five northern California institutions, four from the San Francisco Bay Area (San Francisco, Saint Mary's, Santa Clara, and San Jose State) and one, Pacific, from Stockton.
Gonzaga's rise to national prominence, with invitations to the NCAA Tournament every year since 1999, has helped make the WCC a household name. The Bulldogs have attended 23 consecutive NCAA tournaments—the longest streak for any school in the Western United States.
Home Court Advantage: Points, Power, and Pride
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Loyola Marymount's 1990 tournament
The 1989–90 Loyola Marymount Lions men's basketball team represented Loyola Marymount University during the 1989–90 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The team, led by fifth-year head coach Paul Westhead, played their home games at Gersten Pavilion in Los Angeles, California. The 1989–90 season was supposed to be the team's dream season, with Gathers and Kimble as surefire top 10 NBA picks.
On March 4, 1990, during a WCC Tournament Semifinal matchup against Portland, Hank Gathers, a star player for the Lions, collapsed and died from a heart condition. Despite this tragedy, the team honoured Gathers with a run to the Elite Eight as the 11th seed in the West Region of the NCAA tournament, becoming the first WCC team to reach the Elite Eight in 33 years.
In the NCAA Tournament, Loyola Marymount won the West First Round against New Mexico State (111-92), the West Second Round against Michigan (149-115), and the West Regional Semifinal against Alabama (62-60). They lost the West Regional Final to Nevada-Las Vegas (131-101), the team that went on to win the national championship. Loyola Marymount's final record for the season was 26–6.
The 1990 Loyola Marymount team set several records, including the most points in an NCAA Tournament game (149 vs. Michigan), the most combined points in an NCAA Tournament game (264 vs. Michigan), and the most 3-point field goals in an NCAA Tournament game (21 vs. Michigan). The team also led Division I in scoring in 1990 with 122.4 points per game, which was still a record as of October 2010.
Basketball Conference Switch: UCLA's Move to Big 10?
You may want to see also
Explore related products
San Francisco's consecutive national titles
The West Coast Conference (WCC) is a collegiate athletic conference affiliated with NCAA Division I. It was known as the California Basketball Association from 1952 to 1956 and then as the West Coast Athletic Conference (WCAC) until 1989.
The San Francisco Dons men's basketball team has enjoyed a rich history of success, particularly during the 1940s to the early 1980s. They have won sixteen regular-season championships and one conference tournament championship in the WCC.
The Dons' golden era came in the 1950s when they won two consecutive national titles in 1955 and 1956 under coach Phil Woolpert and led by the all-time great, Bill Russell. Russell, a National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Famer, was known for his strong defence and shot-blocking skills, and he averaged an impressive 20.7 points and 20.3 rebounds per game during his college career. The team also included K.C. Jones, a future Basketball Hall of Famer, and together they pioneered the alley-oop play.
During this era, the Dons went on a remarkable run of 55 consecutive victories, which included a perfect 29-0 start to the 1956 season. They were considered the number one team in the nation before dropping their final two games. This success cemented their legacy as a dominant force in college basketball, and they retained their status as a "'major'" program into the 1970s and early 1980s.
In addition to their consecutive national titles, the Dons also reached the Final Four three years in a row from 1955 to 1957, showcasing their consistency and dominance during that period. They added four more Elite Eight appearances in 1964, 1965, 1973, and 1974, further extending their success beyond their consecutive title-winning years.
While the WCC's stature declined somewhat in the 1960s, San Francisco remained a "major" basketball power until the early 1980s. They continued to achieve success, holding the number one spot in the polls on numerous occasions and winning six consecutive conference titles from 1977 to 1982.
In recent years, the Dons have struggled to replicate their past glory, but they returned to the NCAA tournament in the 2021-22 season, ending a 24-year drought. Their legacy and impact on the game are undeniable, and their consecutive national titles remain a testament to their excellence during the 1950s.
Technical Fouls: A Referee's Guide for High School Basketball
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Brigham Young joins the conference
The West Coast Conference (WCC) is an NCAA Division I collegiate athletic conference consisting of nine member schools across California, Oregon, and Washington. All current full members are private, faith-based institutions.
Brigham Young University (BYU), also known as the Cougars, joined the WCC in 11 sports starting in the 2011-12 school year. BYU's enrollment of nearly 33,000 students is more than half of the eight other WCC schools combined. The university competes in men's and women's basketball, cross-country, golf, and tennis, as well as baseball, women's soccer, and women's volleyball.
BYU's addition to the WCC transformed the league's national profile and was embraced by WCC schools as the conference's first expansion in over 30 years. Saint Mary's athletic director Mark Orr welcomed BYU, stating that the university has "national recognition in multiple sports" and is a "top-of-the-line athletic program and academic institution." BYU's strong athletic performance, with a record of 107-30 over the past four seasons, has contributed to the WCC's success.
To accommodate BYU's policy of not playing on Sundays, the WCC made adjustments to its conference basketball tournament and schedules for other sports. The WCC has also benefited from increased visibility, particularly in its negotiations with ESPN for a new television deal. BYU's presence has enhanced the WCC's reputation and competitiveness on a national scale.
NBA's Official Basketball: Brand and Make
You may want to see also
Frequently asked questions
The 1990 tournament final was cancelled after Loyola Marymount player Hank Gathers died during the Lions' semifinal game against Portland. Loyola Marymount was given the league's automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.
Gonzaga and Saint Mary's have combined to win 26 out of the last 30 conference championship games, including each of the last 16.
The West Coast Conference (WCC) consists of nine member schools across California, Oregon, and Washington. These include Saint Mary's, Santa Clara, San Jose State, and the University of the Pacific.
The West Coast Conference is a collegiate athletic conference affiliated with NCAA Division I. It was known as the California Basketball Association from 1952 to 1956, and then as the West Coast Athletic Conference until 1989.
