2026-27 WCC Top 10 Players: Joshua Dent Leads the List
2026-10-27
These are Mid-Major Hoops' ten best projected WCC players entering 2026–27. The ranking weighs actual 2025–26 performance, expected responsibility and roster fit. It is an editorial impact forecast, not an official all-conference team or a ranking of recruiting reputations.
1. Joshua Dent — Saint Mary's
6-3 PG · Jr. · Returning
2025–26 Saint Mary's: 33 GP; 36.3 MPG; 13.2 PPG; 2.5 RPG; 5.6 APG.
Dent is the most dependable offensive organizer in the conference. His 13.2 points and 5.6 assists across 33 games came with a substantial 36.3-minute workload, giving Saint Mary's an established starting point while the surrounding rotation changes. He can create value without leading the league in scoring because his decisions determine the quality of everybody else's possessions.
The challenge is managing new perimeter combinations and a large collection of frontcourt options. Darius Bivins and Jeremy Dent-Smith should reduce the burden, but Dent still has to balance getting them involved with creating his own offense late in possessions. His role, established college performance and importance to a contender make him MMH's preseason No. 1.
Official player biography · Prior-school season reference
2. Carson Johnson — Denver
6-1 PG · Jr. · Returning
2025–26 Denver: 32 GP; 35.6 MPG; 20.1 PPG; 1.8 RPG; 3.0 APG.
Johnson's 20.1 points per game are the strongest returning scoring headline in the new WCC. He played 35.6 minutes a night for Denver and added 3.0 assists, demonstrating that the production came with sustained responsibility rather than a narrow reserve role. He gives the Pioneers a player who can keep an offense functional even when the supporting cast has trouble creating advantages.
The move into the WCC will expose him to different scouting and more defensive attention. Logan Threatt and CJ Hyland can help if they supply secondary creation, but Johnson remains the player opponents will scheme to remove first. Denver's projected finish reflects team-level defensive concerns; it does not diminish how much offense Johnson can individually generate.
Official player biography · Prior-school season reference
3. Jaden Winston — Pacific
6-0 PG · Sr. · Newcomer
2025–26 Manhattan: 32 GP; 34.8 MPG; 15.3 PPG; 3.1 RPG; 3.8 APG.
Winston offers Pacific a high-volume college guard rather than a transfer whose appeal depends mostly on potential. He averaged 15.3 points and 3.8 assists in 34.8 minutes at Manhattan. That workload supports the expectation that he can initiate offense, absorb pressure and remain involved across a full game.
The most useful development would be a more balanced workload alongside Connor Amundsen. If Amundsen can organize possessions, Winston can attack a defense that has already moved rather than create every advantage himself. The new frontcourt still has to finish those opportunities. Winston ranks this high because his likely role and previous performance align, while the quality of his decisions will matter as much as his scoring total.
Official player biography · Prior-school season reference
4. Will Heimbrodt — Seattle
6-7 W · Sr. · Returning
2025–26 Seattle: 34 GP; N/A MPG; 12.3 PPG; 5.2 RPG; 2.2 APG.
Heimbrodt's value extends well beyond his 12.3 points and 5.2 rebounds. The official WCC release identifies him as the reigning Defensive Player of the Year, making his ability to disrupt the lane an established part of the conference's competitive landscape. Seattle can build around a player who changes what opponents are comfortable attempting near the basket.
His next task is to make that defense part of a complete possession: contest, recover and help secure the rebound without leaving Seattle exposed elsewhere. Tyler Boston's arrival should lessen the need for Heimbrodt to manufacture offense. Among players who do not project as their team's primary ball handler, he has one of the clearest paths to deciding games.
5. David Castillo — Santa Clara
6-1 PG · Jr. · Newcomer
2025–26 Kansas State: 32 GP; 28.1 MPG; 10.3 PPG; 1.9 RPG; 1.8 APG.
Castillo averaged 10.3 points over 32 games at Kansas State, providing a substantial recent college foundation for his projected starting role. Santa Clara needs a guard who can threaten to score while still fitting alongside Sash Gavalyugov and Jake Ensminger. The opportunity is to use their passing to create better scoring situations, rather than simply increase Castillo's shot count.
His importance rises further if Elijah Mahi is unavailable. That possibility creates both upside and risk: more responsibility could produce a major season, but it could also make the Broncos easier to load up against. Castillo's combination of prior workload, scoring and likely opportunity earns a top-five placement without assuming that his verified recruiting pedigree guarantees a breakout.
Official player biography · Prior-school season reference
6. Petar Majstorovic — Pepperdine
6-8 F · Jr. · Newcomer
2025–26 Long Beach State: 32 GP; 31.1 MPG; 14.4 PPG; 6.4 RPG; 1.8 APG.
Majstorovic brings 14.4 points and 6.4 rebounds from Long Beach State, giving Pepperdine a frontcourt scorer with a full 32-game season of evidence. His value is the alternative he offers when the guards cannot produce a clean first action. An offense with a credible frontcourt option can avoid making every difficult possession a perimeter isolation.
The fit depends on the spacing around him and on his contribution to defensive rebounding. Will McClendon, Evan Haywood and Jahari Williamson give the Waves options outside, while freshman Alex Constanza adds another potential scorer. Majstorovic can be the stable offensive piece in a new lineup. A top-half Pepperdine finish would likely require his scoring to come with dependable defense and possession finishing.
Official player biography · Prior-school season reference
7. Sash Gavalyugov — Santa Clara
6-3 G · Jr. · Returning
2025–26 Santa Clara: 35 GP; 20.1 MPG; 9.0 PPG; 1.9 RPG; 2.7 APG.
Gavalyugov's 9.0 points and 2.7 assists do not lead this list statistically, but his returning experience in Santa Clara's offense matters. The Broncos have new players who will need clear roles, and a guard who can keep possessions moving has value that is not captured by adding up the roster's prior scoring averages.
Castillo should take on a substantial scoring load, which can allow Gavalyugov to choose when to create and when to connect the next action. His ranking is a projection of increased influence on a contender, not a claim that last season's numbers were already among the league's largest. The uncertainty is how well his efficiency and decisions hold if defenses force him into a bigger individual scoring role.
Official player biography · Prior-school season reference
8. Marqui Worthy Jr. — San Diego
6-4 G · Sr. · Newcomer
2025–26 UC Riverside: 32 GP; 35.0 MPG; 16.4 PPG; 4.7 RPG; 3.0 APG.
Worthy averaged 16.4 points, 4.7 rebounds and 3.0 assists over 32 games at UC Riverside. That broad contribution gives San Diego more than a scorer: it supplies a guard who has already been asked to contribute across several parts of a game. His recent workload is a stronger basis for a featured role than a reputation built on sporadic high-major minutes.
Playing beside Davion Hill should give the Toreros a second way into the defense. The challenge is making that partnership efficient, with clear decisions about who initiates and how the other remains useful. Worthy's place on this list rests on both his established production and his likely central role. San Diego's overall ceiling will also depend on whether its rebuilt defense can keep that offense from constantly chasing games.
Official player biography · Prior-school season reference
9. Jake Ensminger — Santa Clara
6-9 F · Gr. · Returning
2025–26 Santa Clara: 32 GP; 28.8 MPG; 6.5 PPG; 5.5 RPG; 2.9 APG.
Ensminger's line—6.5 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.9 assists—illustrates why this is an impact ranking rather than a scoring list. He gives Santa Clara a frontcourt player who can rebound and move the ball while others absorb the higher-volume scoring roles. That combination is especially useful on a team integrating a new lead scorer and an inexperienced center group.
The Broncos need him to make their pieces fit. If he helps create good possessions while keeping the defensive glass under control, he can influence the title race without a dramatic increase in points. His limitations also matter: Santa Clara still needs its centers to defend the lane, and Ensminger cannot compensate for every interior breakdown. His role is essential because it supports the lineup's balance.
Official player biography · Prior-school season reference
10. Zion Sensley — Loyola Marymount
6-8 W · Jr. · Newcomer
2025–26 UC Santa Barbara: 32 GP; 25.3 MPG; 10.9 PPG; 7.6 RPG; 0.8 APG.
Sensley averaged 10.9 points and 7.6 rebounds over 32 games at UC Santa Barbara. For LMU, that is a useful blend of scoring and possession recovery from a player with wing size. He gives the Lions a way to play larger without asking a traditional center to handle every rebounding problem.
The surrounding roster makes his fit particularly appealing. All Wright can organize, Aaron McBride can share the physical work and Jevon Porter offers a different frontcourt scoring option if available. Sensley does not need to dominate touches to become one of the most important players on MMH's sleeper. His ranking is a bet that his rebounding and size remain valuable while his offense settles into a new hierarchy.
Official player biography · Prior-school season reference
Other players to watch
Junseok Yeo, All Wright, Will McClendon, Jaxon Olvera and Zion Sensley's teammate Jevon Porter all have plausible top-ten cases. McClendon's four-game North Texas season and Porter's 12-game Missouri season make availability part of their evaluation. Elijah Mahi is excluded from the numbered list pending a verified eligibility ruling; if cleared, his 14.1-point Santa Clara season would warrant immediate reconsideration near the top. Ndewedo Newbury's return from a missed season is another major variable.
Research note
The supplied Blue Ribbon yearbook, current official biographies and final prior-school statistics support these evaluations. Numbers are labeled for their actual team and competitive level. The accompanying conference preview contains the complete ten-player rotations, and the individual audit documents source conflicts and N/A fields. No earlier season is substituted for 2025–26.