2022-23 WCC Preview, Part 1: How Pacific, LMU and SCU shape up
The WCC has seen an influx of talented players and respected coaches in recent years, and though it’s unlikely that three teams make the NCAA Tournament again, the conference remains strong from top to bottom. Every team besides Saint Mary’s added a transfer from a major conference this offseason. So while household names have departed (Drew Timme is the lone returner from last season's All-WCC first team), there are plenty of new faces spread all over the West Coast along with familiar faces poised for big seasons in larger roles.
Here’s how Pacific, Loyola Marymount and Santa Clara shape up ahead of the 2022-23 season.
Pacific Tigers
The Leonard Perry-era at Pacific got off to a bit of a rough start — an 8-22 campaign last season marked the program’s fewest win total in five years — and after losing key contributors Pierre Cockrell and Alphonso Anderson, it could be another long winter in Stockton. The transfer portal was kind to the Tigers at least, including pickups Keylan Boone and Donovan Williams from Oklahoma State. Along with returners Luke Avdalovic and Sam Freeman, the new-look roster is improved from a year ago, but the problems on offense and defense are far from resolved.
Pacific’s 315th-ranked offense according to KenPom struggled to generate quality looks and space the floor effectively, two areas that remain somewhat of a question heading into this season. Boone, who shot 31.6% from 3-point land as a junior, hasn’t quite proven himself as a deep threat yet, while his teammate Williams played just 15 games as a Cowboy. Without Bailey in the front court stretching the floor, the Tigers will likely struggle to put the ball in the basket once again.
Still, keep an eye on the ascension of Avdalovic and Freeman as they take on more responsibility in their respective roles. Avdalovic, now in his second season at Pacific after transferring from Northern Arizona, shot 36.4% from behind the arc on five attempts per game in 2021-22. A catch-and-shoot maestro, he’ll get plenty of looks coming off screens this season. Freeman, meanwhile, will be asked to hold down the paint on both ends of the floor given the lack of size on the roster.
It's going to take a lot for the Tigers to compete in the WCC. Their non-conference schedule is tame once again, but even then, Perry’s squad struggled against other (and smaller) programs from California last season. Three wins are too low of a bar to set, but it’s not far from what realistically could happen.
Loyola Marymount
The Lions disappointed many last season, going 11-18 and enduring a 10-game losing streak in the process. Senior guard Jalin Anderson will have a lot on his plate as the new vocal point on offense with Eli Scott and Joe Quintana no longer in the fold. Stan Johnson, now in his third season at the helm, was active in landing transfers from power conferences, but only time will tell if it’s enough to right the ship in Los Angeles.
Because even with the additions of Noah Taitz (Stanford), Justin Ahrens (Ohio State) and Rick Issanza (Oklahoma), LMU’s defensive struggles haven’t been addressed. The 280th-ranked defense according to KenPom allowed opponents to shoot 36% from deep in 2021-22, among the worst in the nation. The return of Dameane Douglas should help the cause, along with Issanza’s size at 7-foot-1, but Keli Leauppe will also need to step up as a shot-blocker in his senior season for the Lions to compete on the defensive end of the floor.
On offense, the show revolves around Anderson, now in his third season. Though he came off the bench as a sophomore, he showed promise as a freshman — he started 19 games and earned a spot on the WCC All-Freshman team. A ball-dominant guard that can score from all over, Anderson’s development is key to the Lions’ success at putting the ball in the basket.
LMU also welcomes back Dameane Douglas, a key reserve in last year’s rotation before going down with an ankle injury. The redshirt senior was efficient for LMU in his 10 games — 10.8 points and 4.5 rebounds per game while shooting over 56% from the floor. He’s yet to expand his game beyond the arc (where 15.5% of his attempts came last season), but he’s surely a scoring threat from down low.
Only time will tell how this roster gels together. It’s an experienced group, which always bodes well in the WCC, however, the loss of Scott and Quintana cannot be understated. The additions made this offseason, along with returners stepping up, are promising yet unproven as of now.
Santa Clara
Herb Sandek is coming off his best campaign as the Broncos’ head coach — a 21-12 record, the most in his six seasons at the helm, and a third-place finish in the WCC. Behind Jalen Williams, SCU handled its business down the stretch, with its only losses coming to Gonzaga, Saint Mary’s and San Francisco, all NCAA Tournament teams. But a lot’s changed over the last few months, as there’s a clear lack of depth and firepower on the roster.
Without Williams and sharpshooter Josip Vrankic, fifth-year guard Keshawn Justice is expected to take on some of the scoring burdens. He’s thrived in Sandek’s shoot-at-will offense, including last season when he took home All-WCC second team honors. A career 38.5% shooter from deep, Justice can knock down the longball at an efficient rate and, just as importantly, can create his own shot.
Still, the offensive game plan won’t thrive off Justice alone. SCU was among the top-35 in offense and adjusted tempo according to KenPom, a product of Sandek’s run-and-gun, shoot-at-will philosophies that have become a staple of the program’s identity. Parker Braun and Carlos Stewart are nice pieces, but neither are true threats to score from outside. The Broncos can still push the pace on the break, but they’re not likely to get as much scoring from the outside as they did in 2021-22.
