WCC MBB 2016 Schedule

SAN BRUNO, Calif. -- The West Coast Conference announced its 2015-16 men's basketball conference schedule on Tuesday. The race for the WCC regular season crown will be contested over a 10-week span, and consist of a double round-robin format. Conference play is slated to begin on Monday, December 21, 2015 and will conclude on February 27, 2016.

After a strong 2014-15 campaign featuring at least half the membership advancing to the postseason for the second straight season, competition promises to be exceptionally tough once again in the West Coast Conference. Five teams -- BYU (NCAA), Gonzaga (NCAA), Pepperdine (CBI), Portland (CIT) and Saint Mary's (NIT) -- represented the conference in the postseason, and three teams posted at least 20 victories.

Gonzaga marched to the Elite Eight before falling to eventual National Champion Duke. The Bulldogs posted a league-record 35 victories in 2014-15, finishing 35-3.

The 2015-16 West Coast Conference men's basketball season tips off Monday, December 21, 2015 with eight teams in action for a compelling opening night. In the Pacific Northwest, defending regular season and tournament champion Gonzaga hosts rising Pepperdine and Portland welcomes Loyola Marymount. In Bay Area rivalries, Pacific renews its rivalry with Santa Clara in Stockton and Saint Mary's takes on San Francisco in Moraga.

Eight WCC teams will compete on New Year's Eve and all 10 teams open the 2016 calendar on Saturday, January 2. BYU hosts Pacific in Provo, Saint Mary's plays San Diego in the East Bay, while San Francisco welcomes Gonzaga to the Hilltop. Portland takes on Santa Clara in the South Bay while Pepperdine hosts PCH rival Loyola Marymount in Malibu.

BYU and San Diego will be the last two teams to open conference play. Due to BYU's participation in the Diamond Head Classic and San Diego's final exams schedule, the Cougars and Toreros will schedule their opener on a mutually agreed upon date, to be determined.

Key games in January include Saint Mary's at Pepperdine Saturday, Jan. 9, BYU at Gonzaga Thursday, Jan. 14, and San Francisco at Portland Thursday, Jan. 28. Conference battles to mark on the calendar for February include BYU at San Diego Thursday, Feb. 18 and Saint Mary's at Gonzaga Saturday, Feb. 20. Gonzaga makes its annual trip to Provo, Utah to face the Cougars Saturday, Feb. 27 on the final day of the regular season, which features all 10 teams in action.

USD head coach Lamont Smith and his staff will play the majority of their WCC road contests over the first half of league play, closing out the schedule with seven WCC home games over the final five weeks.

The 2016 West Coast Conference Basketball Championships will take place from March 3-8 at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas.

SAN DIEGO WCC MEN'S BASKETBALL SCHEDULE
Mon., Dec. 21 BYE
Wed., Dec. 23 @ BYU (* will be rescheduled by mutual consent of both teams)
Thu., Dec. 31 @ Pacific
Sat., Jan. 2 @ Saint Mary's College
Thu., Jan. 7 vs. SAN FRANCISCO
Sat., Jan. 9 vs. SANTA CLARA
Thu., Jan. 14 @ Gonzaga
Sat., Jan. 16 @ Portland
Thu., Jan. 21 @ Pepperdine
Sat., Jan. 23 @ Loyola Marymount
Thu., Jan. 28 vs. PEPPERDINE
Sat., Jan. 30 vs. LOYOLA MARYMOUNT
Thu., Feb. 4 vs. PACIFIC
Sat., Feb. 6 vs. SAINT MARY'S COLLEGE
Thu., Feb. 11 @ Santa Clara
Sat., Feb. 13 @ San Francisco
Thu., Feb. 18 vs. BYU
Thu., Feb. 25 vs. GONZAGA
Sat., Feb. 27 vs. PORTLAND