USD Men's Basketball 1988-1989

PAGE 26 THE WEST COAST ATHLETIC CONFERENCE Though the playing courts possess surnames of "Center" and "Pavilion," they are really "gyms." Gyms, where Naismith's game is still a battle, a rivalry, a common bond between player and fan. WCAC basketball is the game as it was. It's blue collar basketball. It's a tradition still living. FROM BORDER ro BORDER The conference, made up of eight private institutions spanning the West from Canada to Mexico, celebrates its 37th year of tradition in 1988-89. The current align– ment - Gonzaga University, Loyola Marymount University, Pepperdine University, the University of Portland, Saint Mary's College, the University of San Diego, the University of San Francisco, and Santa Clara University - has remained unchanged for the longest stint in league history. The league got its start in 1952 as the "California Basketball Association" with original membership consisting of San Francisco Bay Area schools: St. Mary's, Santa Clara, San Francisco, San Jose State, and Pacific. Four years later, the league ex– panded to eight schools by adding Pepperdine, Loyola and Fresno State. It was then that the name changed to the current "West Coast Athletic Conference." The con– ference has owned an automatic berth to the NCAA tournament ever since its in– ception as the CBA. In all, 15 different schools have held membership in the WCAC with eight of them winning the league crown at least once. Five current members have put in over 30 years in the conference, accounting for all but five titles. St. Mary's 36 years 2 titles Santa Clara 36 years 7 titles Loyola Marymount 33 years 2 titles Pepperdine 33 years 7 titles San Francisco 33 years 15 titles Portland 12 years O titles Gonzaga 8 years O titles San Diego 8 years 1 title Despite all the changes, tradition is still rich in the WCAC. National championship banners hang in USF's Memorial Gym from their back-to-back titles in the mid-fifties. Bill Russell, K.C. Jones, Phil Smith, Dennis Johnson, Bill Cartwright, Darwin Cook, Kurt Rambis, John Stockton, and Tom Meschery are but a few of the NBA players who warred on WCAC courts in their college days. MORE THAN JUST HOOPS Of course, basketball isn't the only WCAC sport. Baseball is fast becoming another tradition maker, as three conference clubs took part in last year's NCAA tournament. Pepperdine came within one game of a trip to the College World Series last year and Loyola Marymount made it to Omaha in 1986. Last season, Pepperdine, Loyola, and Santa Clara all finished in the nation's Top 20 rankings. The WCAC has sent countless players onto professional baseball careers. The conference also sponsors championships in cross country, soccer, tennis, and golf for men. This season is the fourth for WCAC women's athletics, and the second with con– ference membership duplicating the men's league. Gonzaga, Portland, and St. Mary's upgraded their programs to NCAA Division I last year, with the Bulldogs immediate– ly capturing the basketball crown and the Pilots taking the women's cross country trophy. The women's league sponsors championships in volleyball , basketball, cross Current WCAC members have won 11 NCAA team championships. San Francisco has eight titles (5 in soccer, 2 in basketball, 1 in tennis), followed by Pepperdine with three (all in volleyball), and Gonzaga with one (boxing). Pepperdine has three individual tennis champions, including last year's winner, Rob Weiss, and Gonzaga has had a trio of boxing titlists. San Francisco has had an individual champ in both fencing and tennis, while Loyola sponsored a track champion. In addition, San Diego picked up a pair of Division II team tennis crowns and four individual tennis titles while Pepperdine took two championships in outdoor track while at that level. Portland captured their first national title in 1986, running away with the women's NAIA cross country trophy. St. Mary's brought home the 1986 women's soccer championship. THE CHAMPIONS OF 1987-88 Last season was a banner year for WCAC teams. The conference placed three teams in the NCAA baseball tournament (Loyola Marymount, Pepperdine, and Santa Clara), and three in basketball post-season play (Loyola downed Wyoming in the NCAA's, while Pepperdine and Santa Clara played in the NIT). LMU went undefeated in WCAC play and led the nation in scoring with over 110 points per game. Here are the champions of 1987-88: Baseball-Pepperdine; Basketball-Loyola Marymount (men), Gonzaga (women); Cross Country-Portland (men), Portland (women); Golf– San Francisco; Soccer-San Francisco; Tennis-Pepperdine (men), Pepperdine (women); Volleyball-Pepperdine. country, and tennis. NATIONAL CROWNS

WCAC USO STANDINGS IN THE WCAC 1979-80 w L PCT GB OVERALL San Francisco• 11 5 .688 22-7 St Mary's• 11 5 .688 15-12 Gonza~a 10 6 .625 1 16-11 Santa Iara 10 6 .625 1 15-12 Pepr:,rdine 9 7 .563 2 17-11 Port and 9 7 .563 2 17-11 Seattle 8 8 .500 3 12-15 San Diet'. 2 14 .125 9 6-19 •Loyola arymount 2 14 .125 9 2-26 ·co-champion •Records include eight WCAC forfeits and four non-WCAC forfeits. 1980-81 w L PCT GB OVERALL San Francisco• 11 3 .786 24-7 Pepperdine• 11 3 .786 16-12 Gonzaga 9 5 .643 2 19-8 Portland 7 7 .500 4 17-10 Santa Clara 7 7 .500 4 14-13 Loyola Marymount 5 9 .357 6 9-19 San Die~o 3 11 .214 8 10-16 St. Marys 3 11 .214 8 9-18 •co-champion 1981-82 w L PCT GB OVERALL Pepperdine 14 0 1.000 22-7 San Francisco 11 3 .786 3 25-6 Portland 9 5 .643 5 17-10 Santa Clara 7 7 .500 7 16-11 Gonzaga 7 7 .500 7 15-12 San Die~o 4 10 .286 10 11-15 St. Marys 3 11 .214 11 11 -16 Loyola Marymount 1 13 .071 13 3-24 1982-83 w L PCT GB OVERALL Pepperdine 10 2 .833 20-9 Santa Clara 9 3 .750 1 21-7 St. Mary's 7 5 .583 3 14-12 Gonzaga 5 7 .417 5 13-14 San Diego 5 7 .417 5 11-15 Portland 4 8 .333 6 10-18 Loyola Marymount 2 10 .167 8 9-18 1983-84 w L PCT GB OVERALL San Diego 9 3 .750 18-10 Santa Clara 7 5 .583 2 22-10 St. Mary's 7 5 .583 2 12-16 Gonzaga 6 6 .500 3 17-11 Pepperdine 6 6 .500 3 15-13 Loyola Marymount 5 7 .417 4 12-15 Portland 2 10 .167 7 11 -17 1984-85 w L PCT GB OVERALL Pepperdine 11 1 .917 23-9 Santa Clara 9 3 .750 2 20-9 St. Mary's 7 5 .583 4 15-12 San Diego 5 7 .417 6 16-11 Gonzaga 4 8 .333 7 15-13 Portland 3 9 .250 8 14-14 Loyola Marymount 3 9 .250 8 11 -16 1985-86 w L PCT GB OVERALL Pepperdine 13 1 .929 25-5 Loyola Marymount 10 4 .714 3 19-11 San Diego 9 5 .643 4 19-9 Gonza~a 8 6 .571 5 15-13 Santa Iara 7 7 .500 6 12-16 Portland 4 10 .286 9 13-15 St. Mary's 3 11 .214 10 10-17 San Francisco 2 12 .143 11 7-21 1986-87 w L PCT GB OVERALL San Diego 13 1 .929 24-6 Gonzaga 9 5 .643 4 18-10 St. Ma 6 •s 7 7 .500 6 17-13 Santa Iara• 6 8 .429 7 18-14 San Francisco 6 8 .429 7 16-12 Portland 6 8 .429 7 14-14 Pepperdine 5 9 .357 8 12-18 Loyola Marymount 4 10 .286 9 12-16 •won WCAC Tournament 1987-88 w L PCT GB OVERALL Loyola# 14 0 1.000 28-4 St. Ma 6 •s 9 5 .643 19-9 Santa Iara• 9 5 .643 20-11 Pepperdine• 8 6 .571 17-13 Gonzaga 7 7 .500 16-12 San Francisco 5 9 .357 13-15 San Diego 3 11 .214 11-17 Portland 1 13 .071 6-22

#denotes NCAA Tournament, won WCAC regular season and tournament champions. •denotes NIT participant