They’d Better Look at Big Picture

West Coast Conference basketball coaches tabbed San Francisco a slight favorite over Pepperdine in a preseason poll, but any challengers for the championship will have to go through a “Big Continent.”

That would be St. Mary’s lane-filling, shot-blocking center, Brad Millard, whose MVP performance in the conference tournament last season proved that, at 7 feet 3 and 345 pounds, he is more than a physical curiosity.

With Millard returning for his junior season, coaches around the WCC know their teams will have to contend with the Gaels’ tower of power.

“Millard obviously is a presence,” Pepperdine Coach Lorenzo Romar said. “I was trying to talk pro scouts into taking him in the [NBA] draft, so we could get him out of here.

“For our sake, I hope he hasn’t improved as much as he did from two years ago to last season. Because if he has, everybody’s in a whale of trouble.”

Millard, who averaged 12.4 points, 7.6 rebounds and three blocks last season, is one of six returning All-WCC players.

“The league is up, no doubt about that,” Romar said. “You can’t discount anyone.”

A look at the teams in alphabetical order, excluding Pepperdine and Loyola Marymount:

GONZAGA

* Coach: Dan Monson.

* 1996-97 finish: 15-12, 8-6 (tied for fourth); lost in first round of conference tournament.

* Returning starters: Four.

* Top players: Bakari Hendrix, Matt Santangelo.

* Outlook: A coaching change shouldn’t make a significant impact on a team that led the WCC in scoring last season, averaging 72.4 points a game. Monson was the Bulldogs’ top assistant for nine years and knows the players. All-WCC forward Hendrix, a 6-9 senior, averaged 11.5 points last season and sophomore guard Santangelo is a slashing penetrator who was WCC co-freshman of the year.

PORTLAND

* Coach: Rob Chavez.

* 1996-97 finish: 9-18, 4-10 (tied for sixth); lost in first round of conference tournament.

* Returning starters: Three.

* Top players: Jimmie Rainwater, Troy Collins.

* Outlook: Sophomore forward Collins has returned to the lineup after missing all of last season because of an irregular heartbeat. The 6-6 Collins played well in exhibitions and will join three returners who scored in double figures last season. Junior forward Rainwater and senior guard Chivo Anderson each averaged 12.1 points and sophomore guard Jason Franklin averaged 10.4. The Pilots have a solid perimeter game but could be vulnerable near the basket.

ST. MARY’S

* Coach: Dave Bollwinkel.

* 1996-97 finish: 23-8, 10-4 (co-champion); conference tournament champion; lost in first round of NCAA tournament.

* Returning starters: Two.

* Top players: Brad Millard, David Sivulich.

* Outlook: Former assistant Bollwinkel takes over for Ernie Kent, who was hired by Oregon after the Gaels’ championship season. Bollwinkel will surround Millard with a veteran team that combines smarts and talent. Senior guard Sivulich and junior forward Eric Schraeder are conference All-Academic selections besides being offensive threats. Sivulich was the leading scorer for St. Mary’s the last two seasons as well as its best three-point shooter. The 6-9 Schraeder can also make the three-pointer, which could create room inside for Millard.

SAN DIEGO

* Coach: Brad Holland.

* 1996-97 finish: 17-11, 8-6 (tied for fourth); lost in semifinals of conference tournament.

* Returning starters: Three.

* Top players: Brian Miles, Brock Jacobsen.

* Outlook: The Toreros’ 17 victories last season were the most under Holland, but graduation losses and an improved conference could make it tough to match that. San Diego will rely on forward Miles, a 6-9 senior who averaged 14.6 points and led the WCC in three-point shooting percentage (.476), and junior guard Jacobsen. The return of 6-6 junior forward Ryan Williams after a season away because of a knee injury should strengthen the lineup.

SAN FRANCISCO

* Coach: Phil Mathews.

* 1996-97 finish: 16-13, 9-5 (third); lost in final of conference tournament.

* Returning starters: Four.

* Top players: Hakeem Ward, M.J. Nodilo.

* Outlook: All the pieces are in place for the Dons to improve on successive 16-victory seasons. Added depth and experience, including two returning All-WCC players, will allow Mathews to play the kind of full-court defense he fashioned during a successful tenure at Ventura College. Mathews is starting his third season at San Francisco. Four of his former Ventura players are back, led by All-WCC forward Ward, a 6-6 senior who averaged a team-leading 15.4 points. Joining him in the frontcourt are 6-6 seniors Damian Cantrell and Gerald Zimmerman, with senior point guard Jamal Cobbs rounding out the Ventura alumni. Nodilo, an All-WCC senior guard, who averaged 13.5 points, is the team’s best perimeter threat.

SANTA CLARA

* Coach: Dick Davey.

* 1996-97 finish: 16-11, 10-4 (co-champion); lost in first round of conference tournament.

* Returning starters: Two.

* Top players: Brian Jones, Alex Lopez.

* Outlook: The Broncos have won or shared three consecutive WCC titles, but extending the streak will be a chore. Lacking depth, they will rely heavily on sophomore guard Jones, who averaged 13.9 points and was co-freshman of the year. Sophomore forward Todd Wuschnig was the first Bronco freshman to lead the team in rebounding since Kurt Rambis. He’ll get help inside from junior center Lopez, a 6-10 transfer from Washington.