Year after year, the West Coast Conference proves it is one of the best mid-major conferences in the league. However, it could be argued that the WCC is no longer a mid-major. Gonzaga has been a consistent national powerhouse. Meanwhile, Saint Mary’s has won at least a share of four consecutive regular-season titles and projects to earn its fifth straight NCAA tournament bid this year.
2026 WCC Tournament: Can Santa Clara End Gonzaga’s and Saint Mary’s Dominance in the Conference Tournament
Gonzaga and Saint Mary’s enter the 2026 WCC tournament, which takes place in Paradise, Nevada, as the heavy favorites to capture this year’s crown. The Zags and Gaels are both ranked in the AP Top 25 and shared the regular season crown with a 16-2 record. Those two programs have captured the last 17 WCC tournament titles, with Gonzaga winning 13 crowns.
While Gonzaga and Saint Mary’s are the most likely teams to reach the conference finals, with automatic berths in the 2026 WCC tournament finals, Santa Clara could foil those plans. Santa Clara had a historic season and is very good on both ends of the floor. The 2026 WCC tournament begins tonight with a pair of games.
2026 WCC Tournament Schedule
First Round – Thursday, March 5
Game 1:N o. 9 Portland vs. No. 12 Pepperdine
Game 2: No. 10 Loyola Marymount vs. No. 11 San Diego
Second Round – Friday, March 6
Game 3: No. 8 Washington State vs. Winner Game 1
Game 4: No. 7 Seattle vs. Winner Game 2
Third Round – Saturday, March 7
Game 5: No. 5 San Francisco vs. Winner Game 3
Game 6: No. 6 Pacific vs. Winner Game 4
Quarterfinals – Sunday, March 8
Game 7: No. 4 Oregon State vs. Winner Game 5
Game 8: No. 3 Santa Clara vs. Winner Game 6
Semifinals – Monday, March 9
Game 9: No. 1 Gonzaga vs. Winner Game 7
Game 10: No. 2 Saint Mary’s vs. Winner Game 8
Final – Tuesday, March 10
Game 11: Winner Game 9 vs. Winner Game 10
© Darren Yamashita, Imagn Images
1. Gonzaga Bulldogs 28-3, 16-2
Gonzaga is on pace for a top-10 season in program history. The Zags claimed their 23rd regular-season WCC title by sharing it with Saint Mary’s. The Zags, who are 6-2 in their last eight, have claimed 20 conference tournament titles. They are the top seed because they swept Santa Clara, while the Gaels split with the Broncs.
12th-ranked Gonzaga has been dominant for much of the season, with a top-20 offense and the No. 2 defense in the country. The Bulldogs are a highly efficient offensive club despite ranking among the bottom of the conference in 3-point shooting and dead last in free-throw shooting. They are an excellent passing team that moves the ball well and doesn’t commit turnovers.
Defense is Gonzaga’s bread and butter. Gonzaga allows 65.4 points, the second fewest in the league, while holding their opponents to 40.2% from the field. The Bulldogs defend the 3-point line well and don’t foul a lot. They force over 13 turnovers a game during conference play and own a +6.0 rebound margin.
Gonzaga is a veteran-laden and deep team, led by 6-9 senior Graham Ike. Ile led the WCC in scoring at 19.7, and he is efficient, with a league-best 59.4% effective shooting percentage. Ike is also a strong rebounder. While it doesn’t appear that the Bulldogs have injured forward Braden Huff for the conference tournament, guards Tyon Grant-Foster have been solid, and freshman Davis Fogle has stepped up production.
2. Saint Mary’s College Gaels 27-4, 16-2
Saint Mary’s earned its share of the WCC regular-season title with its 70-59 victory over Gonzaga in the conference final, marking its seventh title under coach Randy Bennett. No. 21 SMC has won eight in a row overall and owns a top-50 offense and a top-20 defense. The Gaels are an excellent 3-point shooting team, knocking down 9.0 threes at a 41.5% clip during conference play, and are the WCC’s top free-throw shooting club. They also protect the ball well, are an outstanding offensive rebounding team, and love to control the tempo.
While Saint Mary’s struggles offensively when sped up, the Gaels are elite defensively with tremendous discipline. SMC holds WCC opponent.o The Gaels are an exceptional rebounding squad overall, with a +11.1 rebound margin, and don’t foul a lot. However, they don’t force turnovers.
Paulius Murauskas is an excellent two-way forward who leads three players in double-figures with 18.6 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 2.2 assists while shooting 48.2% from the field. Sophomore point guard Joshua Dent, who leads the WCC in minutes and free-throw percentage, averages 13.3 points, 5.6 assists, and 1.6 steals. Seven-foot-1 center Andrew McKeever anchors the Gaels defense, averages 8.3 points and league-best 9.1 boards (3.7 offensive). McKeever and theGaels’s other seven-footer, Harry Wessels, combine for 13.4 points, 14.4 boards, and 1.9 blocks.
3. Santa Clara Broncos 24-7, 15-3
Santa Clara is having a historical season. The Broncos’ 24 wins are the fourth most in program history, while their 15 WCC victories are a school record. It is their fifth straight season of at least 20 victories overall and 10 or more during conference play. They are 2-2 in their last 4 games, and their three losses have been by an averageof 13 points.
Santa Clara has the WCC’s most explosive offense, averaging 87.2 points per game, shooting 49.1% from the field,d and making 10.4 threes at a 36.7% clip. The Broncos are an excellent free-throw shooting team and limit turnovers. The Broncos are pretty deep, with nine players averaging 10 minutes or more per game, and each player is producing 5 points or more. Additionally, seven players are making one or more threes per contest.
While the Broncos thrive in creating turnovers, they struggle on that end overall. The Broncos allow 74 points on 46.1% from the field. They are not a great rebounding team with just a +1.5 margin.
4. Oregon State Beavers (16-15, 9-9)
Oregon State will miss the NCAA Tournament for the fifth straight season. While the Beavers have posted a winning record in each of their two seasons in the WCC, they are just 36-28 over this span, including 19-18 against conference teams . The Beavers are 3-3 in their last six.
OSU is inconsistent offensively, as the Beavers are one of the league’s worst shooting teams and average just 70.1 points per game while allowing 75.5 points in conference play. The Beavers do get to the free-throw line a good amount, but turnovers and fouls are an issue.
5. San Francisco Dons (16-15, 8-10)
San Francisco’s streak of at least 20 wins is likely to come to an end after four straight seasons, unless the Dons win the WCC tournament. The Dons enter the WCC tourney losing seven of their last 10.
6. Pacific Tigers (17-14, 8-10)
Pacific has shown significant improvement under second-year head coach Dave Smart. The Tigers’ 17 regular-season victories and eight conference wins are their most this decade. The Tigers have lost six of their last eight.
7. Seattle Redhawks (19-12, 8-10)
Seattle had a decent first season in the WCC. The Redhawks are fantastic on defense, ranking third in points allowed at 68.1, but they are the league’s worst offensive team. The Redhawks have won three straight entering the conference tournament.
8. Washington State Cougars (12-19, 7-11)
Washington State has really struggled in its second season in the WCC, posting its first losing record since 2018-19. The Cougars average 76.5 points, fourth in the league, and shoot the ball well, with shooting splits of 46.9/38.4/73.4. Freshman Ace Glass II has been excellent, leading four players in double-figures at 16.3 points per contest. However, the Cougars struggle to defend and protect the ball.