This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2012, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
BYU has been picked to finish second in the West Coast Conference men's basketball race in a poll of the league's head coaches. BYU senior center Brandon Davies made the preseason all-conference team. There is no media poll in the WCC preseason balloting — just a coaches poll. Gonzaga was picked to win the league, receiving seven first-place votes. BYU and St. Mary's College each received one first-place vote. After Gonzaga, BYU and SMC, coaches picked this order: 4, Loyola Marymount. 5, San Diego. 6, Santa Clara. 7, San Francisco. 8, Portland. 9, Pepperdine. Joining Davies on the WCC preseason first team are Gonzaga's Sam Dower, Kevin Pangos, Elias Harris and Gary Bell, SMC's Matthew Dellavedova and Stephen Holt, San Diego's Johny Dee, Santa Clara's Kevin Foster and LMU's Anthony Ireland.