LAS VEGAS – The West Coast Conference released its annual Preseason Coaches' Poll on Thursday morning to kick off the WCC Tip-Off Event at the Orleans Arena. The University of San Francisco men's basketball team was picked to finish sixth in what is shaping up to be a strong conference. Junior guard
Charles Minlend was named to the All-WCC Preseason Team.
Gonzaga took home the top spot in the poll receiving seven first place votes for 79 points. Saint Mary's grabbed second with three first place votes and 75 total points points. The Gaels were followed by BYU with 65 points, Pepperdine with 56 points, and Santa Clara with 50. The Dons garnered 40 points, followed by Loyola Marymount (34), Pacific (21), San Diego (21), and Portland (9).
Minlend's inclusion to the preseason team marks three-consecutive years with a Dons player on the preseason list.
Minlend is one of three returning starters from last year's team that won 21 games and finished fourth in the WCC. The native of Concord, N.C. is the leading returner from last year's team, having finished the season with 451 points, averaging 14.5 points per game.
Also returning for the Dons this season are starters
Jordan Ratinho and
Jimbo Lull. Ratinho has two major milestones within reach this season: he is just 30 points from becoming the 37
th player in USF history to score 1,000 points and is 34 3-point field goals from breaking the all-time USF record. Lull is coming off his best season for the Dons, when he started a career-best 30 games and set career-highs in minutes played, field goal percentage, rebounds and points per game.
Also returning is fellow senior
Remu Raitanen, juniors
Jamaree Bouyea and
Taavi Jurkatamm, and Sophomores
Trevante Anderson,
Dzmitry Ryuny and
Khalil Shabazz, The Dons also welcome newcomers
Justin Bieker,
Isaiah Hawthorne,
Josh Kunen,
Emmanuel Nwabueze and junior
Damari Milstead.
The season begins Tuesday, Nov. 5 when USF hosts Sonoma State. The Dons will then host Princeton at Chase Center in the first ever collegiate game played at the new home of the Golden State Warriors.
Season ticket packages, as well as mini plans and non-conference single-game tickets, are available online on
Dons Ticket Central.
