The West Coast Conference appeared to be in line for one NCAA tournament bid in 2019 — Gonzaga — prior to the conference tournament. But Saint Mary's ambushed the 'Zags in the league championship game to secure automatic qualification while the Bulldogs made the field of 68 as an at-large.
This conference last received three bids in 2012. Should Saint Mary's and Gonzaga replicate what each did a year ago, three bids becomes a real possibility if Andy Katz's bold pick — Pepperdine — remains in postseason contention late into the season. Take a look at the rest of Katz's WCC predictions below.
2019 CONFERENCE PREDICTIONS: 5 Big East predictions | Big 12 | ACC | Big Ten | Pac-12 | SEC | AAC
Andy Katz's 2019-20 WCC predictions
Player of the Year: Jordan Ford, Saint Mary's
Freshman of the Year: Oumar Ballo, Gonzaga
Underrated: Colbey Ross, Pepperdine
BIG DANCE: Predicting the 2020 NCAA tournament bracket less than 50 days to opening night
Five important non-conference games
1. Gonzaga at Washington, Dec. 8
2. Gonzaga at Arizona, Dec. 14
3. Pepperdine vs. Arizona, Anaheim, Calif. Wooden Legacy, Nov. 28
4. Saint Mary’s vs. Wisconsin, Sioux Falls, S.D., Nov. 5
5. BYU vs. UCLA, Maui Invitational, Nov. 25
Bold prediction: Pepperdine will be one of the last teams considered for inclusion into the NCAA tournament. The Waves' case will be discussed into the final days of the selection process.
