Examining the 2016-17 Cal Poly Basketball Roster

Last season, Cal Poly had 10-12 players who got significant playing time at different points during the season, including four seniors who were also four of the top five on the team in minutes per game.

Jaylen Shead showed what he was capable of at the end of last season and his strength and versatility at the point guard position could pay dividends for Joe Callero and co. in 2016-17. By Owen Main

Changes seem to be on the horizon from last year’s squad that went 10-20 overall en route to another 7-seed in the Big West Tournament and a first-round exit. Only two players remain on the roster from the team that raised the trophy in Anaheim and won an NCAA Tournament game. On Cal Poly’s website right now, there are only 10 players listed. 

According to VerbalCommits.com, there are five new faces coming. Let’s take a quick look at who they are.

Victor Joseph – PG – Chaffey JC

From Rancho Cucamonga, Joseph is a point guard with some solid JUCO experience. I talked to Joseph after he committed and he was excited to be coming to San Luis Obispo. Seeing him and a few other guards in person will really be key to figuring out where they fit-in.

For what it’s worth (maybe not a ton at this point), here’s a Joseph highlight video from his senior year of high school:

Josh Mishler – F – Saddleback College

Mishler, who spent time at the Air Force Preparatory School, seems like he’ll play a role, especially on the defensive end. Without Jacob Cushing (a 6′ 7″ incoming freshman who de-committed from Cal Poly and ended up signing with Delaware), Mishler could play a big part in Joe Callero’s plans this season.

Here’s a video of Mishler from a few years ago below. He seems like a savvy player and a good passer who can knock down open shots and play decent defense.

Mark Crowe – G/F – Dallas, TX

Crowe seems like he might be a long 2/3 slashing-type player whose role could be similar to past Mustangs like Michael Bolden. Callero has seen freshmen like Crowe who have some physical tools play big defensive roles in their first season. Crowe’s ability to provide some athleticism and energy could make a huge difference for Cal Poly in his first season.

Here are some of Crowe’s highlight videos.

Kuba Nizioł – F – Howard College (JUCO)

Niziol’s commitment to Cal Poly was announced during the same time period that the Mustangs’ new Associate Head Coach — Pawel Mrozik — was named. Both are Polish and, perhaps, Niziol and Mrozik will mark a turning point in International recruiting for the Cal Poly program.

Niziol has Polish U-20 National Team experience that he will bring to Cal Poly and the Big West. His highlight tape makes him out to be long enough to be a scorer, even though it doesn’t look like he elevates a ton on his shot. That length could also help on the defensive end.

Without Cushing on-campus, Niziol’s shooting and 6’7″ length could have an instant impact. Niziol will be a sophomore this season at Cal Poly.

Donovan Fields – PG – Odessa College (JUCO)

Fields, another undersized point guard, hails originally from New York. With the loss of Serigne Athj from the program, Fields filled a guard spot. Like Niziol, Fields will be a sophomore next year at Cal Poly.

Here are some Fields highlights.

Death Lineup?

With all the talk about the Warriors’ death lineup and with Cal Poly playing much more uptempo than ever last year, what will Joe Callero’s best lineup in crunchtime be?

Returners Jaylen Shead, Ridge Shipley, Taylor Sutlive, Josh Martin, Luke Meikle and Zach Gordon could all conceivably be starters. Aleks Abrams also has some experience in the post and will probably be getting time.

The real question, I think, is how many point guards will Joe Callero put on the floor at once? There are at least four guys in Shipley, Shead, Joseph, and Fields who will all be vying for time. If three of them are playing lights-out, could Callero hide the talented and strong Shead at the bottom of a 2-3 matchup zone and work some pace and space offensively? What about a big lineup that includes Gordon, Meikle, and Martin, where Martin or Meikle would have to guard the 3? I know the versatility of Martin and, to a lesser extent, Crowe, Mishler, and Niziol, will play into a lot of options for Callero and his staff.

Last season, the Mustangs had 10 players, but only David Nwaba seemed to really separate himself on the floor consistently during the season. Jaylen Shead looked promising at the end of the year and Martin and Meikle showed flashes, but there are no guarantees for 2016-17, except that there will be some battles for playing time and that combinations on the court could get really interesting.

Like I said before, until I see new guys in person, I don’t really know. Once players get on-campus, I’ll have a much better idea. In the mean time, Cal Poly returners are doing a lot of work this offseason to improve on three straight seventh-place finishes in the Big West’s regular season.