Kuba Niziol – Junior – 6’7”, 210 lbs

Kuba Niziol’s best two games may have been during Cal Poly’s best two-game stretch of the season. By Owen Main

By the Numbers:

30 Games

18.2 Minutes per game

7.2 Points per game

2.3 Rebounds per game

.53 Assists per game

36.3.% Field Goals

34.5% 3 Pointers

81.4 % Free Throws

Kuba Niziol is a player who came into 2017-18 looking more physically ready to compete at the Division I college level. The lanky, sharpshooting forward from Poland had put on some muscle and looked primed to make a big contribution. During Cal Poly’s best two-game stretch — wins at Santa Clara and vs. College of Charleston in Alaska — Kuba played two of his best games. Against College of Charleston — the Mustangs’ best non-conference win — the junior went 5-5 from downtown en route to 15 points. 

After shooting under 30 percent from three-point range as a sophomore, Niziol was much closer to his true talent level as a 34 percent shooter from downtown. But if three-point shooting is his only dimension, Niziol isn’t tapping into what he can be. Somewhat like our last subject, Marcellus Garrick, Niziol has a lot more potential to be more of a versatile playmaker instead of only a spot-up shooter. 

While his percentage wasn’t great, Niziol isn’t as far away as it seems from being a much more consistent and deadly shooter. He always just seems super relaxed when he releases his shots. 

In the first half of conference play, Kuba missed a game at UC Irvine and sat out all but the final two minutes at CSUN. Coach Joe Callero pointed to a minor injury he picked up during that week. Niziol scored in double digits in three conference games. In Cal Poly’s final game of the season, a frustrating blowout first-round loss to UCSB, Niziol was ejected after committing a flagrant foul under the basket. It seemed like a microcosm of the way the Mustangs’ season ended.

** Story Break** 

I was at the Cal Poly Rec Center sometime probably in like July or August. There were a few Cal Poly basketball players running in a pick-up game. When Niziol and Donovan Fields had to shoot to be the last guy, they went pretty quickly to three-pointers. Nobody was missing. They each made like 20 threes in a row while battling each other. It got to the point where the other 9 guys waiting to play started to run around and shoot on the other hoop to stay loose. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like that at a pick-up game. I don’t even remember who missed first, I just remember everyone else saying “finally” and shaking their heads when one of them missed.

Looking forward

Niziol is one of the Cal Poly players whose basketball skills seem tantalizing. In some games and in some situations, Niziol was one of the most dynamic and dangerous players on the floor. At other times, he seemed frustrated by his threes not falling. When he’s got his all-around game working, Niziol has the potential to be a consistent contributor on both ends of the floor on a good team. 

Six would-be seniors on the 2018-19 team have left in past years. Niziol, Garrick, and Donovan Fields are slated to be seniors next year. They’ll all have a chance to break the Mustangs out of the 7th place rut they’ve been in. 

With his length, Kuba has a high ceiling. He is more athletic than you think and his ability to defend multiple positions and rebound could easily improve in a kind of important, understated way year-to-year. Being a 10-12 point, 5 rebound guy while playing good defense and improving his all around game is totally within reach for Niziol in 2018-19. 

*Ed note: Over the next few weeks, we’ll be recapping the season of every Cal Poly player who played in 2017-18.

In the longest game in their history in Division I, Cal Poly hung close with Big West rival UC Davis, but the Aggies scored 17 points in the third overtime period to pull away and win 92-84 on Thursday night at Mott Athletics Center.

The loss drops Cal Poly’s record in Conference play to 3-9, tied for 7th place, but just one game ahead of the 9th spot in the conference. With games against CSUN (next Thursday) and at UC Riverside (a week after that) on the horizon, Cal Poly nearly clawed out of the hole and vaulted themselves into sole posession of 7th place. Instead, the Mustangs were left wondering what happened. 

Cal Poly shouldn’t have been in the game at all. After failing to make a field goal for nearly eight minutes in the game, the Mustangs, miraculously, were only behind by nine points at halftime — a reasonable deficit for a team that only scored 18 points in the period. 

In the second half, Cal Poly seemed to have snatched the momentum. With 3:10 left in the game, Aleks Abrams made a layup to put Cal Poly up by five points. — their largest lead. Just 19 seconds later, UC Davis got Michael Onyebalu an open look from deep that he knocked down. After a missed shot, the Aggies’ Rogers Printup made another three. In two possessions, Cal Poly’s five point lead had turned into a one point deficit.

The triple overtime game was the first since the early 80’s for a program that moved to Division I in the 90’s. 

Clutch moments

There are bound to be tons of clutch moments in a triple overtime game. Down by two points with 11 seconds left, Siler Schneider made two free throws for UC Davis. The first two overtimes featured the two teams going a combined 10-10 from the free throw line. After another Onyebalu three pointer put Davis up by three points in the final minute of the second extra frame, Luke Meikle answered with an open triple with 36 seconds to go to effectively earn the third overtime. 

Third time’s a charm

After scoring just 11 points total in the first two overtimes, UC Davis exploded for 17 in the final period. Siler Schneider scored the first four points of the third OT. Schneider had 8 of his 16 points during the third OT. Onyebalu finished with a game-high 24 points on 5-7 from three point range for UC Davis.

No Chima, no problem

Still without the preseason player of the year favorite Chima Moneke, UC Davis was outrebounded 53-41 (17-9 on the offensive glass), but still managed to hold onto the win. One reason was the turnover disparity. Cal Poly committed 21 — three games’ worth just a few years ago — while UC Davis turned it over just 13 times. The Aggies also held a 27-12 advantage in points off turnovers. 

Mustang leaders

Luke Meikle led the Mustangs with 21 points. Victor Joseph shot just 2-7 from three point range, but managed 19 points and three assists. Donovan Fields, who was hobbled with foul trouble all night, shot just 1-8 from the field for 4 points to go along with 8 rebounds and 6 assists. Kuba Niziol came to play, shooting all 12 of his shots from distance and making five of them for 15 points and seven rebounds. 

Two unlikely sources of production and crunch time minutes were Aleks Abrams and Trevor John. Abrams came off the bench to notch his first career double-double (11 points, 11 rebounds). The junior from Oaks Christian High School also notched three blocks in the game. John made a two-pointer, 2-3 from deep, and a pair of free throws for 10 points. 

Davis D

UC Davis’ defense was pretty well-executed in this game. The Aggies worked hard for 55 minutes to deny Cal Poly passes. There were possessions late in the game after Fields fouled-out where the Mustangs had a difficult time moving the ball beyond their three point line. 

The proof is in the numbers too. Cal Poly shot just 34.7 percent from the field for the game and just 32.5 percent from two point range. 

No rest for the weary

Cal Poly will host UC Irvine (8-4, 13-15, second place) on Saturday night. The Anteaters will be stinging still from a low-scoring loss at Hawai’i. Cal Poly fans will hope that UCI is road-weary — there are no direct flights to SLO from Hawai’i. 

Cal Poly out-rebounded UC Davis on Thursday night, but UC Irvine is one of the best rebounding teams in the nation. Look for Cal Poly’s big-man play on Saturday. It could be the fulcrum of Cal Poly’s ability to leverage their way into another home conference win. 

Photos by Owen Main.

For more photos click here. If you just want to contribute to the cause, Venmo @Owen-Main or paypal owen@fansmanship.com. 

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

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

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

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

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

Victor Joseph – PG – Chaffey JC

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

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

Josh Mishler – F – Saddleback College

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

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

Mark Crowe – G/F – Dallas, TX

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

Here are some of Crowe’s highlight videos.

Kuba Nizioł – F – Howard College (JUCO)

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

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

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

Donovan Fields – PG – Odessa College (JUCO)

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

Here are some Fields highlights.

Death Lineup?

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

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

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

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

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