Seattle Redhawks Are Crashing the WCC Party - And They’re Not Just Visiting
For nearly two decades, the West Coast Conference has been a two-team show. Gonzaga and Saint Mary’s have owned the stage, trading championships and setting the standard while the rest of the league played catch-up.
Since San Diego’s Cinderella run in 2008, no other program has managed to break through. Gonzaga’s taken five of the last six titles, and Saint Mary’s has been the perennial challenger, always within striking distance.
But this season, there’s a new name demanding attention-and it’s not one that’s typically in the WCC spotlight. The Seattle Redhawks are stepping into the conference with something to prove, and through the first two months of the season, they’re doing just that.
A Newcomer With Bite
Seattle’s first season in the WCC is already turning heads. The Redhawks enter league play at 11-2, and this isn’t one of those inflated records built on soft scheduling. Sure, they had a couple of early stumbles-one against Cal Poly and another in a tight three-point loss to UC Santa Barbara-but since then, they’ve flipped the switch.
They’ve rattled off six straight wins, and not just against pushovers. Seattle has taken down Stanford, Washington, and UTSA, showing they’re not just beating teams-they’re beating real teams. That kind of consistency, especially from a program making its debut in a new league, is hard to ignore.
Chris Victor’s Blueprint Is Taking Hold
At the center of this rise is head coach Chris Victor. He’s been building this thing brick by brick, and now the structure is starting to show.
Victor quietly posted three 20-win seasons in his first four years, but last season’s 14-18 finish in the WAC raised some eyebrows. Turns out, that may have been the exception-not the rule.
This year’s squad is playing with a different energy. They’re averaging 81 points per game while holding opponents to just 66.5-a blend of offensive flow and defensive toughness that’s made them one of the most efficient teams in the WCC through December. They don’t just play fast; they play smart, and they defend with purpose.
Maldonado Leads, but the Redhawks Don’t Lean
Brayden Maldonado is the name at the top of the scouting report, and for good reason. The senior guard is averaging 15.9 points per game and has been the steady hand on the perimeter.
But what makes Seattle dangerous isn’t just Maldonado’s scoring-it’s the team’s depth. This isn’t a one-man show.
Multiple players are stepping up, and the system doesn’t ask anyone to play hero ball. It’s balanced, it’s unselfish, and it’s working.
That depth is about to be tested, though, as Seattle dives into WCC play.
A Statement Opportunity at Home
The Redhawks open conference play at home against San Francisco, a team that’s been knocking on the WCC’s upper-tier door for years. The Dons are 8-5 and plenty capable, but they’ve been inconsistent.
Still, they know what this game means. It’s not just a season opener-it’s a tone-setter.
And the setting? It may be small, but it’s mighty.
The Redhawk Center holds fewer than 1,000 fans, but on Sunday night, it’ll feel like a cauldron. Packed, loud, and draped in red and white, it’ll be the kind of intimate, high-energy environment that turns a regular-season game into something more.
The Road Ahead: No Easy Outs
Seattle’s history adds another layer to this story. This is a program that stepped away from Division I in 1980 and didn’t return until 2008.
They’ve been climbing ever since, trying to reestablish themselves in a changing college basketball landscape. The Redhawks haven’t been to the NCAA Tournament since 1969.
Their last tournament win? 1964.
Now, they’re in the WCC, and the schedule ahead is no joke. After San Francisco, they host Washington State before hitting the road for a brutal stretch: Gonzaga, Saint Mary’s, and Oregon State. That run will say a lot about who they are-and who they can become.
A New Chapter, Regardless of the Ending
No matter how that stretch plays out, one thing is already clear: Seattle is playing meaningful basketball in December, and that hasn’t always been the case. They’re winning, they’re fun to watch, and they’ve given their fans something real to believe in.
In a league that’s long been defined by two names, the Redhawks are forcing a new conversation. And for the first time in a long time, the rest of the West Coast Conference might need to check the rearview mirror.
Seattle’s not just here to compete-they’re here to contend.