The Best West Coast Basketball Teams

Ranker NCAA Basketball
Updated March 15, 2025 10 items
Voting Rules
Vote up the West Coast schools with the historically best basketball team.

The best West Coast basketball programs have made their mark on the college basketball world not by winning NCAA Tournament titles but by consistently busting March Madness brackets 

The San Francisco Dons, home to NBA legends Bill Russell and Bill Cartwright, claim the only two national titles among all West Coast Conference basketball teams, but the Gonzaga Bulldogs have enjoyed a recent run of success, with Elite Eight appearances in 2015, 2017 and 2019. The former school of NBA stars like John Stockton and Domantas Sabonis even finished as the title runner-up in that 2017 run, cementing Gonzaga as one of the top current college basketball programs.

But which of the 10 schools in the West Coast Conference has been the most successful? Have your say below.


  • Gonzaga Bulldogs
    • Photo:
      • user uploaded image

    All-time record: 1305-700
    Conferences titles: 24
    National championships: 0
    Final Four appearances: 1

    Notable players: John Stockton, Domantas Sabonis, Kelly Olynyk, Adam Morrison

    • Location: Spokane, Washington
    21 votes
    Is this impressive?
  • BYU Cougars
    • Photo:
      • BYU

    All-time record: 1829-1095
    Conferences titles: 25
    National championships: 0
    Final Four appearances: 0

    Notable players: Danny Ainge, Shawn Bradley, Jimmer Fredette

    • Location: Provo, Utah
    20 votes
    Is this impressive?
  • Saint Mary's Gaels
    • Photo:
      • Saint Mary's

    All-time record: 1341-1239
    Conferences titles: 7
    National championships: 0
    Final Four appearances: 0

    Notable players: Patty Mills, Matthew Dellavedova

    • Location: Moraga, California
    20 votes
    Is this impressive?
  • San Francisco Dons
    • Photo:
      • University of San Francisco
    4

    San Francisco Dons

    All-time record: 1386-1011
    Conferences titles: 15
    National championships: 2
    Final Four appearances: 3

    Notable players: Bill Russell, Bill Cartwright, K.C. Jones

    • Location: San Francisco, California
    22 votes
    Is this impressive?
  • Santa Clara Broncos
    • Photo:
      • Santa Clara
    5

    Santa Clara Broncos

    All-time record: 1489-1112
    Conferences titles: 11
    National championships: 0
    Final Four appearances: 1

    Notable players: Steve Nash, Kurt Rambis

    • Location: Santa Clara, California
    19 votes
    Is this impressive?
  • Pacific Tigers
    • Photo:
      • Pacific
    6

    Pacific Tigers

    All-time record: 986-983
    Conferences titles: 10
    National championships: 0
    Final Four appearances: 0

    Notable players: Michael Olowokandi, Jon Barry

    • Location: Stockton, California
    13 votes
    Is this impressive?