By Curran McCauley
West Coast Conference Basketball is nearing the end of its regular season, which just one weekend of play to go before the 10 conference teams will descend on the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas for a weekend of hoops to decide who represents the conference in the NCAA Tournament. The odds-on favorite, No. 3/2 Gonzaga, was tested against Saint Mary’s, who figures to be in the conversation for the other championship game spot. This week, we offer a look at the key contributors as we head to tournament time, with a new twist as a preview for championship week: just one player from each conference team, the player that figures to be the biggest factor for each team’s run in Sin City.
1. Kyle Wiltjer / Jr. F / Gonzaga
Wiltjer exploded for 45 points against Pacific on Thursday, the second most in the nation this season and followed his performance with a double double in a win over Saint Mary’s (16 points, 12 rebounds) earning West Coast Conference Player of the Week for the second straight time. Wiltjer is making an argument as one of the true game-changers on teams destined for success in March.
2. Kyle Collinsworth / Jr. G / BYU
Collinsworth gets the nod over Tyler Haws as BYU’s top threat in Vegas because of his simple ability to impact the game in every facet. The single-season triple-double king recorded a double double (16 pts, 11 rebs) on senior night and has helped the Cougars to four straight wins. Collinsworth was named one of 17 finalists for the Bob Cousy award, given to the nation’s top point guard at the end of the season. The junior is the only player in the nation in the top 100 in assists, rebounds and steals.
3. Brad Waldow / Sr. F / Saint Mary’s
Waldow is an easy pick as the Player that Saint Mary’s needs to perform in order to challenge for the WCC crown. Waldow had a double-double for the Gaels in the loss to Gonzaga, his first since Jan. 17. Waldow is averaging just under 20 points and 10 rebounds a game. He pulled down 11 boards against the Zags at home on Saturday. Something to watch in the tournament: Waldow’s free throw shooting, which has been inconsistent, excellent at times and subpar at others.
4. Stacy Davis / Jr. F / Pepperdine
Davis has been huge for the Waves as they have put together their first winning season since 2005. In a loss to San Francisco on Saturday, the junior went for a double double (23 points and 12 rebounds). Davis has seven double doubles on the season and is averaging 15.7 ppg and 7.8 rpg on the season. Davis will look to lead the Waves deep into the WCC tournament as the team is almost certainly heading for a berth in one of the nation’s postseason tournaments.
5. Thomas van der Mars / Sr. C / Portland
Van der Mars might not be the best overall player on the Pilots, but he is vital to the success of Portland, which has been streaky this season. In a loss to Pacific on Saturday, the senior was limited to just two points and three rebounds as the Tigers outlasted Portland in overtime in Stockton. On Thursday, he registered a double double at Saint Mary’s (17 points, 10 rebounds). Van Der Mars needs to stay out of foul trouble and be a force down low for the Pilots to have a chance at the semifinals in Vegas.
6. Johnny Dee / Sr. G / San Diego
Dee has been a constant double-digit scoring threat for the Toreros and has missed just three free-throws (total!) in conference play this season. Dee, the all-time leading scorer in USD history, can really pour in the points from beyond the arc, shooting 39% from three-point land. A hot shooting night from Dee in Las Vegas could propel the Toreros to an upset or two.
7. Brandon Clark and Jared Brownridge /Sr. and So. G / Santa Clara
OK, a slight break from the format to recognize the great backcourt for the Broncos. Both Clark and Brownridge are averaging just over 15 points a game, with Brownridge the bigger threat from the perimeter (.426 3-pt shooting percentage) and Clark the bigger inside presence (102 rebs this season). SCU snapped a six game losing streak at LMU on Saturday with Brownridge leading all scorers with 28 points.
8. Tim Derksen / Junior G-F / San Francisco
Derksen has averaged 12.3 ppg so far this season, with a pair of 19 point scoring performances last weekend. San Francisco has won three in a row after a five game losing streak and will hope to enter the WCC Tourney with some momentum after a homestand against Pacific and Saint Mary’s. Derksen will need to maintain his solid scoring output while avoiding early fouls for USF to defend home court.
9. T.J. Wallace / So. G / Pacific
Wallace has emerged as one of the top sophomores in the conference and has become the focal point of Ron Verlin’s squad, averaging 13.2 ppg. The Stockton native went for 19 points against Gonzaga on Thursday, including a 2-2 effort from beyond the arc. Pacific will look for back-to-back wins for the first time in conference play against San Francisco on Thursday.
10. Evan Payne / So. G / Loyola Marymount
Payne missed the last two games for LMU with an undisclosed injury, but if he is healthy for the WCC tournament, LMU could make some noise. The Akron, Ohio product can put up points in a hurry, putting up 14 points in the final 56 seconds of a narrow loss to Portland. Payne has notched a double figure- scoring total in all but five of his games this season.
Conference Tidbits
Wiltjer’s 45 point performance represented the 13th most points poured in by a WCC player in a single game…Waldow (13), Collinsworth (12), Davis (7) and van der Mars (5) are the only players in the conference with more than five double doubles in the WCC this season…Tyler Haws and Wiltjer are the only two players with multiple 30+ point performances in the conference this season as Wiltjer also had a 32 point performance in non-conference play with Georgia.
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