The Big West is not top-heavy this year. Or maybe it’s all top-heavy. There is no one team that has clearly separated itself from the rest. UC Irvine has the pedigree. UC Davis has Chima. Cal State Fullerton has a big three. Long Beach State has history and the conference’s most experienced coach. Hawai’i has a steady hand and a bunch of steady dudes on a roster that makes sense. UCSB may have the best overall talent and a fresh new coach that is probably both an advantage and disadvantage early in the conference season. 

On a given night there are 2-3 AMAZING games in the conference. Basically, this race is shaping up to be a mid-major Royal Rumble cage match where only one team will be left standing. 

So let’s continue the metaphor (not a simile — I didn’t use like or as). Which team matches up with which WWF early-90’s wrestler?

Hawai’i (4-1)

Hawai’i is 3-1 in conference play. Eron Ganot’s program has transitioned into one with players who also know their roles and play mostly sound basketball. For me, they are Shawn Michaels. The Heartbreak Kid was a solid wrestling personality. Hawai’i is a solid basketball team. (I picked them 4th going into the season.) That said, they are also very confident. They like to jaw and trash talk. They maybe think they’re better than they are, though they might be just that good. 

While you could probably say it about any wrestler, the irrational confidence and all-around classic personality of this team reminded me of Michaels. 

Cal State Fullerton (4-2) 

The Titans are off to their best start in years. They have three very good players at their core with a supporting cast that understands their roles. Fullerton knows exactly who they are and aren’t. They do a few things really well and playing against them is like staring into the cold eyes of The Undertaker. The Undertaker is big and physical and knows exactly who he is. He joined WWF in 1990 — a sort of new kid on the block at our targeted time period. So, too, are Cal State Fullerton. 

Long Beach State (4-2)

I used to never pick Dan Monson’s team out of the top 4. They were always in the hunt for a conference title and a chance at the conference’s NCAA tournament bid. Some of the sheen is off Long Beach State. Recent years have brought transfers in and out, but they still play the toughest non-conference schedule and probably have the biggest overall revenue of any program in the conference. For that, this team is the Million Dollar Man, Ted DiBiase. DiBiase’s upfront capitalist attitude (“Everybody’s got a price!”) made so many people uncomfortable and made him a classic heel. 

DiBiase’s character didn’t just elicit emotional responses. He made you introspective about why you did or didn’t like him. He brought all your own moral defects to your conscious mind. In the end, you had to respect the character because he did what he did. At some point, as a fan, you knew what was coming.

UCSB (3-2) 

In a week, UCSB could be right back on top of the conference. For me, they are still the team to beat, though currently they’re in SIXTH place. SIXTH. 

Because of their big start, UCSB is Hulk Hogan. Even into the early 90’s, Hogan was still dominant and still a good guy. Eventually he turned, but the bright yellow hulk tank from ’92 screams Isla Vista to me. 

Oh yeah, Brother!

Really though, Hulk Hogan was a centerpiece of WWF for most of two decades and UCSB has a rich history and is still the favorite in my mind. The Gauchos as Hulk just makes sense to me. 

UC Davis (3-2) 

UC Davis was my preseason #1 pick. Jim Les has an intense game demeanor that, under the surface, I know is basically Ric Flair. The Nature Boy was a top-3 dominant personality in the sport for years. Kids at my high school used to put up both hands and go WOOOOOOOOOO on a regular basis. One of our student body presidents used to read the announcements in homage to Flair just about every morning. 

A few years ago, I might have picked Long Beach State to be Flair. They were the team who was always there — year after year. Davis has become that team now. They have the marquee talent in the conference in Chima Monecke. They have worked hard to get relevant and they’ll do everything they can to stay there, even if it means turning heel sometimes. 

UC Irvine (3-3)

Russell Turner continues to amaze. He’s lost two seven-footers in recent years, but still boasts the biggest team in the conference in the paint. Between Jonathon Galloway, Tommy Rutherford, Elston Jones, and Brad Greene, UCI’s power forward nearly always has a post-up advantage against the opponent. Last night, the Anteaters outscored Cal Poly 44-16 in the paint. UCI has talented guards too, but for me they are Big Boss Man. 

Big Boss Man was, first and foremost, big. He didn’t let anybody get away with anything, and that’s the way UCI has played over the past 3-5 years. The Anteaters take advantage of opponents’ mistakes and don’t let them get away with anything either. To beat the Big Boss Man, you had to be on the top of your game. Same with UCI this season. 

CSUN (2-3)

I didn’t really know where to put the Matadors, so I enlisted some help. Ghizal Hasan, their radio voice, said Razor Ramon would be a good choice. So we’ll go with Ramon. 

Ramon was good times. CSUN can be good times too when things are going well. The hair is amazing. I had one other person vote for Hardy Boys for CSUN. 

Cal Poly (1-4)

The Mustangs won their first game in wild fashion, and thank goodness they did. Cal Poly has since lost three straight including last night in Irvine. They are at their best when their games are a little weird. They have some very specialized skills, and also some very specific weaknesses. 

I couldn’t find anywhere to put them, so maybe they’re Sgt. Slaughter. Maybe it works. Cal Poly is a pretty conservative campus overall. 

As a Cal Poly fan, I’ll say this — Sgt. Slaughter isn’t afraid of anybody. Neither is Cal Poly. Sgt. Slaughter is self-made. Lots of Cal Poly guys are too — many are JUCO transfers or transfers from other larger programs. Yeah, I think Sgt. Slaughter is a decent proxy for the Mustangs. 

UC Riverside (0-5)

I don’t want to pile-on. This group lost their head coach on New Year’s Day. They’ve been without their star point guard for all of conference play so far. What wrestler should UCR be?!

I thought about this one not very much, but the guy who I haven’t gotten on this list yet is Jake “The Snake” Roberts. Since it’s pretty unorthodox to fire a coach midseason, and having a huge python in the ring is also pretty uncommon, maybe this is a match made in heaven. Jake the Snake. 

Dude, how did they let Macho Man get bit by Jake’s snake? Holy crap. 

Just because Cal Poly’s roster is small doesn’t mean they have to take a ton of three pointers. On Wednesday night in an ESPN3 game, Cal Poly came out gunning, shooting 54% en route to a 85-71 route of CSUN at the Matadome. Cal Poly led by as many as 30 halfway through the second frame. CSUN’s press helped them make the final respectable, but the Mustangs (3-8 in Big West play) held on for the win. Cal Poly has now beaten each of the top-3 teams in the Big West this season. 

Fields in control

Donovan Fields scored a career-high 23 points in Cal Poly’s win at CSUN on Wednesday. By Owen Main

Sophomore guard Donovan Fields showed a diverse offensive game en route to 23 points on Wednesday to go along with six rebounds and four assists. The 23 points ties him for the second highest point total for a Cal Poly player this year. Fields, who is listed at 5′ 10″, was scoring any way he wanted to: pull up jumpers, floaters, three-pointers, and knifing layups. He and fellow small combo guard Victor Joseph have carried much of the offensive load in conference play for Cal Poly. While they do shoot three-pointers, the Mustang guards are at their best when getting into the lane in positions to finish. Joseph finished with 15 points and five rebounds on the night.

Kuba gets hot

Sophomore forward Kuba Nizioł was supposed to redshirt this season, but after injuries to Josh Martin and Josh Mishler early-on, he volunteered to take his redshirt off and play this season. He has never been shy to shoot open shots, but over the past few weeks, Nizioł has taken steps.

On Wednesday, the Polish national made his first three pointer and missed his second shot shortly after. Many young players might shy away after missing shots, but that hasn’t been Nizioł’s MO.  

Developing post depth

While Cal Poly’s offense generally does not go through the post this season, the center position remains an important one. After losing Martin, Cal Poly has relied on Zach Gordon along with Aleks Abrams and Hank Hollingsworth at the five position. Generally two of the three are in a rotation in a given game, with a third playing just a few minutes. This has seemingly changed game to game. On Wednesday, Hollingsworth got the start and the redshirt freshman showed some growth in terms of mental and physical toughness. 

After getting his shot blocked on Cal Poly’s first offensive possession, Hollingsworth rallied and played a solid defensive game, affecting multiple CSUN shots around the paint. He even threw down a few dunks, including a tip-jam. While Gordon and Abrams have had more time at the position this year, Hollingsworth’s development is a big deal for a team that’s thin in the front court without Josh Martin and will lose Zach Gordon to graduation following this season. Having three guys who can play legitimate defense inside and give opposition big men varied looks will go a long way toward Cal Poly being a potential upset threat in the Big West Tournament. 

Two Pointers a key

I told someone earlier this year that I expected Cal Poly to shoot 25-35 three-pointers in games kind of often this year. Against CSUN, Joe Callero’s team shot just 7-18 from three-point range and didn’t make any in the second half, but still won a game that was not really in question at any point in the second half. 

In the end, Cal Poly shot 62 percent on two-point attempts and 54 percent overall. Sometimes, when you can get and make lots of good shots, well, you’re a tough team to beat. 

Photos by Owen Main – For more photos visit photos.fansmanship.com

All the pre-conference games have been played. Rust has been knocked-off. New players have been integrated into teams. Big West schools have played a huge range of opponents from BCS conferences, NAIA, Division II, and others.

On Wednesday night, six of the nine conference schools will tip-off their 16-game Big West season, hoping to earn a top seed in the Big West Tournament, which takes place March 9-11 at the Honda Center in Anaheim.

Here are a few pages I’ll be using consistently. I recommend you get a subscription to KenPom.com if you haven’t already.

CBS Sports strength of schedule

KenPom.com

Big West Men’s Basketball page

Let’s take a look at each team’s preseason, how they’ve done, and what it means for the next 10 weeks.

UC Davis Link to Team’s Site

Record: 8-7

Strength of Schedule – 301/351

KenPom Ranking – 229/351 (3rd in the Big West)

Preseason Media Poll: 5th

UC Davis has the best record this year in the Big West’s non-conference. While several other Big West teams have a top-100 non-conference schedule this season, the Aggies have gotten used to winning against teams who largely play at the level of many Big West Schools.

6’6″ Junior forward Chima Moneke — a JUCO transfer who is originally from Australia — has been a revelation for head coach Jim Les. Moneke leads the team in both scoring (14.9 ppg) and rebounding (8.3 rpg) and is one frontrunner for the Big West’s newcomer of the year award. Brynton Lemar, Seiler Schneider, and Darius Graham all shoot 39 percent or better from three point range, giving  Moneke and super senior JT Adenrele room to operate down low. Adenrele is second on the team in rebounding, with five per game.

Cal State Fullerton Link to Team’s Website

Record: 6-7

Strength of Schedule: 325/351

KenPom Ranking: 291/351 (8th in the Big West)

Preseason Media Poll: 6th

Dedrique Taylor’s squad this year has been generally competitive, if a little inconsistent this year. They have four Division I wins, including against a few average Division I teams — but they’ve also lost against Alabama State – ranked 335/351 on KenPom.com. Senior Tre Coggins is averaging over 20 points per game and could be a sleeper Big West Player of the Year candidate. Sophomore Khalil Ahmad has played in just two games (16.5 ppg), but figures to pair with Coggins to make Fullerton’s back court one of the best in the conference offensively.

Jackson Rowe, a 6′ 7″ freshman from Toronto, leads the team in rebounding and he and Lionheart Leslie both average in double digits in scoring. A combination of conference parody, great guards, and some program consistency means this year’s Fullerton team may finally be ready to start to fulfill Taylor’s vision for the program and compete for a spot in the top half of the conference.

Hawai’i Link to Team’s Website

Record: 6-7

Strength of Schedule: 286/351

KenPom Ranking: 261/351 (5th in the Big West)

Preseason Media Poll: 8th

With a year to plan for the Rainbow Warriors’ postseason ban in 2017, head coach Eron Ganot and co. saw some familiar faces leave this past offseason, including center Stefan Jovanovic (Loyola Marymount).

In this, a rebuilding year, Hawai’i has beaten a number of the bottom 20-50 Division I teams in the country. A number of new faces lead Hawai’i this year, including Australian Jack Purchase — an Auburn transfer — JUCO transfer F Gibson Johnson, and senior UCLA transfer Noah Allen, who leads the team in scoring and rebounding.

Look for Hawai’i to be in games throughout the conference season. They’re not as talented as last year, but a record at or above .500 for conference would not be a surprise given Ganot’s pedigree. Even though they are ineligible for postseason play, Ganot’s team should keep up in a down year in the Big West.

If you want to read more about Hawai’i, Brian McInnis is a great read in the Holonolu Star Advertiser.

UC Irvine Link to Team’s Website

Record: 7-9

Strength of Schedule: 81/351

KenPom Ranking: 181/351 (First in the Big West)

Preseason Media Poll: 2nd 

Russell Turner’s team has become a perennial Big West contender. Sure, the departed Mamadou Ndiaye had something to do with that, but senior Luke Nelson was this author’s preseason pick for Big West Player of the Year. Nelson, out with injury for much of the preseason, would have made a difference in Irvine’s pre-conference record. Irvine’s top-100 strength of schedule makes their 7-9 record without Nelson actually really good.

In Nelson’s absence, Jaron Martin has shown marked improvement from last year as the team’s leading scorer at 14.3 points per game over the first 16. Martin is a notorious clutch shooter, making UC Irvine’s backcourt tandem really, really good.

Without Ndiaye, look for Ioannis Dimakopoulos to go to work inside. A 7′ 2″ senior, Dimakopoulos averages 10 points and four rebounds in just over 20 minutes per game. Jonathan Galloway, listed at 6′ 10″ (did he grow?!), plays good defense and is a role player that great teams need to have.

There is a next generation of UCI players that fans will see this season too. Max Hazzard and Eyassu Worku — freshman guards also recruited by other Big West schools, along with 6′ 8″ freshman forward Tommy Rutherford will see lots of minutes for the Anteaters.

Add up the star power, depth, discipline, leadership and athleticism, and the Anteaters are one of the top two teams going into conference play — if not the best.

Cal Poly Link to Team’s Website

Record: 5-9

Strength of Schedule: 236/351

KenPom Ranking: 270/351 (7th in the Big West)

Preseason Big West Media Poll: 9th

It’s weird that Cal Poly has played at three Pac 12 schools and still has a SOS as low as they do, but here they are.

Joe Callero’s team was already thin enough for the Mustangs to be picked 9th in the preseason media poll, but they’ve also lost probably their two best players in the preseason. Josh Martin only played in five games before a season-ending foot injury. Guard Jaylen Shead — the team leader in assists — left the program as soon as finals were done.

What Callero is left with is a weird situation. The Mustangs basically start three point guards (some combination of Kyle Toth, Ridge Shipley, Victor Joseph, and Donovan Fields), a stretch-four (Luke Meikle), and a defense/rebounding specializing center (Zach Gordon, Aleks Abrams, or Hank Hollingsworth).

Joseph, Fields, Toth, and Hollingsworth have never played in a Big West Conference game before and only Shipley, Meikle, and Gordon have seen consistent minutes.

Things might pivot on Meikle’s ability to carry the load both in rebounding and scoring in the half-court against athletic defenders in the Big West.

Cal Poly’s roster is weird and they haven’t won a game in the four since Shead left, but Callero and his staff often do their best work when things get weird. With as small as this team is, a lot will ride on their ability to defend the paint, rebound, and make three pointers. Look for the 40 percent mark from downtown and free throw differential to be good barometers of how the Mustangs are playing on a given night.

Long Beach State Link to Team’s Website

Record: 5-11

Strength of Schedule: 32/351

KenPom Ranking: 188/351 (2nd in the Big West)

Preseason Big West Media Poll: 1st

Dan Monson’s team always plays one of the toughest pre-conference schedules in the country, and this season was no different. After losing to a number of great teams early in the season, the 49ers rattled off back-to-back wins at Oregon State and at home against Colorado State.

Long Beach brings back firepower in Evan Payne and Gabe Levin — former Loyola Marymount players who transferred to Long Beach. Payne is a pure scorer (14.5 ppg) and Levin does a lot of dirty work, averaging 12.2 points and 6.2 rebounds per contest.

Noah Blackwell, Roschon Prince, and Temidayo Yussuf are all solid rotation players who do a lot of work on both ends of the floor.

The heartbeat of Long Beach State, though, is 5’8″ Justin Bibbins. A junior this year, Bibbins was a vocal leader on the court as an underclassman last season. Bibbins was injured at the end of the Colorado State win on December 22nd and didn’t play at Eastern Michigan. His ability to be full-speed will mean A LOT for a Long Beach State team that is battle-tested and ready to compete for a Big West title once again.

They’ll get a test right out of the gate, facing UC Irvine on Thursday night in Irvine. The game will be an ESPN3 production.

CSUN Link to Team’s Website

Record: 4-9

Strength of Schedule: 139/351

KenPom Ranking: 239/351 (4th in Big West)

Preseason Media Poll: 3rd

Reggie Theus‘ team has been one of the hardest to figure out thus far. With a bevy of transfers from schools in power conferences, CSUN was poised to make a big improvement this year. Maybe they still are.

They still have those talented players. Rakim Lubin (UCONN), Darin Johnson (Washington) Kendall Smith (UNLV), Reggie Theus Jr. (South Carolina) and Dylan Johns (Texas A&M) are all contributing this year. Tavrion Dawson is a talented wing player too.

But inconsistent pre-conference play has given reason for pause. Losses to teams like UCLA and Texas A&M don’t look bad, but the loss to Bethesda at home is a real head-scratcher. Maybe senior Aaron Parks (11.9 points, 4.1 rebounds, 2.6 assists per game), who didn’t play in the Bethesda game, really means that much to the Matadors.

This team will go as far as it is willing to stay disciplined on defense. The Matadors will get their 75 or so points (they average almost 80 per game so far), but their ability to limit turnovers and get defensive stops will be the difference between a winning or losing conference record.

UC Riverside Link to Team’s Website

Record: 2-9

Strength of Schedule: 131/351

KenPom Ranking: 301/351 (9th in the Big West)

Preseason Media Poll: 7th

There’s no doubt about it, UC Riverside has struggled this preseason. Before December 31st, they hadn’t beaten a Division I team this year. But on New Years Eve, they hosted Grand Canyon, a top-200 team, and came away with a victory at the SRC.

The win may be a building block for a team looking for positives.

Secean Johnson is the team’s scoring and rebounding leader at 11.4 points and 5 rebounds per game. Gentry Thomas and Chance Murray are the other Highlanders averaging double-figure points. Dikymbe Martin, a freshman guard from local high school JW North, might be the most interesting player on the team. Martin leads the team in assists and steals and averages 8.5 points per game.

With their overall performance this year, it’s hard to see UC Riverside finishing near the top half of the conference, but the league is so weird this year that anybody could convince themselves they belong in the top four.

UC Santa Barbara Link to Team’s Website

Record: 2-10 

Strength of Schedule: 34/351

KenPom Ranking: 269/351 (6th in the Big West)

Preseason Media Poll: 4th

It’s unusual to see Bob Williams teams struggle, but struggle this year’s squad has. Their only Division I win was against Cal State Bakersfield and losses to San Diego and Seattle weren’t particularly good. In the Seattle game over winter break, the Gauchos gave up a 20-point lead with 9:09 left in the game to lose at the Thunderdome.

Things aren’t all doom and gloom in Goleta, though. UCSB has played the 34th toughest schedule this season and it would be easy to see Williams’ players improving and adjusting as they got into conference. This year’s team is led by junior Gabe Vincent — a sharp shooter deluxe who averages 16.2 points and 4.1 rebounds per game. Junior Jalen Canty is a big 6’8″ JUCO transfer from San Francisco who was the California JUCO Player of the Year last season. He averages 10 points and seven rebounds for the Gauchos while sharpshooting freshman Max Heidegger (Oaks Christian High School) is averaging nine points. Senior Eric Childress leads the team with 3.8 assists per game.

It’s always hard to imagine UCSB near or at the bottom of the Big West when the dust settles, so don’t be surprised if you see them seeded in the 4-6 range in the conference tournament, despite their slow start.

They can’t be worried about playoffs. Right now, Steve Sampson and company are trying to figure out how to win a Big West game. After netting zero point in their first road weekend in conference and getting just one point from two home games last weekend, the Mustangs have now only a tie and a single point to show for their first two weeks in conference play. This makes their path to a conference playoff birth a really tough one. Their record now stands at 2-7-2 overall and 0-3-1 in Big West Conference play.

Freshman Kenneth Higgins plays with what seems like unlimited energy, but the team hasn’t won in 2 weeks since beating UCLA. By Owen Main

The Good News

There is SOME good news. Maybe. If you turn the standings and schedule to hit the light just so. Wins will still play. With six games to go — home and away series with each of UCSB, Sacramento State, and UC Davis — Cal Poly can make up ground fast with wins. Home games against both UC Davis and UCSB this weekend would be a great place to start.

The Bad News

This Mustangs are sitting on one point, which is five points behind both Sac State and UC Davis — the teams tied for 2nd place in the North currently. To pass either of then would take, probably, some serious help.

What will it take?

Road points are tough in the Big West, so their play this weekend could either give Cal Poly a fighting chance or seal their fate. Thursday night vs. UC Davis is the first of these tough tasks. Win that game, and the UCSB game will loom as a really big opportunity to gain ground.

Last season, 11 points was not enough for Sacramento State to make the playoffs out of the Big West’s North Division, but this year’s a little different. If Sac State and UC Davis each win two of their remaining six games to get to 12 let’s put the target at 13 to make the playoffs. Less than that COULD garner a spot, but 13 will for sure do so.

The answer is that Cal Poly needs wins. Lots of them. With six games left, they’d get 18 points with six straight wins. That’s not likely, but 11 or 12 points will not come easily. The math says that four wins or three wins and 2-3 ties would get them where they need to be.

All this is pretty unlikely, but stranger things have happened — especially in soccer. A little change in mindset or a little change in luck can make a lasting difference. It’s not an easy task. Then again, nothing worthwhile ever was.

Click here for Photos from Cal Poly Men’s Soccer this year.

Click here for Photos from Cal Poly vs. CSUN.

Click here for Photos from Cal Poly vs. UCI.

After grinding out a 58-53 win against UC Davis on Thursday night, Cal Poly men’s basketball rallied from a 14 point deficit with 11 minutes to play, but fell in overtime to CSUN 75-71. After splitting the two home games last weekend, the Mustangs are now 10-16 overall and 4-9 in Big West Conference play.

Reese Morgan has been heating up lately. By Owen Main

Morgan heating-up

It’s nice to see Reese Morgan playing well. The fifth-year senior guard has scored in double-digits in each of Cal Poly’s last six games and is averaging 18 points per game over his last four. When he can spot-up and get more open shots, Morgan can be as deadly a shooter as anybody, but it’s been hard for him without a ton of other creators on the floor. Jaylen Shead’s increased minutes (see below) have provided a nice back court compliment for Reese.

Shead seeing more time

Freshman point guard Jaylen Shead is getting more minutes, and they seem to be paying off. Shead is athletic and strong enough to keep opposition guards in front of him and also rebounds very well for a point guard. Over the weekend, Shead averaged 6 points, 8.5 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game. He has shown he can make free throws in the clutch and given Joe Callero no reason to take him out. He’s played 25-plus minutes in each of the past seven games and played 30-plus minutes in each of the past three.

Jaylen Shead has had an increased presence on the floor over the past few games. By Owen Main

Awards Banquet

Cal Poly will hold their awards banquet a little earlier than normal this year. On Friday night, the team and public will gather at the PAC to name their award winners and to honor retiring play-by-play announcer Tom Barket. Barket has been with Cal Poly for about a decade, calling football, basketball, and baseball for over half that time. Tom has always been great to this website, contributing on the podcast at least 3-4 times, and I know I’ll miss him around Cal Poly sports.

Mott Mania

Cal Poly’s final contest of the season at Mott Athletics Center will be Saturday night when they face Cal State Fullerton. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00pm.

The Mustangs are 5-6 at home so far this season (10-16 overall) and will try to clinch a .500 home record with a victory against the Titans.

So you’re telling me there’s a chance?!

With Saturday’s loss, Cal Poly will have a losing record in the Big West for the third consecutive season, but not all hope is lost. Two years ago, the Mustangs finished conference play 6-10 and was a seven seed in the conference tournament when they won four games in a row and made it to the NCAA Tournament’s second round. It’s not something fans, coaches, or players can count on, but I guess it’s nice to know that it can be done.

Women win a pair

Cal Poly women’s basketball had a successful road weekend, beating Cal State Fullerton and CSUN on the road. Their conference record now stands at 6-7 as they fight for a higher seed in next month’s Big West Tournament.

Photos from the UC Davis game by Owen Main. Click here to see all photos.

Owen sat down to chat with CSUN men’s basketball and UCR baseball play-by-play announcer Ghizal Hasan. Ghizal had some unique perspectives on the Big West, college sports, and doing play-by-play. He’s a fun follow on Twitter and I hope you enjoy the conversation as much as I did!

Cal Poly men’s basketball turned the ball over with, what was for them, a reckless abandon on Thursday night in Northridge. Eighteen turnovers was double what they’ve averaged in recent years and CSUN took advantage of the Mustang miscues to erase an eight-point deficit in the second half and win the game 76-74. On Saturday night in Fullerton, Cal Poly corrected turnovers in a big way, giving the ball away just twice in a 83-75 win at Titan Gym.

Reese Morgan is averaging 30 minutes per game for Cal Poly in Big West play — tops on the team. He is also an 84 percent free throw shooter. By Owen Main

Boards matter?

Last weekend at home, Joe Callero was focused on rebounding margin as an indicator of how Cal Poly was playing, but this weekend, that margin was all backwards. On Thursday, Cal Poly out-rebounded CSUN by 10 (by four on the offensive side), and lost the game.

Saturday afternoon, the tables were turned. Cal State Fullerton out-rebounded Cal Poly 42-29, including 16-9 on the offensive end, but Cal Poly somehow managed to pull the game out anyway.

Minimizing miscues

The way Cal Poly won the game on Saturday, despite being out-rebounded so dramatically, was by taking care of the ball. Two turnovers was the lowest total in the Joe Callero era and might be the least ever. Cal Poly only turned the Titans over 12 times in the game, but a margin of 10 turnovers is something that’s generally hard to overcome. If Cal Poly can control turnovers, it would be one way to off-set their not-great defensive efficiency moving forward.

Bombs away

Cal Poly sports two shooters ranked highly in all of Division I from behind the three point line. Sophomore Taylor Sutlive is shooting 50.7 percent from distance, good for 12th in the nation. Senior Reese Morgan isn’t so bad himself at 43.2 percent. For much of yesterday’s game, Morgan and Sutlive were on the floor at the same time to try to create space for post players like Brian Bennett, Joel Awich, and Luke Meikle.

Ridge Shipley started Saturday’s win at Fullerton, though 10 guys on Cal Poly could be in the game at any given time. By Owen Main

Rolling 10 deep

Cal Poly continues to play 10 guys double-digit minutes. I’ll have more analysis of this, but it’s something I always wonder about — can a team who plays 10 guys consistently be a great team? I guess we’ll find out over the course of the next few months of Big West Conference play.

Women split, too

Beth Balbierz was freaking clutch on Thursday night. With Cal Poly down 3 to visiting CSUN, Balbierz took an inbounds pass and sunk a game-tying three-pointer with .2 left on the clock. The Mustangs would go on to win the game in overtime by a final of 66-62.

On Saturday afternoon, though, UC Davis was too good for Cal Poly, beating them handily 75-57, despite a big crowd of 1,840 -mainly middle school students and their families — in attendance. Middle schoolers can be loud when prompted, and they helped Cal Poly hang with the Aggies for much of the first half, but Davis built-up an 8-point advantage at halftime and out-scored Cal Poly 21-14 in the third quarter to take a commanding lead.

This Cal Poly team hasn’t been the one that scored crazy points in previous seasons. They’ve scored in the 50’s in two of their past three games and as teams continue to do a good job scouting them, a question will be whether they can adjust and fight for a top-half seed in this year’s competitive Big West.

If you are a team playing Cal State Northridge, that means a trip to the fabled Matadome, and prior to 2013, that meant a trip to one of the smallest Division 1 gymnasiums in America. We’re talking a capacity of 1,600 people (for the record, my high school seats 2,500). However, in 2013, the Matadome went through a major renovation, including a state of the art court design. Like remember when a mascot was just contained in the center circle of a basketball court?

image from gomatadors.com

Not in the Matadome my friends. You can’t contain the Matador on the new floor, and get this, in 2013, Bleacher Report named the Matadome # 2 in their post titled, “Ranking the 20 Best Court Designs in College Basketball“. That put the Matadome’s court design over such famed courts as Duke’s Cameron Indoor Stadium, UCLA’s Pauley Pavilion, and Cal State Bakersfield’s Icardo Center (for the record, a Division II powerhouse, that recently moved up to DI, but I mean, just take a look at how awesome their court is by clicking on this hyperlink). The number one court design, according to Bleacher Report? Fellow Big West Member Long Beach State (peep the sick palm tree game, and yes I just said that).

So two years ago, CSUN was riding high, and their court design game was on serious fleek (and yes, I just said that). However, just one year later, the Matadors and the Matadome found themselves off the Bleacher Report Top Design list. They went from second best to not even invited to the big dance (literally and figuratively). I like to think that CSUN, won’t stand for this, and I think I have a pretty good idea as to how to get that court design swag back.  Cue the music:

That’s the Matadome circa 1984. 

You may or may not know this, but the Matadome is not just the home of the Matadors, but it is also the home of the 1984 All Valley Karate Tournament, which of course was won by one, Daniel LaRusso. That’s right, the Matadome is where the karate tournament at the end of the Karate Kid (and the tournament at the end of Karate Kid III, but I mean, come on, that movie sucks) took place. It’s not very often that a truly iconic, Academy Award nominated film (what’s that?  You forgot that Pat Morita was nominated for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of Mr. Miyagi, because he was!), was shot at your home gym, and I feel like to not take advantage of that, is a missed opportunity Cal State Northridge. Don’t worry CSUN, I have come up with a solution, that I think will solve all of your problems.

So here is what I am proposing: change the court design of the Matadome to reflect the 1984 All Valley Karate Tournament from Karate Kid. Boom. You’re welcome CSUN. Do you smell that?  That’s the smell of being the number one ranked court design in college sports. Not to mention the most feared place to play in all of the NCAA. I mean, think about it. A kid who nobody believes in goes on to defeat a karate powerhouse that literally wears a Cobra on their backs. Pretty sure I would be scared to play basketball and volleyball against any team on that court. Again, you’re welcome. Now, I know what you’re saying: Kenny, based on this post and your last one, you are still totally insane.  Well, let’s take a look at some of the mock-ups I have made.

First, feast your eye buckets on this:

As you can see, this is awesome.  It has the center ring where Daniel fights Johnny, it properly commemorates the All Valley Karate Championship, and it is in CSUN red and black.  However, this is just one option.  Wanna see more ties to the movie?

Here you get all of the same awesomesauce from the previous one, but now you get the addition of the Daniel getting ready to pop Johnny in the face, which wins everything obviously.  There is no team in the nation that could walk into CSUN and not feel like they were about to be put into a body bag (you’re welcome).  But, I’m not done.  Look at this crazy one.

I’m great right?  This one takes advantage of the original poster for The Karate Kid.  Try to get a shot off with at least one of these people staring at you.  Also, I would like to talk more about Ralph Macchio’s face, and how it seems like he’s thinking, “what the f*ck is this old man going to do to me?”, but that’s for another time.  And just for fun here’s one of Daniel Larusso staring at Will Smith’s character from Concussion.

I’m killing it, I know.  So in conclusion: I’m awesome. And CSUN, if getting back to the top of the court design game is important to you, just reply to this post below.

Please note: licensing all of these images from The Karate Kid is probably going to cost you a lot of money, but take it from me, a middle class comedian, that’s money well spent.

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.

**************************************

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?

Cal Poly kicked-off Big West Conference play with a bang on Thursday night, winning at Northridge 1-0. The Mustangs’ goal came on one of the best individual college goals I’ve seen.

Hermann Award nominee Chase Minter took a headed cross calmly off his chest before executing a bicycle kick past sprawling CSUN keeper Adam Hobbs. It was Minter’s third goal of the season.

It’s something you really just need to watch. Steve Sampson’s Mustangs are now 1-0 in conference play and 6-2-1 overall.