Has anyone out there ever seen West Coast college basketball as bad as it is right now? The two major polling services have only two West Coast units ranked: Gonzaga and Nevada. The rest are confined to the dumper; they are irrelevant and strictly mediocre at best. Many of them are simply awful. The Pac-12 does not have a single team in the Top 25. And it's almost February. There was some hope for USF but that optimism has faded badly. The Dons' grim road loss to San Diego last week confirms what critics had said all along: USF's record is deceptive because of its iffy schedule. The Dons have beaten no one of consequence. Wins over Cal and Stanford, while uplifting for the USF community, ring hollow because of the pathetic state of the Pac-12.
West Coast Woes
- Thread starter colhenrylives
- Start date
washington is on a 8 game winning streak and 7-0 in the pac 12 currently. i know that is not much but it still is a power 5 conference with elite athletes who can hoop better than any of us ever could so they cant be that terrible. i do get tho... ucla and usc are littered with 5 star kids who are not producing..
If the Pac 12 has the athletes, but still suck then doesn't it come down to coaching??? Look at the 2 teams that were mentioned above, Nevada and Gonzaga... Quality coaches...
gonzaga plays in a worse league than the pac 12 as well as they have the far better players in that league.
nevada is loaded and fortunate on the transfer market.. i wouldnt say that their coaches are that more superior as much as their weak conferences
I saw some of that San Diego game on thew.tv. USF just kept missing easy shots all during the second half.
Adding I. Stewart will help Washington next year. Arizona also has a monster frosh class. Pac 12 will improve next year. This year it is really bad.
Also I believe USC has the top class going into next year. Of course that will all change when more kids start committing to Duke and I think U of A getting Mannion is a real game changer too.
If USC can land Cassius Stanley...then watch out!
Zags only getting better as they are adding Anton Watson of Gonzaga Prep, one of the best players on the West Coast and currently projected to go in the top 20 of the 2020 draft.
Stanford really needs KZ Okapala to stay, but I think he’ll be a lottery pick, leaving Stanford very desolate going into next season.
If USC can land Cassius Stanley...then watch out!
Zags only getting better as they are adding Anton Watson of Gonzaga Prep, one of the best players on the West Coast and currently projected to go in the top 20 of the 2020 draft.
Stanford really needs KZ Okapala to stay, but I think he’ll be a lottery pick, leaving Stanford very desolate going into next season.
Sorry. The prognosis is poor. There may be some modest improvement next year, but that's just a desperate hope. The projections remain less than pleasant.
For USF, it all goes back to when they dropped the program for three years.
I used to work with Mike Quick a former USF basketball player during that era. He would literally tell me the exact same thing.
I guess back in the day USF was pretty much what Gonzaga is now, if not even more dominant!
Anyone that was at the USF Gonzaga gane would tell you USF is a damn good team.
University of San Diego is just as good if not better. But I love what USF has done with their program. Their head coach is very good.
NCAA will look at strength of schedule, quality wins and questionable losses. USF was on radar until loss to San Diego. Now they will have to not only play in WCC Championship, but win it.
Comparing Gonzaga and U.S.F. is apple and oranges. U.S.F. was dominate in 70's with questionable recruiting from '75 on (remember James Hardy with his "Trouble" party van? It culminating with the 82 incident. U.S.F went straight and narrow at a time when the Big East started attracting kids from all over country. Never recovered. Being that said, I hope U.S.F. goes deep in WCC tourney, and deep in NIT. Its still a big jump for program. I just hope their coach stays for at least 3 more years to leave program in good hands at that point.
Comparing Gonzaga and U.S.F. is apple and oranges. U.S.F. was dominate in 70's with questionable recruiting from '75 on (remember James Hardy with his "Trouble" party van? It culminating with the 82 incident. U.S.F went straight and narrow at a time when the Big East started attracting kids from all over country. Never recovered. Being that said, I hope U.S.F. goes deep in WCC tourney, and deep in NIT. Its still a big jump for program. I just hope their coach stays for at least 3 more years to leave program in good hands at that point.
The most obvious WCC conundrum is Santa Clara. Another Jesuit school with a long history, SCU basketball continues to flounder (its last great team played 50 years ago) despite a gorgeous campus situated in the heart of Silicon Valley, a healthy collection of wealthy alumni, high entrance demand, solid facilities and a host of other pluses. When will the Broncos make their move?
Those Steve Nash teams of the early-mid 90's that made their NCAA runs were solid and entertaining.
They were entertaining. They weren't a powerhouse. The Awtrey-Ogden teams of the late 1960s were serious factors on the national stage. The 1968-69 team was 27-2.
Look at the state of West Coast basketball and then look at all of the West Coast kids who are helping other programs around the country.
Answer is pretty simple
Answer is pretty simple
I have always felt Santa Clara could be a west coast mini gold mine of a program with the
Right young coach with a get after it coaching staff.When you get a recruit on that beautiful
campus they can lure kids with the right people in place and an administrations full
Support.The name that comes to mind that I feel Santa Clara should take a run at would
be a home run hire is ex Stanford alum and current warriors assistant coach
Jarron Collins with him being groomed under Steve Kerr his knowledge of playing college
Ball and being an NBA assistant would would certainly help in recruiting and
building a solid mid major program at Santa clara.
Right young coach with a get after it coaching staff.When you get a recruit on that beautiful
campus they can lure kids with the right people in place and an administrations full
Support.The name that comes to mind that I feel Santa Clara should take a run at would
be a home run hire is ex Stanford alum and current warriors assistant coach
Jarron Collins with him being groomed under Steve Kerr his knowledge of playing college
Ball and being an NBA assistant would would certainly help in recruiting and
building a solid mid major program at Santa clara.
As for Santa Clara, its more apparent in baseball. How can a school in the hot bed of the South Bay and peninsula put together a successful (wins and losses) on the baseball field. Their academic standards arent any higher than other WCC schools. Could be the local players just want to get away.
On the other hand, there isn't a corresponding shift of strong preps coming to the West Coast from the East. Why is that?
i think the guys at Prolific Prep might do well at a school like Santa Clara, have shown they can raise money and can recruit globally. they get in the homes of the top recruits and they enjoy training and developing young talent
I think the path is keep players home, have success and then doors open for kids in the Midwest and East.
It does raise a good thought about the West Coast not being as desirebale as other areas to 18 year olds. Bigger discussion, but interesting thought.
USF at SMC is a good West Coast game on Sat. afternoon. Loser will have tough time even making NIT.
Remember that California has more than 12% of the US population, but less than 7% of the NCAA Division 1 basketball schools. The California players have to go out of state.
But they don't have to go much beyond the Rockies. They can attend West Coast schools outside California. Football is a good example. Check the rosters of Pac-12 teams in Washington and Oregon. There are years when those rosters look like Southern Section/L.A. all-star teams.
Long term success in college hoops is tough now days. Roster looks completely different every year at some of these schools. Players bounce like it was no big deal because most of them have a history of leaving schools and programs when they were younger. Leaving college for another school is a life decision but most under value it. Programs that keep kids long term are thriving.
It may all come down to WCC Championship game in Las Vegas March 12. If it does, I will be there.
If the NCAA seeding committee had to select 2019 tourney teams right now, it would not be a shock if the Pac-12 and WCAC each got only one unit chosen.
ESPN Conference Power Rankings
https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2019/0...-12-fits-in-espns-ranking-of-the-conferences/
https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2019/0...-12-fits-in-espns-ranking-of-the-conferences/
