West Coast Conference Men's Basketball Tournament
List of finals
Table:
Year

Champion

Score

Opponent

Venue

Tournament MVP

Notes

1987

Santa Clara

77–65

Pepperdine

War Memorial Gymnasium (San Francisco, California)

Jens Gordon, Santa Clara

1988

Loyola Marymount

104–96

Santa Clara

Toso Pavilion (Santa Clara, California)

Hank Gathers, Loyola Marymount

1989

Loyola Marymount

75–70 (OT)

Santa Clara

War Memorial Gymnasium (San Francisco, California)

Hank Gathers, Loyola Marymount

1990

None

None

None

Gersten Pavilion, (Los Angeles, California)

None

Tournament cancelled due to the death of Hank Gathers. Having won the regular season title, Loyola Marymount was awarded the WCC's automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.[3]

1991

Pepperdine

71–68 (OT)

Saint Mary's

Toso Pavilion (Santa Clara, California)

Geoff Lear, Pepperdine

1992

Pepperdine

73–70

Gonzaga

Chiles Center (Portland, Oregon)

Doug Christie, Pepperdine

1993

Santa Clara

73–63

Pepperdine

War Memorial Gymnasium (San Francisco, California)

Steve Nash, Santa Clara

1994

Pepperdine

56–53

San Diego

Toso Pavilion (Santa Clara, California)

Dana Jones, Pepperdine

1995

Gonzaga

80–67

Portland

Toso Pavilion (Santa Clara, California)

John Rillie, Gonzaga

1996

Portland

76–68

Gonzaga

Toso Pavilion (Santa Clara, California)

Kweemada King, Portland

1997

Saint Mary's

66–59

San Francisco

Gersten Pavilion, (Los Angeles, California)

Brad Millard, Saint Mary's

1998

San Francisco

80–67

Gonzaga

Toso Pavilion (Santa Clara, California)

Hakeem Ward, San Francisco

1999

Gonzaga

91–62

Santa Clara

Toso Pavilion (Santa Clara, California)

Matt Santangelo, Gonzaga

2000

Gonzaga

69–65 (OT)

Pepperdine

Toso Pavilion (Santa Clara, California)

Casey Calvary, Gonzaga

2001

Gonzaga

80–77

Santa Clara

Jenny Craig Pavilion (San Diego, California)

Dan Dickau, Gonzaga

2002

Gonzaga

96–90

Pepperdine

Jenny Craig Pavilion (San Diego, California)

Dan Dickau, Gonzaga [4]

2003

San Diego

72–63

Gonzaga

Jenny Craig Pavilion (San Diego, California)

Jason Keep, San Diego [5]

2004

Gonzaga

84–71

Saint Mary's

Leavey Center (Santa Clara, California)

Ronny Turiaf, Gonzaga [6]

2005

Gonzaga

80–67

Saint Mary's

Leavey Center (Santa Clara, California)

Adam Morrison, Gonzaga [7]

2006

Gonzaga

68–67

Loyola Marymount

McCarthey Athletic Center (Spokane, Washington)

Adam Morrison, Gonzaga [8]

Leveraging the accompanying table together with the article excerpts below.

Provide an answer to this question: Who was the champion when the opponent was a team known as the Toreros ? Provide just your answer in a JSON object {"answer": "YOUR ANSWER"}. Base your answer solely on the given information.

The 1987 West Coast Athletic Conference Men 's Basketball Tournament ( now West Coast Conference ) was held from February 28 to March 7 , with the semifinals and finals at the War Memorial Gymnasium at the University of San Francisco in San Francisco , California . This was the first edition of the conference tournament and included all eight teams . The first round quarterfinals were held on the home courts of the top four seeds , and two of the hosts were defeated . In the semifinals on a neutral court in San Francisco , the lower seeds won both semifinals ; both had losing conference records . Fifth-seeded Santa Clara defeated # 7 Pepperdine in the championship game 77-65 to gain the automatic bid to the 64-team NCAA Tournament , and were seeded fifteenth in the West regional . Regular season champion San Diego , upset by a point in the conference semifinals , received an at-large bid and were the ninth seed in the Midwest regional ; both WCAC teams lost in the first round .
The Santa Clara Broncos men 's basketball team represents Santa Clara University in NCAA Division I basketball competition . The team plays home games at the Leavey Center in Santa Clara , California and have been members of the West Coast Conference since its formation in 1952 . The team is currently coached by Herb Sendek , who had previously been the head coach at NC State and Arizona State . Sendek was hired on March 29 , 2016 Santa Clara has a long history of basketball success , having appeared in 11 NCAA Tournaments and 4 National Invitational Tournaments and producing a number of both collegiate All-Americans and NBA players . Recently , The 2010-11 team won the 2011 CollegeInsider.com Tournament and the 2012-13 team won the 2013 College Basketball Invitational . They are currently the only team to have won a CBI and a CIT .
The Pepperdine Waves men 's basketball team is the basketball team that represents Pepperdine University in Malibu , California , United States . The school 's team currently competes in the West Coast Conference , and are coached by Lorenzo Romar , who is in his 2nd stint as head coach with the Waves . The team 's last appearance in the NCAA Division I Men 's Basketball Tournament was in 2002 . Their home arena is the Firestone Fieldhouse . This is a multi-purpose facility that hosts volleyball , basketball , as well as other athletic events . They share this facility with the Pepperdine Waves women 's basketball team .
The War Memorial at the Sobrato Center in San Francisco , California is an athletic venue on the University of San Francisco ( USF ) campus . It contains War Memorial Gymnasium and serves as home for the San Francisco men 's and women 's basketball teams as well as the women 's volleyball team . It also houses athletic department offices and training facilities for the university 's other athletic teams . It is currently the oldest basketball venue in the West Coast Conference . It is popularly known as The Hilltop because of USF 's position on the summit of Lone Mountain . Prior to 1958 , the USF basketball team had no permanent home . During the 1955 and 1956 NCAA championship seasons , Phil Woolpert 's teams had to practice and play home games at either nearby Kezar Pavilion in Golden Gate Park or the gym at neighboring St. Ignatius High School . The aftermath of USF 's back-to-back national championships spurred a fund-raising effort that ultimately made building an on-campus venue possible and in 1958 , War Memorial Gym opened its doors . Originally serving all of USF 's athletic needs , War Memorial Gym also briefly hosted the San Francisco Warriors from 1964 to 1966 . Upon the arrival of women 's sports on campus , War Memorial Gym also became the home of the women 's basketball and volleyball teams . Though the gym missed the Russell and Jones era by three years , it was the home of the great Dons teams of the late 1970s led by Bill Cartwright , Phil Smith and Quintin Dailey ( though some high-profile matches were held at the Cow Palace or the Oakland Arena ) . In 1989 , with the construction of the Koret Health and Recreation Center , War Memorial became exclusively an athletic venue , though most student-athlete training facilities continue to be housed in the Moran Center beneath the gym .
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco and colloquially known as SF , San Fran , Frisco , or The City , is the cultural , commercial , and financial center of Northern California . San Francisco is the 15th most populous city in the United States , and the fourth most populous in California , with 883,305 residents as of 2018 . It covers an area of about 46.89 square miles ( 121.4 km2 ) , mostly at the north end of the San Francisco Peninsula in the San Francisco Bay Area , making it the second most densely populated large U.S. city , and the fifth most densely populated U.S. county , behind only four of the five New York City boroughs . San Francisco is the 12th-largest metropolitan statistical area in the United States by population , with 4.7 million people , and the 4th-largest by economic output , with GDP of $ 549 billion in 2018 . With San Jose , it forms the fifth most populous combined statistical area in the United States , the San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland , CA Combined Statistical Area ( 9.67 million residents in 2018 ) . As of 2018 , San Francisco was the seventh-highest-income county in the United States , with a per capita personal income of $ 130,696 . In the same year , San Francisco proper had a GDP of $ 183.2 billion , and a GDP per capita of $ 207,371 . The CSA San Francisco shares with San Jose and Oakland was the country 's third-largest urban economy as of 2018 , with a GDP of $ 1.03 trillion . Of the 500+ primary statistical areas in the U.S. , this CSA had among the highest GDP per capita in 2018 , at $ 106,757 . San Francisco was ranked 12th in the world and 2nd in the United States on the Global Financial Centres Index as of September 2019 . As of 2016 , the San Francisco metropolitan area had the highest GDP per capita , labor productivity , and household income levels in the OECD . San Francisco was founded on June 29 , 1776 , when colonists from Spain established Presidio of San Francisco at the Golden Gate and Mission San Francisco de Asís a few miles away , all named for St. Francis of Assisi .
The 1988 West Coast Athletic Conference Men 's Basketball Tournament ( now known as the West Coast Conference Men 's Basketball Tournament ) was held March 5-7 at the Leavey Center at Santa Clara University in Santa Clara , California . This was the second edition of the tournament ; it included all eight teams and all seven games were held at the same site . Regular season champion Loyola Marymount defeated tournament host and # 3 seed Santa Clara 104-96 in the final to win their first WCAC/WCC tournament championship . The Lions received the automatic bid to the 64-team NCAA Tournament and were the tenth seed in the West regional . They advanced to the second round , but were stopped 123-97 by second-seeded North Carolina .
The 1987-88 Loyola Marymount Lions men 's basketball team represented Loyola Marymount University during the 1987-88 NCAA Division I men 's basketball season . The Lions were led by third-year head coach Paul Westhead . They played their home games at Gersten Pavilion in Los Angeles , California as members of the West Coast Conference . LMU led the nation in scoring by averaging 110.3 points per game , and won a school-record 25 consecutive games before losing to North Carolina in the second round of the NCAA Tournament .
Leavey Center , also known as the Leavey Activities Center or occasionally by its old nickname the Toso Pavilion , is Santa Clara University 's indoor basketball arena in Santa Clara , California . It is home to the Santa Clara University Broncos Division I Basketball and Volleyball Teams . It has hosted the West Coast Conference men 's basketball tournament ten times .
Santa Clara ( /ˌsæntəˈklærə/ ) is a city in Santa Clara County , California . The city 's population was 116,468 as of the 2010 United States Census , making it the ninth-most populous city in the San Francisco Bay Area . Located on the southern coast of San Francisco Bay immediately west of San Jose and 45 miles ( 72 km ) southeast of San Francisco , the city was founded in 1777 with the establishment of Mission Santa Clara de Asís , the eighth of 21 California missions . The city was later incorporated in 1852 . The mission , the city , and the county are all named for Saint Clare of Assisi . Santa Clara is located in the center of Silicon Valley and is home to the headquarters of several high-tech companies such as Intel . It is also home to Santa Clara University , the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of California , which was built around Mission Santa Clara de Asís . Levi 's Stadium , the home of the National Football League 's San Francisco 49ers , is located in the city . Santa Clara is bordered by San Jose on all sides , except for Sunnyvale to the west , and Cupertino to the west .
Eric Hank Gathers ( February 11 , 1967 - March 4 , 1990 ) was an American college basketball player for the Loyola Marymount Lions who died after collapsing during a game . He was the second player in NCAA Division I history to lead the nation in scoring and rebounding in the same season . He originally played for the USC Trojans , but transferred with teammate Bo Kimble to Loyola Marymount after his freshman year . Gathers was born in Philadelphia , and was listed as 6 feet 7 inches ( 2.01 m ) tall .
The 1989 West Coast Athletic Conference Men 's Basketball Tournament ( now West Coast Conference ) was held March 4-6 at the War Memorial Gymnasium at the University of San Francisco in San Francisco , California . This was the third edition of the tournament . The top two seeds were defeated in the semifinals . Third-seeded Loyola Marymount defeated # 5 seed Santa Clara in the championship game , 75-70 in overtime , to repeat as WCAC tournament champions . The Lions received the automatic bid to the 64-team NCAA Tournament as the twelfth seed in the Midwest regional . Regular-season champion Saint Mary 's received an at-large bid and were seeded eighth in the West regional ; both teams lost in the first round .
The 1988-89 Loyola Marymount Lions men 's basketball team represented Loyola Marymount University during the 1988-89 NCAA Division I men 's basketball season . The Lions were led by fourth-year head coach Paul Westhead . They played their home games at Gersten Pavilion in Los Angeles , California as members of the West Coast Conference . LMU led the nation in scoring ( 112.5 points per game ) for the second consecutive year . Junior All-American Hank Gathers became the second player in NCAA Division I history to lead the nation in scoring ( 32.7 ) and rebounding ( 13.7 ) in the same season .
The 1990 West Coast Conference Men 's Basketball Tournament was held March 3 and 4 at the Gersten Pavilion at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles , California . This was the fourth edition of the tournament . During the first semi-final game on Sunday between top-seeded Loyola Marymount and # 4 seed Portland , LMU forward Hank Gathers collapsed with 13:34 left in the first half . He had just scored a dunk on an alley-oop pass from point guard Terrell Lowery that put the Lions up 25-13 . He fell a short distance from Pilots point guard Erik Spoelstra , attempted to get up , but shortly after stopped breathing . Transferred to nearby Daniel Freeman Marina Hospital , Gathers was pronounced dead less than two hours later ; he was 23 years old . The game and the rest of the tournament were subsequently cancelled , with regular season champion LMU awarded the WCC 's berth in the 64-team NCAA Tournament . Seeded eleventh in the West regional , the Lions won three games and advanced to the Elite Eight ; they lost to top seed UNLV , the eventual national champion .
The Gersten Pavilion is a 3900-seat multi-purpose arena in Los Angeles , California . It is the home of the Loyola Marymount University Lions . It was built in 1981 . It was also the part-time practice home for the Los Angeles Lakers . It was the site for the weightlifting competition for the 1984 Summer Olympics . On March 4 , 1990 , LMU star Hank Gathers died during a West Coast Conference men 's basketball tournament game from cardiomyopathy . The tourney was promptly suspended and LMU was awarded the NCAA bid based on their regular season title . The facility also hosted the WCC tournament in 1997 . The arena is known among LMU alumni as Hank 's House in honor of Gathers .
Los Angeles ( /lɔːs ˈændʒələs/ ( listen ) ; [ a ] Spanish : Los Ángeles ; Spanish for The Angels ) , officially the City of Los Angeles and often known by its initials L.A. , is the most populous city in California ; the second most populous city in the United States , after New York City ; and the third most populous city in North America , after Mexico City and New York City . With an estimated population of nearly four million people , Los Angeles is the cultural , financial , and commercial center of Southern California . The city is known for its Mediterranean climate , ethnic diversity , Hollywood , the entertainment industry , and its sprawling metropolis . Los Angeles lies in a basin in Southern California , adjacent to the Pacific Ocean , with mountains as high as 10,000 feet ( 3,000 m ) , and deserts . The city , which covers about 469 square miles ( 1,210 km2 ) , is the seat of Los Angeles County , the most populous county in the United States . The Los Angeles metropolitan area ( MSA ) is the second-largest metropolitan area in the nation with a population of 13.1 million people . Greater Los Angeles , which includes the metro area of Riverside and San Bernardino , is the nation 's second most populous combined statistical area , with a 2015 estimate of 18.7 million people . Historically home to the Chumash and Tongva , Los Angeles was claimed by Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo for Spain in 1542 . The city was officially founded on September 4 , 1781 , by Spanish governor Felipe de Neve . It became a part of Mexico in 1821 following the Mexican War of Independence . In 1848 , at the end of the Mexican-American War , Los Angeles and the rest of California were purchased as part of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo , and thus became part of the United States . Los Angeles was incorporated as a municipality on April 4 , 1850 , five months before California achieved statehood .
The Saint Mary 's Gaels men 's basketball team represents Saint Mary 's College in Moraga , California , competing in the West Coast Conference of the NCAA . The team plays home games in the University Credit Union Pavilion , capacity 3,500 ; it is one of the smaller gyms in the WCC . The current head coach is Randy Bennett , who is the school 's all-time wins leader . The Gaels have appeared in ten NCAA Tournaments - 1959 , 1989 , 1997 , 2005 , 2008 , 2010 , 2012 , 2013 , 2017 , and 2019 . On March 1 , 2013 , they were placed on probation by the NCAA for four years due to rules violations . Their two historic rivals are the San Francisco Dons and the Santa Clara Broncos , two other Catholic schools in the San Francisco Bay Area that are in the WCC . More recently , the Saint Mary 's Gaels have developed a rivalry with the Gonzaga University Bulldogs of Spokane , Washington . Many analysts and members of the media have touted the Gaels vs. Zags as one of the best , if not the best , college basketball rivalry on the West Coast . [ citation needed ]
The Gonzaga Bulldogs are an intercollegiate men 's basketball program representing Gonzaga University . The school competes in the West Coast Conference in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association ( NCAA ) . The Gonzaga Bulldogs play home basketball games at the McCarthey Athletic Center in Spokane , Washington on the university campus . Gonzaga has had 15 of its players receive the WCC Player of the Year award , and two players , Frank Burgess in 1961 with 32.4 points per game , and Adam Morrison in 2006 with 28.1 points per game , have led the nation in scoring . Adam Morrison was named the Co-National Player of the year for the 2005-06 season . Since the mid-1990s , Gonzaga has established itself as a major basketball power in a mid-major conference . They have been to every NCAA Tournament since 1999 , a year in which they made a Cinderella run to the Elite Eight , and have appeared in every final AP poll since the 2008-09 season , as well as being ranked in the past 71 polls ( Since Preseason 2016 ) which is good for the 39th longest streak in Mens Basketball history . They have also appeared in all but one WCC conference title game since 1995 , and in every conference title game since 1998 , winning 16 of them . This culminated in 2016-17 , when the Bulldogs went to their first Final Four in school history , advancing all the way to the national championship game .
The Earle A . & Virginia H. Chiles Center is a 4,852-seat multi-purpose arena in Portland , Oregon , USA . The arena opened in 1984 . It is home to the University of Portland Pilots men 's and women 's basketball teams as well as the women 's volleyball team . It hosted the West Coast Conference men 's basketball tournament in 1992 and 2007 . The arena is also used as for other athletic tournaments as well as for concerts and other special events such as high school graduations . It contains 20,000 square feet ( 1,900 m2 ) of arena floor space .
Portland ( /ˈpɔːrtlənd/ ; PORT-lənd ) is the largest and most populous city in the U.S. state of Oregon and the seat of Multnomah County . It is a major port in the Willamette Valley region of the Pacific Northwest , at the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers . As of 2018 , Portland had an estimated population of 653,115 , making it the 25th most populated city in the United States , and the second-most populous in the Pacific Northwest after Seattle . Approximately 2.4 million people live in the Portland metropolitan statistical area ( MSA ) , making it the 25th most populous in the United States . Its combined statistical area ( CSA ) ranks 19th-largest with a population of around 3.2 million . Approximately 60% of Oregon 's population resides within the Portland metropolitan area . [ a ] Named after Portland , Maine , the Oregon settlement began to be populated in the 1830s near the end of the Oregon Trail . Its water access provided convenient transportation of goods , and the timber industry was a major force in the city 's early economy . At the turn of the 20th century , the city had a reputation as one of the most dangerous port cities in the world , a hub for organized crime and racketeering . After the city 's economy experienced an industrial boom during World War II , its hard-edged reputation began to dissipate . Beginning in the 1960s , Portland became noted for its growing progressive political values , earning it a reputation as a bastion of counterculture . The city operates with a commission-based government guided by a mayor and four commissioners as well as Metro , the only directly elected metropolitan planning organization in the United States .
Douglas Dale Christie ( born May 9 , 1970 ) is an American retired professional basketball player who played 15 seasons in the National Basketball Association ( NBA ) . Standing at 6 ft 6 in ( 1.98 m ) , he played the shooting guard position . He is currently a commentator for the Sacramento Kings on NBC Sports California .
Stephen John Nash OC OBC ( born 7 February 1974 ) is a Canadian former professional basketball player who played 18 seasons in the National Basketball Association ( NBA ) . He was an eight-time NBA All-Star and a seven-time All-NBA selection . Twice , Nash was named the NBA Most Valuable Player while playing for the Phoenix Suns . He currently serves as senior advisor of the Canadian men 's national team and as a player development consultant for the Golden State Warriors . After a successful high school basketball career in British Columbia , Nash earned a scholarship to Santa Clara University in California . In his four seasons with the Broncos , the team made three NCAA Tournament appearances , and he was twice named the West Coast Conference ( WCC ) Player of the Year . Nash graduated from Santa Clara as the team 's all-time leader in assists and was taken as the 15th pick in the 1996 NBA draft by the Phoenix Suns . He made minimal impact and was traded to the Dallas Mavericks in 1998 . By his fourth season with the Mavericks , he was voted to his first NBA All-Star Game and had earned his first All-NBA selection . Together with Dirk Nowitzki and Michael Finley , Nash led the Mavericks to the Western Conference Finals the following season . He became a free agent after the 2003-04 season and returned to the Phoenix Suns . In the 2004-05 season , Nash led the Suns to the Western Conference Finals and was named the league 's MVP .
The San Diego Toreros men 's basketball team is a college basketball team that represents the University of San Diego in San Diego , California . The school 's team currently competes in the West Coast Conference ( WCC ) . The team played in the NCAA Division I Men 's Basketball Tournament in 2008 . The Toreros play their home games in the Jenny Craig Pavilion , and their head coach is Sam Scholl . They won their first WCC title in 1984 , when the conference was known as the West Coast Athletic Conference . The team was led by all-conference forward Mike Whitmarsh , who was a runner-up that year for the conference player of the year award . Their coach , Jim Brovelli , was named the conference coach of the year .
Dana Jones ( born April 16 , 1972 ) , is a retired American basketball player . He was a conference player of the year at Pepperdine University and played professionally in Japan for seven years .
The Portland Pilots men 's basketball team represents the University of Portland , located in Portland , Oregon , United States , in NCAA Division I basketball competition . They have played their home games at the Chiles Center since 1984 , and are members of the West Coast Conference . On March 15 , 2016 , the university fired head coach Eric Reveno after 10 seasons .
John Peter Rillie ( born 4 November 1971 ) is an Australian basketball player and coach . Rillie previously captained the Townsville Crocodiles in the NBL but his contracted was not renewed . In his first season in the NBL , Rillie won Rookie of the Year honours playing for the Brisbane Bullets . He is known for his long range shooting . He has also played for Gonzaga University in the United States and with AEK Athens BC in Greece . Prior to the 2006/07 NBL season , Rillie has played 368 NBL games and holds career averages of 16.6 points , 3.8 assists and 6.2 rebounds a game . John Rillie has now become an avid basketball blogger with his blog Jr , On Fire and he also hosts a weekly NBL podcast called The OT . On 18 February 2009 , Rillie hit ten three-pointers in the Crocs ' 103-96 win over the Perth Wildcats in Perth in their elimination quarter-final . Rillie ended up with 34 points and three rebounds . He also holds the record for the points scored by an Australian , with 45 points . Rillie was an assistant coach at Boise State University in Boise , Idaho , from 2011 to 2017 . On 16 May 2017 , it was announced that Rillie was hired as an assistant coach for the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos men 's basketball team .
The San Francisco Dons men 's basketball team represents the University of San Francisco in NCAA Division I men 's college basketball . The Dons compete in the West Coast Conference , in which they have the winningest program , and have won sixteen regular season championships and one conference tournament championship . The current head coach is Todd Golden . They play home games at the War Memorial Gymnasium , which also serves as the venue for women 's basketball , volleyball , athletic department offices , and athletic training rooms . Some games may be played at the Chase Center . The basketball team claims three national titles : the 1949 NIT under Pete Newell , and the 1955 and 1956 NCAA Division I championships . The latter two were under Phil Woolpert , and led by player and National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Famer Bill Russell . USF retained its status as a basketball powerhouse into the 1970s and early 1980s , holding the distinction of being a major program in a mid-major conference ( the WCC having declined somewhat in stature since the 1960s ) . It held the number one spot in the polls on numerous occasions . In 1977 , led by All-American center Bill Cartwright , the Dons went 29-0 and were regarded as the # 1 team in the nation in both major polls before dropping their last two games . The San Francisco Dons men 's basketball program has been rated the 29th Greatest College Basketball Program of All-Time by Street & Smith 's magazine , 49th by NBC Sports Greatest Programs of All-Time , and 75th by the ESPN/Sagarin All-Time College Basketball Rankings , higher in all three rankings than any other West Coast Conference school and many schools from BCS Conferences ( Pac-12 , Big Ten , Big 12 , Big East , Southeastern Conference ) .
The 1999 West Coast Conference Men 's Basketball Tournament took place on February 27-March 1 , 1999 . All rounds were held in Santa Clara , California at the Toso Pavilion . The Gonzaga Bulldogs won the WCC Tournament title and an automatic bid to the 1999 NCAA Tournament . Matt Santangelo of Gonzaga was named Tournament MVP .
The 1998-99 Gonzaga men 's basketball team represented Gonzaga University during the 1998-99 NCAA Division I men 's basketball season . They were led by head coach Dan Monson and reached the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament .
Matthew William Santangelo ( born September 8 , 1977 ) is an American-Italian former professional basketball player . He played college basketball at Gonzaga University . With the USA men 's basketball team he won a gold medal at the 1999 World University Games in Palma de Mallorca , Spain .
The 2000 West Coast Conference Men 's Basketball Tournament took place on March 4-6 , 2000 . All rounds were held in Santa Clara , California at the Toso Pavilion . The semifinals were televised by ESPN2 . The West Coast Conference Championship Game was televised by ESPN . The Gonzaga Bulldogs earned their second straight WCC Tournament title and an automatic bid to the 2000 NCAA Tournament . Casey Calvary of Gonzaga was named Tournament MVP .
The 1999-2000 Gonzaga men 's basketball team represented Gonzaga University as a member of the West Coast Conference during the 1999-2000 NCAA Division I men 's basketball season . They were led by first-year coach Mark Few and reached the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA Tournament .
Casey Calvary ( born April 27 , 1979 in Würzburg , Germany ) is a retired American basketball player . He played professionally in Japan , the United States , Spain and Australia , including two seasons in the Australian National Basketball League ( NBL ) .
The 2001 West Coast Conference Men 's Basketball Tournament took place on March 3-5 , 2001 . All rounds were held in San Diego , California at the Jenny Craig Pavilion . The semifinals were televised by ESPN2 . The West Coast Conference Championship Game was televised by ESPN . The Gonzaga Bulldogs earned their third straight WCC Tournament title and an automatic bid to the 2001 NCAA Tournament . Dan Dickau of Gonzaga was named Tournament MVP .
Jenny Craig Pavilion ( JCP ) is a 5,100 seat , multi-purpose arena , built in 2000 in San Diego , California , on the campus of the University of San Diego . It was named for weight-loss entrepreneur Jenny Craig . The Pavilion is sometimes affectionately known as the Slim Gym , a punning reference to the weight-loss program founded by its namesake . It is the home of the University of San Diego Toreros men 's and women 's basketball and volleyball teams . Besides basketball , the Jenny Craig Pavilion is also used for many other campus and community events and concerts .
San Diego ( /ˌsæn diˈeɪɡoʊ/ , Spanish : [ san ˈdjeɣo ] ; Spanish for Saint Didacus ) is a city in the U.S. state of California on the coast of the Pacific Ocean , approximately 120 miles ( 190 km ) south of Los Angeles and immediately adjacent to the border with Mexico . With an estimated population of 1,425,976 as of July 1 , 2018 , San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest in California . It is part of the San Diego-Tijuana conurbation , the second-largest transborder agglomeration between the U.S. and a bordering country after Detroit-Windsor , with a population of 4,922,723 people . The city is known for its mild year-round climate , natural deep-water harbor , extensive beaches , long association with the United States Navy , and recent emergence as a healthcare and biotechnology development center . San Diego has been called the birthplace of California . Historically home to the Kumeyaay people , it was the first site visited by Europeans on what is now the West Coast of the United States . Upon landing in San Diego Bay in 1542 , Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo claimed the area for Spain , forming the basis for the settlement of Alta California 200 years later . The Presidio and Mission San Diego de Alcalá , founded in 1769 , formed the first European settlement in what is now California . In 1821 , San Diego became part of the newly declared Mexican Empire , which reformed as the First Mexican Republic two years later . California became part of the United States in 1848 following the Mexican-American War and was admitted to the union as a state in 1850 . The city is the seat of San Diego County and is the economic center of the region as well as the San Diego-Tijuana metropolitan area . San Diego 's main economic engines are military and defense-related activities , tourism , international trade , and manufacturing .
Daniel David Dickau ( born September 16 , 1978 ) is an American former professional basketball player who currently works as an on-air broadcaster for the Pac-12 Network , CBS Sports Network and Westwood One . He is also a co-host of the Dickau and Slim Show on Spokane 's 700 ESPN with Sean Slim Widmer .
The 2002 West Coast Conference Men 's Basketball Tournament took place on March 2-4 , 2002 . All rounds were held in San Diego , California at the Jenny Craig Pavilion . The semifinals were televised by ESPN2 . The West Coast Conference Championship Game was televised by ESPN . The Gonzaga Bulldogs earned their fourth straight WCC Tournament title and an automatic bid to the 2002 NCAA Tournament . Dan Dickau of Gonzaga was named Tournament MVP for the second straight year .
The 2003 West Coast Conference Men 's Basketball Tournament took place on March 7-10 , 2003 . All rounds were held in San Diego , California at the Jenny Craig Pavilion . The semifinals were televised by ESPN2 . The West Coast Conference Championship Game was televised by ESPN . The San Diego Toreros earned their first WCC Tournament title and an automatic bid to the 2003 NCAA Tournament . Jason Keep of San Diego was named Tournament MVP .
The 2002-03 Gonzaga Bulldogs men 's basketball team represented Gonzaga University in the NCAA men 's Division I competition .
Jason Beau Keep ( born May 9 , 1978 ) is a professional basketball player who previously played in the Philippine Basketball Association , and later played as an import for the Welcoat Dragons . He was not drafted in the 2003 NBA Draft . He plays in C.D . Universidad de Concepción Básquetbol , which is a team of División Mayor del Básquetbol de Chile .
The 2004 West Coast Conference Men 's Basketball Tournament took place on March 5-8 , 2004 . All rounds were held in Santa Clara , California at the Leavey Center . The semifinals were televised by ESPN2 . The West Coast Conference Championship Game was televised by ESPN . The Gonzaga Bulldogs earned their sixth WCC Tournament title and an automatic bid to the 2004 NCAA Tournament . Ronny Turiaf of Gonzaga was named Tournament MVP .
The 2003-04 Gonzaga Bulldogs men 's basketball team represented Gonzaga University in the NCAA men 's Division I competition .
Leavey Center , also known as the Leavey Activities Center or occasionally by its old nickname the Toso Pavilion , is Santa Clara University 's indoor basketball arena in Santa Clara , California . It is home to the Santa Clara University Broncos Division I Basketball and Volleyball Teams . It has hosted the West Coast Conference men 's basketball tournament ten times .
Ronny Turiaf /ˈroʊni ˈtɜːriɑːf/ ( born January 13 , 1983 ) is a French retired professional basketball player who played 10 seasons in the National Basketball Association ( NBA ) . Turiaf grew up in Martinique then attended high school in Paris and college at Gonzaga University in the United States . At Gonzaga , Turiaf played for the Bulldogs basketball team and was the leading West Coast Conference scorer in his senior year . After graduating from Gonzaga , Turiaf entered the 2005 NBA draft and was picked by the Los Angeles Lakers . He later played for the Golden State Warriors , New York Knicks , Washington Wizards , Miami Heat , Los Angeles Clippers and Minnesota Timberwolves . Turiaf appeared in a total of 520 games over his NBA career and won his only NBA championship in 2012 with the Miami Heat . He was also a member of the French national team , earning 100 caps for his country .
The 2005 West Coast Conference Men 's Basketball Tournament took place on March 4-7 , 2005 . All rounds were held in Santa Clara , California at the Leavey Center . The semifinals were televised by ESPN2 . The West Coast Conference Championship Game was televised by ESPN . The Gonzaga Bulldogs earned their seventh WCC Tournament title and an automatic bid to the 2005 NCAA Tournament . Adam Morrison of Gonzaga was named Tournament MVP .
The 2004-05 Gonzaga Bulldogs men 's basketball team represented Gonzaga University in the NCAA men 's Division I competition .
Adam John Morrison ( born July 19 , 1984 ) is an American retired professional basketball player . Morrison played for three years at Gonzaga University and was considered to be one of the top college basketball players in 2005-06 . He was a finalist for the Naismith and the Wooden Award . He was named Co-Player of the Year with Duke 's J. J. Redick by the United States Basketball Writers Association and won the 2006 Chevrolet Player of the Year award . He played for the NBA teams Charlotte Bobcats from 2006 to 2009 and L.A. Lakers in 2009-2010 .
The 2006 West Coast Conference Men 's Basketball Tournament took place on March 3-6 , 2006 . All rounds were held in Spokane , Washington at the McCarthey Athletic Center . The semifinals were televised by ESPN2 . The West Coast Conference Championship Game was televised by ESPN . The Gonzaga Bulldogs earned their third straight ( eighth overall ) WCC Tournament title and an automatic bid to the 2006 NCAA Tournament . Adam Morrison of Gonzaga was named Tournament MVP for the second straight year .
The 2005-06 Gonzaga Bulldogs men 's basketball team represented Gonzaga University in the NCAA men 's Division I competition .
The Loyola Marymount Lions men 's basketball team represents Loyola Marymount University in mens college basketball . The team currently competes in the West Coast Conference . The team has played its home game at Gersten Pavilion since 1981 . Loyola Marymount 's last appearance in the NCAA Division I Men 's Basketball Tournament was in 1990 , where they advanced to the Elite Eight . They lost to eventual national champion UNLV . Prior to the NCAA Tournament , Lions star player Hank Gathers died during the West Coast Conference Men 's Basketball Tournament from a heart condition . The Lions defeated New Mexico State , defending champion Michigan , and Alabama . The 1990 squad was also the highest scoring team in NCAA Division I history with an average of 122 points per game .
McCarthey Athletic Center is a 6,000-seat indoor arena in the northwest United States , located on the campus of Gonzaga University in Spokane , Washington . Opened in November 2004 , it is home to the university 's Bulldog basketball programs , members of the West Coast Conference ( WCC ) in Division I of the NCAA . Often called The New Kennel , its nickname was inherited from the school 's former basketball arena , Charlotte Y. Martin Centre , popularly known as The Kennel , which had been home to the Bulldogs for 39 years . As the MAC has become the established basketball arena on campus , more fans have begun calling it simply The Kennel , with the Charlotte Y. Martin Centre being known as the Martin Centre . The elevation of the court is approximately 1,900 feet ( 580 m ) above sea level .
Spokane ( /ˌspoʊˈkæn/ ( listen ) spoh-KAN ) is a city in Spokane County in the state of Washington in the northwestern United States . It is located in eastern Washington along the Spokane River adjacent to the Selkirk Mountains and west of the Rocky Mountain foothills - 92 miles ( 148 km ) south of the Canada-US border , 18 miles ( 30 km ) west of the Washington-Idaho border , and 279 miles ( 449 km ) east of Seattle along Interstate 90 . Known as the birthplace of Father 's Day , Spokane 's official nickname is the Lilac City . A pink , double flower cultivar of the common lilac , known as Syringa vulgaris 'Spokane ' , is named for the city . It is the seat of Spokane County and the economic and cultural center of the Spokane metropolitan area , the Spokane-Coeur d'Alene combined statistical area , and the Inland Northwest . The city , along with the whole Inland Northwest , is served by Spokane International Airport , 5 miles ( 8 km ) west of downtown Spokane . According to the 2010 Census , Spokane had a population of 208,916 , making it the second-largest city in Washington , and the 100th-largest city in the United States . In 2018 , the United States Census Bureau estimated the city 's population at 219,190 and the population of the Spokane Metropolitan Area at 573,493 . The first people to live in the area , the Spokane tribe ( their name meaning children of the sun in Salishan ) , lived off plentiful game . David Thompson explored the area with the westward expansion and establishment of the North West Company 's Spokane House in 1810 . This trading post was the first long-term European settlement in Washington . Completion of the Northern Pacific Railway in 1881 brought settlers to the Spokane area .