And boy would it have been. San Luis Obispo is better known for its Thursday Farmer’s Market than it is for its strong collegiate programs. This year has been an exciting experience for the city, watching both the men’s and women’s basketball teams not only compete, but sit atop the Big West conference for most of the year.

March’s unforgiving playoff format has already eliminated one of our town favorites. Coach Callero’s men’s basketball team lost their chance at dancing with a tough 70-66 loss to UC Riverside in the first round of the Big West tournament. Main made something very clear when it comes to the programs success– the ramifications of the Mustangs’ turn around into a real Big West threat (15-15, 10-6) could ultimately lead to them to a more substantial recruiting classes in the coming seasons. This will insure greater success in the future and hopefully bids into March more frequently.

We will miss the uber-athletic Shawn Lewis next year, that is for sure…

Despite the Men turning things around, Coach Mimnaugh’s Lady Mustangs (18-12, 12-4)  have been most impressive. Beginning the season without reigning Big West Player of the Year Kristina Santiago was like having your heart removed and then being asked to stay alive.  And they did. Starting the season just 2-5, forward Rachel Clancy assumed the role as the teams captain and leading scorer, averaging 16.3 points per contest. The Mustangs went on an eight game winning streak, and took control of the Big West Conference. Clancy was named Big West Player of the Year, giving Mustangs back-to- back players of the year. Mimnaugh was awarded the Big West Coach of the Year, her first-such award.

This season felt like the year we would see at least one of our two teams dancing. The Lady Mustangs were a poised, defensive-minded bunch, that had the coach and the leader to help them get there. But it just didn’t happen. There will be no celebrations at Firestone Grill or the Shack. Fansmanship’s what-if dreams, like so many in the area, were popped when the Mustangs were taken down in the Big West title game 66-49 against UC Davis.  Despite splitting the regular season with the Aggies (24-8, 10-6), Cal Poly looked sluggish on its biggest stage. With 4:42 to play in the 1st half, the Aggies were dominant, leading the game 30-14.

Clancy did all she could. Trailing 35-22 at the half, she hit two three pointers to open the 2nd half that cut the Aggies lead to seven. But that would be closest things would get. The Aggies returned the favor going on a 18-4 run to open the game back up and the Mustangs never recovered.

We were outnumbered, outplayed, and out hustled. The Aggies lassoed our Mustangs, beating us up in the post and outscoring our bench 25-4. Falling in the title game is without a doubt the largest disappointment for Mustang fans. We were like a chubby kid in a candy shop, sniffing the madness. Now, we’ve been put on an all veggie diet.

In retrospect, a better what-if would have been, what-if Cal Poly had Kristina Santiago? Teaming Santiago with Clancy would have been a dangerous threat. But as we all know, what-ifs are what-ifs because they never get resolved. Questions like that never get answered. Central Coasters will have to return to Farmer’s Market, the Palm Theater, and roller derby for another year, before we imagine living in the big boy and girl worlds of March. Maturation will be key as Cal Poly continues to build solid programs. It seems both squads are, finally, headed in that direction.

On Thursday night, Fansmanship.com was in attendance at the Honda Center as the men lost an overtime thriller to UC Riverside. While they had got the better of the Highlanders twice during the regular season, Riverside started the game hot, while the Mustangs didn’t seem to get any easy first-half shots. Cal Poly overcame the deficit and led the game at the end before two free throws sent the game into overtime.

“There was no crying in the locker room because these guys played their butts off,” said Callero after the game.

While there is nothing anyone would have liked more than to advance in the tournament, the team didn’t leave anything on the court and doesn’t seem to have any regrets about the game. It’s what a coach should hope for from student-athletes and for that, they should all be proud.

The women’s team was in attendance, enthusiastically cheering for the men on Thursday.  On Friday, the women won their semifinal game before being beaten by UC Davis in the Big West Final on Saturday.

Like the men’s team, the women’s loss came largely due to a sub-par first half. Despite a late-run, Cal Poly couldn’t overcome a 13-point halftime deficit to beat the Aggies.  Though they probably won’t be an at-large invitee to the NCAA Tournament, they automatically qualify for the Women’s NIT tournament.

While neither team accomplished everything they wanted to this week, the future is bright. Kristina Santiago will return to a women’s team with postseason experience who will lose only two players, though one of those is Big West Player of the Year Rachel Clancy.

The men’s team will return next season with a lot of experience. All-Big West First Team player Shawn Lewis is a sizable loss in both scoring and general explosiveness, but next year’s team will feature seniors Will Donahue, David Hanson and Jordan Lewis. Along with senior leadership, the Mustangs’ roster will include six guards with experience, which could prove vital in late-season conference and tournament play. The Mustangs should also see the return of Will Taylor, who red-shirted this season.

Next November is far away still, but signs point to both programs being on the upswing. There were many “firsts” this year for the men’s and women’s teams, and there will an additional dynamic leading up to the 2011-12 season – something Mustangs teams have not experienced in some time – excitement building up before the season and higher expectations.

Cal Poly has relied upon its football and wrestling programs to bring the school some athletic pride.

The men’s and women’s basketball teams have always been like tweedle-dee and tweedle-dum, with programs as fragile as humpty dumpty cracking under pressure.

Any of us who follow Mustang basketball expects little to anything when it comes to the idea of playoff success. That is until this season, as both teams are playing at a high level in the Big West.

The number one seed Lady Mustangs accomplished something last night I have never seen from their basketball program, clutch play. Holding on to a 73-70 win at home over a gritty Cal st. Fullerton team, the Mustangs survived an epic collapse. Up seventeen with nineteen minutes to play, 47-30, the Mustangs went through various four or five minutes offensive droughts.

It is fair to say coach Minmaugh missed last seasons Big West player of the year Melissa Santiago. A sure handed post presence able to score low and get to the free throw during stretches such as these. Now more perimeter oriented, the Lady Mustangs are bound to go through these stretches and survive it with tough nosed defense.

Last night the defense was just not good enough. The Titans collected fourteen offensive rebounds and outscored the Mustangs 21-10 in second chance points.  A couple of threes at the six minute mark by Fullerton, cut the Mustangs lead to six.  Here we go. Depressing.

But reigning Big West Player of the Year Rachel Clancy assumed her rightful place as the best player in the Conference. With the Mustangs up one 71-70 with 1:26 play, Clancy stepped to the line hitting two huge free throws. A couple of missed opportunities to get the hoop by the Titans, assured fans that our Lady Mustangs would advance to the second round of the tournament against seven seeded Pacific. A team that upset two seeded UCSB 49-45 in the first round.

I will say this…if we play the way we played last night we will lose. But I got a feeling, Clancy and co. have survived their scare and have a real run in the tournament within them. Hope is a funny thing, isn’t it?

The women’s team, which is the number one seed in the Big West Tournament, received the most awards. Senior Rachel Clancy, who is a great student too, was the second Lady Mustang in two years to garner the Conference Player of the Year Award. In 2009-10, Kristina Santiago was the conference’s best player. In Santiago’s absence, Clancy has paced Cal Poly with 16.3 points per game and was also third on the team in rebounding.

Also receiving postseason awards were Clancy’s teammates Abby Bloetscher (2nd Team) and Jonae Ervin (Honorable Mention and All-Freshman Team).

Women’s Head Coach Faith Mimnaugh, in her 14th season at cal Poly, earned the Big West Coach of the Year honor by leading the Lady Mustangs to a share of the Big West regular season title despite losing the reigning conference player of the year during the first game of the season.

The Lady Mustangs start the conference tournament at home on Tuesday night. As the number one seed, they earned the right to host eighth-seeded Cal State Fullerton at Mott Gym. The game starts at 7:00 pm.

The men’s team also collected some hardware on Monday. Senior Shawn Lewis, who averaged 15.1 points per game to lead the Mustangs, earned First Team All-Conference honors.  Minnesota native, junior David Hanson, (15.1 points per game), earned All-Conference Second Team recognition and guard Maliik Love was the second Mustang guard in a row to be named to the All-Freshman team. Last season, Kyle Odister was named to the All-Freshman team. Odister has sat out this season due to injury. Love shared Fresman of the Year honors with Josh Ritchart from UC- Davis.

Coach Joe Callero’s team finished the regular season with a 15-14 record (10-6 in the Big West Conference) after finishing 12-19 (7-9 in the Big West Conference) in 2009-10. After being picked by many to finish the season near the bottom of the conference, Callero may have been deserving of coach of the year. The award, however, went to Long Beach State head coach Dan Monson. The 49ers, with Big West Player of the Year Casper Ware, finished in first place in the regular season.

The Mustang men start the Big West Tournament as the two-seed. They face 7th seeded UC Riverside on Thursday night at 6:00 at the Honda Center in Anaheim.