WCC roundup: LMU first team in college basketball to six wins

Mark Few and the Gonzaga Bulldogs are five games into their final season as members of the West Coast Conference, hoping to win one last regular-season crown before moving into the new-look Pac-12 in 2026-27.

The WCC is giving Gonzaga a nice parting gift through the first few weeks of the season: a quality group of competitive teams. 11 of the 12 teams in the WCC have a winning record through Tuesday, Nov. 18, while four teams remain undefeated: Gonzaga, LMU, Saint Mary's, and Santa Clara.

With feast week coming up, here's a look at how WCC teams have fared through the first few weeks of the 2025-26 season, starting with the lone 6-0 team in all of college basketball:

Loyola Marymount Lions (6-0)

Latest: 78-74 OT win at UCSB

Next: Nov. 24 vs Florida Atlantic

The first team in college basketball to six wins was Stan John's LMU Lions, who have gone from No. 138 up to No. 109 at KenPom thanks to the hot start. That includes a true road win over UC Santa Barbara on Monday, despite not having leading scorer Jan Vide due to a leg injury.

The Lions face another tough test next Monday when they face the Owls of Florida Atlantic in Daytona Beach.

Santa Clara Broncos (5-0)

Latest: 64-55 win vs Idaho State

Next: Nov. 21 vs Louisiana

Santa Clara is off to an outstanding start to the season, picking up double-digit wins at home over McNeese and Nevada and a 19 point thrashing of Xavier on the road. Things came crashing down a bit on Tuesday against Idaho State, but ultimately the Broncos secured a nine point win to move to 5-0 on the year.

Coach Herb Sendek's group will host Louisiana on Friday before a very fun matchup with Saint Louis on Thanksgiving in Palm Springs.

Saint Mary's Gaels (4-0)

Latest: 80-49 win vs North Texas

Next: Nov. 19 vs Arkansas State

The Gaels climbed over 30 spots at KenPom after a hot 4-0 start, now residing at No. 24 overall. Randy Bennett's team destroyed North Texas on Friday, holding the Mean Green to just 17 first half points while sophomore guard Mikey Lewis scored 18 by himself.

SMC and Gonzaga look like they will once again be locked in an epic battle to win the WCC in 2026. The Gaels' next game comes on Wednesday at home against Arkansas State.

San Francisco Dons (4-1)

Latest: 71-58 win at UTEP

Next: Nov. 22 vs Minnesota

The Dons had a chance to pick up a major marquee win in Week 1 on the road against Memphis but couldn't quite get it done. They've gone 3-0 since getting back from that trip, including a dominant win over Northwestern State on Tuesday.

Coach Chris Gerlufsen's team has a pair of power conference matchups up next, starting with Minnesota at the Sanford Pentagon on Saturday and followed by a Thanksgiving matchup against Colorado in Palm Springs.

Seattle Redhawks (3-1)

Latest: 83-74 win vs Idaho State

Next: Nov. 21 at Stanford

Chris Victor and the Redhawks are off to a very solid start, losing a heartbreaker at home to Cal Poly but otherwise dispatching Denver, Eastern Washington, and Idaho State to begin their first year in the WCC with a 3-1 record. Former Zag Jun Seok Yeo is averaging 11.8 points and 4.3 rebounds for Seattle U in 29 minutes per game, and it will be fun to see him again when they face Gonzaga in January.

Next up for the Redhawks is a trip to Palo Alto to take on Stanford on Friday.

Oregon State Beavers (3-1)

Latest: 87-75 loss at Oregon

Next: Nov. 21 vs Evansville

Oregon State finally got burned after playing with fire in its first three games, winning all three by two, three, and two points. The luck ran out in Eugene on Monday as in-state rival Oregon pulled away late and handed the Beavers their first loss of the season, 87-75.

Coach Wayne Tinkle will look to get back into the win column on Friday against Evansville out in the Virgin Islands.

Pacific Tigers (3-1)

Latest: 85-73 win at Fullerton

Next: Nov. 20 at Florida Atlantic

Coach Dave Smart and the Pacific Tigers are off to a solid 3-1 start to the season, with the lone loss coming on the road against Mountain West opponent Nevada, and by just one point.

The Tigers are led by senior forward Eli Ralph, who is averaging 16 points and 7.8 rebounds, and Long Beach State transfer TJ Wainwright, at 13.5 points per game.

Next up for Pacific is a cross-country road trip to Boca Raton to take on the Florida Atlantic Owls on Thursday.

Portland Pilots (3-1)

Latest: 93-56 loss at Wyoming

Next: Nov. 21 vs Fullerton

Shantay Legans and the Pilots got off to a solid 3-0 start, including a win over UC Davis, but the team's first road trip of the season ended in a disastrous 37 point loss to Wyoming on Saturday.

Fortunately the Pilots are at home for their next four games, starting Friday when they bring Cal-State Fullerton to town.

San Diego Toreros (3-1)

Latest: 78-68 win vs Grambling State

Next: Nov. 21 vs Riverside

A new look San Diego roster is off to a solid 3-1 start under coach Steve Lavin, picking up wins over Idaho and Grambling State over the past week. The Toreros have been in the cellar of the WCC for many years now, but this could be the year they start pushing some of the other teams in league play.

USD stays home for a battle with UC Riverside next, on Friday.

Pepperdine Waves (2-2)

Latest: 90-79 win vs New Orleans

Next: Nov. 21 vs Stephen F. Austin

Pepperdine picked up its first win over a DI opponent on Tuesday over New Orleans, although the Waves took Northern Colorado to overtime and also played a surprisingly competitive game against UCLA back on Friday, Nov. 7.

It's expected to be another tough year for coach Ed Schilling at Pepperdine, although Gonzaga fans can at least look forward to seeing former Zag big man Pavle Stosic, who is averaging six points per game for the Waves.

Pepperdine hosts Stephen F. Austin next.

Washington State Cougars (1-3)

Latest: 81-69 loss vs Washington

Next: Nov. 19 vs Southern Utah

It has been a really rough start to the season for David Riley and Washington State. The Cougars have just one win on the year, by ten against St. Thomas, along with a two point loss to Idaho, a 16 point drubbing from Davidson, and a loss to in-state rival Washington on their home floor on Friday.

The Cougs were in the NCAA Tournament a few years ago, but have fallen off hard since coach Kyle Smith's departure. They'll look to get back in the win column on Wednesday against Southern Utah, which is coming off the worst loss in program history on Monday against Gonzaga.