CBB Review prepares you for every conference tournament leading up to Selection Sunday on Mar. 15. Up next: The WCC Tournament.
Alas, we have reached college basketball’s most unique conference tournament format. The West Coast Conference’s step-ladder structure allows for regular season success to be rewarded, but unlike the Sun Belt, the hierarchy was clearly established by the conference standings.
In essence, top-seeded Gonzaga and second-seeded Saint Mary’s have a free path straight to the semifinals. If chalk ensues, the Bulldogs and Gaels will meet in the conference finals for the 14th time in the last 18 seasons.
Otherwise, all eyes will be on Santa Clara, which is positioned as one of the NCAA Tournament’s last teams in, per Bracket Matrix. The Broncos are more than capable of securing the automatic bid by winning three straight games, but things will get dicey if they fall anywhere short.
2026 West Coast Conference Awards
Player of the Year: Graham Ike, Gonzaga
Freshman of the Year: Ace Glass III, Washington State
Transfer of the Year: David Fuchs, San Francisco
Coach of the Year: Herb Sendek, Santa Clara
First Team:
- G: Christian Hammond, Santa Clara (15.9 PPG, 2.9 RPG, 2.4 APG, 1.3 SPG)
- G: Mikey Lewis, Saint Mary’s (13.9 PPG, 2.7 RPG, 2.2 APG)
- G: Ace Glass III, Washington State (16.3 PPG, 3.1 RPG, 2.3 APG)
- F: Paulius Marauskas, Saint Mary’s (18.6 PPG, 7.7 RPG, 2.2 APG)
- F: Graham Ike, Gonzaga (19.7 PPG, 8.3 RPG, 2.5 APG)
Second Team:
- G: Joel Foxwell, Portland (15.7 PPG, 6.5 APG, 4.1 RPG, 1.6 SPG)
- G: Elijah Mahi, Santa Clara (14.0 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 2.7 APG, 1.4 SPG)
- G: Josiah Lake, Oregon State (13.1 PPG, 4.1 APG, 4.1 RPG, 1.5 SPG)
- F: Elias Ralph, Pacific (16.5 PPG, 6.8 RPG, 1.9 APG)
- F: Will Heimbrodt, Seattle (12.2 PPG, 2.1 APG, 5.1 RPG, 2.6 BPG)
2026 WCC Tournament Simulation
First Round – Thursday, Mar. 5
9. Portland (13-18, 6-12) vs. 12. Pepperdine (9-22, 4-14) – 6 p.m. PT on ESPN+
Pepperdine has had a rough season, but they have won three of their last five, and own a season sweep over Portland. That upset win over Gonzaga remains the story of the season for the Pilots.
Dan’s Pick: 12. Pepperdine
10. Loyola Marymount (15-16, 6-12) vs. 11. San Diego (11-20, 5-13) – 8:30 p.m. PT on ESPN+
Fun fact: the Toreros are the most recent current WCC team not named Gonzaga or Saint Mary’s to advance to the conference finals. San Diego will not win the league as they did in 2007-08, but they do enough to advance to the second round.
Dan’s Pick: 11. San Diego
Second Round – Friday, Mar. 6
8. Washington State (12-19, 7-11) vs. 12. Pepperdine – 6 p.m. PT on ESPN+
My First Team All-WCC and WCC Freshman of the Year guard Ace Glass is the best player on the court in this one. Cougars by 10.
Dan’s Pick: 8. Washington State
7. Seattle (19-12, 8-10) vs. 11. San Diego – 8:30 p.m. PT on ESPN+
Thanks in large part to the rim protection of second team all-conference forward Will Heimbrodt, San Diego struggles to get high percentage looks and score. Seattle’s top 25 KenPom defense allows them to survive and advance another day.
Dan’s Pick: 7. Seattle
Third Round – Saturday, Mar. 7
5. San Francisco (16-15, 8-10) vs. 8. Washington State – 6 p.m. PT on ESPN+
A disappointing year for the Dons comes to a final halt at the hands of the underdog Washington State. The Cougars have two 40+% three point shooters in 6-7 Rihards Vavers and 6-8 Eemeli Yalahom and San Francisco struggles to create any sort of havoc on defense.
Dan’s Pick: 8. Washington State
6. Pacific (17-14, 8-10) vs. 7. Seattle – 8:30 p.m. PT on ESPN+
Defense only travels so far when playing consecutive games in consecutive days. At some point, you need your guys to make plays, and Seattle does not have that luxury. Pacific’s frontcourt of Elias Ralph and Isaac Jack leads the way in a hard fought W.
Dan’s Pick: 6. Pacific
Quarterfinals – Sunday, Mar. 8
4. Oregon State (16-15, 9-9) vs. 8. Washington State – 5:30 p.m. PT on ESPN2
The battle of the Pac-2 favors Oregon State as the Cougars run out of gas. The Beavers have a good recipe for success this time of year; they get to the line the most in the WCC, and have the second highest free throw percentage.
Dan’s Pick: 4. Oregon State
3. Santa Clara (24-7, 15-3) vs. 6. Pacific– 8 p.m. PT on ESPN2
As previously alluded to, Santa Clara absolutely cannot afford to lose this game. I don’t think they do either. While the Broncos have come up on the losing end in most of their quality games, their only bad loss is a December fluke against Loyola-Chicago. I trust Herb Sendek’s squad to take care of business here.
Dan’s Pick: 3. Santa Clara
Semifinals – Monday, Mar. 9
1. Gonzaga (28-3, 16-2) vs. 4. Oregon State – 6 p.m. PT on ESPN
It is not fun to be the team playing Gonzaga when they are coming off a gut-wrenching loss. On top of that, the Bulldogs will have had a week to sit on it. With nobody on Oregon State able to guard Graham Ike, and Gonzaga primed to dominate on the glass, give me the Zags by 20.
Dan’s Pick: 1. Gonzaga
2. Saint Mary’s (27-4, 16-2) vs. 3. Santa Clara – 8:30 p.m. PT on ESPN2
This may very well be the do-or-die contest for Santa Clara to qualify for an at-large bid. Unfortunately for the Broncos, it is hard to beat Saint Mary’s when they are in a groove. Expect a back-and-forth affair, until about the eight or nine-minute mark, when the Gaels simply turn the water off. Saint Mary’s closes on a 14-2 run to pull away.
Dan’s Pick: 2. Saint Mary’s
Championship – Tuesday, Mar. 10
1. Gonzaga vs. 2. Saint Mary’s – 6 p.m. PT on ESPN
Alas, they meet again. This one will come down to Saint Mary’s back court against Gonzaga’s front court. Shot making versus bully ball. Even without Braden Huff, Ike wills Gonzaga over the edge in round three. Both WCC powers head into March Madness with confidence, while Santa Clara awaits their fate.
Dan’s Pick: 1. Gonzaga