BYU has embarked on its West Coast Conference farewell tour before joining the Big 12 next year.
The Cougars began their 12th and final season in the WCC with a 20-point victory at Pacific Thursday night and they host Portland on New Year’s Eve.
BYU has never won a WCC regular-season or tournament title. And it appears that drought will not end this season.
In October, the league’s coaches picked BYU to finish in a third-place tie with San Francisco, and during the nonconference portion of their schedule, the Cougars experienced their share of struggles.
In the NCAA’s NET rankings, there are five WCC teams ranked in the top 100 — and BYU is not one of them.
There’s No. 12 Gonzaga, No. 15 Saint Mary’s, No. 85 Loyola Marymount, No. 86 Santa Clara and No. 94 San Francisco.
The WCC is the only non-Power 5 Conference to have two teams in the top 15.
The Cougars, who have won six consecutive games, check in at No. 109.
Can this improving BYU team contend for a WCC title in its final season in the league?
“I don’t know. The reason I don’t know is because I think we’re getting better. Were we good enough two weeks ago? No. Could we be good enough in March? Maybe. That’s the challenge,” said coach Mark Pope.
“Everything we do is dependent on growth. That is our life. These guys have shown their willingness, the ability and the humility and the toughness to grow. We’re a much better team than we were six weeks ago, for sure. I think our trend is really upwards. For us to be able to contend in this league, we’re going to have to be way better on Feb. 25 than we are today. That’s our mission … If we keep getting better, we can grow into a team that could be a problem (in the WCC). That’s exciting.”
Meanwhile, the league has improved considerably in recent years, according to Pope.
“I think the conference is really good. The Zags and Saint Mary’s are really good. San Francisco and Santa Clara have surprised people with how good they are. They’re right there,” Pope said.
“Portland is actually better than where they’re positioned right now. San Diego’s talent has seen a huge uptick. They’re capable of winning any game in league on any given night … Top to bottom, the league is good. The caboose of the league has gotten way, way better. The league’s made some incredible strides the last five years. It’s been awesome.”
In October, Gonzaga coach Mark Few expressed appreciation for what BYU has brought to the conference.
“I’m happy for them,” he said of the move to the Big 12. “They found a great landing spot. That’s a great step for them for all their programs, but it’s been great. Their effect on the league has been huge. It’s one of the greatest things we’ve done as a league, adding them in the 30-plus years I’ve been in it. They’ve been a great partner. They’re a national program and they act like a national program. Their gameday is as good as anybody’s — and we’ve been everywhere.
“To experience it, it is as big-time as anybody’s. It’s been a healthy rivalry with some phenomenal games with different characters involved over the years and highly competitive. I’m sure we’ll continue to play in some fashion or form moving forward.”
While BYU is saying goodbye to the WCC, Pope said the league and its members have been understanding — not resentful.
“The league’s been awesome. Our commissioner is fantastic. We have great coaches and ADs in this league. It’s a terrific league. It’s a basketball league,” he said.
“This is a basketball-first league. It’s going to continue to be a great league. It’s been unbelievable for us to be in this league. It’s made us better. It’s a special basketball league that will continue to get better and better.”