Washington State men’s basketball heads to the West Coast Conference tournament with a challenging path to the championship this year.
The Cougs secured the No. 8 seed and will open tournament play in the second round against the winner of No. 12 Pepperdine and No. 9 Portland on March 6 at Orleans Arena in Las Vegas.
The Cougars will need to win five-straight games to claim the conference championship and secure the WCC’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. They ended the regular season with three-straight losses in conference play.
Pepperdine or Portland
Washington State begins play in the second round and must prepare for two possible opponents.
WSU Guard Ace Glass looks for an opening against Pepperdine University, Jan. 24, 2026.
Portland enters the tournament as the No. 9 seed after finishing just ahead of Pepperdine in the conference standings. The Pilots have been competitive throughout the season, including an 87-80 win over Gonzaga earlier in the year, and could present a balanced offensive challenge if they advance.
Pepperdine needs to win the opening game to face the Cougars. The Waves have struggled at times this season but could gain momentum if they pull off a first-round victory. WSU ended the regular season with an 88-79 loss to Pepperdine.
San Francisco
If the Cougars advance past their opening game, they would move on to face No. 5 San Francisco in the third round.
The Dons receive a bye into that round and have been one of the more consistent teams in the conference this season. San Francisco’s offensive balance and ability to score efficiently make it a difficult matchup for any team in the WCC.
For Washington State, advancing to that round would require strong defensive execution and efficient offense to keep pace with the Dons.
Oregon State
Should WSU continue its run, the Cougars would likely face No. 4 Oregon State in the quarterfinals. The Beavers have been among the conference’s top teams this season. Although the Cougars beat their Pac-2 rivals earlier in the year, Oregon State won the most recent matchup 74-64.
Gonzaga
If Washington State were to advance to the championship, the Cougars would likely face No. 1 Gonzaga, the conference’s top seed and a contender for the NCAA Tournament. WSU lost both regular-season meetings, with each defeat coming by more than 20 points.
WSU Forward Eemeli Yalaho blocks a layup from Gonzaga University Guard Jalen Warley, Feb. 10, 2026.
Head coach David Riley talked about the upcoming tournament and how the Cougs need to get ready in an interview with WSU Athletics.
“I care a lot about those guys in the locker room and there’s a lot of love in there for for each other and and we we got to finish this the right way” Riley said. “It is an opportunity us for us to make sure that happens and there’s a couple days now to get our minds right and make sure do this the right way.”
The Cougars will tip off their WCC tournament run March 6 against the winner of Portland vs. Pepperdine, looking to begin what would need to be a lengthy run through the bracket to capture the conference championship.
