Some surprises in pre-season picks

As announced earlier today, the West Coast Conference (WCC) released its 2010-11 Men's Basketball Coaches Poll. Here are the results:

2010-11 WCC Men's Basketball Preseason Coaches Poll
Team - (First Place Votes) - Points
1. Gonzaga (6) - 48
2. Loyola Marymount (1) - 42
3. Saint Mary's (1) - 39
4. Santa Clara - 28
5. Portland - 25
6. San Francisco - 18
7. Pepperdine - 14
8. San Diego - 10
(* - Coaches could not vote for their own team)

It is really no surprise that Gonzaga got six of the eight first place votes, as the Bulldogs have won 10 straight WCC regular season championships.  What was pleasantly surprising, however, was the fact that the Lions received more points than the Saint Mary's Gaels, who are coming off of their first NCAA Sweet 16 appearance as well as a WCC Tournament Championship.

The biggest factor in these votes has got to be the fact that the Gaels will be without center Omar Samhan, who graduated last May after being one of the top players in the WCC for a number of years. I would argue Samhan got snubbed last season, and deserved to win WCC Player of the Year.


While I agree that the Lions can challenge Gonzaga at the top of the WCC, my surprise in the votes comes from the fact that WCC coaches were already ready to acknowledge the growth the Lions have made, before the season has even begun.


Another surprise was that coaches predicted Santa Clara to be a stronger team than Portland. Two seasons ago the Pilots emerged as a surprise powerhouse in the WCC, and finished last season in third place with a 10-4 conference record. Returning the majority of its team, I don't see Portland dropping below the Broncos this season, despite the fact that Santa Clara had one of the strongest recruiting classes in the league.


Lastly, it is not surprising to see San Francisco drop down to sixth, after finishing last season tied with the Lions at a 7-7 record and taking the 4th place spot due to their head-to-head record against LMU. The Dons, much like the Gaels, lost their best player to graduation, and will feel the impact of losing one of the conference's best big men (Dior Lowhorn).

The Lions and Gaels each received one first place vote. My gut tells me that the Lions received their's from Gonzaga Head Coach Mark Few, who saw first hand last season how tough LMU can be when he and the Bulldogs lost in Gersten Pavilion to the less experienced Lions team. Now I don't think Few underestimates Saint Mary's, I just think he also knew first hand how important Samhan was to that squad. It should be noted, however, that Few was not allowed to vote for his own team.


The other lone first place vote, however, will remain a mystery.