What is the WCC Basketball Tournament?
The West Coast Conference Basketball Tournament, also known as the WCC Tournament, is an annual college basketball tournament that is held to determine the West Coast Conference’s automatic bid to the NCAA Men’s Division I Basketball Championship. The tournament is held at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. The tournament consists of eight teams competing in a single-elimination style tournament.
History of the WCC Tournament
The West Coast Conference Basketball Tournament has been held annually since 1952, with the exception of the 2020 tournament, which was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The tournament was created as a way to determine the conference’s automatic bid to the NCAA Men’s Division I Basketball Championship.
The tournament has been held at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada since 2009. Prior to 2009, the tournament had been held at several different venues, including the University of San Francisco, Santa Clara University, and the University of Portland.
Participating Teams
The WCC Tournament is an eight-team tournament that includes the top seven teams from the regular season and one team that is selected as a wild card. The seven teams that qualify for the tournament are based on their regular season conference record, with the team with the best record receiving the number one seed. The wild card team is then selected by the conference’s Selection Committee.
Format of the Tournament
The tournament is a single-elimination style tournament, with the first round being played between the number one and number eight seeds, the second round between the number two and seven seeds, the third round between the number three and six seeds, and the fourth round between the number four and five seeds.
The winner of each game advances to the next round, until the championship game, which is played between the two remaining teams. The winner of the championship game earns the West Coast Conference’s automatic bid to the NCAA Men’s Division I Basketball Championship.
Notable WCC Tournament Champions
Throughout its history, the WCC Tournament has seen several notable champions, including Gonzaga, Saint Mary’s, San Francisco, Santa Clara, and Loyola Marymount.
In 2019, the Gonzaga Bulldogs won the tournament for the fourth consecutive year. This marked the first time that a team has won four consecutive WCC Tournament championships.
Awards and Honors
In addition to the West Coast Conference’s automatic bid to the NCAA Men’s Division I Basketball Championship, the tournament also awards several awards and honors. These include the Most Valuable Player award, Coach of the Year award, and the All-Tournament Team award.
TV Coverage
The WCC Tournament is broadcast on television by ESPN. The tournament is typically broadcast on ESPNU, but the championship game is broadcast on ESPN2.
Future of the Tournament
The WCC Tournament is expected to remain at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas for the foreseeable future. The tournament has been held at the arena since 2009 and has become a staple of the West Coast Conference.
Conclusion
The West Coast Conference Basketball Tournament is an annual college basketball tournament that is held to determine the West Coast Conference’s automatic bid to the NCAA Men’s Division I Basketball Championship. The tournament is held at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada and consists of eight teams competing in a single-elimination style tournament. The tournament has been held since 1952 and has seen several notable champions, including Gonzaga, Saint Mary’s, San Francisco, Santa Clara, and Loyola Marymount. The tournament is broadcast on television by ESPN and is expected to remain at the Orleans Arena for the foreseeable future.