The Worst Loss and Best Addition For Each WCC School

The offseason can either be a great or a tough time for schools. With all the transfers and graduating players, it is essential for a school to assess its roster a figure out its needs.

However, for every player lost, a player is (usually) added. Here is a look at the players that will be toughest to replace and the players that will make the most impact their first year.

Feb 20, 2014; Provo, UT, USA; Brigham Young Cougars guard

(2) shoots against the Gonzaga Bulldogs during the second half at Marriott Center. Mandatory Credit: Chris Nicoll-USA TODAY Sports

Brigham Young

Biggest Loss: Matt Carlino

Carlino, while out of control at times, will be sorely missed by the Cougars. His natural talent and fearlessness made him a special player to watch.

“Matty Basketball,” as ESPN’s Seth Greenberg calls him, will be playing his last season of eligibility at Marquette.

Biggest Addition: Jordan Chatman

With Carlino gone and Collinsworth recovering from an ACL tear, Chatman will be called upon to play big minutes at the point guard spot right away.

Chatman, who is fresh off an LDS mission, was a two-star point guard in the 2012 class.

Gonzaga

Biggest Loss: Sam Dower

After waiting his turn his first three seasons, Dower received big minutes this past season and in turn averaged 14.4 points and 7.2 rebounds in his senior season.

Dower’s presence in the paint and his ability to stretch the floor out will be missed.

 Biggest Addition: Kyle Wiltjer

While Dower was a very good offensive player, the Bulldogs will replace him with Kentucky transfer Kyle Wiltjer, who is just as good if not better than Dower on the offensive end of the floor.

Wiltjer was the SEC sixth man of the year his sophomore year at Kentucky, averaging 10.2 points. The former McDonald’s All-American is a big time talent that should help the Zags immensely.

Loyola Marymount

Biggest Loss: Gabe Levin

While Anthony Ireland was one of the best players in the conference last season, the Lions frontcourt is worse off without Gabe Levin than their backcourt is without Ireland.

Evan Payne returns and Ayodeji Egbeyemi comes back from injury, forming a solid backcourt duo for the Lions next season. With Levin out of the fray, LMU’s frontcourt is severely lacking without his 11.1 points per game and 7.1 rebounds per game.

Biggest Addition: Simon Krajcovic

The Lions recruiting class was imploded upon the firing of former head coach Max Good, but new head hancho Mike Dunlap brought in Slovakian point guard Simon Krajcovic.

Krajcovic played for the acclaimed Canarias Basketball Academy, the same school Portland center Thomas van der Mars hails from.

While playing for the Slovakian Republic’s national team, Krajcovic averaged 12.7 points, 5.7 rebounds and 7.4 assists at the 2011-2012 U18 European Championships.

Feb 13, 2014; Stockton, CA, USA; Pacific Tigers forward Tony Gill (33) raises three fingers after scoring a three pointer against the Brigham Young Cougars during the second half at Alex G. Spanos Center. The Pacific Tigers defeated the Brigham Young Cougars 89-82. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-USA TODAY Sports

Pacific

Biggest Loss: Tony Gill

The Tigers senior leader Tony Gill will move on with his life, exhausting his four years of eligibility at the University of the Pacific.

Gill averaged 11.4 points and 5.9 rebounds this season, leading a senior class consisting of seven players.

Biggest Addition: Sami Eleraky

This big, Dutch center from the City College of San Francisco signed with the Tigers, adding a considerable amount of depth to the Tigers front court.

Eleraky was originally committed to the California out of high school, but things went array and he ended up in the Junior College ranks. The Tigers snatched him up this season, hoping his Pac-12 type potential shines in the WCC.

He will have three years of eligibility left.

Pepperdine

Biggest Loss: Brendan Lane

While Lane only played one season in Malibu, he was excellent, averaging 13.0 points, 7.3 rebounds and 2.4 blocks.

The UCLA transfer made an immediately impact on the Waves, serving as a team leader and second leading scorer and rebounder during his senior season.

Biggest Addition: Nate Gehring

Gehring, a 6-foot-10 center from Waukee, Iowa, will come in right away and fight for a starting spot. With Lane gone, the Waves do not have a lot of depth at the center position. Gehring runs the floor very well and is a good athlete, characteristics of an immediate impact player.

Portland

Biggest Loss: Ryan Nicholas

“Rhino,” as he is often referred as, will be missed greatly by the Pilots this upcoming season.

Not only was he productive statistically – 12.9 points and 8.8 rebounds per game this past season – but Nicholas was a big time energy player and leader for the Pilots. It’s clear from watching him play that Nicholas gave his all on every single play, something that is very hard to find.

Biggest Addition: Jason Todd

The two-time Washington State Basketball Player of the Year will come and make an immediate impact on the Portland Pilots. Although the Pilots return a host of backcourt players – i.e. Alec Wintering, Bryce Pressley, David Carr, Aitor Zubizarreta and Bobby Sharp – Todd’s talent will get him the rotation immediately, backing up senior Kevin Bailey at the small forward position.

By the way, the only players to win back-to-back Gatorade State Player of the Year awards are Dwight Howard, Chauncey Billups, Jason Kidd, Paul Pierce and Chris Bosh; so Todd is in pretty good company.

Saint Mary’s

Biggest Loss: Stephen Holt

Holt finally got the chance to play point guard this past season, and put up good numbers upon receiving the opportunity. The Portland, Ore. native averaged 15.8 points and 3.9 assists this past season, leading the Gaels to the NIT.

Biggest Addition: Aaron Bright

Since point guard is the most important role in the Randy Bennett’s system, it was essential for the head coach to grab a new point guard upon Holt’s graduation. Bennett found his man in Stanford transfer Aaron Bright.

While playing the Pac-12, Bright averaged 11.7 points and 3.7 assists during the 2011-2012 season, his best as a member of the Cardinal.

Bright was forced off the roster after Stanford unknowingly filled their last scholarship before Bright took a medical redshirt after dislocating his right shoulder and missing a majority of the 2013-2014 season.

San Diego

Biggest Loss: Dennis Kramer

Kramer was the most productive player in the Toreros frontcourt this past season, averaging 11.5 points and 6.6 rebounds.

Kramer stepped up as a senior after slumping in his junior season. Kramer’s improved play this season was one of the reasons why San Diego was able to snag a first-round bye in the WCC tournament and earn a berth into the College Insiders Tournament this march.

Biggest Addition: Marcus Harris

This San Antonio point guard committed to San Diego in late September, seemingly giving the Toreros the heir apparent to current lead guard Christopher Anderson.

Harris is short (5-foot-11), but he possesses a great outside shot and is a tenacious defender. These qualities could get Harris quality minutes right away for the Toreros.

Jan 18, 2014; San Francisco, CA, USA; San Francisco Dons forward Cole Dickerson (25) takes a shot against the San Diego Toreros during the second half at War Memorial Gymnasium. The San Francisco Dons defeated the San Diego Toreros 64-62. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-USA TODAY Sports

San Francisco

Biggest Loss: Cole Dickerson

As USF’s lone senior last season, the Federal Way, Wash. native lived up to expectations, averaging 15.1 points and 7.7 rebounds this past season.

The two team all-WCC honoree was consistently one the Dons best players for his career. This season, he helped lead the Dons to a top-three finish in the WCC standings and to a berth in the NIT.

Biggest Addition: Frankie Ferrari

Ferrari, a local product, will have a very good chance to play big minutes right away with the Avry Holmes transfer.

While he is only 5-foot-11, Ferrari has a tremendous feel for the game, along with a stellar jumper.

Santa Clara

Biggest Loss: Jerry Brown

The Broncos were not very good in the paint last season, but Jerry Brown was not a reason why.

Brown was the team leader in rebounds (5.5 rebounds per game) and was at times the only competent scorer in the Broncos lineup.

Biggest Addition: Evan Wardlow

While the Broncos bring back a host of solid backcourt players, Wardlow will vie for playing time right away. The biggest reason for that: his defense.

The El Camino Real High School product is described as a tenacious defender, providing shut-down-the-other-teams-top-scorer capabilities. Head Coach Kerry Keating will love having this player at his disposal if this turns out to be true.