Saint Mary’s (10-2)

Saint Mary’s is the kind of underdog Gonzaga used to be. The Gaels are a prominent mid-major that lacks the national prestige they deserve, having made the NCAA tournament the last three seasons and ten times since 2005.

Saint Mary’s is off to a hot start this year led by Augustas Marciulionis, who is averaging 14.7 points and six assists per game. He’s complemented by Paulius Murauskas, who is averaging 13.7 points and just under nine boards.

The Gaels have fired out to a 10-2 record while playing a tough schedule. They have notable wins against USC, Nebraska, and Utah. Their two losses have come against Arizona State and Boise State, contests they lost by a combined six points.

They currently rank 46th in the NET rankings.

—Notes—

• The Gaels are undefeated in home and away games, but 2-2 in neutral-site contests.

• Augustas is the son of former Golden State Warriors star Sarunas Marciulionis.

• (Personal Note: I used to serve Mitchell Saxon’s grandparents food while he was in high school when I worked at the senior living center where they lived. He even came in for dinner!)

Oregon State (8-2)

It’s been an odd ride for the Oregon State basketball program since making the Elite Eight in 2020-21. In the past three years, the Beavers have slowly improved from a three-win campaign in 2021-22.

This year’s OSU team has gotten off to a solid 8-2 start, led by Michael Rataj, who has averaged 16.7 points and nine rebounds per game. Rataj has been complimented by point guard Damarco Minor, who averages 9.2 points and 5.7 assists per outing.

The Beav’s record may be dope, but they need to bolster their resume with some wins in conference play. UC Davis and UC Irvine are the only teams with winning records that they’ve beaten.

OSU also had a notable close loss against Oregon by three points. The Beavers are currently ranked 36th in the NET rankings.

—Notes—

• The Beavers have only played one road game this year

• Michael Rataj is one of 25 players in the country with five double-doubles

• This is Wayne Tinkle’s 11th year coaching Oregon State, he previously coached at his Alma Mater Montana

Washington State (9-3)

Washington State appears primed to make a run at the NCAA Tournament with their hot start at the beginning of the season. The Cougars have jumped to a 9-3 record with their most notable win over against Nevada.

WSU’s three losses have come against decent opponents in Iowa, SMU, and Washington.

Record aside, the most notable issue surrounding the Cougars has been a rash of injuries. The Cougs recently lost their best player for the season, Cedric Coward, who suffered a shoulder injury against his former team Eastern Washington.

WSU is also without two freshmen in Marcus Wilson and Rihards Vavers.

The Cougars play hard, but they’ll need increased production from their entire squad to compensate for the loss of Coward.

—Notes—

• The Cougars got pummeled by Washington in Seattle on Wednesday night.

• Isaiah Watts is a phenomenal defender who should prove lockdown in the WCC.

• This is David Riley’s first season as WSU’s head coach. He previously coached at Eastern Washington.

No. 13 Gonzaga (8-3)

Gonzaga enters this season as one of the top teams in the country. Shocker, I know.

The Bulldogs have had mixed results in the early season but will remain the favorite to win the WCC. The main issue for Gonzaga has been difficulties closing out games.

The Zags recently blew an 18-point lead against Kentucky, falling by one in overtime. They also screwed up against West Virginia, blowing a five-point lead with 25 seconds left in the contest.

 

Flipping the court, the Bulldogs have notable wins against Baylor, Indiana, and San Diego State.

Gonzaga currently has five players who are averaging double-digit points per game. Ben Gregg is right outside this threshold averaging 9.5.

The No. 13 Zags have a notable game against UCLA over the festive break.

—Notes—

• The Zags are undefeated home and away but 3-3 in neutral site games.

• Andrew Nembhard averages a double-double with 12 points and 10.3 assists per game.

• This is Mark Few’s 25th season as Head Coach of Gonzaga. He’s won 22 conference titles in that span.