Fansmanship’s 2015-16 Big West Men’s Basketball Preview

I’ve done previews before, and this year’s Big West men’s basketball season is sure to be a fun one. Off we go into the world of 49ers, Anteaters, Aggies, Warriors, Titans, Mustangs, Matadors, Highlanders, and Gauchos.

9 – Cal State Fullerton

Dedrique Taylor has a few good guards becoming eligible this year and it looks like Fullerton will be able to shoot it. By Owen Main

Last season

The Titans seem to be in an almost constant rebuilding mode. In his second year at the helm, head coach Dedrique Taylor’s squad went 8-7 in the preseason before stumbling to a 1-15 conference record. Their preseason actually had some decent performances (wins vs. San Jose State, at Nevada, and a four-point loss at USC).

This year’s schedule

Cal State Fullerton will go to the Pacific Northwest twice in the preseason for four games (including at Washington and at Oregon State), but they’ll only have one non-conference game in a different time zone, when they travel to Cedar City, Utah to face Southern Utah on November 24th.

Their schedule includes 7 conference games on either ESPN3 or Fox Sports Prime Ticket.

Who to watch out for?

Fullerton returns just one starter from last year in center Kennedy Esume, so it will be important from two Division 1 transfers to provide big-time production this season. Tre Coggins is a 6’2″ junior guard who transferred to Fullerton from Air Force and sat out last season. Coggins averaged 16 points per game in his last year at Air Force and figures to be one of the Titans’ top scorers.

Alongside Coggins, 6’4″ senior guard Malcom Brooks, a Pepperdine transfer should also play a big role. Brooks averaged 10 points per game two years ago at Pepperdine and, pairing with Coggins, should make up for some of the scoring punch lost with departed guards Alex Harris and Josh Gentry.

Of Brooks and Coggins, head coach Dedrique Taylor said,

“They saw what we went through [while sitting out last season] and the struggles that we were having both on and off the floor and I think they’ve immediately stepped to the floor and answered the bell with our character quotient and how we are living our lives off the floor. I think it’s carried over to on the floor. Character is exceptionally high and they understand what they are here for and they’re excited about it.”

Taylor expects them both to be able to score the ball and, if Fullerton is to compete this year, they’re likely going to be having to put up big points.

The unknown

Because of some of the turnover their program has experienced, Cal State Fullerton is one of the biggest unknowns. Will their transfers play well together? Will their three freshman and three junior transfer newcomers contribute? Nobody really knows anything about this team yet and that could make them really dangerous, especially the first time teams play them in conference.

That said, they might just need another year. There are no moral victories, but an improvement to four or five conference wins could be a step in the right direction.

8 – CSUN

Theus’ program now

In his third year at the helm in Northridge (and with a new extension freshly inked), Reggie Theus’ squad will look to make a big step forward. Last season, I thought the Matadors would make that step. Their hearts were broken after Cal Poly beat them in a close conference final in 2014 and they were poised to be very good once again. But the Matadors kind of flamed out in conference play, going 4-12 in the Big West to finish in 8th place.

As a coach gets into his third season with a program, the players he recruited start to dominate the roster. This year might have been one for Theus’ program to make a move, but some off-the-court issues caused a number of players to leave the team last season.

“I know we’re headed in the right direction,” said Theus. “The truth of the matter is I haven’t had a full team since I got here… . My first year (at CSUN), I played with eight scholarship players, my second year, I played with seven scholarship players, and now today I’ve got five scholarship players.”

The void left by those and the number of transfers on the roster who cannot play this year, could make 2015-16 an “in-between” year for CSUN. Theus hasn’t really had a full roster of players in any of his years at CSUN. Next year, he almost definitely will.

The roster

Senior forward Tre Hale-Edmurson is a guy who can take over games as he proved in the Big West final two years ago, but he’ll have to fight the inclination to try to do too much, especially with a young and relatively inexperienced team around him. Landon Drew and Aaron Parks should also be solid contributors.

For those of you who watched the Mission Prep Christmas Classic last season in SLO, freshman guard Jason Richardson is a player whose name you might recognize from Serra High School in Gardena. Richardson was also being recruited by Cal Poly at one point and he’s a bowling-ball of a point guard who can rebound and probably take the physicality of the position at the next level right away. The freshman is walking-on at CSUN and got some playing time in an early exhibition and his quick progression could make a big difference for CSUN early-on.

“We missed the NCAA’s by one play my first year, and we had a chance to really do some great things the following year [last season],” said Theus. “I had some really good players sitting out, some young players that were going to come in and play the following year, and the mixture of those young players with the veterans I had on the other team would have really been a great mix. But it didn’t work out, so you have to keep moving. Now I’ve got a team where all of those veteran guys are graduated. I’ve got three seniors, the rest of the team is made up of basically freshmen and sophomores. So, we’re young.”

So, what is the deal with the transfers?

Seven of the 17 players on the roster are transfers, which means we’ll know a lot more about this team come conference play. Among the transfers are many who won’t play this year, including Kendall Smith (UNLV) Darin Johnson (Washington), Reggie Theus Jr. (South Carolina), Rakim Lubin, Dylan Johns (Texas A&M).

“I’ve got four high-major players sitting out, so I think that now, the following year, when you mix the youth that we have this year that will get some really good experience with the guys that are sitting out, then next year will basically be my first year with all of my players on the floor or actually a full team.”

All this adds up to CSUN probably being in the top-3 or top-4 in my poll next year, but they are still a year away. Theus’ teams always compete and I could see them being a really tough first-round out in the Big West Tournament, even from the six, seven, or eight-hole.

7 – UC Davis

Last Season

Last year was pretty magical for UC Davis. With a few really great seniors, the Aggies and head coach Jim Les won nine of their first 10 games overall and went on a tear in conference play where they went 14-2 en route to the regular season title. Seniors Corey Hawkins and Josh Ritchart are gone, but so are guards Avery Johnson and Tyler Les, the son of the coach. Hawkins and Ritchart were the big scorers on the team, but between the four seniors, UC Davis lost 61 percent of their scoring from last year.

Random Stat

Nobody on the Aggies averaged as many as five rebounds per game last season. For a team as successful as they were, UC Davis was unusual in that they were out-rebounded by their opponents. This year, someone will average five-plus rebounds becuase…

Jim Les’ UC Davis Aggies had a great season last year, but a repeat performance will be tough. By Owen Main

JT is back

Coming off a knee injury, JT Adenrele only played 18 minutes per game as a junior. He’s sure to get more time this year and is a beast down low. His explosiveness on the block was fun to watch before his injury, and he’s a guy who UC Davis fans hope can carry a lot of the load in the middle this year. With lots of teams still sporting big lineups, Adenrele will have to do more than his share for Davis to be a contender this season.

The Schedule

Like Fullerton, UC Davis has a pretty tame non-conference schedule, though the number of decent Division-1 home games is pretty high. Their toughest challenge in non-conference play is a game at Saint Mary’s. The Aggies only go a time zone away twice (Boise State and Utah Valley) in non-conference play.

Next man up

I mentioned that 61 percent of their offense is gone, but Jim Les likes his scorers. Along with Adenrele, Josh Fox will be a senior and has a year in the program under his belt. The two will try to wreak havoc on the front line.

The back court is where I’ll have more questions. The relative inexperience of most of them is a key to why UC Davis comes in at 7th, and maybe I should respect what they did last year more than that, but they could probably creep into the top five or six if things break the right way.

6 – Hawai’i

My numbers six and five in my preseason rankings here could both be Big West contenders this year. Hawai’i went through as much tumult as a program can go through last year. They lost their coach and best player just days before the start of the season, and despite that were very competitive.

Their starting five includes three guards and is really talented:

#HawaiiMBB first five is still Roderick Bobbitt, Quincy Smith, Aaron Valdes, Mike Thomas and Stefan Jankovic

— Brian McInnis (@Brian_McInnis) November 13, 2015

Coaching changes

Eron Ganot is the newest coach in the Big West, and he takes over a talented group. While there will be some growing pains as Ganot gets his guys to buy-in, have no doubt that this team will play a significantly more controlled style than they did with Benjy Taylor last season.

If you want a blueprint for what Ganot will probably try to build in Hawai’i, look no farther than St. Mary’s, where Ganot was an assistant for the last few years. Also, listen to my latest podcast with Brian McInnis of the Honolulu Star Advertiser.

Sharpshooters

Hawai’i proved they can score the ball last year. Aaron Valdes led the team with 13.7 points per game along with 5.3 rebounds, but it’s the development of his backcourt mate Isaac Fleming that could really make this team dangerous.

Versatile guards

Roderick Bobbitt was the Big West’s defensive player of the year last year, but he also averaged nine points per game in Hawai’i’s three-guard set. Quincy Smith will also start, with Fleming coming off the bench and working his way back after a leave of absence earlier this year.

Adjustments

Hawai’i’s season will hinge on how quickly and how well the team can adjust to Ganot’s new system and style. While they probably have enough talent to be a top-four team in this conference, I put them in sixth because of the new coach. Everyone here and above could easily make the Big West Tournament final.

5 – Long Beach State

Dan Monson’s team will once again be one of the most talented in the Big West. By Owen Main

After finishing going to the NCAA Tournament in 2012-13, Long Beach State and head coach Dan Monson have finished third and fourth in the conference regular season over the past two seasons respectively.

While consistently being in the top half of the Big West would be an accomplishment for most teams, Monson’s squad hasn’t been to the NCAA Tournament since 2012. Again, that would be fine for most programs, but constitutes a drought for the 49ers.

Newcomers abound

Long Beach State lost all five starters and five seniors after last season, so Monson has something of a fresh slate. Monson’s current roster is undeniably talented. Senior Maryland transfer Nick Faust brings ACC experience to the Big West and fellow Division I transfers Gabe Levin and Evan Payne (both from Loyola Marymount) will also help Long Beach to re-load this season.

Faust had identical 9.4 points per game and 3.7 rebounds per game averages in his two years at Maryland. Levin might be just as impactful. The sophomore from Connecticut averaged 11 points and 7 rebounds per game as a freshman at LMU. His former and current teammate, Payne averaged over 18 points per game his sophomore season at LMU.

Depth charge

While they shouldn’t have issues scoring the ball, Long Beach State’s depth and overall rotation are going to take some time to figure out. Monson will probably rely on sophomore Justin Bibbins at point guard quite a bit and Travis Hammonds, Branford Jones, and Temidayo Yussuf will all have significant roles to play. If Monson can find a way to quickly get this team gelled and playing together, they could contend for a conference title.

The schedule

Long Beach State always has one of the toughest non-conference schedules in the nation. This year is no different. The 49ers play at Oklahoma State, Duke, UCLA, Oregon, and Arizona. They tip-off the season against Seton Hall at the Charleston Classic, a tournament that also includes the likes of Ole Miss, George Mason, Bradley, Oklahoma State, Virgina, and Towson.

The Monson factor

Dan Monson remains one of the best and most interesting coaches in the conference. It’s about 10 times more likely that they out-perform this ranking than underperform it, but I am always skeptical of how players who have never played together will do until I’ve seen it. In a week, Long Beach could be my number-two team in the conference, but for now, I’ll keep them in the middle of the pack, despite the fact that they NEVER end up actually finishing below fourth.

4 – UC Riverside

UC Riverside has two of the five or ten best players in the conference, including the player who I think is the best returning player in the league, which is why they come in at number four. Head coach Dennis Cutts has put together a group of players who will be able to compete in the middle with the likes of UC Irvine and will have good enough guard play to compete with anyone.

Bland and Johns

Taylor Johns is my preseason conference player of the year. By Owen Main

Maybe the best duo in the conference, Trevor Johns and Jaylen Bland are the conference’s new version of Stephan Hicks and Stephen Maxwell, both of whom finished their careers with CSUN last year.

Last season, Johns averaged over 16 points and eight rebounds per game. His skill, athleticism and work ethic down low make him the most reliable player in the conference, on paper, coming into the season. Teams will game-plan what to do with him and his play will dictate the flow of entire games UC Riverside plays in this season, especially once conference play begins.

“He’s put in a lot of work on his own, developing his skill level, and it’s been really exciting to see that development,” said head coach Dennis Cutts. “He kind of embodies what we want to be about. We want to really develop players here and he’s been really the first one that we can really showcase that we’ve done that with.”

The thing that will help him is the continued tandem play of Bland. Bland averaged 15 points and almost 5 rebounds per game last season and he and Johns played together this summer in the Drew League.

“They’re a great compliment. Jaylen can really shoot it. Taylor kind of plays in and out. It really gives us both weapons.”

Bland didn’t play for about a year and a half before last season, sitting out because of transfer rules, and Cutts expects big things from him as well this year. “I’d be scared for people now that he’s with us and he’s had a great offseason and really comfortable with what we’re doing. I have high expectations that he can improve on his year last year.”

Bland was the 2014-15 Big West Newcomer of the Year.

There needs to be more than one (or two)

Stupidly vague Highlander jokes aside, UC Riverside’s depth will play a critical role this season. At point guard, Stephen Jones will be a senior who was injured much of last year and will be back. Alex Larsson started all but one game as a freshman last year. Robert Bozeman played in 30 games last year and will provide front court depth, while Secean Johnson, Malik Thames and Gentrey Thomas will need to play significant minutes as junior college transfers.

Stability

So, why is UC Riverside worthy of being picked as a top-four team in the preseason? When it comes down to it, known commodities are a big deal in this conference, and Johns and Bland are those. Even if they finish 5th or 6th in the regular season, these are two players who have the potential to get hot and combine to get the Highlanders to the title game in Anaheim.

3 – Cal Poly

OK, maybe my glasses are shaded Mustang green. Despite a Cinderella tournament run two years ago, the truth of the matter is that Cal Poly finished 7th in the Big West’s regular season each of the past two years. There are seven players on this team who were on the Big West Championship squad two years ago and Cal Poly has some impact seniors — something they really haven’t had since Chris Eversley graduated.

The Nwaba factor

Cal Poly senior guard David Nwaba is arguably the biggest, nastiest high-fly act in the Big West. He’s a player who is worth the price of admission to come see take the ball to the basket and he can defend against just about any guard in the conference. While the rest of Cal Poly’s back court consists of spot-up shooters, Nwaba is a player who can penetrate and finish with anybody.

Senior forward Joel Awich is one of Cal Poly’s X-factor’s this season. By Owen Main

Laying in wait

If you looked to the end of the Mustang bench last year, you saw why I picked this team to finish so high. Here’s who was sitting there:

Luke Meikle – (TR, Gonzaga) – Meikle is a 6’9″ stretch-four who should be productive right away.

Taylor Sutlive – (Soph) – Sutlive figured to play a big role in his sophomore season last year, but hurt his knee and redshirted last year. He looks back in fine shape and his stroke is still sweet.

Zach Gordon – (JR) – Gordon also injured himself last year and also red-shirted. He took a game-winning charge (if there is such a thing) in the Big West Tournament final two years ago, and provides length and toughness in Cal Poly’s front court.

Trevor John – (RFR) – Unlike the others on this list, John was suited up last year, but never played. He is a sharp-shooter whose game seems much like Kyle Toth, who had a good pre-conference run last year for Cal Poly. Consistent perimeter shooting will be key for this team.

Josh Martin (TR, Minnesota) – Martin left Minnesota mid-way through last year and will be eligible to finish his freshman year at Cal Poly at some point in December. His athleticism up-front is something I can’t wait to see. I don’t know how exactly his game fits in the Big West, but he’s a major-college talent in the Big West and is one of six or seven Mustangs who will vie for playing time at power forward and center this year.

Reese Morgan is a fifth-year senior who will be one of the leaders on this year’s Cal Poly squad that will try to play at a faster pace.

That Guy

Every year, I feel like there’s a guy in the Big West who fans look at and say “he’s STILL around?!”

Mike Caffey of Long Beach State and Orlando Johnson of UCSB were two of those players in the past. While I’m not sure he’s a Player of the Year candidate this season, fifth-year senior Reese Morgan might be that guy for the Mustangs this year. He’s been through so many knee surgeries and injuries that he hasn’t ever been able to showcase the promise he had when he led the state of California in scoring in high school. Morgan can still shoot the three-ball with anybody, has a few great games left in him in his final season. More importantly, he’s a veteran that can help stabilize a locker room in which any of 11 players could play really significant minutes come conference play.

Balance

This is the most balanced and talented team Joe Callero has had at Cal Poly. Callero, now in his sixth year, has the players he wants. Over the past four years, the Mustangs have created an identity as a slow-down offensive team, and Callero is working to change that stigma. “We took the training wheels, so to speak, off the program,” he said on the radio in Las Vegas on Friday.

If Cal Poly can pick up the pace and still limit turnovers, they could be one of the few teams with the depth and balance to compete with UC Irvine and the Big West’s best squads.

2 – UC Santa Barbara

Like Long Beach State, I’m always surprised if UCSB isn’t in the top 2-3 seeds in the conference tournament. The Gauchos lost Alan Williams, one of the best post players in Big West history, but they figure to be competitive once again. Teams led by Bob Williams usually are.

Replacing Big Al

Nobody replaces Alan Williams, but UCSB had a glimpse last season of what life would be like without Williams when he was injured for a seven-game stretch. UCSB went 5-2 during that time, which is a confidence-builder going into this year.

Green means go

John Green was really impressive when I watched him last year. He’s a versitile, 6’5″ wing player who can defend and give other teams fits. Green also takes a lot of pressure off of Michael Bryson to allow Bryson to expend energy on the offensive end. Both are great defenders, but Bryson will look to be the team’s dominant scorer.

Michael Bryson is a returning first-team all-Big West selection for UCSB. By Owen Main

Bryson Buckets

Michael Bryson was a first-team All Big West selection last season and is a prototypical 2/3 combo guard. He found a way to score almost 14 points per game and grab almost five rebounds per game on a team that Al Williams played on too.

Shots shots shots (everybody!)

After losing such a dominant player, there figure to be plenty of shots to go around this year. Gabe Vincent, the 2014-15 Big West Freshman of the year, will be one player who will look to take advantage. Vincent averaged over 1o points per game last year and will look to add to that. Senior forward Mitch Brewe started about half the games last year and even dropped 18 against UC Riverside in a game. He might be a reliable option for a Gaucho go-to in the post this year.

Shadows

The only question-mark about this team is whether they can get out of the shadow of Alan Williams and how quickly. This roster is full of big men who played a role in Williams’ shadow, but can any of them answer the bell enough to provide at least a threat inside? If everyone just makes small steps forward, maybe it won’t matter.

He likes the Lakers

Go figure. Maxwell Kupchak, a 6’7″ freshman and son of Lakers General Manager Mitch Kupchak, roots for the Lakers. His profile even says. Good to know. It’s something he and I have in common and if he didn’t like the Lakers, I’d think something was seriously wrong… . Really though, Kupchak’s father was a member of the Showtime Lakers and he’s been in the organization for about as long as I’ve been alive, so it will be cool to follow whatever career his son can have with the Gauchos.

1 – UC Irvine

Russell Turner has built kind of a juggernaut over in Irvine. By Owen Main

Everyone I talked to agreed with me: UCI are the favorite this season. The Anteaters shook-off the upset loss from two years ago in the Big West Tournament to earn their first ever NCAA Tournament appearance a year ago.

Head coach Russell Turner did a good enough job that he was courted by George Mason in the offseason, but chose to stay at UC Irvine. It was probably a good decision, because the Anteaters are still freaking loaded.

Mamadou mia!

Mamdou N’Diaye is the first person you see when you walk in the gym. Even by basketball player standards, he’s huge. He’s going to impact any game he plays in with his presence at the defensive end. On the offensive end, his skills are sure to have improved in this, his junior year.

N’Diaye was injured for much of conference play last year, but it didn’t seem to matter much, because Irvine’s front court behind him is solid and deep.

No Davis, no problems

Will Davis II was one of the first players Russell Turner built his version of the Anteater program on, and he graduated last year. Alex Sousa and John Ryan graduated too, but unfortunately for other Big West teams, those were really the only major loss the Anteaters sustained.

When N’Diaye isn’t in the game, the Anteaters can go “small” with 6’10” Mike Best or 7’2″ Ioannis Dimakopoulos. Their length is scary.

Underrated guard play

I talked about great tandems earlier, but Luke Nelson and Alex Young are as good a pair as you’ll find. Either player can take over a game with shooting or penetration and both are above average defenders. A casual fan will see how huge UCI is and say that’s the reason they win. But somebody has to get the big guys the ball in places they can score. Nelson and Young do that and more to drive UCI’s deadly offensive attack. The Anteaters are balanced, talented, well put-together team that is poised to repeat in the Big West.

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Upon further review, I might be too high on the likes of any of my second through fourth picks and too low on either Hawai’i or Long Beach State. The truth is, any of the top six schools in the conference will have a real shot at the conference tournament. There isn’t just parody in this conference, the overall play is slowly improving too, which is the best thing if you’re a fan or if you have dreams of the conference being a modern-day multi-bid conference. Games in this conference are worth checking-out.

What team do you think will find their rhythm in-time to make their mark on the 2015-16 Big West season? Who are you looking forward to watching?