WCC Basketball Preview: San Diego Toreros

San Diego is likely going to be one of the more interesting teams in the West Coast Conference this season, in that we really don't know what to expect.

The Toreros lost the majority of their roster from a season where they went 2-16 in conference play. But renowned head coach Steve Alvin has had no trouble acquiring talent this offseason in the transfer portal and, in addition, they are also returning their top overall player. Today we are going to jump into coach Alvin's(mostly) new-look team.

Although the Toreros are not a big team by any measure, they should have a lot of depth in the back court. They're going to have a lot of options at point, starting with KJay Bradley, a returning senior who averaged 14.5 ppg and two assists per game for San Diego last year. He's going to be joined in this area of the floor by Wake Forest transfer Ty-Laur Johnson, who is rated as a four-star both out of high school and as a transfer. 247 scouting director Adam Finkelstein in 2023 described Ty-Laur as a "volume-scoring lead guard who is very talented and confident with the ball." A traditional point guard who acquired good experience playing in the ACC, Johnson has the potential to be a real difference-maker in the west coast conference this season.

In the shooting guard realm, coach Alvin will have a couple of proven scorers whom he acquired via the portal. Georgia State transfer Toneari Lane is a productive outside shooter, who hit 90 three-pointers last season for the Panthers. Though he isn't much of a threat going to the rim, the spot-up shooting type of style from Lane could mix quite well with the play-making abilities of point guards KJay Bradley and Ty-Laur Johnson. The other notable piece San Diego has brought in at SG is Dominique Ford, who averaged 14.5 points last season at Southern Utah. Ford is a dynamic guard who likes to shoot from the perimeter and has also demonstrated a nice touch inside the arc on mid-rangers and floaters in the lane. Between him and Toneari Lane, the coaching staff has done well this offseason to acquire scoring talent in this area of the floor.

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Finally, the guard position is rounded out nicely by a versatile player in Adrian Mcintyre. A 6'3" graduate senior who averaged 28 points per game last season in Division II, Mcintyre is a talented ball-handler who also has both the physical tools and ability to step into a shooting guard type of role if need be. This versatility could give the Toreros a lot of rotational options, and if his game translates well to the D1 level, Adrian could be a crucial part of the offense.

In the front court, San Diego should have an intriguing association of talent, starting with the small forward position. NJIT transfer Tim Moore Jr. is an experienced player who averaged 13 points and seven rebounds last season, and his physicality could be a great boost to the Toreros in 2025-26. They are also bringing in Bosnian SF Vuk Boskovic, a well-balanced player who averaged 14 points, six rebounds and three assists last season playing in a low-level professional league in Europe.

The power forward and center positions might be more of a wild card, as the new guys they've brought in don't have a lot of collegiate experience. However, they should have solid potential. Colorado transfer Assane Diop was a four-star out of high school, and San Diego hopes he can take a big step in development this season. They also have a big option here in Alejandro Aviles, a freshman who turned down offers from both Kansas and Houston. Though he was listed as a center in high school, Aviles will likely play as more of a PF at the college level.

At center, the Toreros have brought in 6'10" Polish big man Piotr Winkowski, who has played at a low-level professional league in Europe. While this might be a bit of a wild card given that Piotr has no D1 experience, it's good for SD to know that they have a guy on the roster who plays like a true big man.

With all the guys who've transferred in to play for Steve Alvin, the Toreros are almost certain to see better results this year. They are going to have two very talented point guards and, if proven scorers like Lane and Ford can compliment the game around them, this could be an offense with a ton of weapons. In addition, Alvin made two important August signings of European players Boskovic and Winkowski, and the Toreros should have quality depth at both guard and forward. With so many new faces playing with each-other for the first time, it wouldn't be surprising if this team gets off to a slow start. However, things could really start clicking for this offense as chemistry continues to build. If they are able to get enough production down low at the 4 and 5 positions, San Diego could become a very dangerous WCC team.

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