Provo • Coaches believe there will be a changing of the guard in the West Coast Conference men’s basketball race this season, but BYU yet again won’t be the team doing the changing.
A team other than Gonzaga has been picked to win the WCC title for the first time in 17 years. Saint Mary’s is the unanimous preseason favorite in the annual poll of the WCC’s 10 coaches, followed by Gonzaga and BYU.
The Gaels received nine first-place votes (coaches can’t vote for their own teams) and Gonzaga received one at the league’s annual tipoff event at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas.
BYU received 62 points in the balloting and is picked third for the second straight year after the Cougars went 22-12 overall and 12-6 in league play last year.
BYU sophomores TJ Haws and Yoeli Childs made the preseason All-WCC team.
Haws played in all 34 games as a freshman and averaged 13.8 points, 2.9 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.0 steals in 2016-17 and was named to the All-WCC First and All-WCC Freshman teams.
Childs posted one of the best freshman seasons in BYU history in 2016-17, averaging 9.3 points, 8.2 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game. He was named to the All-WCC Freshman Team.
The Cougars have been scheduled to play Westminster in their exhibition opener Nov. 1 at the Marriott Center. However, CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein reported via Twitter on Thursday that New Mexico will host BYU in an exhibition game for hurricane relief Oct. 27, pending NCAA approval.
Saint Mary’s is ranked No. 17 and Gonzaga No. 20 in the 2017 Blue Ribbon Preseason Top 25 and are expected to be in the Associated Press Top 25 when that poll is released later this month.
Saint Mary’s has three players on the All-WCC team — center Jock Landale, guard Emmett Naar and wing Calvin Hermanson. Gonzaga has two: forward Johnathan Williams and junior Josh Perkins.
2017-18 WCC PRESEASON MEN’S BASKETBALL COACHES POLL <br>Team (First place votes) • Points <br>1. Saint Mary’s (9) • 812 <br>2. Gonzaga (1) • 73 <br>3. BYU • 62 <br>4. San Francisco • 59 <br>5. Santa Clara • 44 <br>6. San Diego • 37 <br>7. Pepperdine • 30 <br>8. Pacific • 24 <br>9. Portland • 21 <br>10. Loyola Marymount • 19
2017-18 ALL-WCC PRESEASON MEN’S BASKETBALL TEAM <br>Player • Year • Position • School <br>Olin Carter III • Junior • Guard • San Diego <br>Yoeli Childs • Sophomore • Forward • BYU <br>KJ Feagin • Junior • Guard • Santa Clara <br>TJ Haws • Sophomore • Guard • BYU <br>Calvin Hermanson • Senior • Forward • Saint Mary’s <br>Jock Landale • Senior • Center • Saint Mary’s <br>Charles Mineland • Sophomore • Forward • San Francisco <br>Emmett Naar • Senior • Guard • Saint Mary’s <br>Josh Perkins • Junior • Guard • Gonzaga <br>Johnathan Williams • Senior • Forward • Gonzaga