Post by slblions08 on Feb 28, 2019 3:37:06 GMT -5
Started doing this in 2016...I bet with new people on the board, I'm going to get criticized, but if you want you can tldr me.
1. Mark Few, Gonzaga 20th season .824
Few is on the verge of another tremendous season punctuated by a deep NCAA tourney run. Interestingly enough, since calling out the conference for not being competitive enough a few offseasons ago, the Zags have been even stronger on the national stage – despite the rest of the conference actually not being better. While Few wants to be in a more competitive conference, it hasn’t affected the perspective of their strength. Beating Duke with their trio is certainly impressive. I expect Elite 8 or even Final Four depending on their seeding.
2. Kyle Smith, San Francisco 3rd season .630
I am going to say that I think he’s better than Bennett going forward. We saw the makings of Smith at our Centennial Classic embarrassment, and now we’re seeing at San Francisco. He’s got some of the modern Xs and Os and most of all the ability to motivate his players. He might end up at a bigger program though because unless they improve some facilities they won’t out recruit their NorCal counterparts. If he leaves, it will be another USF setback. We thought that USF would break the top 3 stranglehold this year. It won’t happen, but they have gotten the closest and one more year might do it. But the Pac-12 has been so terrible and wide-open, that he just might make the move there. It would be a big loss for the WCC if he leaves.
3. Randy Bennett, Saint Mary's 18th season .705
Is the shine coming off the usual 2nd place power in the WCC? We expected a down year because of the graduation of their last great Australian generation. But while that generation produced high win tallies, they are going to have 1 NCAA tourney appearance over the past 6 seasons including this year. They’re rapidly ascending to their rightful place to 2nd place so maybe they recover next season. But I have to wonder if the Gaels have peaked, rather be on the verge of being Gonzaga-lite.
4. Dave Rose, BYU 8th season in WCC .678 (winning % since joining WCC)
A big bounce-back season in the conference was needed. BYU struggled in non-conference play though and because of it won’t see NCAA tourney play despite most likely finishing 2nd or 3rd in the conference. Rose is struggling because of issues with his supposed star players that would carry the program. He gets credit thought for recruiting Childs which has carried the team. But the Emery thing has been a mess, and the team is rarely ready to play in November-December. Given the school’s resources, they should be much better. I said that each of the past two seasons. Is there nobody waiting in the wings that the school trusts to right the ship?
5. Lorenzo Romar, Pepperdine .478 (1st season back after 3 season in the late 90s)
They are raw with talent which is a trademark of his program. Sometimes they look scary, other times out of sorts. But their guys are young and will be better next year. If there is a program ready to shock Gonzaga on a given-night, it might be them - soon. The question is whether Romar can get them prepared to play every night and whether he will build a staff that will do all the dirty work to that. Romar is going to recruit and put an exciting group together, but not sure if he is going to outscheme anyone. But look out for them next year, especially if Kyle Smith bolts.
6. Herb Sendek, Santa Clara 3rd season .467
So over the past 3 seasons, SCU has been starting off the year very pedestrian. But here they are .500 in conference again and treading over .500 overall. They have been the definition of straight up WCC-average since Herb arrived which is quite the improvement over the disappointing Kerry Keating era. I think they expected more, though, out of a former Pac-12 and ACC coach. The one thing Herb has lacked is good non-conference play which could have placed them closer to the 20-win threshold.
7. Sam Scholl, San Diego 1st season .586
This is a generous placement, only because it has been one season, and it is based off the program that fired coach Lamont Smith was building. They were filled with potential this season based off the strides they made with the roster a couple offseasons ago. However, Smith’s firing has kind of killed the momentum that they were making, and Scholl has struggled in conference play. As their star players start to graduate, I project that SD will trending downward after threatening to jump into the top portion of the conference.
8. Mike Dunlap, Loyola Marymount 5th season. 437
Our coach continues to be below average. A very good early win total this season has boosted his stats and there are still some games to play that affect perception. For example, beating SCU and closing out with 2 wins to finish .500 in conference would be a clutch move. I think the biggest takeaway from examining this season is whether or not Dunlap is boosting the program, or is it merely riding the wave of the conference as a whole. Here is my theory. I’d say that the heavy hitting programs (Saint Mary’s and BYU) have actually declined over the past couple of years. The WCC conference has a whole hasn’t gotten those big non-conference wins. That being said, the middle to the bottom teams (LMU included) have boosted overall win totals with scheduling opponents from lower-level conferences. USF, SD, SCU and Pepperdine have slightly improved and overall improved quality of play has been better, but Gonzaga has taken it to the next level. In other words, it has been a weird mix of events that have happened. So how do we evaluate Dunlap? Well he is in his 5th season and is not better than Smith, Sendek or Romar, and most certainly not shown the ability to beat a power-3 team (except one time last year).
9. Damon Stoudamire, Pacific 3rd season .404
Year one looked bad, but year two looked promising. The one thing that these NBA guys need to learn, though, is recruiting. That or they must find players who slip through the cracks and coach them up. Mighty Mouse is getting stomped this season because he needs replacements. Pacific just hasn’t added a lot to the conference. Would anybody miss them if they left? I almost rather have Grand Canyon or Cal Baptist. I think he enters a critical offseason.
10. Terry Porter, Portland
I was really rooting for TP. It seemed interesting that they were about to recruit some real talent. But their last best player may have been Kevin Bailey or Alec Wintering. Porter has been mostly a disaster up their over the past 3 seasons. I can see some kind of amicable parting of the ways this offseason. It’s just not going to work out in the college ranks for Porter, given all of the things to do besides coach.
1. Mark Few, Gonzaga 20th season .824
Few is on the verge of another tremendous season punctuated by a deep NCAA tourney run. Interestingly enough, since calling out the conference for not being competitive enough a few offseasons ago, the Zags have been even stronger on the national stage – despite the rest of the conference actually not being better. While Few wants to be in a more competitive conference, it hasn’t affected the perspective of their strength. Beating Duke with their trio is certainly impressive. I expect Elite 8 or even Final Four depending on their seeding.
2. Kyle Smith, San Francisco 3rd season .630
I am going to say that I think he’s better than Bennett going forward. We saw the makings of Smith at our Centennial Classic embarrassment, and now we’re seeing at San Francisco. He’s got some of the modern Xs and Os and most of all the ability to motivate his players. He might end up at a bigger program though because unless they improve some facilities they won’t out recruit their NorCal counterparts. If he leaves, it will be another USF setback. We thought that USF would break the top 3 stranglehold this year. It won’t happen, but they have gotten the closest and one more year might do it. But the Pac-12 has been so terrible and wide-open, that he just might make the move there. It would be a big loss for the WCC if he leaves.
3. Randy Bennett, Saint Mary's 18th season .705
Is the shine coming off the usual 2nd place power in the WCC? We expected a down year because of the graduation of their last great Australian generation. But while that generation produced high win tallies, they are going to have 1 NCAA tourney appearance over the past 6 seasons including this year. They’re rapidly ascending to their rightful place to 2nd place so maybe they recover next season. But I have to wonder if the Gaels have peaked, rather be on the verge of being Gonzaga-lite.
4. Dave Rose, BYU 8th season in WCC .678 (winning % since joining WCC)
A big bounce-back season in the conference was needed. BYU struggled in non-conference play though and because of it won’t see NCAA tourney play despite most likely finishing 2nd or 3rd in the conference. Rose is struggling because of issues with his supposed star players that would carry the program. He gets credit thought for recruiting Childs which has carried the team. But the Emery thing has been a mess, and the team is rarely ready to play in November-December. Given the school’s resources, they should be much better. I said that each of the past two seasons. Is there nobody waiting in the wings that the school trusts to right the ship?
5. Lorenzo Romar, Pepperdine .478 (1st season back after 3 season in the late 90s)
They are raw with talent which is a trademark of his program. Sometimes they look scary, other times out of sorts. But their guys are young and will be better next year. If there is a program ready to shock Gonzaga on a given-night, it might be them - soon. The question is whether Romar can get them prepared to play every night and whether he will build a staff that will do all the dirty work to that. Romar is going to recruit and put an exciting group together, but not sure if he is going to outscheme anyone. But look out for them next year, especially if Kyle Smith bolts.
6. Herb Sendek, Santa Clara 3rd season .467
So over the past 3 seasons, SCU has been starting off the year very pedestrian. But here they are .500 in conference again and treading over .500 overall. They have been the definition of straight up WCC-average since Herb arrived which is quite the improvement over the disappointing Kerry Keating era. I think they expected more, though, out of a former Pac-12 and ACC coach. The one thing Herb has lacked is good non-conference play which could have placed them closer to the 20-win threshold.
7. Sam Scholl, San Diego 1st season .586
This is a generous placement, only because it has been one season, and it is based off the program that fired coach Lamont Smith was building. They were filled with potential this season based off the strides they made with the roster a couple offseasons ago. However, Smith’s firing has kind of killed the momentum that they were making, and Scholl has struggled in conference play. As their star players start to graduate, I project that SD will trending downward after threatening to jump into the top portion of the conference.
8. Mike Dunlap, Loyola Marymount 5th season. 437
Our coach continues to be below average. A very good early win total this season has boosted his stats and there are still some games to play that affect perception. For example, beating SCU and closing out with 2 wins to finish .500 in conference would be a clutch move. I think the biggest takeaway from examining this season is whether or not Dunlap is boosting the program, or is it merely riding the wave of the conference as a whole. Here is my theory. I’d say that the heavy hitting programs (Saint Mary’s and BYU) have actually declined over the past couple of years. The WCC conference has a whole hasn’t gotten those big non-conference wins. That being said, the middle to the bottom teams (LMU included) have boosted overall win totals with scheduling opponents from lower-level conferences. USF, SD, SCU and Pepperdine have slightly improved and overall improved quality of play has been better, but Gonzaga has taken it to the next level. In other words, it has been a weird mix of events that have happened. So how do we evaluate Dunlap? Well he is in his 5th season and is not better than Smith, Sendek or Romar, and most certainly not shown the ability to beat a power-3 team (except one time last year).
9. Damon Stoudamire, Pacific 3rd season .404
Year one looked bad, but year two looked promising. The one thing that these NBA guys need to learn, though, is recruiting. That or they must find players who slip through the cracks and coach them up. Mighty Mouse is getting stomped this season because he needs replacements. Pacific just hasn’t added a lot to the conference. Would anybody miss them if they left? I almost rather have Grand Canyon or Cal Baptist. I think he enters a critical offseason.
10. Terry Porter, Portland
I was really rooting for TP. It seemed interesting that they were about to recruit some real talent. But their last best player may have been Kevin Bailey or Alec Wintering. Porter has been mostly a disaster up their over the past 3 seasons. I can see some kind of amicable parting of the ways this offseason. It’s just not going to work out in the college ranks for Porter, given all of the things to do besides coach.
