Zags picked to win WCC (again): Tillie named

preseason all-WCC

LAS VEGAS — For the 18th time in the last 19 seasons, the Gonzaga men’s basketball team was selected as favorites in the West Coast Conference preseason coaches’ poll.

The annual poll, along with the WCC preseason team, was released at the ninth annual #WCCHoops Tip-Off event at the Orleans Arena on Thursday.

Senior forward Killian Tillie was named Preseason All-WCC. He makes the list for the second straight season.

Tillie was a preseason All-West Coast Conference selection before missing 22 games with injuries last season. In 15 appearances, he averaged 6.2 points and 3.9 rebounds per game. The Cagnes-sur-Mer, France native, made 10 blocks and had 10 steals in 2018-19. Tillie was tabbed second team All-WCC as a sophomore.

The Bulldogs have won the last seven West Coast Conference regular season titles. The Zags have won or shared 18 of the last 19 conference regular season titles.

With the exception of 2017-18, the Zags have been first place in every West Coast Conference preseason poll since 2001. GU received seven of the league’s 10 first place votes in this year’s poll. Coaches are not allowed to vote for their own program. Saint Mary’s collected the other three votes. The Zags had 79 points in the poll, while SMC was second with 75 and BYU was third with 65.

Pepperdine was fourth in the preseason poll with 56 points, followed by Santa Clara, San Francisco, Loyola Marymount, Pacific and San Diego (tied for eighth) and Portland.

Gonzaga’s exhibition against Central Washington is scheduled for 6 p.m., on Nov. 1. The first regular season game kicks off three consecutive home games and is on Nov. 6 at 6 p.m., against Idaho State.

2019-20 All-WCC Preseason

Men’s Basketball Team

Yoeli Childs, Sr., F, BYU; Tahj Eaddy, Jr., G, Santa Clara; Kessler Edwards, So., F, Pepperdine; Malik Fitts, Jr., F, Saint Mary’s; Jordan Ford, Sr., G, Saint Mary’s; TJ Haws, Sr., G, BYU: Charles Minlend, Jr., G, San Francisco; Colbey Ross, Jr., G, Pepperdine; Killian Tillie, Sr., F, Gonzaga; Jahlil Tripp, Sr., G, Pacific.