Gonzaga has won at least a share of 14 of the past 15 regular-season titles in the West Coast Conference, a remarkable run of success that's likely to continue in 2015-16. Coach Mark Few lost his entire backcourt, but he might have the best frontcourt in all of Division I and, anyway, the rest of the league doesn't appear to have a rival capable of dethroning the Bulldogs.
Nevertheless, it's plausible that the WCC could furnish the Zags with some company in the 2016 NCAA tournament. Certainly Brigham Young would like another shot. The Cougars bowed out of the 2015 round of 68 after allowing Ole Miss to score 62 points in one half of basketball. Even without BYU all-time leading scorer Tyler Haws, Dave Rose will get sufficient offense this season from Kyle Collinsworth, Chase Fischer and much-talked-about freshman Nick Emery (now available after completing his two-year LDS mission). The real question in Provo could be the defense played by the likes of Corbin Kaufusi, Utah State transfer Kyle Davis and UNLV transfer Jamal Aytes.
With a possible exception noted below, you might see some daylight between the WCC's "big two" and the rest of the league. Portland and San Francisco will be young, Pacific's defense makes BYU's look like Virginia's, and perimeter-oriented Santa Clara needs to give sharpshooter Jared Brownridge some help, ideally by committing far fewer fouls.
Favorite
Kevin Pangos, Gary Bell and Byron Wesley have all departed, meaning Few's backcourt this season will be comprised of Kyle Dranginis, Silas Melson and onetime Vanderbilt Commodore Eric McClellan, among others. That rotation doesn't sound particularly overwhelming. It won't need to be: Kyle Wiltjer has a legitimate shot at the Wooden Award, Domantas Sabonis is being projected as a 2016 first-round pick and first-team All-WCC selection Przemek Karnowski is a purpose-built unstoppable 2-point machine. You'll see bounteous furtive speculation over whether Few will put his "big three" on the floor together as one unit, but all of these guys are going to wreak pitiless havoc in the WCC regardless. It's Gonzaga's year, again.
Sleeper
Pepperdine coach Marty Wilson brings back all five starters from a team that went 10-8 in the WCC last season and took Gonzaga to the game's final possession in Malibu before falling 78-76. It's possible the Waves could make their first NCAA tournament appearance since 2002, particularly if Wilson's guys can improve on offense. A few miles down the coast, San Diego alum and erstwhile New Mexico assistant Lamont Smith will try to elevate a Toreros program that hasn't finished above .500 in the WCC since USD's seismic upset over Connecticut in the 2008 round of 64.
Team that could fall on its face
Last season, coach Randy Bennett played a six-man rotation featuring five seniors and Emmett Naar. Now Naar's all alone, though at least he'll have Boston College transfer Joe Rahon alongside him. The question now in Moraga is whether the full effect of the scholarship reductions levied by the NCAA against SMC in 2013 will begin to be felt.
Meanwhile, Loyola Marymount's featured scorer, Evan Payne, elected to transfer (locally, to Long Beach State), so in Mike Dunlap's second season at the helm, the coach might hand the offense over to Munis Tutu. The freshman played point guard for the Canadian team that won silver at the 2014 FIBA Americas U18 championship.
Top pro prospect
Sabonis, Gonzaga
The 6-foot-10 Sabonis is a dominant rebounder at both ends of the floor, and his downright Okafor-like 76 percent conversion rate at the rim suggests Few should have a half-court set entitled "Give Domantas Sabonis the Ball and Watch Him Score." As for the inevitable claims that any player with the sophomore's bio must surely be a good passer, well, it could happen. Sabonis might justify the label this season, but in truth, his assist rate in 2014-15 was dwarfed by the never-been-confused-for-CP3 likes of Georgetown's Joshua Smith and Villanova's Daniel Ochefu. Behold the expectation-setting power of stereotypes and go fight cognitive city hall.
Projected all-conference team
G: Kyle Collinsworth, BYU
F: Domantas Sabonis, Gonzaga
F: Kyle Wiltjer, Gonzaga
F: Stacy Davis, Pepperdine
C: Przemek Karnowski, Gonzaga