Business As Usual: BYU Picked Third In Men’s WCC Preseason Poll
Oct 3, 2019, 12:14 PM
Jaren Wilkey, BYU Photo
PROVO, Utah – For the fourth consecutive year, the BYU men’s basketball team has been picked third in the West Coast Conference’s Preseason Men’s Basketball Coaches Poll for the 2019-20 season.
This season marks BYU’s ninth year in the West Coast Conference. During that time, the Cougars have been tabbed as the preseason third-place team now five times since joining the league.
WCC Men's Preseason Poll
1. Gonzaga
2. St. Mary's
3. BYU
4. Pepperdine
5. Santa Clara
6. San Francisco
7. LMU
8. Pacific
9. San Diego
10. Portland— Mitch Harper (@Mitch_Harper) October 3, 2019
National powerhouse Gonzaga and Saint Mary’s continue to sit atop the league’s hierarchy, with BYU next in line. That bared itself out again in Thursday’s coaches poll.
The Zags received seven of the first-place votes from WCC coaches while the Gaels landed the other three. BYU received 65 points in the preseason poll.
After the usual top three in the WCC, the preseason No. 4 team is Lorenzo Romar’s Pepperdine Waves. The former Washington head coach has brought an influx of talent to Malibu, giving them the best roster after the league’s big three.
Santa Clara, San Francisco, Loyola Marymount, Pacific, San Diego, and Portland round out the rest of the preseason poll.
Two Cougars receive Preseason All-WCC team honors
A pair of BYU players received preseason All-West Coast Conference honors on Thursday. BYU forward Yoeli Childs and guard TJ Haws were selected to the league’s preseason team.
…🎤#WCCHoops pic.twitter.com/MvEToODJ0V
— WCC Basketball (@WCChoops) October 3, 2019
2019-20 All-WCC Preseason Men’s Basketball Team
| Name | Year | Pos. | Institution |
| Yoeli Childs | Sr. | F | BYU |
| Tahj Eaddy | Jr. | G | Santa Clara |
| Kessler Edwards | So. | F | Pepperdine |
| Malik Fitts | Jr. | F | Saint Mary’s |
| Jordan Ford | Sr. | G | Saint Mary’s |
| TJ Haws | Sr. | G | BYU |
| Charles Minlend | Jr. | G | San Francisco |
| Colbey Ross | Jr. | G | Pepperdine |
| Killian Tillie | Sr. | F | Gonzaga |
| Jahlil Tripp | Sr. | G | Pacific |
Season Tip-Off
BYU has Midnight Madness on Wednesday, October 23rd and their season opener is Tuesday, November 5th against Cal State Fullerton at the Marriott Center. The Cougars first WCC game is on January 4, 2020, at home against Loyola Marymount.
Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for sports.ksl.com and host of the Cougar Tracks Podcast and Cougar Sports Saturday (Saturday from 12-3 pm) on KSL Newsradio. Follow him on Twitter: @Mitch_Harper.
