BYU basketball: WCC preseason poll places Cougar men second

BYU will come close, but won't be able to wrestle the West Coast Conference men's basketball regular-season title away from nationally ranked Gonzaga.

That's the consensus opinion of the league's 10 coaches who voted in a preseason poll released Thursday at the league's Third-Annual Tip-Off event in Los Angeles.

Gonzaga, ranked 14th in the nation in the ESPN Top 25 coaches poll, is picked first, followed by BYU second and Saint Mary's third.

Junior guard Tyler Haws is the only BYU player selected to the league's preseason all-conference team, which was also picked by the coaches.

In the women's race, BYU is picked to finish fourth and senior Jen Hamson made the preseason all-conference team.

In the men's team balloting, Gonzaga received eight first-place votes, while BYU and SMC got one apiece. Coaches are not allowed to vote for their own teams.

Just seven points separated the teams picked fourth through sixth. San Franciso is fourth, followed by San Diego, Loyola Marymount, WCC newcomer Pacific, Santa Clara, Portland and Pepperdine.

Gonzaga put two players on the all-conference team, Gary Bell Jr. and Kevin Pangos, as did San Francisco: Cole Dickerson and Cody Doolin.

Jay Drew —

WCC preseason polls

MEN

Note • (first-place votes)

1. Gonzaga (8) 80

2. BYU (1) 72

3. Saint Mary's (1) 66

4. San Francisco 51

5. San Diego 50

6. Loyola Mary. 44

7. Pacific 28

8. Santa Clara 25

9. Portland 24

10. Pepperdine 10

WOMEN

1. Gonzaga (9) 81

2. San Diego (1) 69

3. Saint Mary's 63

4. BYU 62

5. Pacific 46

6. Loyola Mary. 38

7t. Portland 27

7t. San Francisco 27

7t. Santa Clara 27

10. Pepperdine 10