Should Gonzaga be the favorite to win the West Coast Conference?

While the Gonzaga Bulldogs are ranked ahead of Saint Mary's in every preseason national poll, most of the West Coast Conference coaches think the Gaels are better.

Saint Mary's will enter as the official favorites after splitting the 2022-23 regular season crown with Gonzaga. The Gaels received five of the nine first-place votes from the coaches, while the Zags got the remaining four.

By the narrowest of margins, Saint Mary's is expected to dethrone the conference's longtime breadwinner behind a deep and experienced squad. Randy Bennett returns 12 players from last season's roster, three of whom were named to the WCC Preseason All-Conference team — Aidan Mahaney, Alex Ducas and Mitchell Saxen. Getting Ducas back for a fifth year was big, and there's plenty to support Mahaney earning the WCC Player of the Year award at season's end.

In a conference where experience plays a role in a team's success, the Gaels certainly have an edge in that category over the Bulldogs. Few brought in three valuable transfers — Ryan Nembhard (Creighton), Graham Ike (Wyoming) and Steele Venters (Eastern Washington) — but they haven't logged any minutes together yet. It's a talented trio nonetheless and mixed with returners Anton Watson and Nolan Hickman in the starting lineup, many expect the Bulldogs to match their typical standards of success.

Gonzaga also had three players on the preseason All-WCC team — Nembhard, Ike and Watson — all of whom were ranked as top 50 players in the country by The Field of 68. Nembhard was one of the best point guards in the NCAA Tournament for Creighton last March. Ike was touted as the preseason Mountain West Player of the Year last fall before sitting out the season with a leg injury. Watson was arguably the most efficient two-way player in the league and will bring valuable continuity to a team that could see seven new faces suit up in 2023-24.

Some in the national media will point to the lack of proven depth on the roster, but many preseason polls still have the Zags near the top 10. ESPN, FOX Sports, The Field of 68, CBS Sports and Blue Ribbon Yearbook have Gonzaga as the top-ranked team in the WCC. The Gaels aren't far behind in most rankings, though, usually sitting just inside the top 20.

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