USD Men's Basketball 1989-1990

PAGE 26

WEST COAST CONFERENCE

USD STANDINGS IN THE wee

THE WEST COAST CONFERENCE It's now a shorter distance to two points in the West Coast Conference. On July 13, 1989, the 38-year-old league streamlined itself by applying an eraser to the old "West Coast Athletic Conference" title used since 1956. Dropping the word "Athletic" simplified a somewhat cumbersome name while clarifying the league's image and position in collegiate basketball. "West Coast Conference accurately describes us," Commissioner Michael Gilleran said when announcing the change. "It makes our name easier to say and sharpens our image, all while maintaining the tradition we've built We did not want to make a revolutionary change." Of course, with all the added attention WCC hoop teams have been garnering of late, the shorter name is easier tor everyone to say and write. And everyone is talking and writing more and more about the wee. TOUGH YEAR TO TOP The conference is coming off its most successful season in history. Four WCC members took part in post-season tournaments in 1988-89 and all four won at least 20 games. It was the first season the WCC had placed four clubs in tournaments and the first time tour squads had attained the magical 20th win. Regular season Champion St Mary's rolled to a 25-5 record and its first NCAA bid in 30 years. Loyola Marymount, 20-11, set new national records for scoring average (112.5) and points in a game (181) enroute to winning their second straight league tourn– ament with the accompanying NCAA bid. Santa Clara, 20-11, and Pepperdine, 20-13, earned their second straight entries to the National Invitation Tournament (NIT). THE MEMBERS-PRESENT AND PAST The WCC is made up of eight private institutions spanning the three Western states from the borders of Canada to Mexico. The membership-Gonzaga University, Loyola Marymount University, Pepperdine University, the University of Portland, St Mary's College, the University of San Diego, the University of San Francisco and Santa Clara University has changed over the years, but the current alignment has remained intact tor the longest stretch since its inception in 1952. The league started up that year as the "California Basketball Association ," an alliance of San Francisco Bay Area schools. Charter members St Mary's, San Francisco and Santa Clara remain in the alignment, with original members Pacific and San Jose State having departed in the early 1970s. The conference expanded from five to eight schools in 1956 with the addition of current members Loyola Marymount and Pepperdine, along with Fresno State, which left the league in 1958. It was during that initial expansion that the old WCAC got its name. Several other schools have owned membership in the WCC including UC Santa Barbara (1965-69), Nevada-Las Vegas (1969-75), Nevada-Reno (1969-79), and Seattle (1971-80). Portland joined the conference in 1977, followed by San Diego and Gonzaga in 1980. All together, 15 different schools have competed in the WCC at some point TRADITION The WCC has deep roots into the glory days of basketball and the league has owned an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament since its first year as the CBA and eight different members have won the title at least once. San Francisco leads the way with 15 league title banners and a pair of back-to-back national championships won by the likes of Bill Russell and K.C. Jones in 1955 and 1956. Other legendary names from the past include Phil Smith, Dennis Johnson, Darwin Cook, Tom Meschery, Kurt Rambis, Bill Cartwright and John Stocklon, all of whom warred on WCC courts in the college days. A young fellow named Pete Rozelle once served as sports information director at USF San Francisco 34 years Pepperdine 34 years Santa Clara 37 years St Mary's 37 years Loyola Marymount 34 years San Diego 9 years Portland 13 years Gonzaga 9 years PITCHES, DIAMONDS, COURTS AND COURSES 15 titles 7 titles 7 titles 3 titles 2 titles 1 title O titles O titles While basketball gets most of the attention, it's not the only WCC sport. In tact, the conference is gaining recognition as one of the top soccer leagues in the country. Portland helped spur some of that notoriety by holding down the number two spot in the national rankings for most of last year. At one point, three WCC members-Portland, San Francisco and Santa Clara– resided in the Top 10. USF has won the national championship five times. Baseball is also another power sport in the WCC and multiple entries into the NCAA tournament are becoming the rule. Pepperdine has won six straight league titles with Loyola Marymount and Santa Clara in hot pursuit. All three recently have been in the national rankings, as well as in NCAA tournament play. Countless players have gone on to professional baseball careers after playing collegiately in the wee. This is the fifth season of WCC women's sports, and the third with conference membership mirroring the men's league. Gonzaga, Portland and St Mary's upgraded their programs to the Division One level just two years ago. The Bulldogs won the women's basketball title in their first Division One season, St. Mary's won it last year in their second. Portland has captured the cross country crown in each of the last two years. NATIONAL CHAMPIONS Current WCC members have won 12 NCAA team championships. USF has eight titles (five in soccer, two in basketball, one in tennis), followed by Pepperdine with three (volleyball) and Gonzaga with one (boxing). Pepperdine has three individual tennis champions and Gonzaga has a trio of boxing winners. San Francisco has won individual championships in tennis and fencing while Loyola Marymount won an individual track title. San Diego picked up a pair of Division Two team tennis crowns and Pepperdine won two track awards prior to joining the WCC. Portland captured its first national title in 1986, in NAIA cross country. St. Mary's also won the NAIA soccer championship that year. The conference sponsors championships in cross country (men and women), baseball, basket– ball (men and women), golf (men), soccer (men), tennis (men and women) and volleyball (women).

1979-80

OVERALL 22-7 15-12

GB

PCT .688 .688 .625 .625 .563 .563 .500 .125 .125 PCT .786 .786 .643 .500 .500 .357 .214 .214

L

W 11 11 10 10

San Francisco St Mary's Gonzaga

5 5 6 6

16-11 15-12 17-11 17-11 12-15

1 1

Santa Clara Pepperdine Portland Seattle San Diego Loyola Marymount

2 2 3 9 9

7 7 8

9 9 8

6-19 2-26

2 14 2 14

1980-81 W L

OVERALL 24-7 16-12

GB

3 3 5 7 7 9

11 11

San Francisco Pepperdine Gonzaga Portland Santa Clara Loyola Marymount

19-8

2 4 4 6 8 8

9 7 7 5

17-10 14-13

9-19

10-16

3 11 3 11

San Diego St. Mary's

9-18

1981-82

OVERALL 22-7

GB

PCT

L

W 14 11

1.000

0 3 5 7 7

Pepperdine San Francisco Portland Santa Clara Gonzaga

25-6

3 5 7 7

.786 .643 .500 .500 .286 .214 .071

17-10 16-11 15-12 11-15 11-16

9 7 7

10

4 10 3 11 1 13

San Diego St. Mary's Loyola ·Marymount

11

3-24

13

1982-83 W L

OVERALL 20-9

GB

PCT .833 .750 .583 .417 .417 .333 .167 PCT .750 .583 .583 .500 .500 .417 .167 PCT .917 .750 .583 .417 .333 .250 .250 PCT .929 .714 .643 ,571 .500 .286 .214 .143 PCT .929 .643 .500 .429 .429 .429 .357 .286

2 3 5

10

Pepperdine Santa Clara St. Mary's Gonzaga San Diego Portland Loyola Marymount San Diego Santa Clara St. Mary's Gonzaga Pepperdine Loyola Marymount Portland

21-7

1

9 7 5 5 4

14-12 13-14 11-15 10-18

3 5 5 6 8

7 7

8

9-18

2 10

1983-84 W L

OVERALL 18-10

GB

3 5 5 6 6 7

9 7 7 6 6 5

22-10 12-16 17-11 15-13 12-15 11-17

2 2 3 3 4 7

2 10

1984-85 W L

OVERALL 23-9

GB

Pepperdine Santa Clara

1

11

20-9

2 4 6 7 8 8

3 5 7 8 9 9

9 7 5 4 3 3

15-12 16-11 15-13 14-14 11-16

St. Mary's San Diego Gonzaga Portland Loyola Marymount

1985-86 W L

OVERALL 25-5

GB

1 4 5 6 7

13 10

Pepperdine Loyola Marymount San Diego Gonzaga Santa Clara Portland St. Mary's San Francisco San Diego Gonzaga St. Mary's Santa Clara San Francisco Portland Pepperdine Loyola Marymount

19-11

3 4 5 6 9

19-9

9 8 7

15-13 12-16 13-15 10-17

4 10 3 11 2 12

10 11

7-21

1986-87 W L

OVERALL 24-6

GB

1

13

18-10 17-13 18-14 16-12 14-14 12-18 12-16

4 6 7 7 7 8 9

5 7 8 8 8 9

9 7 6 6 6 5

4 10

1987-88

OVERALL 28-4 19-9

GB

PCT

W 14

L

1.000

0 5 5 6 7 9

Loyola St. Mary's

.643 .643 .571 .500 .357 .214 .071 PCT .857 .714 .714 .571 .500 .357 .143 .143

9 9 8 7 5

20-11 17-13 16-12 13-15 11-17 6-22

Santa Clara Pepperdine Gonzaga San Francisco San Diego Portland St. Mary's Loyola Pepperdine San Francisco Santa Clara Gonzaga San Diego Portland

3 11 1 13

1988-89 W L

OVERALL 25-5

GB

2 4 4 6 7 9

12 10 10

20-11 20-13 16-12 20-11 14-14

2 2 4 5 7

8 7 5

8-20 2-26

10 10

2 12 2 12