WCC roundup: Santa Clara picks up massive road win over Xavier

Mark Few and the Gonzaga Bulldogs are off to a tremendous start to the 2025-26 season, easily taking care of Oklahoma and Creighton this past week to move to 3-0 on the year.

It looks like another year where the Zags will finish at the top of the WCC, potentially giving them a last championship run before moving to the new look Pac-12 in 2026-27.

However, plenty of other teams in the West Coast Conference are playing well to begin the season, including both Saint Mary's and Santa Clara, who are each 3-0. The Broncos picked up a major road win over Big East opponent Xavier, while Saint Mary's has won all three of their games by 20 or more points.

Oregon State and Portland are also undefeated, while the leader in the standings right now is actually the LMU Lions, the only 4-0 team in the entire country after a nice road win over UTEP on Tuesday.

Below is an update on how the teams in the WCC are faring nine days into the 2025-26 season, and what each team has coming up next:

Loyola Marymount Lions (4-0)

Latest: 71-58 win at UTEP

Next: Nov. 14 vs Troy

LMU has looked quite solid to begin the campaign under coach Stan Johnson, winning all four of the games including a true road contest against UTEP and a close one against a strong Eastern Washington squad. The real tests are upcoming, however, with five of their next six games coming against teams ranked No. 136 or higher at KenPom, including a date with the Troy Trojans on Friday.

Saint Mary's Gaels (3-0)

Latest: 90-60 win vs Ohio

Next: Nov. 14 vs North Texas

No surprises here, but Randy Bennett and the Gaels are off to a dominant start to the 2025-26 season. Saint Mary's has beat all three teams they have played by 20+ points, including a 30 point drubbing of Ohio on Tuesday. Like Gonzaga, the Gaels are playing well despite losing four starters from last season, and they will once again be a challenger for the WCC regular season and conference title in 2026.

Santa Clara Broncos (3-0)

Latest: 87-68 win at Xavier

Next: Nov. 15 vs. Nevada

Santa Clara picked up arguably the biggest win for the WCC on Monday when they went on the road against a Big East opponent in Xavier and dominated. The Broncos never trailed and held a lead as big as 30 points in the second half, and while the result may say more about Richard Pitino and the Musketeers, it's a very promising start for a revamped Santa Clara roster. The Broncos still have five non-conference matchups against KenPom Top 100 teams remaining, including Nevada, Saint Louis, New Mexico, Arizona State, and North Texas, which will give the Broncos plenty of opportunities to build a strong NCAA Tournament resume before WCC play begins.

Portland Pilots (3-0)

Latest: 67-63 win vs UC Davis

Next: Nov. 15 at Wyoming

Shantay Legans has the Portland Pilots off to a very strong start, with a nice win at home against UC Davis on Sunday behind 23 points from Australian freshman guard Joel Foxwell. UP has really struggled the past few years, but an older roster could give the Pilots new life in coach Legans' fifth year on the bluff.

Oregon State Beavers (2-0)

Latest: 76-73 win vs UIC

Next: Nov. 12 vs North Texas

Wayne Tinkle and Oregon State are 2-0 on the year, but neither victory was particularly easy. A two point win over North Dakota State (KenPom: 240), didn't inspire a ton of confidence, although the win over UIC (KenPom: 127) is a good one. A home bout with North Texas followed by a trip to Eugene to take on the Ducks will give us more insight into how this team will look come conference play.

Pepperdine Waves (2-1)

Latest: 113-76 win vs Life Pacific (non-D1)

Next: Nov. 15 vs Northern Colorado

Pepperdine's only two wins have come against non-DI opponents, but they did play a close game against Mick Cronin and the UCLA Bruins last Friday, only losing by 11. Ed Schilling's team is tough to get a read on at this point, but upcoming matchups against Northern Colorado, New Orleans, and Stephen F. Austin will tell us a lot more about this club next week.

San Francisco Dons (1-1)

Latest: 76-70 loss at Memphis

Next: Nov. 12 vs Portland State

The Dons coasted to an easy win over DII Santa Cruz in the opener, but fell in a heartbreaker to Memphis Saturday on the road, 76-70. It's a tough loss for the Dons, but coach Chris Gerlufsen was very willing to challenge his team with a rigorous non-conference slate, which gives them plenty of opportunities to still put together a potential NCAA Tournament resume. USF still has five non-con matchups against teams 104 or higher at KenPom: Bradley, Minnesota, Colorado, Mississippi State, and Saint Louis.

Seattle U Redhawks (1-1)

Latest: 73-71 loss vs Cal Poly

Next: Nov. 12 vs Eastern Washington

Seattle U won their first game as WCC members against Denver - who will be joining the conference in 2026-27. Unfortunately the Redhawks faltered in game two, losing on a last second shot to Cal Poly to drop to 1-1. Former Gonzaga coach Dan Monson and his Eastern Washington Eagles head to Seattle on Wednesday.

Pacific Tigers (1-1)

Latest: 78-77 loss at Nevada

Next: Nov. 12 vs Long Beach State

Pacific opened up the season with a win against a non-D1 opponent in Life Pacific, and followed that up by nearly pulling off a nice upset on the road against Steve Alford and Nevada. The Tigers will look to pick up their first D1 win on Wednesday at home against the 49ers of Long Beach State.

San Diego Toreros (1-1)

Latest: 71-68 loss vs Idaho State

Next: Nov. 12 vs Idaho

San Diego brought in a bevy of new transfers in Steve Lavin's fourth season, but couldn't muster a victory against Idaho State in its first game against D1 competition on Friday, falling by three to the Bengals of Idaho State. The Toreros will look to get back into the win column against Idaho on Wednesday.

Washington State Cougars (1-2)

Latest: 81-71 win vs St. Thomas

Next: Nov. 14 vs Washington

The Cougars got the 2025-26 season off to a brutal start, losing by two points at home to Idaho thanks to an ugly 6-28 shooting night from distance. A blowout loss on the road against Davidson had coach David Riley's team going from bad to worse, but the team halted the losing streak with a home win over St. Thomas on Monday. A home bout with in-state rival Washington on Friday will be must watch television, and is a great chance for Riley's team to keep the momentum going in their favor.