GSAC Preview Series: Westmont College Warriors

Westmont College is located in beautiful Santa Barbara, California. Along with UCSB on the North side of town, college basketball fans have the  Westmont Warriors to enjoy around Montecito. Both teams have legendary coaches. Bob Williams is in his 17th season as Head Coach and he leads the Gauchos with a career record of 269-210. The 269 wins are the most in school history.

Head Coach John Moore leads the Warriors of Westmont College. His career record is 498-298 in 26 years as head coach of Fresno Pacific (1988-1993) and Westmont College (1993-present). He is entering his 22nd season as the leader of the Warriors and has only had 1 season with a losing record at Westmont (1996-97). His overall record with the Warriors is 419-224.

Quick Facts: 

Westmont College Warriors

Location:

Santa Barbara, CA

Where Warriors Play:

The Warriors play at Murchison Gymnasium on Westmont College’s campus.

The Princeton Offense:

Coach Moore has installed the Princeton as the primary offensive attack for the Warriors. He believes that every basket should come from an assist.

The Princeton Offense emphasizes:

1. Ball movement to find the open player.

2. Player movements via back-door cuts, as well as driving after on- ball pick and rolls and flaring or curling on off-ball pick and rolls.

3. Communication between players.

Why fans should be hopeful:

The Warriors opened this season with a win against Bethesda and the coaches got an idea of who they can lean on this season. There are three players in particular to focus on.

1. Britton Williams is a 5’11”, 170 lb. guard who transferred from Iona College. He also played a year at CSU Bakersfield. Entering his Junior Season and first year at Westmont, Britton is expected to lead the Warriors attack at the Point Guard position. Coach Moore’s Point Guards initiate the Princeton offense, wait for the power forward or center to set an on-ball screen for them, and look for the Shooting Guard to get open after an off-ball screen. Britton’s collegiate experience will help him transition into the leading role for the Warriors.

2. Daniel Carlin is a 6’9”, 245 lb. center entering his senior season for the Warriors. Last season he averaged 8.2 points and 5.8 rebounds per game. The Warriors need him to set strong screens for the guards, and be effective scoring in the low post, and defending the opponents post players.

3. Cory Blau is a 6’3” 190 lb. guard who played at Dana Hills High School. During his Senior Season at Dana Hills, he averaged 18 points per game, and shot 56% from the field including 43% from the three-point line. His ability to stretch the floor will give the Warriors Point Guards more space to operate. When the floor is spaced properly, shots will easier to make.

Why fans should be concerned:

The Warriors have three seniors, two juniors, five sophomores, and five freshmen. This is one of the youngest Warriors teams in recent memory. I’m picking them 7th in the GSAC due to their youth and inexperience. The top seven teams in the GSAC will battle each and every game, and I could see the Warriors finishing anywhere from 7th to 5th in the GSAC depending on how effectively they run their offense, and how quickly their young players mature on the court.

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