CBB Review prepares you for every conference tournament leading up to Selection Sunday on Mar. 16. Up next: The WCC Tournament.
College basketball fans have been intrigued by the format of the Sun Belt Conference Tournament, but we must remember that the WCC Tournament walked so that gauntlet could run.
Starting Thursday, teams will have to win anywhere between two straight games or six games in six days to be crowned champion. As usual, Gonzaga and Saint Mary’s are waiting like guards of the semifinals. Will there be any takers? San Francisco and Santa Clara are right behind and the additions of Oregon State and Washington State improved the overall conference, with both teams smack dab in the middle of the bracket.
Bubble teams everywhere will have their eyes glued to this tournament. Saint Mary’s and Gonzaga are NCAA Tournament locks and no one else is truly in a good spot on the bubble, so if another team wins this bracket, the bubble will shrink by one team.
It may not be a power conference, but the WCC Tournament provides a great balance of top-tier talent and a conference tournament that matters.
2025 West Coast Conference Awards
Player of the Year: Ryan Nembhard, Gonzaga
Freshman of the Year: Tyrone Riley IV, San Francisco
Transfer of the Year: Paulius Murauskas, Saint Mary’s
Coach of the Year: Randy Bennett, Saint Mary’s
First Team:
- G: Ryan Nembhard, Gonzaga (10.9 PPG, 10.0 APG, 3.1 RPG, 1.6 SPG, 40.7 3P%)
- G: Marcus Williams, San Francisco (15.1 PPG, 4.3 APG, 3.6 RPG, 1.5 SPG, 41.4 3P%)
- G: Augustas Marciulionis, Saint Mary’s (14.4 PPG, 6.1 APG, 2.8 RPG, 1.4 SPG, 35.8 3P%)
- G: Malik Thomas, San Francisco (19.1 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 2.0 APG, 1.7 SPG, 39.2 3P%)
- F: Graham Ike, Gonzaga (17.0 PPG, 7.4 RPG, 1.4 APG, 59.9 FG%)
Second Team:
- G: Nolan Hickman, Gonzaga (11.4 PPG, 2.6 RPG, 2.2 APG, 1.0 SPG, 44.4 3P%)
- G: Adama Bal, Santa Clara (13.1 PPG, 3.1 APG, 2.5 RPG, 38.1 3P%)
- F: Michael Rataj, Oregon State (17.4 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 2.0 APG, 1.6 SPG, 35.5 3P%)
- F: Paulius Murauskas, Saint Mary’s (12.8 PPG, 8.1 RPG, 1.4 APG)
- C: Mitchell Saxen, Saint Mary’s (10.4 PPG, 8.0 RPG, 1.9 APG, 1.3 SPG, 1.2 BPG, 53.7 FG%)
2025 WCC Tournament Simulation
First Round – Thur., Mar. 6
10. Pacific (9-23, 4-14) vs. 11. San Diego (5-26, 2-16) – 5:30 p.m. EST on ESPN+
You might be a true college basketball sicko if you plan on watching this game. Regardless, we can’t ignore that San Diego beat Pacific once and only fell by two on the road. I’m going to be the even bigger sicko and say the Toreros win this game.
Mat’s pick: 11. San Diego
Second Round – Fri., Mar. 7
8. Portland (12-19, 7-11) vs. 9. Pepperdine (10-21, 4-14) – 9 p.m. EST on ESPN+
Pepperdine won four games in the WCC but all of them came against Pacific and San Diego. They’ve lost five straight and were handled by Portland by 20 both times they played. Let’s not overthink this one.
Mat’s pick: 8. Portland
7. Loyola Marymount (16-14, 8-10) vs. 11. San Diego – 11:30 p.m. EST on ESPN+
I don’t want to overthink this game either, but I will. These are the bottom two rebounding teams in terms of margin in the conference. They’re also both bottom three in scoring, but LMU has a slightly better defense. I’m not gonna call the upset but it could be a close game.
Mat’s pick: 7. Loyola Marymount
Third Round – Sat., Mar. 8
5. Oregon State (20-11, 10-8) vs. 8. Portland – 9 p.m. EST on ESPN+
A possible in-state battle here in the Beavers’ first-ever WCC Tournament game. This could be the Michael Rataj show. Oregon State’s star torched Portland for 28 and 22 points in the two regular-season meetings between these teams. With an NCAA bid on the line, the stars will come out to play.
Mat’s pick: 5. Oregon State
6. Washington State (18-13, 8-10) vs. 7. Loyola Marymount – 9 p.m. EST on ESPN+
Washington State’s defense has gotten them into trouble, allowing almost 80 points per game. While they held the Lions to 59 points back in December, a lot has changed in over two months. The Cougars haven’t held a team below 80 points in four straight games. You can’t go into tournament basketball playing bad defense.
Mat’s pick: 7. Loyola Marymount
Quarterfinals – Sun., Mar. 9
4. Santa Clara (20-11, 12-6) vs. 5. Oregon State – 8:30 p.m. EST on ESPN2
Adama Bal vs. Michael Rataj. This could be a game for the ages and one we don’t always get to see before the semifinals of the WCC Tournament. Santa Clara has won six of eight and Bal has had two solid games against the Beavers already. Rataj had his season-high of 30 points against the Broncos. I’m riding with the Rataj show one more game.
Mat’s pick: 5. Oregon State
3. San Francisco (23-8, 13-5) vs. 7. Loyola Marymount – 11 p.m. EST on ESPN2
LMU’s run ends here. The Dons don’t give up many points and they’ll score a lot, something that few teams in this conference can match up with. Plus, the leadership of guards Malik Thomas and Marcus Williams is too much for this San Fran team to go home early.
Mat’s pick: 3. San Francisco
Semifinals – Mon., Mar. 10
1. Saint Mary’s (27-4, 17-1) vs. 5. Oregon State – 9 p.m. EST on ESPN
Could this be Saint Mary’s year to win the WCC Tournament? They may have to slow down Michael Rataj if that’s the case. And truthfully, they’re built to do that. Rataj averaged just 7.5 PPG, 3.0 RPG, and 0.5 APG in two games. I’d guess he’ll play a little better in round three, but not enough to get past a tough Gaels’ defense.
Mat’s pick: 1. Saint Mary’s
2. Gonzaga (23-8, 14-4) vs. 3. San Francisco – 11:30 p.m. EST on ESPN2
This has been one of the most disappointing years for Gonzaga in a bit, but they’re starting to click. A 19-point win over Santa Clara and a 20-point win over San Francisco seems like the Zags team we thought we’d have this season. I have them advancing to their 28th straight WCC Tournament championship game. I can’t believe that’s a real stat.
Mat’s pick: 2. Gonzaga
Championship – Tues., Mar. 11
1. Saint Mary’s vs. 2. Gonzaga – 9 p.m. EST on ESPN
We’ve seen this story once or twice before. Actually, we’ve seen it 14 times in the WCC chip. Could this year be the 15th? Saint Mary’s has only won four of those battles and unfortunately for them, with the way Gonzaga is clicking, Ryan Nembhard’s ability to score and find scorers, and Graham Ike’s inside presence, I’m siding with the Zags. Even if Saint Mary’s could offset them, which they could, Khalif Battle and Nolan Hickman can step up. It’s a talented group in Spokane once again.
Mat’s pick: 2. Gonzaga