Gib Arnold is out as Hawai’i men’s basketball coach, Isaac Fotu has left the team, leaving the program scrambling with just days to go before the season starts. By Owen Main

As we charge toward to start of the Big West Basketball season, a few potential scandals are brewing. One is at Cal State Northridge, where players have been suspended for something they can’t tell us about, and the other is at Hawai’i, where many more facts are known. Still there, is lots of information that still isn’t known about what led up to the firing of head coach Gib Arnold and an assistant less than two weeks before the start of the season. We also try to sort out how the subsequent investigation led to Isaac Fotu being ruled ineligible and eventually leaving school just a few days later.

To help sort it all out, I was joined by Brian McInnis, the Hawai’i men’s basketball beat writer for the Honolulu Star-Advertiser. We talked Hawai’i basketball, the unknown, and what his outlook for the Big West is this season.

It’s been a part of the Cal Poly narrative for the past few months. Sometimes, you just have to make shots. The Cal Poly men’s basketball team did just that, opening up an 18-point first-half lead en-route to a 77-65 victory over Hawai’i in Mott Athletics Center on Thursday night.

Chris Eversley had 17 points, 9 rebounds, 6 assists, and zero turnovers. By Owen Main

“It felt like and intense environment.” said Cal Poly head coach Joe Callero. “It felt like fans were coming to see a big-time men’s college basketball Division 1 game. And we delivered with athleticism, toughness, competitiveness, skill level. I was so proud of our guys because we’ve gone through a lot by the daunting preseason schedule we had but we’ve learned a lot and that’s why I’m proud of what we’re doing.”

Cal Poly shot 51.6 percent in the first half and 50 percent for the game from the field.

“The number one indicator that the NCAA has found for the last ten years to indicate most success is field goal percentage,” said Callero. “We shot 50 percent tonight. Losses that we’ve had on the road, we’ve been lower.”

Senior guard Kyle Odister got the hot shooting started, knocking down a pair of triples within the first three minutes of the game. A Chris Eversley dunk and layup extended the Cal Poly lead to 12-2 just 3:42 into the game. Fellow senior Jamal Johnson also got into the scoring act early and often, scoring a career high 15 points on 4-7 shooting from the field and 5-5 from the free-throw line. Johnson was 2-4 from 3-point range. Prior to the game, Johnson had scored only 5.1 points per game this season. His scoring on Thursday was much more dynamic and included drives to the basket and shots that the Hawai’i defense seemed to be forcing the Mustangs to settle for.

“There were just times in the preseason where we just took bad shots as a team. Personally I did as well… . If we want to win, we have to improve our percentages and improve our shot selection because if we get in the paint and kick out and share with people, we can play with anybody in the country” said Eversley

Eversely tied for the team and game-high in points with 17. Sophomore David Nwaba also notched 17, including an electrifying tip-jam midway through the second half. The dunk and ensuing turnover by the Rainbow Warriors seemed to squash any chance Hawai’i had to come back in Mott Athletics Center.

“There’s nothing like playing at home,” said Eversley. “We’ve been longing for this. We’re on the road, staying at different hotels, sleeping in different beds. We knew once everybody got back in their bed, in their routines with school starting, just mentally it’s a big stability thing. The fans were great tonight, the band was great tonight and we fed off that.”

Nwaba agreed.

“It’s a great atmosphere. I love the crowd here in SLO,” said Nwaba.

Along with a pair of gravity-defying dunks, Nwaba also knocked down a few 17-foot jumpers, something he hasn’t done for much of the year.

“Confidence is key,” said Nwaba. “I’ve been building-up confidence and getting more shots up in the gym. Teams are doing a great job of scouting so I know I need to extend my game just a little bit so [I’m] getting in the gym and getting my shots up.”

With an 8-12 shooting performance, Nwaba ranks 12th in the nation and first in the Big West Conference, shooting 61.3 percent from the field. Nwaba, a sophomore transfer from Santa Monica College, also is second on the team averaging 11.9 points per game.

For Cal Poly, it was their fifth straight win over Hawai’i, 15th consecutive victory at home in the Big West Conference. The team hadn’t played a home game since they hosted Cal State Dominguez Hills on December 14th.

One day contract

Callero often refers to “one-day contracts” each of his players are metaphorically on. For the Big West opener, that meant that Joel Awich and Chris Eversley were the starting forwards. With neither standing over 6’7″, the lineup seemed to present a mismatch down low, where Hawai’i started Christian Standhardinger (6’8″) and Isaac Fotu (6’8″). But the Mustangs came out and outrebounded Hawai’i 12-6 to start the game and never looked back. Brian Bennett played just 17 minutes for the second game in a row and has now come off the bench for two straight games for the first time in his career. In his freshman campaign last season, Bennett started all 32 games. So far this year, he’s started 11 of the team’s first 14 games.

Paying full price

Cal Poly opens their Big West schedule this week by playing the team with the best preseason record (Hawai’i) and the team that is probably the best team in the conference right now, Blue-Green rival UC Santa Barbara. The Gauchos got the opening night bye (there are nine teams in the conference) this week and will open conference play at the Thunderdome. Tip-off on Saturday is at 4:00 pm.

Next week, the Mustangs come back home to face Reggie Theus’ Cal State Northridge Matadors on Thursday and defending regular season conference champion Long Beach State on Saturday. both games are scheduled for 7:00pm.

Women’s team wins a thriller

Taryn Garza’s putback as time expired helped the women take the Rainbow Wahine of Hawai’i into overtime in Honolulu on Wednesday night. Jonae Ervin scored a career-high 37 points as the defending Big West champions won their conference opener. The Mustang women made it back from Honolulu on Thursday in time to see the end of the men’s game at MAC. The Mustangs also face UCSB on Saturday. Their game is at MAC at 4:00 pm.

Photos by Owen Main

  [See image gallery at www.fansmanship.com]

In the 2013 Big West Tournament, the Pacific Tigers and coach Bob Thomason went out with a bang, winning the conference tournament in the program’s final season in the conference and Thomason’s 25th and final season coaching at Pacific.

The 2013-14 year promises to be an exciting one with new faces seeking to make an impact and several stars returning on teams that will compete.

Last season, four Big West teams went undefeated in conference play at home (Cal Poly, Long Beach State, UC Irvine, and Pacific). It’s no surprise that the media picked the three remaining teams of this group to finish in the top-four this season.

As has been the case for the past few years, many teams will be contenders for the conference tournament title at the end of the year. Here is a team by team breakdown, in the order I believe the teams will finish the regular season.

Mike Caffey will be the catalyst for the defending regular season champs. By Will Parris

1. Long Beach State

Despite winning an astounding 43 Big West regular season games over the past three years, Long Beach State has won the Big West Tournament only once during that time. Junior guard Mike Caffey returns to lead a group that lost last season’s conference player of the year, James Ennis.

This year’s 49ers team only has two seniors, but they aren’t young — eight juniors are featured on this year’s roster. With Caffey at guard and with the addition of UCLA transfer Tyler Lamb on the wing, coach Monson will have his team at or near the top of the conference going into the Big West Tournament at the Honda Center in March.

Why? Because, it seems, he always does.

2. UC Santa Barbara

UCSB had a down season last year, as is apt to happen when a conference Player of the Year candidate goes down with injuries during conference play. Junior Alan Williams is a beast for UCSB. Williams averaged 17 points and 11 rebounds last season, becoming the first Gaucho in 23 years to average a double-double. If he can stay healthy, UCSB can never be counted out.

If you thought they were young last year, the Gauchos sport 11 players on their roster who are listed as freshmen or sophomores. Seven are sophomores, including Michael Bryson, whose production and efficiency may determine whether Williams is consistently double-teamed. Kyle Boswell, one of only two seniors on the roster, will also have to make teams pay for double-teaming Williams. UCSB is a young team with a coach who knows how to get the most out of his players and parts that make sense. They will be a contender.

Cal Poly’s Chris Eversley is a returning All-Big West first team selection. By Owen Main

3. Cal Poly

Cal Poly head coach Joe Callero has a thing about consistency and defense. Last season, the Mustangs beat UCLA in the Bruins’ first game at the new Pauley Pavilion on the way to a third-place finish in the Big West’s regular season with a 12-6 conference record.

Senior Chris Eversley was an All-Big West first team selection last year, averaging 15 points and 7 rebounds per game. Other returners include two senior guards — sharpshooter Kyle Odister and point guard Jamal Johnson, Junior guard Maliik Love comes back from an injury that caused him to miss all of last season and sophomore center Brian Bennett (6′ 9″) will try to build on a solid freshman campaign during which he was one of only two Mustangs who started all 32 games.

Cal Poly also got much more athletic on the wing with junior college transfers. Sophomore David Nwaba and junior Michael Bolden provide length and athleticism to guard a variety of players and assist Eversley and Bennett on the glass. In his fifth season at Cal Poly, this might be Callero’s most athletic and physically talented group. Whether they can maintain their signature defense and make long shots late in the shot clock will determine whether they stay knocking on the door of a conference championship or break it down.

UC Irvine’s Will Davis II might be the most explosive finisher in the Big West this season. By Will Parris

4. UC Irvine

The media’s choice to finish first in the conference, UC Irvine might be the most interesting team in the Big West. Head coach Russell Turner, who came into the job with NBA experience, is now in his fourth year. The Anteaters were last year’s conference tournament runner-up and are poised to make another run..

Irvine’s size will be the first thing you notice — seven players on the roster are listed at 6′ 7” or greater, including freshman Mamadou Ndiaye, who is 7′ 6″. Junior forward Will Davis II is one of my favorite players to watch in the Big West. He had the best dunk I saw all of last season in the Anteaters’ semifinal win over Long Beach State in the Big West Tournament.

This team only has one senior and five upper-classmen, losing notable seniors Adam Folker, Michael Wilder and Daman Starring last year. They won’t have any problem defending in the paint, but how well guards and wing players perform will be the difference between a very good team and a potentially dominant one. However they finish in the regular season, this will be a dangerous team in the tournament, when the pace of play can slow down and half-court defense can have more of an impact.

5. Hawai’i

The Hawai’i trip is one that Big West coaches probably circle on their calendar — and not because they are thinking about snorkeling. The trip to Hawai’i can be a tough travel assignment, especailly if there is only a one-day break between another game either before or after the plane ride. This season, Cal Poly drew the long straw in conference scheduling, with the game at Hawai’i the only one of that particular week.

Christian Standhardinger and Isaac Fotu are active, skilled 6′ 8″ forwards who will patrol the paint at the Stan Sheriff Center. With seven players over 6′ 7″, coach Gib Arnold may be the only coach who can try to match UC Irvine’s height. Brandon Spearman and Brandon Jawato are the returning guards who scored the most last season.

While all other programs in the Big West have to go to Hawai’i once, the Rainbow Warriors have to make the trip at least four times during conference play and again for the conference tournament. Because of the travel, I’m picking them fifth in the regular season. In their second year in the conference, though, they aren’t a bad preseason dark horse pick in the conference tournament.

6. Cal State Northridge

The Cal State Northridge program has had its share of controversy since they won the conference tournament in 2009. Last year, the school named alumnus and former basketball player Dr. Brandon Martin the new athletic director. Martin fired Bobby Braswell, his former coach, and made a splash hiring former New Mexico State and Sacramento Kings head coach Reggie Theus. Theus has a lot of work to do with a team that went 14-17 overall (5-13 in Big West Conference play) a year ago.

Despite the disappointing finish to last season, Theus’ talent cupboard isn’t totally dry. Stephen Maxwell, a 6′ 7″ forward, averaged 15 points and 8 rebounds per game last season.  Josh Greene and Stephan Hicks also proved they can score, averaging 15 and 16 points per game respectively in 2012-13.

Theus will absolutely have an instant effect, but there will be ups and downs while the team adjusts to a new coach and a new style. Look for the Matadors to improve as conference play progresses and finish strong.

7. UC Davis

Jim Les seems like a coach who knows what he wants. In his third season, Les (a former NBA sharpshooter) brings back an experienced and talented team. Last season, they finished 9-9 in conference and earned the 6-seed in the conference tournament.

Corey Hawkins (20.3 ppg and 40% 3-point shooting in 2012-13) and Ryan Sypkens (14.1 ppg and 46% 3-point shooting in 2012-13) will be the most offensively potent pair of wings in the conference. Sypkens shot better last season from three-point range than two-point range and is probably the most dangerous shooter in the conference. J.T. Adenrele, the team’s best post player, suffered a season-ending knee injury in the preseason and will be lost for the year.

This is a team with lots of very good individual players and in his third season, look for coach Les’ team to start to gel into something closer and closer to Les’ vision. The team is set on the wing, but their point guard play and ability to play consistent defense will be the difference between UC Davis taking the step into the realm of contender in the conference.

8. Cal State Fullerton

Cal State Fullerton is a team that is rebuilding. Dedrique Taylor is in his first season at the helm for the Titans and he will have some work to do.

Fullerton’s guard play can be good at times, which will be well-suited to an uptempo style that Taylor wants to play.  This team has nine players who are either freshmen or seniors. Look for Fullerton to knock-off a few of the teams above them during conference play, but they are my pick to finish eighth.

9. UC Riverside

UC Riverside finished last in the conference last season and were once again picked to finish in last place by the media in 2013-14. Two seasons ago, the program was suspended from postseason play because of failure to meet the Academic Progress Rate (APR) requirements set-forth by the NCAA.

The Highlanders start the season led by Interim Head Coach Dennis Cutts. Cutts took over for former head coach Jim Woolridge, who moved into the position of Athletic Director in the offseason. While they’ll win at least some conference games, the loss of a head coach with Woolridge’s pedigree will not help this season.

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Until someone other than UCSB or Long Beach State wins the regular season title, I’ll continue to pick them at the top. Admittedly, college basketball is cyclical, so there are always opportunities for other teams. I think any of the top five or six teams on my list are great candidates to be the conference tournament winners in March and I could even see Corey Hawkins and Ryan Sypkens of UC Davis doing something really special in the tournament.

The Big West is a conference will be competitive this season. I don’t think anyone will “run away and hide” like Long Beach State has managed to do over the past few years.

There are three first-year head coaches and only Bob Williams (UCSB, 16th season), Dan Monson (Long Beach State, 7th season) and Joe Callero (Cal Poly, 5th season) have been at their current schools for more than four years. What that means — I’m not sure.

What do you think? Which team is your  favorite to win the Big West this season?