2021–22 West Coast Conference men's basketball season explained

2021–22 West Coast Conference men's basketball season
Nextseason Link:2022–23 West Coast Conference men's basketball season
Prevseason Year:2020–21
Prevseason Link:2020–21 West Coast Conference men's basketball season
Seasonslistnames:Basketball
Finals Mvp Link:West Coast Conference Men's Basketball Tournament#List of finals
Mvp:Drew Timme, Gonzaga
Second Place:Saint Mary's
Finals Link:2022 West Coast Conference men's basketball tournament
Finals:Tournament
Mvp Link:West Coast Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year
No Of Teams:10
Color:
  1. 9B1743
Color Text:
  1. FFFFFF
League:NCAA Division I
Sport:Men's basketball
Season:Regular season
Season Champs:Gonzaga
Nextseason Year:2022–23

The 2021–22 West Coast Conference men's basketball season began with practices in September 2021 and ended with the 2022 West Coast Conference men's basketball tournament in March 2022.[1] This will be the 71st season for WCC men's basketball, and the 33rd under its current name of "West Coast Conference". The conference was founded in 1952 as the California Basketball Association, became the West Coast Athletic Conference in 1956, and dropped the word "Athletic" in 1989.

Head coaches

Coaching changes

Two new head coaches will lead their team in the WCC during the 2021-22 season. On March 22, 2021, Shantay Legans, the then coach at Eastern Washington University, revealed via Twitter that he had accepted the position as the head coach at the University of Portland.[2] Then, on July 7, 2021, the University of the Pacific announced that associate head coach Leonard Perry would become the new head coach of the Tigers.[3] The former head coach, Damon Stoudamire, accepted a position as an assistant coach with the Boston Celtics under Ime Udoka.[4] Perry was previously the head basketball coach at the University of Idaho from 2001 to 2006.[5]

Coaches

TeamHead coachPrevious jobYearsat schoolOverallrecordWCCrecordWCCTournament recordNCAAtournamentsSweetSixteens
BYUMark PopeUtah Valley344–15 (.746)23–6 (.793)1–2 (.333)10
GonzagaMark FewGonzaga(asst.)23630–124 (.836)305–31 (.908)45–5 (.900)2110
Loyola MarymountStan JohnsonMarquette (asst.)213–9 (.591)7–5 (.583)1–1 (.500)00
PacificLeonard PerryPacific (asst.)10–0 (–)0–0 (–)0–0 (–)00
PepperdineLorenzo RomarArizona (asst.)489–90 (.497)21–25 (.457)5–3 (.625)73
PortlandShantay LegansEastern Washington10–0 (–)0–0 (–)0–0 (–)10
Saint Mary'sRandy BennettSaint Louis(asst.)21454–192 (.703)223–98 (.695)25–17 (.595)71
San DiegoSam SchollSan Diego(asst.)435–50 (.412)11–30 (0.268)3–3 (0.500)00
San FranciscoTodd GoldenSan Francisco (asst.)333–26 (.559)13–16 (.448)3–2 (.600)00
Santa ClaraHerb SendekArizona State676–72 (.514)36–40 (.474)4–5 (.444)81
Notes:

Preseason

Conference realignment

On September 10, 2021, BYU was one of four schools (the others being Cincinnati, Houston, and UCF) that accepted invitations to join the Big 12 Conference beginning with the 2023–24 athletic season.[6] Therefore, BYU remained a member of the WCC for this season and the 2022–23 season, with the WCC potentially dropping to nine teams for the 2023–24 season.[7] West Coast Conference commissioner Gloria Nevarez indicated that the conference is open to adding additional schools to the conference to ensure "continued success" for the league.[8]

Preseason poll

2021-22 WCC Preseason Men's Basketball Coaches Poll
RankTeam (First Place Votes)Points
1.Gonzaga (9)81
2.BYU (1)72
3.Saint Mary's63
4.Loyola Marymount56
5.San Francisco49
6.Santa Clara45
7.Pepperdine31
8.Pacific24
8.San Diego20
10.Portland9

All-WCC Preseason Men's Basketball team

HonorRecipient
Preseason All-WCC TeamAlex Barcello, BYU
Jamaree Bouyea, San Francisco
Logan Johnson, Saint Mary's
Caleb Lohner, BYU
Andrew Nembhard, Gonzaga
Eli Scott, LMU
Khalil Shabazz, San Francisco
Drew Timme, Gonzaga
Josip Vrankic, Santa Clara
Jalen Williams, Santa Clara

Rankings

See main article: 2021–22 NCAA Division I men's basketball rankings.

Improvement in ranking
Drop in ranking
Not ranked previous week
RVReceived votes but were not ranked in top 25 of poll
(Italics)Number of first-place votes
Pre/Wk 1Wk2Wk3Wk4Wk5Wk6Wk7Wk8Wk9Wk10Wk11Wk12Wk13Wk14Wk15Wk16Wk17Wk18Final
BYUAPRVRV181224RVRVRVRVRV
C181323RVRVRVRVRVRV
GonzagaAP1 (55)1 (55)1 (55)3 (1)5544421 (25)2 (15)2 (12)2 (13)1 (56)1 (61)1 (46)1 (52)1 (54)
C1 (29)1 (29)1 (30)35544421 (23)1 (18)1 (16)1 (18)1 (30)1 (32)1 (20)1 (27)1 (31)
LoyolaMarymountAP
C
PacificAP
C
PepperdineAP
C
PortlandAP
C
SaintMary'sAPRVRV22RV23191718
CRVRVRVRVRVRV22RV23201716
SanDiegoAP
C
SanFranciscoAPRVRVRVRVRVRVRVRVRVRVRVRV
CRVRVRVRVRVRVRVRVRVRVRVRVRVRV
SantaClaraAP
C

Regular season

Conference matrix

BYUGonzagaLoyola MarymountPacificPepperdinePortlandSaint Mary'sSan DiegoSan FranciscoSanta Clara
vs. BYU–2–00–21–10–20–11–10–11–11–0
vs. Gonzaga0–2–0–10–10–20–11–10–10–20–2
vs. Loyola Marymount2–01–0–1–10–11–12–02–01–02–0
vs. Pacific1–11–01–1–1–12–00–02–01–02–0
vs. Pepperdine2–02–01–01–1–2–02–02–02–01–0
vs. Portland1–01–01–10–20–2–1–01–11–11–0
vs. Saint Mary's1–11–10–20–00–20–1–0–20–21–1
vs. San Diego1–01–00–20–20–21–12–0–2–02–0
vs. San Francisco1–12–00–10–10–21–12–00–2–0–2
vs. Santa Clara0–12–00–20–20–10–11–10–22–0–
Total9–613–13–123–111–157–712–37–910–610–5

Early season tournaments

The following table summarizes the multiple-team events (MTE) or early season tournaments in which teams from the West Coast Conference will participate.

!Team!Tournament!Dates!Arena!Arena location!Record!Bracketed!Finish!TV partner
BYUDiamond Head Classic[9] December 22–25Stan Sheriff CenterHonolulu, Hawaii2–1Yes3rdESPN
GonzagaEmpire Classic[10] November 18–19Madison Square GardenNew York, New York2–0NoN/AESPN
Loyola MarymountJacksonville Classic[11] November 17–22UNF ArenaJacksonville, Florida2–1Yes3rdCBS
PacificRainbow Classic[12] November 10–13Stan Sheriff CenterHonolulu, Hawaii1–2NoN/AN/A
PepperdineSoCal Challenge[13] November 22–24Pavilion at JSerraSan Juan Capistrano, California0–3NoN/ACBS/FloHoops
PortlandIncarnate Word TournamentNovember 26–28McDermott CenterSan Antonio, Texas2–1NoN/AN/A
Saint Mary'sMaui Invitational[14] November 22–24Lahaina Civic CenterMaui, Hawaii2–1Yes2ndESPN
San DiegoLas Vegas Classic[15] November 25–26Orleans ArenaParadise, Nevada2–1Yes3rdN/A
San FranciscoLas Vegas Invitational[16] November 25–26Orleans ArenaLas Vegas, Nevada2–0Yes1stFox Sports
Santa ClaraSoCal ChallengeNovember 22–24Pavilion at JSerraSan Juan Capistrano, California2–1NoN/ACBS/FloHoops

WCC Player/Freshman of the Week

Throughout the year, the West Coast Conference names a player of the week and a freshman of the week as follows:

!Week!Date!Player of the Week!Freshman of the Week
1November 15, 2021Drew Timme, GonzagaChet Holmgren, Gonzaga
2November 22, 2021Alex Barcello, BYUChet Holmgren, Gonzaga
3November 29, 2021Dan Fotu, Saint Mary'sChet Holmgren, Gonzaga
4December 6, 2021Jamaree Bouyea, San FranciscoChet Holmgren, Gonzaga
5December 13, 2021Jamaree Bouyea, San FranciscoHouston Mallette, Pepperdine
6December 20, 2021Andrew Nembhard, GonzagaMike Mitchell Jr., Pepperdine
7December 27, 2021Fousseyni Traore, BYUFousseyni Traore, BYU
8January 3, 2022Logan Johnson, Saint Mary'sNolan Hickman, Gonzaga
9January 11, 2022Yauhen Massalski, San FranciscoFousseyni Traore, BYU
10January 17, 2022Drew Timme, GonzagaChet Holmgren, Gonzaga
11January 24, 2022Alex Ducas, Saint Mary'sChet Holmgren, Gonzaga & Fousseyni Traore, BYU
12January 31, 2022Matthias Tass, Saint Mary'sChet Holmgren, Gonzaga
13February 7, 2022Chet Holmgren, GonzagaChet Holmgren, Gonzaga
14February 14, 2022Tyler Robertson, PortlandHouston Mallette, Pepperdine
15February 21, 2022Tommy Kuhse, Saint Mary'sChet Holmgren, Gonzaga
16February 28, 2022Logan Johnson, Saint Mary'sFousseyni Traore, BYU

National awards and teams

All-Americans

See main article: 2022 NCAA Men's Basketball All-Americans.

The following WCC players were named as national All-Americans as follows:

PlayerSchoolAssociated PressUnited States BasketballWriters AssociationNational Association ofBasketball CoachesSporting NewsConsensus Points
Drew TimmeGonzaga22228
Chet HolmgrenGonzaga23326

Other National Awards

The following WCC players were named to national award watch lists and received awards as follows:

Wooden Award – Player of the Year

See main article: John R. Wooden Award.

Preseason Top 50Midseason Top 25Late Season Top 20Top 15 BallotWooden 10 All Americans5 Finalists
Chet Holmgren, GonzagaChet Holmgren, GonzagaChet Holmgren, GonzagaChet Holmgren, GonzagaChet Holmgren, GonzagaDrew Timme, Gonzaga
Andrew Nembhard, GonzagaDrew Timme, GonzagaDrew Timme, GonzagaDrew Timme, GonzagaDrew Timme, Gonzaga
Drew Timme, Gonzaga

Naismith Award – Player of the Year

See main article: Naismith College Player of the Year.

Preseason Top 50Midseason Top 3010 Semifinalists4 Finalists
Alex Barcello, BYUChet Holmgren, GonzagaChet Holmgren, Gonzaga(none)
Andrew Nembhard, GonzagaDrew Timme, GonzagaDrew Timme, Gonzaga
Chet Holmgren, Gonzaga
Drew Timme, Gonzaga

Lute Olson – Player of the Year

See main article: Lute Olson Award.

Preseason Top 40Midseason Top 3010 Semifinalists4 Finalists
Alex Barcello, BYUAlex Barcello, BYUChet Holmgren, Gonzaga(none)
Chet Holmgren, GonzagaChet Holmgren, GonzagaDrew Timme, Gonzaga
Drew Timme, GonzagaDrew Timme, Gonzaga

Bob Cousy Award – Point Guard

See main article: Bob Cousy Award.

Jerry West Award – Shooting Guard

See main article: Jerry West Award.

Julius Erving Award – Small Forward

See main article: Julius Erving Award.

Karl Malone Award – Power Forward

See main article: Karl Malone Award.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award – Center

See main article: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award.

All-WCC awards and teams

On March 2, 2022, the West Coast Conference announced the following awards:[17]

!Honor!Recipient!School
Player of the YearDrew TimmeGonzaga
Coach of the YearRandy BennettSaint Mary’s
Defensive Player of the YearChet HolmgrenGonzaga
Newcomer of the YearChet HolmgrenGonzaga
Sixth Man of the YearTommy KuhseSaint Mary’s
All-WCC First TeamAlex BarcelloBYU
Jamaree BouyeaSan Francisco
Chet HolmgrenGonzaga
Tommy Kuhse Saint Mary’s
Yauhen MassalskiSan Francisco
Andrew NembhardGonzaga
Matthias TassSaint Mary’s
Drew TimmeGonzaga
Josip VrankicSanta Clara
Jalen WilliamsSanta Clara
All-WCC Second TeamAlex Ducas Saint Mary’s
Logan JohnsonSaint Mary’s
Keshawn JusticeSanta Clara
Tyler RobertsonPortland
Eli ScottLMU
Khalil ShabazzSan Francisco
All-WCC Freshman TeamNolan HickmanGonzaga
Chet HolmgrenGonzaga
Maxwell LewisPepperdine
Houston Mallette Pepperdine
Wayne McKinney IIISan Diego
Mike Mitchell Jr.Pepperdine
Fousseyni TraoreBYU
WCC Honorable MentionJeremiah BaileyPacific
Rasir BoltonGonzaga
Marcellus EarlingtonSan Diego
Julian StrawtherGonzaga
Moses WoodPortland

Postseason

West Coast Conference tournament

See main article: 2022 West Coast Conference men's basketball tournament. Gonzaga defeated Saint Mary's 82–69 in the championship game to win the tournament on March 8. Mark Few was the winning coach and Andrew Nembhard was named the MVP of the tournament.

NCAA tournament

See main article: 2022 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament. Three teams from the WCC participated in the 2022 NCAA tournament. Gonzaga received the automatic bid from the WCC and the #1 overall seed. Gonzaga advanced to the Sweet 16, where they were defeated by Arkansas 74–68. Saint Mary's received a 5 seed as an at-large selection and advanced to the second round where they were defeated by UCLA 72–56. San Francisco received a 10 seed as an at-large selection but was defeated in overtime in the first round, 92–87, by Murray State.

National Invitation Tournament (NIT)

See main article: 2022 National Invitation Tournament. BYU and Santa Clara participated in the 2022 NIT. BYU received a 2 seed and advanced to the quarterfinals where they lost to Washington State 77–58 while Santa Clara lost in the first round to Washington State 63–50.

College Basketball Invitational (CBI) tournament

See main article: 2022 College Basketball Invitational. No teams from the WCC participated in the 2022 CBI Tournament.

The Basketball Classic (TBC)

See main article: 2022 The Basketball Classic. Portland received an invitation to and participated in the 2022 TBC. Portland defeated New Orleans in the first round but lost to Southern Utah in the quarterfinals 77–66.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: WCC Announces 2021-22 Men’s Basketball Conference Matchups. 2021-09-21. wccsports.com. en.
  2. Web site: 2021-03-22 . 'I love this place': Shantay Legans will miss EWU as he takes on head coaching job at Portland . 2021-09-21 . krem.com . en-US.
  3. Web site: Frommer . Justin . 2021-08-03 . New Pacific men’s basketball head coach Leonard Perry ready for second chance at leading a team . 2021-09-21 . The Record . en-US.
  4. Web site: Kelapire. Ryan. 2021-07-07. Damon Stoudamire leaving Pacific to join Celtics’ coaching staff. 2021-09-21. Arizona Desert Swarm. en.
  5. Web site: Norlander . Matt . 2021-07-07 . Pacific basketball promotes Leonard Perry as Damon Stoudamire accepts assistant coach job with Celtics . 2021-09-21 . CBSSports.com . en.
  6. Web site: Lundquist . Casey . BYU Athletics to Join the Big 12 in 2023 . 2021-09-21 . Sports Illustrated . en.
  7. Web site: What BYU leaving the WCC means for both the conference and Gonzaga. 2021-09-21. krem.com. en-US.
  8. Web site: Lawson . Theo . 2021-09-10 . West Coast Complication: Exploring the future for Gonzaga and the West Coast Conference without BYU The Spokesman-Review . 2021-09-21 . spokesman.com.
  9. Web site: . 2021-07-15 . Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic bracket revealed . 2021-09-21 . . en-US.
  10. Web site: Meehan . Jim . 2020-07-01 . Gonzaga to play in 2021 Empire Classic at Madison Square Garden The Spokesman-Review . 2021-09-21 . spokesman.com.
  11. Web site: 2021-05-12. Sources: Florida State, Missouri, SMU, Loyola Marymount to headline 2021 Jacksonville Classic. 2021-09-21. College Hoops Today. en-US. Rothstein, Jon.
  12. Web site: 2021-09-10. University of Hawai’i announces 2021-22 men’s basketball schedule beginning with Outrigger Resorts Rainbow Classic. 2021-09-21. KHON2. en-US.
  13. Web site: So Cal Challenge. 2021-09-21. So Cal Challenge. en.
  14. Web site: 2021-07-27. 2021 Maui Invitational Bracket Set, Notre Dame Will Face St. Mary's. 2021-09-21. Irish Sports Daily. en.
  15. Web site: Dudley. Kevin. 2018-12-22. Cougs meet San Diego in Las Vegas Classic. 2021-09-21. CougCenter. en.
  16. Web site: MBB Dons Announce Non-Conference Schedule. 2021-09-21. University of San Francisco Athletics. en.
  17. Web site: 2022-03-02 . Timme Tabbed WCC Player Of The Year . 2024-03-26 . WCC Sports.

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