WEST COAST CONFERENCE BASKETBALL PREVIEW : A Matched Pair Holds All the Cards : Pepperdine, Santa Clara Are Rated Even Favorites to Win Title

Will it be Pepperdine and Santa Clara?

Or Santa Clara and Pepperdine?

As the West Coast Conference basketball season gets under way, there is little consensus among conference coaches on which team will finish first.

Despite a few rocky outings for both teams in nonconference play, though, most coaches agree they are the top two teams.

“Those are the co-favorites and it’s hard to choose between them,” Loyola Marymount Coach John Olive said. “Santa Clara is probably a little more of a finesse team and Pepperdine is a little more of a power team. But Pepperdine also has a tremendous perimeter player in (guard Damin) Lopez.”

Before the season, many conference observers expected Santa Clara to ride its momentum from last season to the title. The Broncos went on a tear after the regular season, winning the WCC Tournament and shocking highly regarded Arizona in the first round of the NCAA playoffs before being eliminated by Temple and finishing 19-12.

Only the Broncos have struggled a little more than expected since the start of the season, while Pepperdine appears to be gaining momentum as conference play approaches.

The Waves, who have won three consecutive regular-season titles, left an impression on Coach Jeff Mullins of North Carolina Charlotte--the only school that has played both teams. Pepperdine defeated the 49ers by 11 points last week in Malibu after they lost to Santa Clara by two points the previous week at Santa Clara.

“I think I’d have to give Pepperdine the edge,” said Mullins, a former star with the Golden State Warriors. “They’re both outstanding teams. But when I think of Pepperdine, I think of their three good scorers and I think of the passing of (point guard) Bryan Parker.”

Santa Clara Coach Dick Davey was quick to agree with the assessment of Mullins.

“I think the league in general is very well-balanced and I think anyone can truly beat anyone on a given night,” he said. “But I think right now Pepperdine is the best team in the conference, and I think they’d have to be the favorite. We played a little better early on, but we haven’t played as well lately and they’re playing very well, and that’s what counts.”

Nevertheless, Pepperdine Coach Tom Asbury didn’t want to leap at the opportunity to assume the role of WCC favorite. In fact, he said, it could be one of the most wide-open races in recent years.

“I think it’s going to be tougher than it’s been,” Asbury said. “It’s as balanced as it’s ever been.”

Although the Waves and Santa Clara seem to be a step ahead, teams such as Gonzaga, San Francisco and San Diego have played well in nonconference games and will not make it easy for them.

“The words are balance and parity, and those are words I don’t like to hear,” Asbury said. “I like it better when we have seven teams looking up at us. I’ve never been a fan of balance.”

This season, he will probably have to get used to it.

Loyola and Pepperdine open conference play Friday at home against St. Mary’s and Santa Clara, respectively. The local teams switch opponents Saturday night.

Here is a team-by-team look at the WCC. Records are in parentheses:

LOYOLA (1-9)

It would be difficult to judge by his team’s record, but Olive thinks the Lions can be competitive in a well-balanced conference.

“I think we’re improving,” Olive said. “We’re not making as many mistakes as we were earlier in the season and I think we’re going to be OK.”

Loyola’s chances were not helped when senior forward Zan Mason, the team’s second-leading scorer and rebounder, suffered a possible season-ending knee injury against Texas A & M on Dec. 30. The Lions have also lost promising freshman forward Michael O’Quinn, who has been ruled academically ineligible.

Without Mason and O’Quinn, the Lions will rely even more heavily on forward Wyking Jones. The junior from St. Bernard High leads Loyola, averaging 17.3 points and 6.7 rebounds. Senior guard Bill Mazurie (10.7) is the only other Lion with a double-digit scoring average.

Loyola has not won a conference game since Jan. 30 of last year, when it defeated St. Mary’s 59-55 at Gersten Pavilion. The Lions also rank last among conference teams in several important categories including defense, rebound margin, scoring margin and turnover margin.

PEPPERDINE (8-4)

After surviving a difficult nonconference schedule, including losses to highly regarded teams such as No. 23 George Washington and Iowa State, the Waves appear primed for a run at another regular-season title.

Asbury likes his team’s chances.

“This team can play a good level of basketball, we’re fairly deep and I think we’re almost there,” he said.

While the Waves haven’t been scoring as much as last season, when they went 23-8 and reached the second round of the National Invitation Tournament, they are ranked first in the conference in defense.

The top players are senior forward Dana Jones, the conference player of the year last season and who now averages 16.7 points and a conference-leading 10.2 rebounds, and senior guard Damin Lopez, who averages 15.6 points. They have had help offensively from forward Derek Noether, who has improved his average to 11.5 points after a slow start.

The big question at the start of the season was who would be the team’s fifth starter along with four seniors. But 6-11 sophomore center Gavin Vanderputten seems to have filled the void.

SANTA CLARA (7-5)

The Broncos had high aspirations following their success of last season, not to mention the return of most of their top players. But Davey is hoping his team can finish faster than it has started.

“You have higher expectations after having a reasonable amount of success, and we’re not living up to the expectations,” Davey said. “Hopefully we’ll get better as we go along.”

Santa Clara faced a difficult schedule early in the season, losing to nationally ranked Arizona and California.

The Broncos have been slowed more recently by the loss of guard Steve Nash and forward Kevin Dunne to ankle injuries. Nash, prolific from three-point range, is the team’s leading scorer (14.9-point average) and Dunne is fourth in scoring and second in rebounding. Both are expected back for the start of conference play.

The Broncos have also received reliable inside play from forwards Pete Eisenrich and DeWayne Lewis, who both average about 12 points, and point guard John Woolery, who leads the conference with an average of 8.1 assists.

Davey said patience might be the best coaching virtue at this point. “You’ve got to assume that you’re as good as everyone thinks you are, so the key is getting to the conference tournament and executing well when you get there.”

SAN FRANCISCO (8-3)

If either Santa Clara or Pepperdine should falter, the Dons could be in the best position to take the conference title.

San Francisco has yet to win a WCC title since it reinstated its basketball program in 1985, although it was the most improved team in the conference last season at 19-12.

The Dons have yet to defeat a highly regarded opponent, and have lost to national powers Kentucky and Purdue.

But with four starters returning, including senior Orlando Smart, perhaps the best point guard in the conference, the Dons have abundant experience. “We have a shot at going all the way in conference, but so do at least four other teams,” Coach Jim Brovelli said.

Smart, who was named WCC player of the month for December, is third in the conference in scoring at 17.6 and second in assists at 7.7. He is the conference’s all-time leader in assists with 775. The Dons also have two other solid offensive players in senior forward Kent Bennett, a former Harbor College star, and sophomore guard Gerald Walker.

GONZAGA (8-4)

The Bulldogs have come close to winning their first conference title the past two seasons, and they’ve given notice that they will be a factor again under longtime coach Dan Fitzgerald.

Gonzaga has reeled off seven wins in a row, all at home, and has won 19 consecutive home games since February, 1992.

It also has one of the most experienced teams in the WCC; four starters return from a 19-9 squad, including all-conference senior forward Jeff Brown.

The Bulldogs also have the best shooting team in the conference. They are first in field goals (52.4%), free throws (72.4%) and three-point baskets (40.4%).

Their top shooters are Brown, who leads the WCC with a 21-point average and is third in field goals at 59.6%, and guard John Rillie, who is second in three-point shooting at 50.9%. Brown, 6-9 and 240 pounds, also led the WCC in scoring last season.

SAN DIEGO (8-3)

It has been an about-face for the Toreros, who dropped six of their first nine games last season en route to a 13-14 record--their first losing season since 1988-89.

The difference so far has been San Diego’s defense, which has given up an average of 67.8 points. San Diego opponents have made only 38.4% of their field goals, best in the conference.

That should keep the Toreros in contention in most of their conference games this season.

There is also the experience factor, starting with Coach Hank Egan. He has been a head coach for 23 years, the first 13 at the Air Force Academy. The Toreros also have most of their top players back from last season, including four starters.

The leaders are guards Doug Harris and Joe Temple. Harris, an outstanding outside shooter, made a conference-leading 47.4% of his three-point shots last season. The team’s top inside player is senior 6-9 center Brooks Barnhard.

ST. MARY’S (6-4)

Much the opposite of San Diego, the Gaels have not had a winning season since they captured the 1988-89 conference title.

They have lost three of their past four games, including a 94-77 setback to California on Jan. 2, but still appear markedly improved from last season.

Perhaps the biggest factor has been the team’s shooting accuracy. The Gaels rank second in the conference in field goals at 48.9% and second in three-point field goals at 39.9%.

The Gaels have also displayed unexpected depth; 11 players average at least four points, topped by guard Chris Johnson (14.3) and forward A. J. Rollins (13). Their reserves are averaging 31.3 points, best in the conference.

That helps explain how the Gaels are averaging 83.2 points, third in the WCC and nearly 22 points more than they averaged last season.

PORTLAND (7-8)

The Pilots started the season with a flourish, winning six of their first nine games and reaching the final of the Great Alaska Shootout.

The early success was largely attributable to the addition of junior guards Canaan Chatman and Ray Ross, who both played at Oregon State as freshmen. Chatman played at Portland Community College last season and Ross at College of Southern Idaho.

But lately, Portland has been struggling like a team that hasn’t finished with a winning record since the 1981-82 season. The Pilots have lost five in a row, not the best way to head into conference play.

Still, they are the only team in the conference that has four starters averaging in double-figure scoring. The leader is Chatman, a 6-8 swingman who averages 16.2 points and 7.7 rebounds.

Portland should show improvement with the return of point guard Jerry Allen, who has been out with a broken hand but is expected back for the team’s WCC opener Friday against San Francisco.

Notes

Two Loyola players lead the conference in individual categories. Wyking Jones is first in field-goal shooting at 62% and Bill Mazurie is first from the free-throw line, having made 28 of 30 attempts for 93.3%. . . . St. Mary’s has two former South Bay players in its starting lineup. They are senior forward Martell Bland (6-3), who played at Morningside High, and senior guard Darrell Daniel (6-1) from Bishop Montgomery. Daniel averages 9.5 points and Bland 6.8. . . . Following its nonconference win over Cal State Hayward on Tuesday, Santa Clara will have 10 days off before its WCC opener at Pepperdine. . . . San Francisco’s Orlando Smart needs only four assists to move into the NCAA all-time top 20. He is on a pace to finish in the top 10. . . . Gonzaga’s Jeff Brown was named WCC player of the week, averaging 26.5 points and making 65.4% of his shots to lead the Bulldogs to the title of the four-team Spokane Shootout.