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SAN BRUNO, Calif. — As the doors to the West Coast Conference opened, and Brigham Young University walked in, the Cougars found themselves being directed to stand on the top three podium.
The WCC's Basketball Tip-Off event in San Bruno, Calif., on Thursday announced the voting results and preseason all-conference selections.
BYU officially entered the WCC on June 30, 2011, as the conference's ninth, and final, team.
Although they entered the conference last, the Cougars were far from the end when rankings and selections were announced on Thursday.
BYU received one first-place vote and was selected to finish third in the preseason poll (totaling 52 points). In front of BYU was second-place Saint Mary's College with 56 points and first-place Gonzaga with 63 points.
Gonzaga and Saint Mary's College are both recognized platform standers, and both possess a successful history.
Before making its 13th straight NCAA appearance last March, Gonzaga took on a schedule recognized as one of the most difficult in the nation and finished the season 25- 10. Currently, it is ranked 23rd in the ESPN/USA Today coaches poll.
Saint Mary's College also received one first-place vote. It experienced success in the conference last year and is a returning serious threat with a senior, Rob Jones, and junior, Matthew Dellavedov, both selected for the All-WCC Team.
Although the 2011-12 season will be the first time that BYU plays with these teams in conference, the Cougars did go head to head with the Zags in the third round of the tournament last March. In the Pepsi Center in Denver, BYU beat Gonzaga 89 to 67.
Other teams that BYU will need to watch for include the University of San Fransisco, Santa Clara University and Loyola Marymount University.
2. Saint Mary's College
3. Brigham Young University
4. University of San Francisco
5. Santa Clara University
6. Loyola Marymount University
7. University of Portland
8. Pepperdine University
9. University of San Diego
Last year, the University of San Fransisco had its most successful season since 1982 and has all five of its starters returning.
Santa Clara finished its season powerfully last year, winning eight of its last nine games, leading to its capture of the CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament title.
Loyola Marymount University's redshirt senior forward Drew Viney pushed through an injury last season to average more than 17 points per game. He has been named All-WCC twice.
In addition to the team's high ranking, BYU's junior forward Brandon Davies was a Preseason All-WCC selection. Last year, in the Mountain West Conference, Davies finished fifth in rebounding, having more than six boards per game and averaging 11.1 points.
Talented players stretch across all of the WCC teams. From number one Gonzaga's redshirt senior center Robert Sacre (12.5 points and 6.3 rebounds average last season) to seventh-ranked University of Portland's senior guard Nemanja Mitrovic (13.5 points per game and sixth nationally in three-point field goal percentage last season), BYU will find challengers on every team.
Being the new kid on the block, BYU will have questions about its neighbors. However, after the WCC's preseason poll, the neighbors likely are equally curious about the new kid in the conference and Davies.
At the WCC men's basketball tip-off, coach David Rose commented on the situation of being the new kid.
"You're the new guy in and everybody's heard about us coming into the league and they've talked … a lot about it," Rose said. "The players and the coaches, they'll all kind of want a piece of the new guy."
