Preview – Fansmanship

Cal Poly basketball starts season with a lot to prove

owenmain — Fri, 11 Nov 2016 05:24:13 +0000

After losing four seniors who were big contributors in the offseason, Cal Poly basketball has retooled. They’re a lot quicker, younger, and inexperienced. They were also picked 9th in the Big West preseason poll. Going into their opener at Pepperdine on Friday night, Cal Poly has a lot to prove.

Hey, I know that guy

Josh Martin’s progress going into his junior season will be worth watching this year. By Owen Main

Depth is once again this year’s Cal Poly team hopes to bank on, but based on last year there are a few key returners on the roster.

A trio of Mustangs are either fourth or fifth year players. Seniors Ridge Shipley (5.5 ppg in 2015-16) and Zach Gordon (3.6 ppg), along with junior Taylor Sutlive (6.1 ppg, 40% 3-pointers) all were on the team’s 2013-14 NCAA Tournament team.

A pair of forward from Seattle figure to play a prominent role this season. Junior Luke Meikle (8.1 ppg, 3.1 rpg in 2015-16) is the team’s leading returning scorer. Josh Martin (6.1 ppg, 3.9 rpg) figures to play big front-court minutes in his first full season in Cal Poly green and gold.

Jaylen Shead could be Cal Poly’s most important returning player. By Owen Main

Cal Poly’s most dynamic and important returning player could be point guard Jaylen Shead. An athletic lefty out of Texas, Shead impressed down the stretch last season. From early February on, Shead was a starter and saw big minutes during the second half of conference play. His ability to get to the rim and make things happen off the dribble will be once again key for the Mustangs. Shead is also a strong guard who may be depended on to guard the other team’s best perimeter player.

After sitting out last season with an injury, center Aleks Abrams is back in the fold, joined at the position by redshirt freshman Hank Hollingsworth.

In the back court, Trevor John returns. Look for John to get more opportunities to heat-up early in games as a back-up shooting guard. Alec Raven made one appearance last season and is back this year.

New faces

With the departure of Paul Fortier, Callero hired Associate Head Coach Pawel Mrozik. On paper, Mrozik’s hiring is an interesting one. He has experience at the high school level, but is also sure to have some European contacts that could extend Cal Poly’s recruiting net around the world. I haven’t talked with Mrozik yet, but I imagine he’ll fit-in with a group of young, energetic assistant coaches on the Cal Poly bench.

The Mustangs have six new players on their roster. Four of them are junior college transfers. One is a freshman. One is a familiar face.

Victor Joseph is a guard who played his JUCO ball at Chaffey College. Though he’s probably smaller than what he’s listed at six feet tall, Joseph will probably see some time as a two-guard and be depended on to be another floor general in a faster Cal Poly pace. If he’s six feet tall, I’m 6 foot-five.

Joe Callero said Donovan Fields, a point guard from New York, might be the quickest player he’s ever coached. By Owen Main

Donovan Fields is another small, fast guard who Callero said might have stood out the most during preseason practice. Callero also said that he might be the quickest player he’s ever coached. With an emphasis on hand-checking and contact with perimeter ball handlers, the Mustang coaching staff hopes having a pair of quick guards pays dividends, despite their height. Fields is listed at 5’10”.

Josh Mishler is a transfer from Saddleback College in Orange County. Mishler is a 6′ 5″ wing player who may be a sort of jack of all trades. From the little I know, I think Callero would be really pleased if he could turn out to be a solid defender with versatility. For now, I’m envisioning Mishler as sort of a Chris O’Brien type.

Jakub (Kuba) Niziol is a former Polish U-20 National Team player who played his freshman year at Howard College in Texas. Niziol’s ability to rebound and defend an opposing forward and stretch the floor offensively could be an asset for Cal Poly. Niziol is still pretty thin, so his ability to play physically enough at this level will be important for his chances of getting on the floor.

Mark Crowe looked like he belonged in the one practice I have attended so far. At 6′ 5″, Crowe could probably play this year for the Mustangs if he had to — other freshman have played in the past when there was a need — but him redshirting will almost certainly be better for the program in the long-term. The Mustangs have a number of players who would probably play a similar position this season including Niziol, Mishler, and even Josh Martin in some bigger lineups.

It’s nice to see Kyle Toth back on the Cal Poly roster this season. By Owen Main

Of all the “new” faces on Cal Poly’s roster, the one I’m most excited to see is actually Kyle Toth. Two years ago, in his first season with Cal Poly after transferring from Army, Toth seemed to be coming into his own as conference approached, but was ineligible for the second half of the year. After sitting out last year completely, Toth is back on the roster.

Toth is a proven Division I player who shot over 41% from three-point range in 11 games at Cal Poly in 2014-15. I’m not sure exactly where he fits into the plans this season, but he is a very good shooter and can even handle the ball a little in a pinch.

By my count, Cal Poly has at least five players who can possible be a primary ball handler at point guard. They should have an OK time handling the ball and not turning it over. The big question to me is whether they can get into the lane and finish or find open outside shots for their teammates.

Defensively, I’m interested to see how the relative lack of size plays. Will the hand-check emphasis really be that big a deal? How will Josh Martin and Luke Meikle fare in their second season on the court at Cal Poly? Will Zach Gordon be able to provide consistent quality minutes in the paint in his senior campaign? Perhaps Aleks Abrams will help that workload on the glass after a redshirt season. What kind of a player will Jaylen Shead be now that he’s a focal point of the Cal Poly offense coming into the season?

There are lots of questions about this year’s version of the Mustangs, and only one way to answer them.

Tip off tomorrow is at 7pm.

GSAC Preview Series: Biola University Eagles

Mark Cannon — Sun, 30 Nov 2014 19:40:18 +0000

In 1908, the Bible Institute of Los Angeles was founded by: Lyman Stewart, president of the Union Oil Company of California (Unocal); Thomas C. Horton, a Presbyterian minister and Christian author; Augustus B. Pritchard, also a Presbyterian minster.

The school was located at the corner of Sixth and Hope St. in downtown Los Angeles, California. In 1989 it took on its current name (Biola University) and re-located its current location (La Mirada, California). It is a non-denominational Evangelical Christian institution with 40 undergraduate majors and 145 professional fields of study.

Quick Facts:

Coach Holmquist:

Biola University’s athletic teams are the Eagles. Their men’s basketball team is led by one of the winningest coaches in college basketball history, dr. Dave Holmquist. He is the only active NAIA coach with over 800 wins. Entering his 37th year as a head coach at 35th year as head coach of the Eagles, his overall record is 883-339, including 847-296 in the GSAC.

To put his win total in perspective, Dr. Holmquist is ranked eighth all-time in college coaching wins, ahead of Dean Smith, Adolph Rupp, and Jim Calhoun. If the Eagles win 19 games this season, he will tie Bob Knight with 902 career wins, good for seventh on the all-time win list.

The 2014-15 Eagles have three seniors, two juniors, two sophomores, and nine freshmen.

Photo Courtesy of BIOLA Athletic Wesbite

The Eagles Attack:

There are three Eagles to keep an eye on.

Mike Kurtz is a 7-foot senior forward who will contest and block shots. He has a nice mid-range jump shot that keeps defenses from focusing on guards. He will keep plays alive with his rebounding.

Pierre Zook is a 5’10″ senior guard who has one of the quickest releases in the GSAC from three-point range. He was a 44 percent three-point shooter last season when he averaged 14.1 points per game. He will continue to be a focal point for the Eagles offense.

Dakari Archer is a 5’9” sophomore guard who has the speed to accelerate past defenses into the paint and make plays for himself and his teammates. He led the Eagles in free throw percentage last season at 83.7 percent.

GSAC Outlook:

I am projecting the Eagles to finish 4^th in the GSAC. The Eagles will need to find bench players to produce in order to compliment the consistent attack of Kurtz, Zook and Archer. The Eagles could finish higher than fourth if their freshmen develop quickly.

The GSAC (so far) According to Mark:

1st: The Master’s College Mustangs

4th: Biola University Eagles

6th: Westmont Warriors

7th: San Diego Christian Hawks

8th: William Jessup Warriors

GSAC Preview Series: The Master’s College Mustangs

Mark Cannon — Fri, 21 Nov 2014 15:01:29 +0000

In 1927, Los Angeles Baptist Theological Seminary was founded in Los Angeles, California by its first president, Dr. William Matthews. Renamed Los Angeles Bible College, the school moved to its current location of Newhall, California on what was once Happy Jack’s Dude Ranch, a 27-acre property in Placerita Canyon.

In 1985, Dr. John MacArthur succeeded the college’s fourth president Dr. John Dunkin and changed the school’s name to its current name, The Master’s College.

The Master’s College athletic teams are the Mustangs. I managed the Men’s Basketball team from 2010-2014. One well-known alumnus is Mike Penberthy who is the college’s all-time leader in

Scoring (2,616 points)
Three pointers made (444)
Free Throws made (516)
Free Throw Percentage (87.8%)

Penberthy is also a champion with the Los Angeles Lakers during the Kobe and Shaq era (2001).

The Mustangs had a coaching change this past offseason as Chuck Martin exited with an eight-year record of 131-118 (62-84 in GSAC). Injuries and lack of depth contributed to the Mustangs not making the NAIA National Tournament during Martin’s tenure.

2014-15 team photo courtesy of The Masters College website.

Ken Sugarman Era:

Reaching into the past, Athletic Director Steve Waldeck hired former Mustangs Women’s Basketball Head Coach Ken Sugarman to lead the men’s team.

Sugarman’s thirteen-year record with the Lady Mustangs was 265-151 (88-52 in GSAC). The Lady Mustangs made 7 NAIA National Tournament appearances, won two GSAC Tournament Championship titles, and made an NAIA Fab-4 appearance in 2006 under Sugarman. The Mustang were ranked in the top 25 nationally for 10 seasons in a row and posted a 100% graduation rate for four-year attenders. Waldeck and Sugarman hope for similar success with the men’s team.

Sugarman’s teams are known to play up-tempo with fast breaks on offense and play strong man-to-man defense.

Key Returners:

The Mustangs return four players from last year’s team and a player who suited up for the Mustangs two seasons ago. There are two returners worth noting.

Chris Patureau is a 6’6” 215 lb. Senior Forward who is considered a glue player. He crashes the glass for rebounds, can extend defenses with three-point range, sets solid screens to get teammates open, and is a terrific passer.
Reid Shackelford is a 6’ Sophomore Guard who is a deadly three-point shooter. Floor spacing is key for up-tempo teams and Reid will stretch defenses with his long-range shooting. He plays aggressive defense and dives for loose balls.

Key Additions:

Coach Sugarman signed 10 new players in his first recruiting class. There are two newcomers to keep an eye on.

Russell Byrd is a 6’8” 215 pound Senior Guard transferring to Master’s from Michigan State University.

His high school accomplishments include:

* 23.2 points and 10.1 rebounds per game as a senior at Blackhawk Christian.

*ESPNU Top 100 (61), Scout.com (82) and Rivals.com (115).

*Participated in the 2009 NBA Players Association Top 100 Camp, where he made 18 of his 26 attempts from the three-point line.

At Michigan State Russell battled injuries, which kept him from playing a significant amount of time for the Spartans. He transferred to Master’s to play his senior year for Coach Sugarman who will rely on his shooting, rebounding and passing ability. His father (Kelly) is second on the college’s all time career field goal percentage list at 58.7%.

J.P. Webster is a 6’1” 195 pound Freshman Guard whose athleticism allows him to get to the paint with ease and rise for jumpers. His strength will allow him to stay in front of the opposition on defense and make them take contested shots. He will provide a scoring punch for the Mustangs too as he chases his father (Jason) who is on several of the program’s Top 10 lists.