SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, CALIF. - Junior Houston Mallette and sophomore Jevon Porter of the Pepperdine men's basketball team were selected to the 2023-24 West Coast Conference Preseason Team, the league announced Thursday morning. 

The last time Pepperdine put two names on the preseason team was the 2020-21 season, in which the Waves' all-time leading scorer Colbey Ross and current Sacramento Kings forward Kessler Edwards achieved the feat. It is also the second-straight preseason honor for Mallette after he became the lone Wave on the preseason team last year. 

🚨 2023 WCC PRESEASON TEAM 🚨

S/O to Von & Hou!#WavesUp | @WCChoops pic.twitter.com/DzJBfHriXO

— Pepperdine Men's Basketball (@PeppBasketball) October 12, 2023

Mallette's impact has been invaluable since he first stepped on the court in a Waves uniform. He led  the team in scoring (13.6 PPG) throughout his freshman year, and only followed Los Angeles Lakers draftee Max Lewis in the scoring column (13 PPG) during his sophomore campaign. The floor general is on track to surpass the 1,000-point mark in 2023-24, currently sitting at 840 total. He also averaged more minutes than any other Wave last season. 

Returning from a breakout freshman season that earned him a spot on the postseason WCC All-Freshman squad, Porter will look to build on his 12.1 points and team-high 7.2 boards per contest from his debut year. The Columbia, Mo. native recorded eight double-doubles as a freshman — no other WCC freshman had even a single double-double — which earned Porter three WCC Freshman of the Week honors. 

Picked to finish seventh place in the 2023 WCC Preseason Coaches Poll, the Waves return two starters — Mallette and Porter — and nine letterwinners from the 2022-23 season, while adding two transfers and four true freshmen to the roster. Pepperdine has the third-most returning minutes in the WCC at 54.7%.

Pepperdine tips off the new season at home on Monday, November 6 against Concordia Irvine at 7 p.m. The game will also serve as a Military Appreciation Night, honoring any active service or veteran Waves fans. 

2023-24 WCC Men's Basketball Preseason Coaches Poll
1. Saint Mary's – (5) 61
2. Gonzaga – (4) 60 
3. San Francisco - 45
4. LMU - 42
5. Santa Clara - 41
6. Portland - 27
7. Pepperdine - 22
8. Pacific - 16
9. San Diego - 10

2023-24 WCC Men's Basketball Preseason Team
Alex Ducas - Saint Mary's
Graham Ike - Gonzaga
Keli Leaupepe - LMU
Aidan Mahaney - Saint Mary's
Houston Mallette - Pepperdine
Ryan Nembhard - Gonzaga
Jevon Porter - Pepperdine
Tyler Robertson - Portland
Mitchell Saxen - Saint Mary's
Anton Watson - Gonzaga