Gonzaga Bulldogs preseason: Zags picked to win WCC, four players named preseason All-WCC

Last year, for the first time in 11 years, the Gonzaga Bulldogs were not the regular-season titleholder in the WCC at the end of the year. This year, a preseason poll of the nine coaches in the conference suggest that it is once again there for Gonzaga's taking.

The Zags received seven first-place votes and 63 of 64 possible points in the poll to lead by a large margin. The BYU Cougars and Saint Mary's Gaels each also received one first-place vote.

Also, four Bulldogs were named to the preseason All-WCC team — the most out of any school in the WCC. Sophomore guards Gary Bell Jr. and Kevin Pangos are joined by junior center Sam Dower and senior forward Elias Harris in the top 10 best players in the conference.

Harris and Pangos were All-WCC selections a year ago, with Pangos also winning Newcomer of the Year, as the freshman scored 13.6 points per game and led the conference in three-point shooting. Pangos and Bell were also selected to the All-WCC freshman team.

2012-2013 WCC Preseason Poll:

Team Pts

1. Gonzaga (7) 63

2. BYU (1) 55

3. Saint Mary's (1) 52

4. Loyola Marymount 37

5. San Diego 36

6. Santa Clara 35

7. San Francisco 19

8. Portland 15

9. Pepperdine 12

2012-2013 Preseason All-WCC Team:

Player, School, Yr., Pos.

Gary Bell, Jr., Gonzaga, So., G

Brandon Davies, BYU, Sr., F

Johnny Dee, San Diego, So., G

Matthew Dellavedova, Saint Mary's, Sr., G

Sam Dower, Gonzaga, RS-Jr., C

Kevin Foster, Santa Clara, Sr., G

Elias Harris, Gonzaga, Sr., F

Stephen Holt, Saint Mary's, Jr., G

Anthony Ireland, Loyola Marymount, Jr., G

Kevin Pangos, Gonzaga, So., G