OUTLOOK: Call it an off year for the Big West Conference in 2008-09 as only
four teams boasted overall winning records, with Cal State Northridge the
league's lone representative in the NCAA Tournament. The Matadors claimed the
Big West regular-season and tournament titles by winning eight of their last
10 conference games, but they were dismissed in the first round of the 'Big
Dance' by No. 2 seed Memphis. The only other team to earn a postseason bid
were the Pacific Tigers, who were knocked off by Bradley in the semifinals of
the CollegeInsider.com Tournament. Pacific finished with the league's best
overall record (21-13) but tied with Long Beach State for second place in the
Big West standings (10-6). The 49ers jumped up nine wins from their previous
season's total to finish 15-15 overall. UC Riverside, UC Santa Barbara and UC
Irvine all tied at 8-8 in conference play. Cal State Fullerton (7-9) and UC
Davis (7-9) were next in line, while the rebuilding process continues for the
Cal Poly Mustangs, who are coming off a 3-13 conference record and welcome new
coach Joe Callero.
CONFERENCE CHAMPION: Long Beach State
PREDICTED ORDER OF FINISH: 1. Long Beach State, 2. UC Santa Barbara, 3. UC
Riverside, 4. Pacific, 5. Cal State Northridge, 6. Cal State Fullerton, 7. UC
Davis, 8. UC Irvine, 9. Cal Poly
TEAM BY TEAM ANALYSIS:
LONG BEACH STATE - The 49ers are a young team on the rise, with a dangerous
trio of sophomores back in the fold after each earned Big West All-Freshman
honors. Sophomore guard Larry Anderson was an All-Big West First Team
selection and has already established himself as one of the conference's most
electric players. He became just the second freshman in league history to earn
First Team All-Big West honors by averaging 10.8 points and 4.0 rebounds,
despite starting just 13 of 30 games. In conference play, Anderson averaged
12.3 ppg and shot 51.1 percent from the field. But he wasn't alone. Fellow
freshmen T.J. Robinson (team-high 11.4 ppg, 6.2 rpg) and Casper Ware (4.1 apg)
combined with Anderson to account for 44 percent of the team's scoring. In
all, nine of the 15 players on the roster are either freshmen or sophomores.
Colorado State transfer Stephan Gilling provides most of the punch out on the
perimeter. In his first season with the 49ers, he knocked down 83 three-
pointers to rank second all-time for a single season at LBSU. Of course, the
man at the foundation of the turnaround is head coach Dan Monson, who has
taken this team from being a six-win squad two years ago, to the preseason
favorite entering the 2009-10 season.
UC SANTA BARBARA - In seven of the last eight seasons, the Gauchos have
finished better than .500, including last year's 16-15 mark. And with three
starters and 10 letterwinners returning from that squad, things are looking
promising for 2009-10. But the real key may be sophomore Orlando Johnson, a
transfer from Loyola Marymount. As a freshman in 2007-08, Johnson was the
Lions' leading scorer (12.4 ppg) and rebounder (5.4 rpg). UCSB also returns
two-year starting point guard Justin Joyner, who sat out last season with a
wrist injury. Joyner had a nearly 2-1 assist-turnover ratio over his first two
years, but without him, the Gauchos ranked toward the bottom of the conference
with 15.6 turnovers per game last year. In addition to Johnson and Joyner,
USCB can also count on the continued development of several sophomores who
played key roles as freshmen. So there will be plenty of options for head
coach Bob Williams, who is 21 wins away from No. 200 for his career at UCSB.
UC RIVERSIDE - Coming off a 17-13 season that marked the program's first-ever
winning record as a Division I program, there is plenty of hope around the UC
Riverside campus. The Highlanders' eight conference wins were also a program
record. Three starters and 10 letterwinners return from that squad, including
junior forward and former USC transfer Kyle Austin, who was a First Team All-
Big West selection in his first year at UCR. No other Highlander has ever
garnered All-Big West First-Team honors. After sitting out the first seven
games, Austin went on to rank second in the conference in scoring (16.2 ppg)
and eighth in rebounding (6.1 rpg). He'll team with senior point guard Javon
Borum, who started 29 games and averaged 9.7 ppg, while leading the team in
steals (43) and three-pointers (43). Along with Borum, UCR returns virtually
all of its perimeter shooters who combined to help the team shoot 37.7 percent
from beyond the arc
PACIFIC - The Tigers are coming off a second straight 21-win season but have
several question marks entering the 2009-10 campaign. Head coach Bob Thomason
must replace his top four scorers from last year, including most of the
threats out on the perimeter. But Thomason is confident he has the personnel
in place to pick up the slack. Three starters and five letterwinners return,
highlighted by junior forward Sam Willard, who averaged nearly eight points
and seven rebounds per game. Another key returnee is wing man Joe Ford, the
league's reigning Defensive Player of the Year. An all-around solid player,
Ford averaged 1.3 steals per game and also doled out a team-high 87 assists.
Thomason is also glad to welcome back center Michael Nunnally, who was
suspended all of last season. During the 2007-08 season, Nunnally made 29
starts and averaged 7.4 points and 4.5 rebounds, while shooting 55.7 percent
from the floor. Talented freshman Allen Huddleston could be in line to log
significant minutes at the point.
CAL STATE NORTHRIDGE - Amid lofty expectations entering last season, the
Matadors came through by winning the Big West regular-season crown and also
picking up the program's first conference tournament title. It marked the
second straight year the team has captured at least a share of the league
title. They were bounced by No. 2 seed Memphis in the first round of the NCAA
Tournament, though they gave the Tigers a run for their money. But this year's
squad isn't quite the same. Five of the top six scorers have departed, leaving
lots of questions as to who will carry the scoring load. At the top of the
list is senior Willie Galick, the team's top returning scorer (9.3 ppg) and
rebounder (5.5 rpg). He made 25 starts last year and shot 57.7 percent from
the field. Senior Mark Hill took over the starting point guard job late last
season and finished with 8.2 ppg. His progression and overall grasp of the
offense will be key to the team's success this year. The Matadors filled out
their backcourt by also bringing in guards Gerald Fulton and Dathan Lyles, as
well as Sacramento State transfer and 2007-08 Big Sky Freshman of the Year,
Vinnie McGhee.
CAL STATE FULLERTON - Four starters return from last year's 15-17 squad.
Unfortunately for the Titans, Josh Akognon is not included in those four
starters. Now, coach Bob Burton must find a way to replace Akognon, who ranked
sixth in the nation in scoring (23.9 ppg) and also tallied the second-most
three-pointers in a season in league history. Sophomore point guard Jacques
Streeter, a Big West All-Freshman team selection, is poised for a bigger role.
His 10.4 ppg ranked second, behind Akognon. Streeter also averaged 4.4 assists
per game, which ranked second in the conference. Other returning starters
include shooting guard Aaron Thompson and forwards Gerard Anderson and Papa
Guisse. Anderson scored 9.0 ppg while also leading the team in rebounds (5.8
rpg) and steals (1.5 spg). After those guys, the rotation is largely
unsettled. The roster features nine new faces, including several juco and
Division I transfers. Most notable are 6-7 forward Orane Chin (South Florida)
and 6-6 forward Jer'Vaughn Johnson (San Diego State).
UC DAVIS - The Aggies qualified for their first-ever Big West Tournament and
even advanced to the quarterfinals. The team returns a superb backcourt tandem
in juniors Joe Harden (14.8 ppg, 7.2 rpg) and Mark Payne (10.4 ppg), both of
whom earned All-Big West Second-Team honors a year ago. But if the Aggies are
to improve upon their 13-19 record, those two will have to step their games up
even more. Payne led the league in assists (5.1 apg) and is known as more of a
slasher from the point guard position, but he spent much of the offseason
working on his outside shooting. Harden is entering his second year in the
system after transferring from Notre Dame. The team also gets a boost from the
return of big man Dominic Calegari (11 ppg), who stretched defenses by hitting
44 three-pointers, which ranked second on the team. That trio is largely
responsible for the Aggies ranking third in the conference in scoring (73.1
ppg) and second in three-pointers made (244).
UC IRVINE - The Anteaters came on strong after a slow start last year, and
they are focused on a better start as they enter the 2009-10 campaign. The
team scrambled to an 8-8 finish in league play, after opening the season by
losing 11 of their first 13 games. The biggest reason for optimism is the
continued development of sophomore forward Eric Wise, who grabbed second-team
All-Big West honors last year. His 14 ppg ranked seventh in the Big West and
led all freshmen in the league, and it marked the school's highest scoring
freshman in the last 14 seasons. Wise also pulled down 6.0 rebounds per game.
Senior shooting guard Michael Hunter, a three-year letterwinner, is also back
after posting 11.9 ppg. He ranked second in the conference in steals (1.5 spg)
and third in three-pointers made (2.2). Outside shooting was a real strong
suit for the Anteaters last season, as they ranked seventh nationally in
three-point field goal percentage (.403). However, sharpshooter Brett Lauer is
no longer around. The team added some much needed size to the front court by
bringing in juco teammates Pavol Losonsky (6-8) and Peter Simek (6-9).
CAL POLY - Coming off a three-win season in conference play, Cal Poly went out
and signed Joe Callero to be its new head coach. Callero guided Seattle to a
21-8 record last year in the Redhawks' first year back on the Division I
scene. But the Mustangs will need a whole lot more than a new coach. Two
starters return from last year's team, though Callero is mostly focused on
establishing a new identity. Leading scorer and sharpshooter Lorenzo Keeler is
back after averaging 12.7 ppg, which ranked eighth in the league. Junior guard
Shawn Lewis started all 28 games and averaged 11.7 points and 5.1 boards per
contest. He and Keeler combined for 102 of the team's three-pointers. Charles
Anderson and David Hanson provide some depth at the wing, though Callero may
be relying on a pair of 6-10 freshmen in the low post, where the Mustangs are
clearly lacking.
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