The West Coast Conference's 10 head coaches voted Santa Clara the preseason favorite for the 2026-27 men's basketball title. The Broncos got nine first-place votes and 81 points. According to the conference, it is the first time Santa Clara has been picked first since 1995-96. It is also the first time since 2000-01 that neither Gonzaga nor Saint Mary's was the favorite.
The full poll
- Santa Clara (9 first-place votes), 81
- Saint Mary's (1), 70
- San Francisco, 58
- Seattle U, 54
- Pacific, 53
- LMU, 46
- Pepperdine, 30
- San Diego, 26
- Portland, 22
- Denver, 10
Two Broncos on the preseason team
Guards Jake Ensminger and Sash Gavalyugov were both named to the 10-player preseason all-conference team. Ensminger is a fifth-year player. Last season he averaged 6.5 points and 5.5 rebounds and led the team with 2.9 assists. Gavalyugov transferred from Villanova and averaged 9.0 points. His 37 points against LMU are the second-highest total by a Bronco at the Leavey Center.
Coming off an NCAA bid
Santa Clara went 26-9 last season, with a program-record 15 conference wins. It earned an at-large NCAA Tournament bid, the program's first since 1996, and played Kentucky in the tournament. Herb Sendek, the 2025-26 WCC Coach of the Year, is entering his 11th season. New this year are transfers David Castillo (Kansas State), Fedor Zugic (Creighton) and Sidi Gueye (Arizona).
Schedule
The Broncos open Monday, Nov. 2, against Towson, the first of three straight home games. WCC play begins Jan. 2. The conference tournament is March 5-9, 2027, at Orleans Arena in Las Vegas. Santa Clara plays Saint Mary's on Jan. 30 in Moraga and Feb. 27 at the Leavey Center.