Best in the West: Predicting this season's WCC superlative winners
Turnover is common in college basketball, and the West Coast Conference is no exception. Every program except Saint Mary’s brought in at least one transfer from a Power Five conference, while only two players from the All-WCC first team returned to their respective schools. That isn’t typically the case for a mid-major conference that’s largely viewed as a one-pony race, but it’s a new age of collegiate athletics, and last season proved that talented players could stand out at smaller programs not named Gonzaga in the WCC.
Will we see another Jalen Williams-caliber season again? It’s always possible but difficult to forecast before the season has officially begun.
Perception and roles will certainly change throughout the season, but before the madness begins, here are some preseason favorites to take home some individual WCC awards:
Note: The Sixth Man of the Year award was excluded due to uncertainty surrounding rotations and roles.
Player of the Year: Drew Timme, Gonzaga
There isn’t much to say here that already hasn’t been said before. Timme is in a class of his own regarding the rest of the WCC — he’s already been labeled the best player in college basketball by almost half of the coaches in the country, a possible foreshadowing of what’s to come in the spring when the final votes are tallied. If Timme can be the dominant go-to guy on one of the best teams in the country, then he’ll have a legitimate chance to win the Naismith National Player of the Year award on top of being the back-to-back WCC Player of the Year.
The latter award is certainly Timme’s to lose at this point in his career. The two-time WCC scoring champion has been one of the most unstoppable players in the conference since he was a sophomore. As the undisputed face of the Zags program now, that isn’t expected to change.
No player has been named the WCC Player of the Year two years in a row since Blake Stepp did it in the early 2000s, but history is still on Timme’s side — the last five recipients have all been forwards or centers. Nigel Williams-Goss was the last guard to earn the award and based on how the rest of the conference is shaping up, that drought will most likely continue.
With it being his last chance to win a national championship as a Zag, expect Timme to lay it all on the line in the 2022-23 season.
Coach of the Year: Chris Gerlufsen, San Francisco
There’s an argument that Todd Golden should’ve earned COY honors in 2021-22 thanks in large part to his successor, who had a big impact in helping the Dons reach the NCAA Tournament for the first time in over two decades as the offensive coordinator. Now as the head coach, Gerlufsen is inheriting a top-3 roster in the conference that added Tyrell Roberts from Washington State and Marcus Williams from Texas A&M to complement Khalil Shabazz in the backcourt.
The Dons' offense improved drastically in Gerlufsen’s first season at the hilltop, averaging nearly six more points per game than they did the year prior while maintaining their status as a lethal team from behind the arc. No other program in the WCC attempted and made more 3-pointers than USF, led by junior Julian Rishwain (43% from deep in 2021-22, fifth best in the conference). Gerlufsen will continue to run offensive sets for his sharpshooter in 2022-23, and if junior Zane Meeks earns minutes in the rotation, that would be another catch-and-shoot wing coming off the bench for USF.
With how reliant the Dons were on guard play last season, adding Roberts through the transfer portal was huge for Gerlufsen, who worked closely with Khalil Shabazz and Jamaree Bouyea in his previous role with the team. Roberts, a redshirt senior and 1,000-point scorer in his career, is a capable shot creator himself despite his size and isn’t afraid to let it fly from deep, though he wasn't the most efficient player while at WSU. Gerlufsen’s experience working with talented guards could be the key to turning his next ballhandler into a well-rounded floor general.
More importantly, if Roberts can work alongside Shabazz as Bouyea did, then the Dons won’t experience much of a lapse without their former point guard. Gerlufsen knows how to maximize his guards’ potential. Put it all together, and the Dons will be fighting for a top-3 spot in the conference under their first-year head coach.
But don’t rule out the award’s bluebloods — Mark Few and Randy Bennett — from claiming coach of the year honors once again, as well as BYU’s Mark Pope.
Newcomer of the Year: Tyrell Roberts, San Francisco
The choices for this superlative are nearly endless, and despite how tempting it is to put Malachi Smith here, Roberts is expected to have a much bigger impact on USF’s success than any other transfer or incoming freshman has on their program. For reasons mentioned, the former Cougar will be relied on heavily to stir the pot on offense as a more efficient scorer that can be a closer down the stretch in a tight ballgame, a role that won’t apply to Smith in Gonzaga’s offense. Of all the yearly awards though, this one might be the biggest toss-up of them all.
BYU’s Richie Saunders, a former 3-star recruit from the class of 2019, should also be considered at this spot given his importance to the future of Cougars basketball. The Wasatch Academy product will be two years older than most freshmen and will be a key part in helping fill the void left by Alex Barcello after he graduated last spring. Rated the third best player in Utah for his class, Saunders can score at all three levels and finish plays in transition.
Still, the frontrunner for the award at this point should be Roberts.
Defensive Player of the Year: Fousseyni Traore, BYU
One of the more intriguing players in the WCC, Traore boasts the kind of size and hustle that is an absolute nightmare to play against. At 6'6", 254 lbs. with a 7’2” wingspan, there are not many shots or rebounds that he can’t swat into the bleachers or snag out of the air. He was statistically one of the best defensive players in the conference, and if it wasn’t for Chet Holmgren, Traore would be going for back-to-back WCC defensive player of the year awards.
In the history of BYU basketball, there haven’t been many freshmen to make such an impact on the court right away as Traore did last season. The big man was a force on both ends of the floor, especially around the rim, after stepping into the starting role following injuries to the Cougars’ frontcourt starters.
As a starter, he averaged 11 points, 9.2 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game in 21 games. He posted the fourth most blocks in the WCC by an individual and was top-10 in defensive rating and box plus/minus. On the boards, Traore was nearly unstoppable as he recorded 24 putbacks and had the third most total rebounds in the WCC.
By season’s end, “Fouss” was among the most impactful players in the conference. It seemed like every rebound was his to lose while every layup attempt was bound to be swatted away. Now as the full-time starter, the Mali native can wreak havoc on his opposition throughout the 2022-23 campaign.
