Big West Conference 2007-08 Preview

by Phil Kasiecki

For several years, the Big West was ruled by Pacific, as Bob Thomason’s team was consistently at or near the top of the conference standings. Even in years after they lost key starters, they had other players who were ready to step up and did just that. But last season, that was no longer the case, as the young Tigers gave way to some veteran teams, including champion Long Beach State.

This season, the Tigers figure to be at least a dark horse again, but they will have plenty of company in that regard. Three teams located south of Stockton look to be favored, each fresh off a campaign in which they tied for second place behind Long Beach State.

Recent years have also seen changes with the makeup of the conference, as teams have exited and entered of late. This year, the conference welcomes another school in the University of California system, UC Davis, as a full member, and the Aggies are eligible for the conference tournament. They played a full Big West schedule last season and went 3-13 in those games, which did not officially count in the conference standings. Now a year older and with good size all around, the Aggies don’t figure to be an easy out, although they don’t project to contend just yet.

While many conferences tend to be guard-oriented, the best players in the Big West tend to have a little more balance between the perimeter and the interior. There are still plenty of good guards, but further evidence beyond the top players in the conference can be seen in UC Irvine’s frontcourt being the strength of their team and Long Beach State now possessing some good size, while UC Davis has good size at just about every position and have eight players who stand 6’7″ or taller.

Two teams changed coaches after last season, including defending champion Long Beach State. The 49ers didn’t renew the contract of Larry Reynolds amid an NCAA investigation of recruiting violations that also led the school to put assistant coach and recruiting coordinator Reggie Howard on indefinite leave during the NCAA Tournament. Former Gonzaga and Minnesota head coach Dan Monson replaces Reynolds and inherits a team that looks almost nothing like the one that went to the NCAA Tournament. The other coaching change also involved a former head coach at a high-major school, as David Spencer resigned due to health concerns and the school hired former Kansas State head coach Jim Wooldridge to replace him. Spencer was unable to be with the team for much of the season because of his health concerns.

Preseason Awards
Player of the Year: Alex Harris, UC Santa Barbara
Top Newcomer: Donovan Morris, Long Beach State
Top Freshman: Greg Plater, Long Beach State
Defensive Player of the Year: Ray Reed, Cal State Fullerton
Best NBA Prospect: Alex Harris, UC Santa Barbara

All-Big West Team
Anthony Brown, Jr. F, Pacific
Chris Devine, Jr. F, UC Santa Barbara
Dawin Whiten, Sr. G, Cal Poly
Scott Cutley, Sr. F, Cal State Fullerton
Alex Harris, Sr. G, UC Santa Barbara

UC Santa Barbara Gauchos (18-11, 9-5 Big West)
Projected Starters:
So. G Justin Joyner (4.8 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 2.9 apg, 1.3 spg)
So. G James Powell (8.8 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 2.2 apg)
Sr. G-F Alex Harris (21.1 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 2.1 apg)
Jr. F Chris Devine (14.1 ppg, 6.6 rpg, 1.3 apg)
Sr. F Ivan Elliott (6.1 ppg, 6.0 rpg)
Schedule Highlights: The Gauchos have six home games in a non-conference slate that has some challenges. They begin in the Basketball Travelers Classic at Stanford, where they will play Southland contender Northwestern State, Harvard and the host school. Then they come home for four games, highlighted by West Coast contender San Francisco and UNLV, then later have two straight at home. A road date with North Carolina highlights the road games, which also include a BracketBusters game. Early in Big West play, they play three straight on the road in part of a tough stretch. The last two on the road are at Cal State Fullerton and Cal Poly, then they come home to play Pacific. The regular season ends with five of six on the road, including the BracketBusters game.
Outlook: The Gauchos are fresh off a strong season last year and look like the favorites this year with a strong group of holdovers. Harris leads the way as the best player in the conference and one of the best hidden gems in the country. He led the conference in scoring and double-doubles and was second in three-point shooting. If there’s one concern, it’s replacing point guard Cecil Brown, who led the conference in assist/turnover ratio, with either of two sophomores in Joyner and Powell, both of whom are capable players. Devine and Elliott are a solid, if unspectacular duo inside, with Devine being the better offensive player. The Gauchos led the Big West in field goal percentage and field goal percentage defense last year, and a repeat of that would go a long way towards getting the title this time around.

Cal State Fullerton Titans (20-10, 9-5 Big West)
Projected Starters:
Sr. G Marcus Crenshaw (11.4 ppg, 1.4 rpg, 2.3 apg)
Sr. G Ray Reed (7.6 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 3.1 apg, 1.7 spg)
Sr. G-F Frank Robinson (11.9 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 2.6 apg, 1.3 spg)
Sr. F Scott Cutley (15.6 ppg, 9.5 rpg, 2.7 apg)
Sr. F-C Andrew Green (3.6 ppg, 2.8 rpg)
Schedule Highlights: Six home games are on tap for the Titans, including a BracketBusters game in February. The home slate is highlighted by Big Sky favorite Montana and Horizon contender Wright State to end a three-game stretch. Road games of note include Arizona, Montana and MAC contender Central Michigan. They play two home-and-homes in non-conference play, against Montana and Southern Utah. In Big West play, they get an early test at home with Cal Poly and UC Santa Barbara before a road date with Pacific, then trade off important stretches late in the month. First is a four-game road stretch that ends at UC Santa Barbara and Cal Poly, then a five-game homestand follows it.
Outlook: Bobby Brown may be gone, but the Titans have a plethora of guards to throw at opponents and one of the best players in the conference to complement them. Crenshaw, Reed and Robinson form as good a trio as there is in the conference, with Robinson being the best all-around player, Reed being one of the best defenders in the conference and Crenshaw the likely floor leader. They will get deeper with the addition of Washington State transfer Josh Akognon, who will likely play significant minutes and could also start. There is a concern in the backcourt, and that is taking care of the ball since the Titans averaged over 15 turnovers per game last season. Cutley is one of the best players in the league and anchors a frontcourt that may be small since its tallest players are also its least proven. But they will have to go without him to start the season, as he broke a bone in his ankle in an early practice and will be out until December. Junior college transfer Eddie Lima could get some minutes right away, as he’s 6’9″, and he could keep Green out of the starting lineup. There’s plenty of offensive firepower, and it wouldn’t be a surprise if the Titans led the conference in scoring again. If they want to take home the title, however, it’s a the defensive end that they must improve the most as no one allowed more points and opponents shot nearly 46 percent from the field against them last season.

Cal Poly Mustangs (19-11, 9-5 Big West)
Projected Starters:
Jr. G Trae Clark (9.1 ppg, 1.8 rpg, 3.7 apg, 1.3 spg)
Jr. G Chaz Thomas (8.6 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 2.0 apg, 1.2 spg)
Sr. G Dawin Whiten (11.6 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 3.1 apg, 1.2 spg)
Jr. F Titus Shelton (8.7 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 1.4 bpg)
Sr. F Dreshawn Vance (6.3 ppg, 4.8 rpg)
Schedule Highlights: The Mustangs have four home games on tap in non-conference play, highlighted by a visit from former Big West member Utah State. They open the season in the BTI Tipoff Tournament at Northern Iowa, where they will play UMass, the host school and Northern Illinois. Notable road games later in non-conference play include Arizona State and USC, as well as a BracketBusters game. Big West play gives them a chance to get some momentum early, as they open with four of the first six at home. A notable stretch in February starts with Cal State Fullerton at home before three straight on the road, starting with UC Santa Barbara and ending with their BracketBusters game.
Outlook: The Mustangs bring back three starters among their 11 letterwinners, making them one of the most experienced teams in the conference. The perimeter is small but very good, with Clark running the show and Whiten being the big marksman, while Thomas could break out if his 31-point effort in the conference title game last year is any indication. Whiten also makes his mark at the defensive end as one of the conference’s best defenders. Shelton and Vance are serviceable inside. There isn’t great proven depth inside, but there are bodies with some potential such as injury-plagued junior Coby Leavitt. Inside play is a key area for improvement, as the Mustangs were out-rebounded last season.

Pacific Tigers (12-19, 5-9 Big West)
Projected Starters:
Jr. G Steffan Johnson (9.7 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 3.6 apg, 1.2 spg)
So. G C.J. Morgan (6.1 ppg, 1.6 rpg, 1.2 apg)
Sr. G Solomon Horsechief (6.8 ppg, 1.3 rpg, 2.6 apg)
Jr. F Anthony Brown (14.3 ppg, 7.2 rpg, 1.6 apg)
Jr. F Michael Nunnally (junior college transfer)
Schedule Highlights: The Tigers will play six home games in a challenging non-conference slate, highlighted by visits from Nevada, improving Pepperdine and Big Sky favorite Montana, as well as a BracketBusters game. They open the season in the World Vision Invitational at Oregon, where they play MAC favorite Western Michigan, host Oregon and Pepperdine. They also go on the road to play Saint Louis, Fresno State and West Coast contenders San Francisco and Santa Clara. On two occasions in Big West play, they have consecutive games against two good contenders: at UC Santa Barbara and at home against Cal Poly to close out January, then at Cal State Fullerton and at home against UC Santa Barbara in February right before the BracketBusters game.
Outlook: The Tigers were young and inexperienced last season, but don’t expect them to be down for long. Although just two starters return, they return four of their top seven scorers and tried to address frontcourt needs to complement star junior Anthony Brown. Brown will lead the way, while Johnson is a steady floor leader and Morgan and HorseChief need to improve as complements on the perimeter. One player who will help there is Miami (Ohio) transfer Chad Troyer. Junior college transfers Nunnally and Bryan LeDuc were brought in to help inside, where the Tigers had some struggles as they were last in the Big West in rebounding. The biggest area for improvement is at the defensive end, where opponents shot over 47 percent from the field against them last season, including nearly 40 percent from long range, both of which placed last in the conference. HorseChief is the only senior on the team, so the Tigers might be a year away.

UC Irvine Anteaters (15-18, 6-8 Big West)
Projected Starters:
So. G Michael Hunter (6.8 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 2.4 apg, 1.0 spg)
Sr. G Chuma Awaji (7.9 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 1.9 apg)
So. G Chad DeCasas (4.0 ppg, 2.2 rpg)
Sr. F Patrick Sanders (11.9 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 1.6 apg, 1.5 bpg)
Sr. F-C Darren Fells (10.2 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 2.0 apg)
Schedule Highlights: Six home games are on tap in non-conference play, plus a date with Nevada at the Anaheim Convention Center. Former Big West member Utah State and West Coast contender San Francisco highlight the home slate, which also includes a BracketBusters game. They will also play in the inaugural Anaheim Classic, opening with Mississippi State and possibly playing Southern Illinois in the next game. Later road dates include Utah, Southland contender Sam Houston State, Texas A&M and South Carolina. Big West play begins with a bang, as they open at Cal State Fullerton before coming home for UC Santa Barbara and Cal Poly, then are at Pacific a week later. Their BracketBusters game begins a regular season-ending five-game homestand.
Outlook: The Anteaters could be a sleeper team as they return four starters and have arguably the best 1-2 frontcourt punch in Sanders and Fells. The duo helped the Anteaters post the second-best rebounding margin in the conference last year, and both can score inside and pass when someone else has a better shot. Hunter and Awaji lead the perimeter, and if both can improve, the offense should be better overall. What makes the perimeter a question mark is that there isn’t a great deal of experience beyond Hunter and Awaji. The Anteaters led the conference in scoring defense and were second in field goal percentage defense, meaning that offense would seem likely to be the place of concern if they are to improve. The biggest issue on offense will be keeping the ball, as only Cal State Northridge turned the ball over more last season.

Cal State Northridge Matadors (14-17, 5-9 Big West)
Projected Starters:
Sr. G Rai Colston (3.3 ppg, 1.0 rpg, 2.0 apg)
Jr. G Rob Haynes (8.5 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 1.8 apg)
Sr. G-F Jonathan Heard (13.5 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 2.0 apg, 1.4 spg)
Sr. F Calvin Chitwood (13.2 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 1.1 spg)
Sr. F Jayme Miller (5.8 ppg, 3.1 rpg)
Schedule Highlights: The non-conference slate has four home games on tap and several challenging road games. They head to Iowa for the Drake Tournament, where they open with Duquesne. They have later road dates with Gonzaga and Washington and have a home-and-home with Utah Valley State. A road game is on tap for BracketBusters as well. Big West play gets tough quickly, as their first two games are at Cal Poly and at UC Santa Barbara. The BracketBusters game is in the middle of a four-game road stretch late in the regular season.
Outlook: The Matadors bring back three starters and have a couple of horses in Heard and Chitwood, as well as a good complement in Haynes, but they start to get thin after that. Only five players who saw the court for them last season return, and the point guard spot starts off as a question mark with Colston as the projected starter but no proven player behind him. Chitwood will need to stay out of foul trouble if he is to close out his career on a good note. That’s a sign of a larger issue, as only one team allowed more points than the Matadors last season, and it becomes more important if they surrender possessions like they did last season as they led the conference in turnovers.

UC Davis Aggies (5-23, 3-13 Big West*)
Projected Starters:
Jr. G Vince Oliver (12.7 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 2.2 apg)
Jr. G David Carter (4.9 ppg, 1.9 rpg, 1.2 apg)
So. G-F Shane Hanson (4.8 ppg, 2.0 rpg)
So. F C.J. Portz (4.7 ppg, 2.4 rpg)
So. F Dominic Calegari (6.1 ppg, 3.1 rpg)
Schedule Highlights: The Aggies have six home games on their non-conference schedule, including two in the Legends Classic as a regional host and a later date with Oregon State. They have road games at WAC favorite New Mexico State and Texas, as well as UCLA, make a New England swing in early December to play Brown and Dartmouth, and go on the road in February for a BracketBusters game. In Big West play, they get two three-game stretches where they play UC Santa Barbara, Cal State Fullerton and Cal Poly.
Outlook: Now eligible for the conference tournament, don’t expect the Aggies to become instant contenders. They are still a young bunch as there is not a senior on the roster, and they have plenty of size. Oliver and Carter have played alongside each other for two years now, with Oliver an all-conference candidate. The backcourt is also home to several newcomers, of whom Adam Malik and Mark Payne could make an immediate impact and have great size for the perimeter at 6’8″ and 6’7″ respectively. The frontcourt will get back two players who were hit by injury last season in Kyle Brucculeri and Jesse Lopez-Low. There are lots of areas for improvement if the Aggies are to be contenders. They need to take better care of the ball, as they averaged almost 18 turnovers per game last season and only two players had more assists than turnovers. Defense is another area for improvement after teams shot nearly 49 percent from the field, including 39 percent from three-point range last season. And for all their size, the Aggies were out-rebounded by six per game last season.

Long Beach State 49ers (24-8, 12-2 Big West)
Projected Starters:
Fr. G Greg Plater
Jr. G Artis Gant (1.9 ppg, 1.3 rpg)
Jr. G Donovan Morris (transfer from Fresno State)
Jr. F Brandon Johnson (junior college transfer)
Jr. C Brian Freeman (junior college transfer)
Schedule Highlights: The season opener against Brigham Young is the highlight of four non-conference home games. The road games on tap are plenty challenging, as they include trips to Washington, Saint Louis and Hawaii, as well as an appearance in the Golden Bear Classic against host California and either Patriot League contender Bucknell or North Dakota State. They also have a road game in the BracketBusters. Big West play starts out tough, as their first three games are at UC Santa Barbara, at Cal Poly and at home against Pacific.
Outlook: It’s fitting that the 49ers have a new head coach, as it makes one more way in which this year’s team won’t resemble last season’s. Dan Monson will be counting on new players just about all the way, although there is some college experience in Gant and Morris to start with. Morris should be the go-to guy right away, while Plater should start right away as well. There is some size in the frontcourt, as Freeman is 6’10″ and sophomore Andrew Fleming is a seven-footer, but this team is very inexperienced as there isn’t a senior on the roster and will take time to develop. In addition to the many newcomers, none of the holdovers is a senior, so there is youth and inexperience at the Division I level on this squad.

UC Riverside Highlanders (7-24, 1-13 Big West)
Projected Starters:
Jr. G Chris Johnson (10.0 ppg, 2.2 rpg, 1.0 apg)
Sr. G Larry Cunningham (13.7 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 1.8 apg, 1.1 spg)
So. G Charles Jim-George (4.0 ppg, 1.5 rpg)
Jr. F Christian Soto (4.4 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 1.1 apg)
Jr. F B.J. Visman (redshirt)
Schedule Highlights: The Highlanders won’t have it easy in non-conference play, as they have five home games and plenty of challenging road games. The home slate is highlighted by a BracketBusters game in February. The road games of note are at Texas Tech, Gonzaga, Minnesota, San Diego State and USC. In Big West play, the most noteworthy portion is a three-game homestand in early January.
Outlook: The Highlanders had a rough go of it last year, as injuries took their toll and former head coach David Spencer had health concerns of his own that kept him away from the team and ultimately led to his resignation. They return a solid backcourt with Johnson and Cunningham for new head coach Jim Wooldridge to build around, and Jim-George showed some potential in his first season as he started ten games. Cunningham, the team’s only senior, should be one of the best guards in the conference. The frontcourt is where the question marks are, as well as where some of the injuries were. Visman and classmate Benoit Bekono had to redshirt, with Bekono suffering another severe knee injury to end his season after six games. Both are very capable players if they stay healthy. With all the injuries and the change in the coaching staff, it’s difficult to project this season’s team based on last year’s.

* – UC Davis’ games against Big West opponents in 2006-07 did not officially count in the conference standings, but their record in those games is included here for informational purposes.

Conference Outlook

The conference looks a bit top-heavy this season, as there is strength at the top with UC Santa Barbara, Cal State Fullerton and Cal Poly leading the way and rebuilding teams at the bottom. The competition should be stiff between those three, and don’t count out a bounce-back year from Pacific now that they are more experienced and have help for Anthony Brown. UC Davis has some potential in the long run, while Long Beach State has a new team all around and UC Riverside starts over with a new coach.

Big West Conference Tournament Recaps


by Phil Kasiecki

For the fifth consecutive year, the Big West Tournament was held at the Anaheim Convention Center right near Disneyland. With the location right near Disneyland, the conference holds a Fan Fest over the duration of the tournament, featuring events at the ESPN Zone in Downtown Disney and the nearby House of Blues.



In the first round, No. 5 UC-Irvine outrebounded No. 8 Idaho (8-22) 47-21 and got a career-high 30 points from Aaron Fitzgerald en route to an 80-67 win. In the other game, No. 7 UC Santa Barbara used a big second half to knock off No. 6 Long Beach State (10-20) by a scored of 55-49. They got 19 points from Joe See and ended the game on a 12-4 run.



With that, it’s on to the quarterfinals, where the No. 3 and No. 4 seeds each received a bye.



Quarterfinal Recaps



No. 3 Cal State Fullerton 66, No. 7 UC Santa Barbara 55



Cal State Fullerton rode strong play from its starters to a 66-55 win over UC Santa Barbara. Ralphy Holmes had his ninth double-double of the season with 20 points and 11 rebounds to lead the way, and he combined with Bobby Brown (16 points), Yaphett King and Jamaal Brown (11 points each) to produce 58 of the team’s points. The Gauchos (11-18) shot below 35 percent from the field and were led by Josh Davis’ 15 points and Chrismen Oliver’s 14.



No. 4 Cal State Northridge 72, No. 5 UC Irvine 56



Cal State Northridge used a strong second half to pull away from UC Irvine for a 72-56 quarterfinal victory. The Matadors shot 54 percent in the second half and held the Anteaters (16-13) to 29 percent on the defensive end, never trailing during the contest. Joseph Frazier led the Matadors with 18 points and Ian Boylan added 16. Jeff Gloger led the Anteaters with 14 points, while Aaron Fitzgerald was held to just five points after scoring a career-high 30 in the first round.



Semifinal Recaps



No. 1 Pacific 63, No. 4 Cal State Northridge 61



Pacific kept the nation’s longest winning streak alive with a close one, as they needed three free throws in the final 22 seconds to hang on for a 63-61 win over Cal State Northridge. The Tigers had a 38-24 edge on the boards, but gave the Matadors plenty of opportunities by committing a season-high 23 turnovers.



Guillaume Yango led the Tigers with 15 points and eight rebounds, as they overcame a terrific 32-point effort from Ian Boylan to lead the Matadors (18-13). The Tigers have now won 22 straight games and will carry that streak into the championship game.



No. 2 Utah State 84, No. 3 Cal State Fullerton 77



Cass Matheus and Nate Harris each scored 21 points, and Utah State held off a late rally by Cal State Fullerton in their 84-77 win to advance to their fifth Big West title game in six seasons.



The Titans ran out to an early 10-2 lead and later led by 10, but a late 12-2 first half run evened the score at 29 and the Aggies took a 34-33 lead at the half. Utah State never trailed in the second half, but the Titans (19-10) had runs of 12-5 and 11-4 that weren’t quite enough to complete the comeback.



Spencer Nelson added 14 points and 10 rebounds for his 10th double-double of the season for the Aggies. Yaphett King led the Titans with 26 points and eight rebounds, and Jermaine Harper added 21, all coming on three-pointers as he made 7-of-11 shots from behind the arc.



Championship Game



Utah State 65, Pacific 52



A year after losing in the title game and being a controversial exclusion from the NCAA Tournament, Utah State took over the game with a 19-2 run in the second half that broke open a close game, as the Aggies beat Pacific by a score of 65-52 to win the Big West championship.



During the run, which lasted over ten minutes, the Tigers (26-3) did not have a field goal, and their 52 point total was their lowest of the season. No Tiger scored in double figures, and they committed several unforced turnovers that aided the big second half run.



Freshman Jaycee Carroll was the tournament MVP and led Utah State (24-7) with 22 points and seven rebounds, and Spencer Nelson added 16. The Aggies have now won four conference tournament titles in the last six seasons.



Joining Carroll and Nelson on the All-Tournament team were teammate Nate Harris, Pacific’s Guillaume Yango, Ian Boylan of Cal State Northridge and Yaphett King of Cal State Fullerton.

Big West Conference Preview

by Josh Diggs

The Big West Conference is by no means as good as the SEC, ACC or Pac-10 conferences, but they are getting better. Utah State hovered around the nation’s top 25 polls for several weeks and Pacific made a splash last March by crashing the NCAA Tournament with a Cinderalla-like run that included upsetting Providence and challenging Kansas in the second round. Pacific will be the favorites to pick up right where they left off last season. They ripped through their conference games (17-1) and won the Big West Conference Tournament before shaking things up at the NCAA Tournament. The Tigers lost star Miah Davis, but have plenty of talent to surge forward.

Utah State will make their run after being overlooked for a spot in the Tournament last year. They have the best frontcourt in the conference and want to prove doubters that they deserved to be playing well into the month of March. Cal State Northridge still has a sour taste in its mouth after they were one shot away from upsetting Pacific and running away with the conference tournament last year. The Matadors went on a late-season run with help of three players returning from suspension, just in time to move up in the conference standings and upend UC Santa Barbara and Utah State in the tournament. Bobby Braswell will try to help his make the jump this time around. He is one of the better coaches in the conference and the scary part he is returning all five starters. UC Santa Barbara is the most well-balanced team in the conference and one of the deepest, but injuries will hobble them out of the gates. Ralphy Holmes returns from a one-year suspension to lead the Cal State Fullerton Titans. Holmes, a Big West first-team selection in 2002-2003, will team up with last year’s Freshman of the Year Bobby Brown for an explosive backcourt in Head Coach Bob Burton’s up-tempo run-n-gun type offense. Idaho, UC Irvine, UC Riverside, Long Beach State and Cal Poly round out the bottom part of the conference that is quickly becoming more competitive. Last season, the last three seeds in the tournament were determined in the final weekend of play and only three games separated fifth from tenth place in the standings.

All-Conference Preseason Team
Christian Maraker, F, Pacific
Ralphy Holmes, G, Cal State Fullerton
Ian Boylan, G/F, Cal State Northridge
Nate Harris, F, Utah State
Spencer Nelson, F, Utah State

Honorable Mention
Bobby Brown, G, Cal State Fullerton
David Doubley, G, Pacific
Guillaume Yango, F/C, Pacific
Etoagwara Onyenegecha, F, Cal State Northridge
Kameron Gray, G, Cal Poly

Big West Player of the Year

Christian Maraker – Pacific

Freshman of the Year

Anthony Brown – Pacific

Pacific Tigers

Projected lineup:
F – Christian Maraker
F – Guillaume Yango
C – Tyler Newton
G – David Doubley
G – Mike Webb

Key Losses: Miah Davis, Myree Bowden, Tom Cockle

Must step up: David Doubley. He will have to carry much of the offensive load in the post-Miah Davis era. Davis, an All-American honorable mention last season, led the Tigers in scoring and single-handedly took over games in the conference tournament and in the team’s upset over Providence in the opening round of the NCAA Tourney. Doubley, a 6-1 guard, will have to pick up the offensive slack and match Davis’ leadership and winning attitude. Doubley averaged 8 points per game and shot a respectable 36 percent from behind the arc. He is an excellent free-throw shooter and should take advantage of that by driving aggressively to the basket to create opportunities for himself and his teammates. He needs to be more cautious with the ball though, he led the team with 73 turnovers last season.

Impact freshman: Anthony Brown. He is a pure scorer and a monster on the boards. The 6-8 forward averaged over 30 points and 14 rebounds per game last season at Proctor Academy in Andover, New Hampshire, where he had multiple 40 point performances and a 51-point outburst. He has a shot at some serious playing time if he can prove to the coaching staff that his defense is as well-rounded as his offense.

Mark your calendar: Dec. 4 at Kansas – They face a hostile crowd and a loaded roster in a rematch of last year’s game that sent the Tigers home for the rest of the season Dec. 11 at Nevada – They face another potential Tourney-bound team Feb. 26 vs Cal State Northridge – The Matadors nearly upset the co-champs last year.

It will be hard to best last year’s NCAA Tournament run, when they stunned Providence before falling to Kansas in the second round, especially without the services of their explosive guard Miah Davis. He was instrumental in the Tigers 25-8 record and their romp through the Big West Conference (17-1) en route to the league championship (shared with Utah State). But they will definitely make their case. They return first-team Big West Conference selection Christian Maraker and honorable mentions David Doubley and Tyler Newton to provide a strong core of veteran leadership for a group of already experienced players. They boast one of the biggest frontcourts in the conference (Maraker 6-9, Guillaume Yango 6-9, Tyler Newton 6-10) and feature good depth up and down the roster. Doubley will likely take on a bigger role in the team’s offensive schemes to compensate for the void left by Davis. The key for Pacific down the stretch will be to find the player that can take over a game like Davis was able to leading into the tournament last year.

Utah State Aggies

Projected lineup:
F – Jason Williams
F – Spencer Nelson
C – Nate Harris
G – Marques Crane
G – Chris Huber

Key losses: Mark Brown, Cardell Brown, Mike Ahmad

Must step up: Chris Huber. The junior guard will have to play a bigger role in running the team. He is in the mix of several players looking to take over the point guard role. Huber needs to improve his field-goal percentage to maximize his potential in the team’s highly efficient offensive.

Impact newcomer: Marques Crane. The 6-4 guard may very well be what the team needs to fill Mark Brown’s shoes. The transfer from Saddleback JC in California averaged 16.2 points and 7.4 rebounds per game while being named Orange Empire Conference MVP in 2002-2003.

Mark your calendar: Dec. 4 vs Utah – The Aggies play host to their in-state rivals Jan 13 at Pacific – last year both teams ran the table in league play and they split their only two meetings of the season en route to a Big West Conference co-championship.

Disappointment is probably the first word that comes to mind to help describe Utah State’s 2003-2004 season. There’s also screwed, overlooked and a handful of four letter words. Try to figure out which is worse: Losing to fifth seeded Cal State Northridge in the semifinal round of the Big West Tournament, or becoming the first team since the NCAA Tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1985 to miss the tournament after being ranked in the top 25 in the final season rankings. Either way, the Aggies didn’t reach their goal. They hope this year will be different. The Aggies are returning three starters from last year’s 25-4 team, including Nate Harris and Spencer Nelson. Together they form the strongest frontcourt in the conference and their performance will determine long the team’s season will last. The Aggies run an incredibly efficient offense (.509 percent field-goal percentage – third best in the nation) and stress defensive effort. They have an experienced team, but will need a huge boost at the point. Mark Brown was crucial to the team’s success last year and guard play will undoubtedly be the Aggies’ key position this time season.

Cal State Northridge Matadors

Projected lineup:
F – Ian Boylan
F – Calvin Chitwood
C – Thomas Shewmake
G – Jonathan Heard
G – Davin White

Key losses: Antoine Parker

Must Step Up: Thomas Shewmake. The 6-10 center made a big impact in the middle last year and will need another strong season if the Matadors plan on making a run at the NCAA Tournament. He was the only starter on last year’s squad that didn’t have a double digits scoring average, but his 8.9 points per game will suffice. He needs to add to his rebound totals and play solid defense on some of the taller, beefier centers in the league. He fouled out of three games and was one personal foul short of tying the team lead (92). He led the team in blocks last year (19), but he averaged less than one per game. He is only a sophomore, but he is a quick learner and has the body to handle he post.

Impact Newcomer: Greg Okwudibonye. The freshman guard reminds Coach Bobby Braswell of current junior Ian Boylan. That’s a good thing. Okwudibonye, a slasher/scorer, can put the ball on the floor and is a solid defender. He averaged 14.5 points and 7.5 rebounds per game at Ocean View High School, but can also get the job done with assists (2.5 apg) and steals (4.5). He will look to add depth to an already deep guard rotation and could be factor off the bench.

Mark your calendar: Nov. 20 at Oklahoma – Ian Boylan gets a chance to play in front of his home crowd Dec. 4 at Arizona State – ASU All-American Ike Diogu will test CSUN’s big men Jan. 15 vs Utah State – a rematch of last year’s semifinal meeting in the conference tournament.

The Matadors will be the X-factor in the Big West Conference. They took the conference tournament by storm last year by beating Cal State Fullerton, then upsetting UC Santa Barbara and Utah State, before suffering a touch luck loss to Pacific in the tourney’s final round. The Matadors went on a late-season run, leapfrogging a couple of teams in the conference standings, when three of its players were reinstated after serving 11-game suspensions. They are returning all five starters from last season and added depth to an already deep lineup with the signing of a couple key recruits. Coach Bobby Braswell likes to test his team with a tough pre-conference schedule, which includes road games at Oklahoma and Arizona State. It prepares the team for league play and big-game situations. If the Matadors can stay healthy and the players stay out of trouble off the court, they have an outside shot of winning the conference title. The experience the gained from last season will be invaluable when they attempt to make a run at the NCAA Tournament.

UC Santa Barbara Gauchos

Projected lineup:
F – Casey Cook
F – Cameron Goettsche
G – Cecil Brown
G – Josh Davis
G – Chrismen Oliver

Key losses: Branduinn Fullove, Nick Jones

Hobbled and bandaged: The injury bug has made its way to Santa Barbara. Players are dropping like flies and the season hasn’t even started yet. The frontcourt has taken the biggest hit as forwards Chris Devine (knee), Cameron Goettsche (groin), Glenn Turner (ankle), and David Kennedy (leg) have all found their way to the bench with injuries. Cecil Brown, who was expected to start at guard, will likely miss the start of the regular season with a sprained MCL in his right knee.

Must step up: Joe See. With several players out with injuries to start the season, See will have to increase his offensive production. The 6-foot guard is the team’s best playmaker and will need to get the rest of the team involved in the offense.

Impact freshman: Alex Harris. The 6-5 true freshman can play three positions, which will help his chances of finding a spot to fill on the floor, especially with the injuries the team has suffered in recent weeks.

Mark your calendar: Nov. 23 at Wisconsin – the Badgers highlight UCSB’s non-conference schedule Dec. 1 at Pepperdine – last year the Gauchos barely got past the Waves 65-62 in Santa Barbara, this time they travel to Malibu. Jan. 29 at Cal State Fullerton – last year, UCSB hung on for the win in a 98-95 double over-time shootout.

Injuries will slow this team but not enough to keep the Gauchos from making a legitimate run at the conference title. They have a well-balanced offensive attack and probably the deepest bench in the conference. They return eight players from last year, including four of its top five scorers and both of their leading rebounders. Forward Cameron Goettsche is ready for a breakout year after showing flashes of brilliance in his sophomore season. He averaged 8 points and nearly 6 rebounds playing alongside Casey Cook, who averaged 10 points and 4.6 rebounds, despite suffering a leg injury. And the team added even more size in the offseason to bolster its frontcourt. Cecil Brown’s recovery from a sprained knee will be crucial to the team’s offensive scheme. He is a scorer and loves to shoot from downtown. He was second on the team with 24 three-point baskets last season.

Cal State Fullerton Titans

Projected starting lineup:
G – Bobby Brown
G – Ralphy Holmes
C – Lloyd Walls
F – Jamaal Brown
F – Yaphett King

Key losses: Pape Sow, Anthony Bolton, Zakee Smith, Derick Andrew

Sow Long: Former Titan forward Pape Sow was the Big West Conference’s lone representative in last June’s NBA Draft. The 6-foot-10-inch big man was selected in the second round by the Miami Heat with the 47th overall pick and later traded to the Toronto Raptors. The Senegalese native, who led the conference in rebounds (9.7 rpg) last season, signed a contract with the Raptors and will start the NBA season on the injured reserve list.

Must Step Up: Yaphett King. The 6-4 forward will need to pick up a good chunk of the scoring slack with the departure of four of last year’s starters. King proved that he could be a viable scorer as the third option in Head Coach Bob Burton’s uptempo offense, but he needs to boost his rebounding totals and three-point shooting percentage. He worked on his mid-range jumper in the offseason and will look to become more aggressive around the perimeter.

Impact newcomer: John Clemmons. The junior transfer out of El Camino College will push Bobby Brown for minutes at the point and might even share the backcourt with Brown in critical stretches of the game. Coach Burton likes how the speedy combination meshes with Brown’s three-point abilities. Burton recruited Clemmons when he was an assistant at Fresno State and the guard may prove to be the steal of his recruiting class.

Mark your calendar: Dec. 10 – at Eastern Washington – EWU will be looking to avenge last year’s loss Dec. 30 – at Pacific – Fullerton lost to the conference co-champs in OT 66-64 last year March 5 – Cal State Northridge- potential tournament seeds on the line in CSUF’s closer

The Titans will begin their second year under Head Coach Bob Burton and his fast-paced up-tempo offense. He is gradually grooming his second recruiting class to fit his high-scoring system. The team has some big shoes to fill, especially after losing four of the team’s starters from a year ago. The biggest void is in the middle where Fullerton will miss forward Pape Sow dearly. The former first-team All Big West selection was drafted in the second round of the NBA Draft and recently signed a contract with the Toronto Raptors. A contingency of big men including 6-9 Lloyd Walls and 6-9 Derek Quinet will try to replenish the 17 points and nearly 10 rebounds a game that Sow contributed. Bobby Brown will be looked to lead the team after an outstanding freshman campaign in which he was named Big West Freshman of the Year. He was second on the team with 13.2 points per game and added 3.5 assists, despite starting the year on the bench. Ralphy Holmes and Jamaal Brown will add a tremendous offensive boost when they regain eligibility after the Fall final exams on December 18.

Idaho Vandals

Projected lineup:
F – Dandrick Jones
F – Mike Kale
C – Lionel Davis
G – Tanoris Shepard
G – Tihon Johnson

Key losses: Tyrone Hayes, Rashaad Powell, Dwayne Williams

Must step up: Tanoris Shepard. The senior guard will have to carry the rest of the team on his 5-foot-9 -inch frame after losing three players from last year’s squad, including the top two leading scorers. Shepard chipped in with 8 points per game last year but he will have to increase those numbers significantly or Idaho will fall to the middle of the pack in the conference race.

Impact freshman: Tihon Johnson. The transfer out of Mt. San Jacinto College will spend some time at point guard. Head Coach Leonard Perry likes his ability to run the team and has Johnson has already proven he can score (19 ppg, 5.8 rpg last season).

Mark your calendar: Nov. 24 at Gonzaga – The Vandals will be tested early in the season Jan. 20 vs UC Riverside – the first of two meeting against the Highlanders. Last year, Idaho beat UCR three times, including an overtime win on the road and in the first round of the conference tournament.

Like many teams in the Big West Conference, Idaho was hit hard by the loss of several key seniors from last year’s squad. They lost a lot of offensive firepower, but perhaps even more importantly, they lost their emotional leaders on the floor. As a result, they will tumble a couple of spots in the conference standings. Tanoris Shepard and Dandrick Jones will be relied upon to lead the team offensively. Together, the duo averaged a little over 15 points per game, but they will have more reign over the offense to help boost those numbers.

UC Irvine Anteaters

Projected lineup:
F – Greg Ethington
C – Adam Metelski
G – Jeff Gloger
G – Aaron Fitzgerald
G – Ross Schraeder

Key losses: Adam Parada, Stanislav Zuzak, Mike Efevberha

Close but no cigar: Former Anteater Adam Parada got a pleasant surprise when the Sacramento Kings invited him to their Summer League in July. The 7-footer averaged 9 points and 8 rebounds for the Kings in five games and eventually found a spot on the team’s pre-season roster. He was the only non-signed player on the team, but was cut when the Kings’ final roster was submitted in early October.

Must step up: Ross Schraeder. The junior guard averaged less than 8 points per game last season, but erupted for nearly 80 points over the final four games. The Anteaters will need that kind of production from him to replace the three seniors on last year’s team that averaged double-digit scoring.

Impact newcomer: Adam Metelski. The 6-10, 275-pound center transferred from Grayson County College to add some much needed help in the paint after the departure of Adam Parada. Metelski will have a chance to start if he can prove that he can handle the Division I big men. His position in the middle may be the determining factor between a winning and a losing season.

Mark your calendar: Nov. 22 at USC – The Anteaters meet the Trojans for the first time in 8 years. Nov. 27 at UCLA – Their last two meeting have been decided by a combined 6 points. Feb. 12 vs UC Riverside – UCI snuck by the UCR in a close one last year Feb. 17 at Long Beach State – after suffering a loss the 49ers last year, things went haywire and the team dropped their next 6 games

Last season’s downward spiral was unexpected, especially considering that they had a strong group of veterans leading the way. They had been one of the conference’s upper echelon teams for several years prior to missing the Big West Conference Tournament last season. UCI looked solid until they lost a double-overtime game at Long Beach State and apparently fell apart. They disappeared for the second half of the season and couldn’t win on the road (1-11). They had a chance to lock up the final spot in the conference tournament with three games remaining, but they lost a close game to Utah State and followed that up with consecutive road losses to UC Santa Barbara and Cal Poly. The team will likely make the tournament this year, but as a low seed. They lost their top three scorers from last season, including 7-foot center Adam Parada and Mike Efevberha. Swingmen Jeff Gloger and Ross Schraeder will take reigns as team leaders. Gloger, a Big West honorable mention last season, is a solid all-around player. He averaged 9 points last season and ranked second in the conference in assists (4.2) and third in steals (2.1). Schraeder added 7.9 points per game, but exploded for nearly 20 per game over the final four contests of the season.

UC Riverside Highlanders

Projected lineup:
F – Vili Morton
F – Klaus Schille
C – David Misko
G – Rickey Porter
G – Matt Benson

Key losses: Nate Carter, Kevin Butler, Mark Peters

Must step up: Rickey Porter. The 6-3 guard had a solid season last year, but was plagued by inconsistencies. Although he led the team with 42 three-pointers made and averaged nearly 8 points per game, he still needs to prove that he can be an efficient playmaker. Head Coach John Masi has praised Porter’s offseason work ethic and believes Porter can be effective in that role.

Impact freshman: David Misko. The highly touted center has a reputation for being a hardnosed defender and at 6-10, 215-pounds, he will fill a void at the center position.

Mark your calendar: Dec. 12 at Arizona State – the Highlanders will take their chances against the NCAA Tournament hopefuls Dec. 30 at CSUN – a rematch of last year’s 72-71 overtime thriller

UC Riverside finished the regular season last year on a high note, winning two of its final three regular season games, including a one-point overtime win at Cal State Northridge, to sneak into the fifth seed in the conference tournament. They brushed off Cal Poly in the first round before losing to Idaho in the second. The Highlanders might not be as lucky this time around. They will be without two of their top three scorers from last year and will look to Vili Morton and Rickey Porter to play bigger roles. Morton has proven he can be a threat on offense (12.3 ppg, .599 field-goal percentage) and defense (43 blocks-led team) but he needs to stay out of foul trouble. He led the team with 91 personal fouls last season and fouled out of five games. Porter struggled with inconsistency and needs to improve his field-goal percentage (.389) and assist-to-turnover ratio (33:33).

Long Beach State 49ers

Projected lineup:
G – Jibril Hodges
G – Louis Darby
C – Anthony Coleman
F – Cody Pearson
F – Chris Jenkins

Key losses: Kevin Roberts, Marcel Jackson, Antoine Jackson, Lucian Graham

Must Step Up: Anthony Coleman. He missed all but two games last season due to a stress fracture in his left foot, but looks to be a contributor this season. He averaged over 7 points and 7 rebounds per contest in the two games he suited up for last year, including a nine point, 10 rebound display against Pacific. At 6-11, the transfer from Xavier University is the tallest player on the roster and, if healthy, he will likely be the team’s dominate inside force.

Impact newcomer: Shawn Hawkins. The 6-6 forward is the most prolific scorer of a group of five recruits that will all likely see some playing time. Hawkins lit up opponents while at Columbus State, averaging 23.5 points a game and nearly 8 rebounds. He plays aggressively on the offensive end, which might help him crack the starting lineup if the big men have trouble scoring points.

Mark your calendar: Dec. 20-23 -Long Beach State travels to Honolulu, Hawaii for the 41st Outrigger Hotels Rainbow Classic for an eight-team tournament featuring USC, Indiana State, and Georgetown. Jan. 13- at Cal State Fullerton- 49ers always play their heated rivals down to the wire

The 49ers will use a mix of talented young players and a few key seniors to try and dig themselves out of the Big West Conference cellar. They have missed the conference tournament for the past two years and hope to climb back to respectability. Their guard play will have to lead the way. Junior Jibril Hodges was second on the team in scoring last season (10.2 ppg) while making 55 shots from behind the arc. Hodges will officially take over as the team’s first scoring option and will have the ball in his hands with the game on the line, but he needs to improve his shooting percentage and look to create more opportunities by heading to the foul line. Guards Louis Darby and Kevin Houston, a pair of Big West All-Freshman first-team selections, will also need to step in and continue to build on last year’s impressive season. Darby reached the 20-point mark twice last year and Houston dished out 10 assists in game against Cal State Northridge. Both sophomores will need to contribute if the team plans on shedding its bottom-dwelling fortune.

Cal Poly Mustangs

Projected lineup:
F – Nick Enzweiler
F – Vladimir Lisinac
C – Phil Johnson
G – Kameron Gray
G – Mike Titchenal

Key losses: Varnie Dennis, Shane Schilling, Eric Jackson, Keith Lawrence

Must step up: Phil Johnson. At 6-11, he is the tallest player on the team and will be counted on to provide a presence in the paint. The Mustangs’ offense relied on Varnie Dennis’ post play and positioning last year, so Johnson will need to be more active on the boards and more offensive minded. He is the team’s best post player in a thin frontcourt and will have to assert himself and prove that he can handle the load.

Impact freshman: Andrew Haskins. He may be the team’s long-term answer to filling Shane Schilling’s shoes ( 16.3 ppg, 5.6 rpg) but he will be asked to contribute right away. Haskins, from Bellevue, Washington, can play the guard/forward positions similar to Schilling. There will be a learning curve, but he will try to make the most of his opportunity.

Mark your calendar: Dec. 22 vs Utah – the team’s final tune up before Big West Conference play Jan. 29 at UC Riverside – the last time they traveled to Riverside, the Mustangs won by two points in overtime, but UCR got its revenge by returning the favor in the conference tournament.

The Mustangs managed to squeak into the conference tournament last year by winning three of its last four games, but this season won’t not be as lucky. They will start the season without their top two leading scorers from last year’s squad, which made up nearly half of the team’s offense. They have a big hole to fill in the middle and don’t have much depth in their inexperienced lineup. Kameron Gray (13 ppg, 85 assists) and Nick Enzweiler (8.4 ppg) will take over as the team leaders, but several players will have to step up and contribute offensively to keep the team in games. Some of last year’s bench players will asked be asked to step into much bigger roles this season. Justin Hutson will also be taking on a much larger role. He was hired as assistant coach before the start of the season to replace Kevin Brown who left to coach at San Jose State.

Big West Conference 2003-04 Season Recap


by Matthew Lefebvre

After a summer which brought NCAA investigation and a significant tournament change to the Big West, the conference proved it should not be overlooked as they sent two teams to post-season tournaments. Utah State (NCAA) and Pacific (NIT) finished the 2003-04 campaign with an identical 17-1 record in conference games. Both loses, coincidently, came against each other. Utah State won 66-51 at home on Jan. 15 and then fell on Pacific’s home floor, 64-60 on Feb. 14.

Many of the teams which were thought to compete for the conference crown had significant trouble and were not able to make any type of move in the standings. One of those teams was Cal Poly who was picked to finish third, but fell to eighth after a disappointing campaign which left them with a 6-12 Big West record despite having the conference’s leading scorer, Varnie Dennis (18.0 ppg) on the team. UC Irvine was another team which could not meet the expectations. Thought to be a fourth place team, the Anteaters slipped to No. 9 and failed to make the conference tournament.

The obvious surprise of the year came in the postseason when underrated UC Northridge defeated Cal State Fullerton (7), Cal Santa Barbara (3) and Utah State (1) three consecutive days and came within two made free throws of making it to the NCAA Tournament. The Matadors had three players in the top 15 in scoring during the regular season.

Big West Conference Tournament

Coming into the Big West Conference Tournament, regular season powers Pacific and Utah State were the favorites to take the title to the NCAA tournament. Under the revamped tournament guidelines, the No.1 and No. 2 seeds get byes into the semi-finals while the No. 3 and No. 4 seeds got first round byes. After each round, the teams were reseeded so the highest seed would face the lowest seed. This was done in hopes of getting the strongest team from the conference to the NCAA Tournament, but not everything goes according to plan.

The first round featured one of the best players in the Big West, Pape Sow of Cal State Fullerton. He recorded a team high 21 points, but Fullerton could not stop No. 6 Cal State Northridge who won 80-70. The Matadors shot over .500 from the field and from beyond the arc.

The other first round match-up was between No. 5 Cal Riverside and No. 8 Cal Poly. The favored Highlanders had four players in double-figures, led by Nate Carter’s 22 points. Cal Poly had 19 turnovers and four players with four personal fouls.

The second round brought into play the No. 3 and No. 4 seeds, Cal Santa Barbara and Idaho, respectively.

Idaho was hot entering the tournament, winning eight of its last 11 games. They continued their winning ways with a 66-58 win over No. 5 Cal Riverside. The Vandals defense was the deciding factor in a game that was tight until the end. They forced Cal Riverside into 3-14 shooting from beyond the three-point line and forced 18 turnovers. The Vandals were led by Senior Tyrone Hayes’ 22 points.

In the other second round match-up, Cal State Northridge continued their quest towards the conference crown with a 61-58 win over No. 3 Cal Santa Barbara. Northridge got an impressive 19 points from Joseph Frazier, a player not known for his scoring. Santa Barbara did not a three-pointer all game, going 0-9. They were led by Cecil Brown and Jacoby Atako who both netted 10 points.

The semi-finals were just as the conference commissioner wanted, all the top seeds except for the up and coming No. 6 Cal State Northridge. The Highlanders were to take on No. 1 Utah State, a team that had lost just one conference game all season and was the hands down favorite to make it to the NCAA tourney.

Utah State, along with being the No. 1 seed in the Big West was also the No. 22 team in the country coming into the game. Northridge led by six at the half, 34-28, and carried that momentum into the second half and into the waning seconds when Joseph Frazier hit a three-pointer to send the Highlanders to the Big West Championship Game. Ian Boylan, Second Team All-Big West, scored a game high 27 points, including four of seven from beyond the three point line. The Aggies were led by Spencer Nelson who had 19 points but the big story was that the Aggies could not stop Northridge on defense. The Highlanders shot over .500 from the field and from deep and only missed one free throw (14-15) the entire game.

The second semi-final game pitted No. 2 University of the Pacific against No. 4 Idaho Vandals. The No. 2 Tigers had won 12 games in a row coming into this contest and sported the league’s Player of the Year in Miah Davis. He scored 21 of the Tigers 67 points and was clutched down the stretch hitting 12 of 14 from the free throw line to seal the 67-61 Pacific victory. The Vandals were led by Hayes’ 19 points. This set-up a game between the No. 2 and the No. 6 seeds in the conference championship.

In the Big West Championship, Pacific proved their worth early as they led at the half, 37-29. The Tigers got out to a robust 28-9 lead before the Matadors climbed back into it. The game was tight all the way to the final buzzer as with: 05 left in regulation, Davis drove to the hoop and was fouled. He sunk both freebees and Pacific missed a desperation three and the celebration began.

Now the Pacific Tigers would have to wait until selection Sunday to see whom they would face in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

Big West Post-Season

University of the Pacific Tigers

The Tigers finished second in the Big West in 2003-04 but were able to defeat Cinderella hopefully Cal State Northridge in the conference championship game to receive the automatic NCAA bid. They were given the No. 12 seed in the St. Louis Bracket and were pitted against up and coming Providence College led by standout Ryan Gomes. The Tigers came out hot, and led by four, 37-33 at the intermission. In the second half, Pacific tightened up the defense and held the Friars to only 25 points. Gomes was the only PC player in double figures, netting 25 points in the Tigers 66-58 win. Pacific was led by standout Miah Davis who scored 19 points on seven of 15 from the field.

With the win, the Tigers faced the national runner-up from the previous year, the Kansas Jayhawks. Although Providence is a tough team, they are not as proven and battle tested as the ‘Hawks who were able to handle the inexperienced Tigers, 78-63. The Tigers were only down four at the half, 36-32, but the increased pressure of the second half proved to be too much and the Jayhawks outscored them 42-31. Miah Davis, was held to only 10 points while Guillaume Yango stepped up his scoring and netted a team high 22 points.

Utah State Aggies

The Aggies were 17-1 in Big West play and lost only four games all season but one of the loses came to Cal State Northridge in the Big West semifinals, 63-62. This was the most meaningful of all the loses, as it ended any hopes the Aggies had of qualifying for the NCAA Tournament. Even though they did not go to the dance, the NIT was there with open arms to accept a mid-major who won 25 games.

The Aggies opponent, the University of Hawaii came out firing on all cylinders in the first half, scoring 43 points and taking an 11 point lead into the locker room. Hawaii known as a good shooting team was fire from beyond three, hitting eight of their 13 attempts. The two teams played even ball in the second half, both scoring 42 points. The Aggies unable to come back from their first half deficit lost 85-74. Spencer Nelson continued his big play leading State with 24 points, 11 rebounds and six assists. He was arguably the team’s most valuable player on its post-season run.

Big West Hardware

Player of the Year

Miah Davis, Senior, University of the Pacific Tigers

Newcomer of the Year

Bobby Brown, Freshman, Cal State Fullerton

Coach of the Year

Bob Thomason, University of the Pacific Tigers

All-Conference 1st Team
Miah Davis, Senior, University of the Pacific
Christian Maraker, Sophomore, University of the Pacific
Cardell Butler, Senior, Utah State Aggies
Mark Brown, Senior, Utah State Aggies
Nate Harris, Sophomore, Utah State Aggies
Pape Sow, Senior, Cal State Fullerton

All-Conference 2nd Team
Ian Boylan, Junior, Cal State Northridge
Nate Carter, Sophomore, Cal Riverside
Tyrone Hayes, Senior, Idaho Vandals
Spencer Nelson, Junior, Utah State Aggies
Kevin Roberts, Senior, Long Beach State
Varnie Dennis, Senior, Cal Poly

Utah State Aggies 25-4, 17-1 Big West

A team which has become familiar with postseason play in recent years, the Aggies were able to pull off an invitation to the NIT tournament after a disappointing end to an outstanding season. Losing only once until the Big West Tournament, the Aggies appeared as though their only trouble would be rival Pacific, but the oversight allowed Cal State Northridge to gain a 63-62 win and advance to the conference finals. The loss ended the Aggies run to the dance and made them the brides’ maids of the Big West. After the loss to CSN, State lost to the University of Hawaii in the first round of the NIT, 85-74.

Team MVP – Cardell Butler (14.0 ppg, 30.1 mpg, started all 29 games)

Top Scorer – Cardell Butler (14.0 ppg)
Top Rebounder – Spencer Wilson (7.8 rpg)
Top Assists – Mark Brown (4.86 apg)

Starters Leaving:
Cardell Butler (Graduating)
Mark Brown (Graduating)
Mike Ahmad (Graduating)

Top Returnees:
Nate Harris; Junior Forward (11.7 ppg, 6.1 rpg)
Spencer Nelson; Senior Forward (11.5 ppg, 7.8 rpg)

The losses of Butler and Brown, the team’s leading scorer and assist man, respectively will significantly hurt the offense. The Aggies still do have an impressive front like with Harris and Nelson both returning, a year older and stronger. Another run to the post season may not be in the future unless State gets the same scoring contribution from the front line, and the starters in the backcourt are able to fill the large shoes left behind for them.

University of Pacific Tigers 25-8, 17-1 Big West

For a team which was picked to finish ninth in its own conference, the Tigers did pretty well for themselves. After a rocky start, the Tigers were 5-6 on New Year’s Day and were making plans for Spring Break. But that was the non-conference portion of the schedule. Once Big West play began, the Tigers were near unstoppable, winning 17 of 18, including 15 in a row. They finished four games behind first place Utah State, and defeated Idaho and Cal State Northridge in the Big West tourney en route to an NCAA bid. The Tigers drew No. 12 and were slated to face a tough Providence College team who made waves in the Big East. Led by Ryan Gomes, the Friars were a favorite to win its first round game, but it seems that every year, a No. 12 seed beats a No. 5, and sure enough, Pacific was that No. 12. In the round of 32, the Tigers faced a Kansas team that was a year removed and a blocked three-pointer way from being national champions. The Tigers run was ended by the Jayhawks, a 78-63 loss.

Team MVP – Miah Davis (14.7 ppg, 3.1 apg, 34.5 mpg)

Top Scorer – Miah Davis (14.7 ppg)
Top Rebounder – Christian Maraker (5.9 rpg)
Top Assists – David Doubley (3.3 apg)

Starters Leaving:
Tom Cockle (Graduating)
Miah Davis (Graduating)

Top Returnees:
David Doubly; Senior Guard (8.0 ppg, 3.3 apg)
Christian Maraker; Junior Forward (12.6 ppg, 5.9 rpg)

In 2003-04 Head Coach Bob Thomason recorded his 300th career coaching victory.

Much like Utah State, the Tigers will lose their leading scorer. Although the departure of Davis is a huge blow to a program that is on the rise, Pacific will retain its second leading scorer, top rebounder and leader in assists. If they can account for Davis’ scoring, the Tigers may have a shot to get repeat birth in the NCAA tournament.

UC Santa Barbara Gauchos 16-12, 10-8 Big West

The Gauchos were coming off an 18-14 campaign coming into 2003-04 and had high hopes for the season, considering they were returning four seniors to their starting five. After being picked to finish first in the Big West, hopes were high but the play did not the same expectations. The Gauchos lost five of their seven conference games in February, including games to conference top dogs Pacific and Utah State. This was the year everyone had expected UCSB to make a move towards the NCAA tourney, but now with the loss of four key seniors, their immediate future is in question.

Team MVP – Branduinn Fullove (10.6 ppg, 2.22 apg)

Top Scorer – Branduinn Fullove (10.6 ppg)
Top Rebounder – Cameron Goettsche (5.5 rpg)
Top Assists – Jacoby Atako (2.57 apg)

Starters Leaving:
Jacoby Atako (Graduating)
Branduinn Fullove (Graduating)
Nick Jones (Graduating)
Bryan Whitehead (Graduating)

Top Returnees:
Cameron Goettsche; Junior Forward (8.0 ppg, 5.5 rpg)

Santa Barbara is losing its main core of talent which will hurt them in the short term. These types of players are hard to replace within a year and they lost a lot of the scoring punch which powered them to 16 victories a year ago. They do return Sophomore Joe See and Junior Cecil Brown, but the loss of four key contributors could be too much to over come. Check back come March.

Idaho Vandals 14-16, 9-9 Big West

Idaho returned a back court which combined to score 36.2 ppg in 2002-03. The trio of Tanoris Shepard, Dwayne Williams and Tyrone Hayes were some of the only bright spots for the Vandals who remain one of only two teams in the Big West not to reside in California (Utah State). The back courts’ scoring was down to 32.7 ppg in 2003-04, one of the obvious reasons for the lack of significant success. The Vandals were a respectable 9-4 at home, but lost 11 contests on the road including tough non-conference games against South Carolina, Gonzaga and Washington State.

Team MVP – Tyrone Hayes (13.5 ppg, 5.7 rpg)

Top Scorer – Tyrone Hayes (13.5 ppg)
Top Rebounder – Tyrone Hayes (5.7 rpg)
Top Assists – Dandrick Jones (2.97 apg)

Starters Leaving:
Tyrone Hayes (Graduating)
Rashaad Powell (Graduating)
Dwayne Williams (Graduating)

Top Returnees:
Dandrick Jones; Senior Guard (2.97 apg)
Tanoris Shepard; Senior Guard (8.0 ppg, 26.5 mpg)

The Vandals lost two of their top scorers from a year ago and that will more than likely prove to be too high of an obstacle to overcome. Bringing back two experienced senior guards in Shepard and Jones will probably be enough to get the Vandals to the Big West Tournament, and anything can happen there.

UC Riverside Highlanders 11-17, 7-11 Big West

UC Riverside continued the trend of Big West teams in 2003-04 that have impressive records at home, but are down right terrible on the road. Going 2-12 on the road is the blue print to building a successful program but to the Highlanders credit, they played one stretch on the road where they visited Washington, Arizona State and UCLA, and only lost by an average of 12 points. The good news is that the future is bright because only two starters are lost to graduation, and one is not leading scorer Nate Carter (15.2 ppg).

Team MVP – Nate Carter (15.2 ppg, 6.8 rpg)

Top Scorer – Nate Carter (15.2 ppg)
Top Rebounder – Nate Carter (6.8 rpg)
Top Assists – Mark Peters (3.14 apg)

Starters Leaving:
Ted Bell (Graduating)
Kevin Butler (Graduating)
Mark Peters (Graduating)

Top Returnees:
Nate Carter; Junior Guard/Forward (15.2 ppg, 6.8 rpg)
Vili Morton; Senior Forward (12.2 ppg, 6.2 rpg)

One of the only teams in the conference to return their leading scorer, UC Riverside has a leg up on almost every other team in the Big West. Carter and Morton will be a formidable one-two punch which will be enough to bring the Highlanders back to the conference tourney and if they receive a top seed, could propel them to the dance.

Cal State Northridge Matadors 14-16, 7-11 Big West

Going into the Big West tourney, the Matadors were a No. 6 seed who was 11-15 at the time and no one gave a second look at. They survived the first day, then the second and soon found themselves on ESPN vying for a spot in the NCAA Tournament. Although they feel to Pacific, the Matadors blew away all the expectations and naysayers. It was one of the most impressive runs in conference history.

Team MVP – Curtis Slaughter (14.1 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 4.17 apg)

Top Scorer – Ian Boylan (15.8 ppg)
Top Rebounder – Lionel Benjamin (5.3 rpg)
Top Assists – Curtis Slaughter (4.17 apg)

Starters Leaving:
Curtis Slaughter (Graduating)

Top Returnees:
Ian Boylan; Senior Guard/Forward (15.8 ppg)
Joseph Frazier; Senior Guard/Forward (6.8 ppg, 3.6 rpg)

The Matadors will not sneak up on anyone this season. They retained their core of players and should make a run back towards the NCAA tourney. Boylan is a year older and will challenge the league’s Player of the Year Award in 2004-05.

Cal State Fullerton Titans 11-17, 7-11 Big West

The Titans love to play basketball. This is evident in the fact that they led the Big West in overtime games played with four in 2003-04. Their record in games with an extra session was 0-4, a vast difference from 2002-03 when their record in overtime games was 5-1. To the Titans credit, they played a tough non-conference schedule with some success. They only lost by seven at Arizona State (83-76) and by six at USC (96-90). They won on the road at Pepperdine, 78-74.

Team MVP – Pape Sow (17.3 ppg, 9.7 rpg)

Top Scorer – Pape Sow (17.3 ppg)
Top Rebounder – Pape Sow (9.7 rpg)
Top Assists – Bobby Brown (3.46 apg)

Starters Leaving:
Derick Andrew (Graduating)
Anthony Bolton (Graduating)
Zakee Smith (Graduating)
Pape Sow (Graduating)

Top Returnees:
Bobbt Brown; Sophomore Guard (12.2 ppg, 3.46 apg)
Yaphett King; Senior Forward (9.1 ppg)

Fullerton did not enjoy much success in 2003-04, and the future might not be much better. Although they have the conference newcomer of the year in sophomore point guard Bobby Brown, they lost Pape Sow, led the team in scoring and rebounding. More talent will have to emerge around Brown in order for the Titans to have any chance of making a run at the Big West crown.

Cal Poly Mustangs 11-16, 6-12 Big West

The Mustangs faired very well in their non-conference schedule, scoring wins against the Pac-10′s USC Trojans, 93-78, and California Golden Bears, 63-62. Both were road wins, and major victories at that. From then on however, the wins were less common and the ‘Stangs went 7-13. They played well going into the Big West Tournament, winning three of four, but fell in the first round to UC Riverside, 72-63.

Team MVP – Varnie Dennis (18.3 ppg, 7.9 rpg)

Top Scorer – Varnie Dennis (18.3 ppg)
Top Rebounder – Varnie Dennis (7.9 rpg)
Top Assists – Kameron Gray (3.15 apg)

Starters Leaving:
Varnie Jackson (Graduating)
Shane Schilling (Graduating)

Top Returnees:
Nick Enzweiler; Senior Forward (8.4 ppg)
Kameron Gray; Junior Guard (3.15 apg)

The Mustangs will be without the services of their two leading scorers from the 2003-04 campaign in Dennis and Schilling. They will return their leading assistman and floor general in Gray. Davis did make up a large part of their offense, and he may be difficult to replace.

UC Irvine Anteaters 11-17, 6-12 Big West

The Anteaters won really half of their games against non-conference opponents, not a good sign. Some those five non-Big West contests were against notable opponents, Pepperdine, 85-83, and Princeton, 57-55. However, despite the 12 conference losses, they were only by and average of seven points. That translate into the Anteaters only being a short way away from being on the winning end of the score.

Team MVP – Adam Parada (12.2 ppg, 6.6 rpg)

Top Scorer – Adam Parada (12.2 ppg)
Top Rebounder – Adam Parada (6.6 rpg)
Top Assists – Jeff Gloger (4.21 apg)

Starters Leaving:
Matt Okoro (Graduating)
Adam Parada (Graduating)
Stanislav Zuzak (Graduating)

Top Returnees:
Mike Efevberha; Senior Guard/Forward (11.1 ppg)
Jeff Gloger; Senior Guard/Forward (9.1 ppg, 4.21 rpg)

Like most teams in the Big West, Irvine will lose its leading scorer to graduation. Parada and Zuzak combined for 23 ppg, not an easy task to replace. Those two players were some of the main reasons why the Anteaters were close in as many conference games as they were, their graduation will be a tough pill to swallow for a program that is trying to make waves out west.

Long Beach State 49ers 6-21, 4-14 Big West

State, mostly known as a baseball power throughout the country, struggled in 2003-04 on the hardwood. Two of their four conference wins however came against No. 3 UC Santa Barbara at home, 63-63, and at No. 4 Idaho, 64-60, their lone road win of the season. Those were two of the few bright spots for a 49er team that finished last in the Big West, 13 games out of first place. Senior Kevin Roberts was someone the ’9ers could hang their hat on, as he led the team in scoring 19 teams out of 27 games.

Team MVP – Kevin Roberts (15.7 ppg, 6.4 rpg)

Top Scorer – Kevin Roberts (15.7 ppg)
Top Rebounder – Kevin Roberts (6.4 rpg)
Top Assists – Kevin Houston (3.26 apg)

Starters Leaving:
Marcel Jackson (Graduating)
Kevin Roberts (Graduating)

Top Returnees:
Louis Darby; Junior Guard (6.6 ppg)
Jibril Hodges; Junior Guard (10.2 ppg)

The upcoming season is not too bright for the 49ers as Hodges is the only returning player from 2003-04 that averaged in double-figures. That is not a good sign for a team that had trouble scoring points, even with Roberts in the line-up. It appears as though State should get comfortable in the bottom of the Big West, because that where they will be at the end of the 2004-05 campaign.

Big West Conference Notebook


by Marcus Vanderberg

Pacific and Utah State neck and neck to the end



As the Big West Conference tournament quickly approaches, Utah State and the University of the Pacific continue to fight for the top spot in the conference. The Aggies have a half-game advantage over the Tigers at 15-1 while Pacific sits at 14-1. USU still has two tough games ahead, facing rival UC Irvine on ESPN2 Saturday night and traveling to Idaho where they will close out the season. Pacific on the other hand closes out the rest of the season at home with three home games against Cal State Northridge, Cal State Fullerton and UC Riverside.



Efevberha suspended for UC Irvine



As if UC Irvine wasn’t having enough problems already, things might only get worse. Sophomore guard/forward Mike Efevberha was suspended indefinitely by head coach Pat Douglass on Wednesday. “At this time, I have suspended Mike indefinitely for violating team and department rules,” Douglass said. Efevberha is the team’s second leading scorer at 11.1 points per game.



Cal Poly Mustangs (9-14, 4-11)



The Mustangs are in a fight just to qualify for the Big West Tournament. They are currently tied for last place with Long Beach State and is one-game behind Cal State Fullerton and UC Riverside who hold the 7th and 8th spot respectively. Senior Varnie Dennis, hobbling on a injured leg, scored 31 points in a 97-95 overtime victory over UC Riverside. With the victory, the Mustangs snapped a seven-game road losing streak.



Cal State Fullerton Titans (9-15, 5-10)



Cal State Fullerton found another way to lose – this time in a double overtime thriller against UC Santa Barbara, 98-95. With the Titans down to just nine players, they finished the game on Thursday night with just six, as three fouled out during the course of the night. Freshman Bobby Brown has found his second wind, shooting over 50 percent from three point range in his last five games. He continued his hot shooting against the Gauchos, making 7-12 from behind the arc on his way to 23 points.



Cal State Northridge Matadors (11-12, 7-8)



Head coach Bobby Braswell keeps finding ways to win with his depleted basketball team. The Matadors defeated UC Santa Barbara 80-71 last Saturday thanks to some hot shooting in the second half. The Matadors made eight straight three pointers to close out the game and ensure the victory. Junior Ian Boylan scored his 1,000th point in the win and was selected Big West Player of the Week. CSUN can secure a birth in the Big West Tournament with one more victory or a Cal State Fullerton or UC Riverside loss.



Long Beach State 49ers (6-18, 4-11)



So much for that 4-4 start in conference play. Long Beach State has gone a month since their last victory and are in danger of not qualifying for the Big West Tournament. Their latest setback – a 67-47 loss against #24 Utah State moved the 49ers into last place. After hosting Idaho on Saturday in the final home game of the season, the 49ers will finish their regular season with two games against UC Santa Barbara and Cal Poly.



UC Irvine Anteaters (11-14, 6-9)



UC Irvine needed a Jeff Gloger buzzer beater to defeat Idaho 65-63 at the Bren Events Center. The Anteaters blew a 20 point lead and was just their second victory in nine games. Barring a total collapse, UC Irvine should qualify for the Big West Tournament, but their last three games won’t be easy. They host Utah State on Saturday night before traveling to UC Santa Barbara and Cal Poly. Without Mike Efevberha, seniors Adam Parada, Stan Zuzak and Matt Okoro will be looked upon to pick up the scoring load and provide senior leadership.



UC Riverside Highlanders (8-15, 5-10)



UCR is not ending the season on a good note, dropping three in a row including a close overtime game to Cal Poly. With a tournament spot not secured yet, the Highlanders will have to win two of its last three games to secure a spot. Hosting UC Santa Barbara on Saturday, the Highlanders will close out against Cal State Northridge and Pacific, both teams which are tough to beat at home.



UC Santa Barbara Gauchos (14-10, 8-7)



The Gauchos won a crucial game on Thursday night against Cal State Fullerton as they look to secure third place in the conference. Currently they have a one-half game lead over fourth place Idaho. February has been a rough month for the Gauchos, dropping four of their last six games. Free-throw shooting has hurt UCSB as they are dead last in the conference, shooting 64 percent from the line.



Idaho Vandals (12-14, 8-8)



Thanks to some great defense, the Vandals have won seven of their last nine games. In that stretch, Idaho has held its opponents to only 54.9 points per game. The Vandals are trying to sneak into third place which would give them a first-round bye in the Big West Tournament. Senior Tyrone Hayes has been the key to their success, averaging 14.1 points and 5.6 rebounds in conference play. Senior guard Dwayne Williams, who leads the league in three pointers made with 65, sits fourth all time in the Idaho record book with 125 threes in just two seasons.



Pacific Tigers (19-7, 14-1)



With one more victory, the Tigers will tie its school record for most conference wins. The Pacific will look to extend its 10 game winning streak on Saturday against Cal State Northridge. In the first meeting, the Tigers squeaked one out 86-78 at the Matadome. Senior guard Miah Davis is making a run at Big West Player of the Year, averaging 15.0 points and 3.2 assists in conference play.



Utah State Aggies (23-2, 15-1)



With their victory over Cal State Fullerton, the Aggies closed out their home schedule at 15-0, the fourth time in school history. In that Titans victory, USU shot an impressive 68.1 percent from the field. Junior Spencer Nelson has recorded four double-doubles on the season and is still recovering from a broken nose.

Big West Conference Notebook


by Marcus Vanderberg

12 wins and slowly creeping towards the Top 25



Utah State is proving to the Big West that they are head and shoulders above the rest of the teams in the conference. The Aggies are on a remarkable winning streak which is currently at 12 games. Their last two victories came without their team leader Spencer Nelson who was out with a broken nose suffered in practice.



Sophomore Nate Harris stepped in for Nelson and averaged 25 points in Utah State’s victories over Cal State Fullerton and UC Riverside. On the season, Harris is averaging 11.7 points on 70 percent field goal shooting and 5.8 rebounds per game.



Three Matadors still suspended



Cal State Northridge juniors Chris Davis, Joseph Frazier and freshman Andre Foy have all been suspended indefinitely by head coach Bobby Braswell for violating team rules on their road trip to Idaho and Utah State. The three players have now missed three games and their suspension is on a day-by-day basis. Frazier and Davis are the Matadors third and fifth leading scorers, respectively, and are both starters. The Matadors have struggled with them out of the lineup going 1-2.



Watch out for that flying….doh!



If you wanted a reason why most Big West teams don’t serve alcohol at their arenas, here’s a good one:



Several members of the Completely Insane Anteaters, a student fan group from UC Irvine made the trip to the Pyramid for their showdown with Long Beach State. Earlier in the game, a beer can was thrown on the court from the 49ers section and a warning was given. Well someone had the idea of “Anything you can do, I can do better” and later threw a water bottle on the court. But instead of the technical going to the home team, it went towards UC Irvine. The fan, who was escorted out was wearing a yellow CIA t-shirt.



Two free throws later by 49ers guard Jibril Hodges and the momentum had completed shifted towards Long Beach State as they pulled out a 77-74 overtime victory.



Big West Player of the Year Watch



Top three players on the list play for teams with losing records



1. Pape Sow – Cal State Fullerton (17.4 points, 9.6 rebounds, 53.6 field goal percentage)



2. Varnie Dennis – Cal Poly (18.2 points, 7.4 rebounds, 1.1 blocks)



3. Shane Schilling – Cal Poly (17.6 points, 6.4 rebounds, 2.1 assists)



4. Spencer Nelson - Utah State (11.6 points, 7.7 rebounds, 60.6 field goal percentage)



5. Jeff Gloger - UC Irvine (10.5 points, 7.4 rebounds, 4.8 assists per game)



Big West Player of the Week



Nate Harris – Utah State



Seriously … 70 percent field goal shooting for the season! That’s just not fair.



Cal Poly Mustangs (6-9, 1-6)



“We will win the Big West conference” – Varnie Dennis at Big West Media Day



Well …not exactly Varnie.



After a great performance in non-conference play with victories over California and USC on the road, nobody has been fooled by the Mustangs in conference play as they have jumped out to a 1-6 start and currently sit in dead last.



Their latest loss came at the hands of the short-handed Matadors who had just nine guys (Of the nine, four were walk-ons) dressed for the game.



The senior, Dennis, was benched in the first half as Cal Poly officials claimed he had a “touch of the flu.” Other reports claimed he was bench by head coach Kevin Bromley.



Following his seven-point, four rebound-performance, Dennis walked off the court without shaking hands with the opposing Matadors.



Cal State Fullerton Titans (6-10, 2-5)



Senior Pape Sow is slowly figuring out he can’t do it alone. The Titans center who is second in points and first in rebounding in the Big West has been the only consistent player for head coach Bob Burton. Senior Anthony Bolton has been declared academically ineligible which has caused an offensive strain. Bolton was third on the Titans in scoring and second in rebounding and assists.



After defeating Idaho 70-59, the Titans are gearing up for a two-game road trip to Cal Poly and UC Santa Barbara before returning home for a crucial three-game home stand.



Cal State Northridge Matadors (7-9, 3-5)



With Frazier and Davis out, the three-headed junior monster of Ian Boylan, Davin White and Eto Onyenegecha scored 71 of the Matadors’ 80 points in their nine-point victory over Cal Poly. The win kept Northridge out of the bottom two spots in the conference which is important when the Big West Tournament rolls around in March. The top eight teams qualify while the Matadors are currently in seventh place.



Long Beach State 49ers (5-11, 3-4)



The 49ers have been a bit of surprise even with a 3-4 conference record. While struggling on the road still, Long Beach State has defeated Cal Poly, UC Santa Barbara and now UC Irvine at the Pyramid. Their victory over the Anteaters on Saturday snapped a four-game losing skid. Once picked to finish dead last in the conference, the 49ers are competing for a spot in the Big West tournament.



Senior Kevin Roberts eclipsed the 500 career rebound mark and is just 39 shy of reaching the all time Top 10 list for the 49ers. He currently ranks sixth in the Big West averaging 7.1 rebounds per game.



UC Irvine Anteaters (9-7, 4-3)



UC Irvine might be glad they are playing Utah State in Logan – this way none of their fans can affect the outcome of the game. The Anteaters will face an Aggies team that has been dominating in the Big West, winning 12 in a row. The one advantage for UCI is these two teams in their last five contests against each other have been separated by seven points or less in the outcome.



Sophomores Jeff Gloger and Mike Efevberha have been outstanding all season. Gloger is quietly putting up player of the year like numbers averaging 7.5 rebounds per game from the point guard position.



UC Riverside Highlanders (6-9, 3-4)



Losers of three of their last four, UC Riverside hits the road for what will be three crucial games in the race to qualify for the Big West tournament. If the Highlanders want to keep their fifth place standing, they will have to find a way to win a game on the road.



UCR had a great opportunity of knocking off a short-handed Utah State team but was unable to hold on for the victory. Trailing 61-58 with 12 seconds, the Highlanders had a chance to tie but Brett Ost’s pass was stole by Mark Brown.



On Thursday night, the Highlanders were defeated by Idaho in overtime.



Sophomore Nate Carter has three double-doubles in the last five games and is averaging nine rebounds per game in conference play.



UC Santa Barbara (10-6, 4-3)



The Gauchos have been on a roller coaster ride all season. With the returns of Branduinn Fullove and Nick Jones, the Gauchos were expected to get back on track. But both players have struggled to get back in the flow of things and the Gauchos have been inconsistent. Last Thursday, the Gauchos almost squandered a 22-point lead to Cal State Northridge before eventually holding for a 59-47 victory. Two days later, Pacific dominated the Gauchos from start to finish as UCSB was embarrassed on national television.



Defense has been the key for success for the Gauchos. They are 7-0 when holding opponents to 60 points or less this season.



Idaho Vandals (5-11, 2-5)



The Vandals picked up an important road victory on their latest trip to California by defeating UC Riverside. Things will get a little easier for Idaho as they play their next five games at home over a span of nine days. Sandwiched in between conference games is a contest against in-state rival Idaho State.



Senior Tyrone Hayes had a season-high 23 points on 11-15 shooting in their victory over the Highlanders.



Idaho recorded 14 block shots over their last two games which increased their conference leading 4.71 blocks per game in conference play.



Pacific Tigers (12-7, 7-1)



OK, OK, so maybe Pacific is indeed the dark horse of the conference. The Tigers are sitting comfortably in second place at 7-1as they approach the halfway mark in conference play. Their only blemish in conference play came at the hands of Utah State who defeated them at the Spanos Center.



Sophomore Christian Maraker recorded his fifth game scoring 20 or more points against Cal Poly. After a slow start, Maraker is averaging 14.3 points per game which is sixth in the Big West.



The Tigers and the Matadors lock up on Saturday night at the Matadome on Fox Sports Net 2.



Utah State (15-1, 7-0)



They keep winning … and winning … and winning.



Unfortunantly, none of those wins may matter if the Aggies don’t win the Big West tournament. The last time two teams from the Big West made the NCAA tournament was in 1993. So while 15-1, the Aggies could be on the outside looking in come March, even with another 20+ win season.



Nate Harris contributing off the bench was crucial in road victories over UC Riverside and Cal State Fullerton. The 6-7 forward is just three made field goals shy of qualifying for the field goal percentage category. His 70 percent clip would lead the nation.

Big West Conference Notebook


by Marcus Vanderberg

Missing… the real Long Beach State 49ers



Ok, where are the hidden cameras?



When did Candid Camera cross over to college basketball?



Someone obviously played a prank on UC Santa Barbara and Cal Poly this past weekend. The Gauchos, up by 21 in the second half against the 49ers squandered their lead and lost 63-62 thanks to an 18-0 run by Long Beach State and a little bit of luck. The game-winning three-pointer was a 25-foot off-balance shot by the 49ers’ Louis Darby that banked in.



Two nights later, the Mustangs, without Shane Schilling (ankle injury) and their head coach Kevin Bromley (father’s funeral), trailed the majority of the game, losing 86-72.



Once the laughing stock of the conference, the 49ers are 2-0, and get this, are tied for first place in the Big West.



Something just doesn’t look right



That basketball hoop over there… it doesn’t look right. It looks a bit… off. I think it’s only 9 feet, 11 inches.



Sad, but true, this was the case on Saturday night when head coach Bob Thomason got a glance at one of the baskets at the Student Recreation Center on the campus of UC Riverside.



He wanted the baskets to be measured. And he was right. One of the two baskets stood just 9 feet, 11 inches, one inch under regulation.



And then they waited… And waited… And waited.



That one inch caused a 65 minute delay in the tip-off between the Tigers and Highlanders.



UC Riverside purchased the hoops second hand from the Michael Jordan “Flight School” basketball camp in Las Vegas in 2001.



Around the Big West



Cal Poly Mustangs (5-5, 0-2)



It was an emotional week for the Mustangs program as head coach Kevin Bromley’s father passed away. He missed his team’s game with the 49ers on Monday and his absence, along with Shane Schilling being injured, were two of the reasons for the loss.



Schilling, who is out indefinitely, sprained his ankle in warm up and did not dress for the game. With Schilling out, Kameron Gray and Nick Enzweiler will have to pick up the scoring slack. Gray is the only player in the Big West to score 30 or more points twice in the season. The sophomore’s problem has been consistency, as he has played games where he has scored just 2, 4, 4, 5 and 7 points.



Cal State Fullerton Titans (4-7, 0-2)



Cal State Fullerton is starting to look like the Cal State Fullerton that has irritated fans for the last 10 years.



The Titans dropped their first two games in conference play at Titan Gym to Cal State Northridge and Pacific. Not falling in a hole is important as CSF travels on the road for its next three games before returning home to host Utah State.



The one positive from this past weekend was the return of Bron Groomes. Groomes suffered a serious hand injury and was expected to be done for the season but he returned last night and played 18 minutes off the bench.



Unfortunately, not too many people were on hand for his return, as only 673 people were in attendance for the game.



Cal State Northridge Matadors (5-5, 1-1)



The Matadors three-game winning streak came to a screeching halt against the Highlanders in a 78-70 Monday night. While starting off strong, UCR used a 22-2 run in the first half to put the game away for good. Even while trailing by 18 in the second half, the Matadors chipped away at the lead, which got as low as 6 before eventually losing. It was their first loss since Eto Onyenegecha became eligible for the Matadors. The 6-6 forward has scored in double figures in all four games, including 22 against UCR – all in the second half because of foul trouble.

Long Beach State 49ers (4-7, 2-0)



I would like to thank myself for the success of the Long Beach State 49ers in the past few weeks. Without my tough love and sarcastic comments, they wouldn’t be sitting on top of the Big West conference as we speak.



The 49ers would like to thank sophomore Louis Darby for his sudden outburst of scoring the past two games. He was selected as Big West Player of the Week by the conference (I disagree). If Long Beach State can split on its upcoming road trip with Pacific and CSUN, they could be looking at a 5-1 conference record when they host UC Irvine at home on January 24.

UC Irvine Anteaters (6-5, 1-1)



The Anteaters bench took a blow last week when backup forward/center Greg Ethington was held out of the first two conference games due to an academic-related issue. The junior is averaging 5.2 points and 2.4 rebounds a game.



After splitting with UC Santa Barbara and Cal Poly at home, UCI will travel north on the 405 freeway to play Cal State Northridge on Thursday. The two schools played each other three times last season, with the final game coming in the first round of the Big West tournament. The Anteaters knocked the Matadors out of the tournament in an overtime victory.



UC Riverside Highlanders (4-6, 1-1)



So I know I called out Scott Allen because the Big West is better than the Pac 10 but nobody, I repeat, nobody is better than Sacramento State from the Big Sky. The Highlanders were the latest team to get beat by the Hornets and to wrap up their 4-1 record against teams in the conference.



UCR wraps up its three-game home stand on Saturday when they host Cal State Fullerton. Sophomore sensation Nate Carter has struggled as of late, even coming off the bench in their loss against Pacific where he scored just 7 points.



UC Santa Barbara (7-4, 1-1)



Can we have a moment of silence for the several hundred Gaucho fans who made the three-hour trip from Santa Barbara to Long Beach only to watch their team blow a 21 point second half lead.



(Insert snickering from Long Beach State fans here.)



Now since that’s over, UCSB got back to business on Monday night, knocking off UC Irvine at the Bren Events Center 84-77.



Four Gauchos scored in double figures led by Branduinn Fullove’s 17 points.



The two teams combined for 59 fouls and 60 free throws in a game that was physical to say the least.



A deep UCSB bench has been the key to several wins this season as eight players are averaging over 20 minutes per game.



Idaho Vandals (3-7, 0-1)



Ida-Ida-who?



In all honestly, the Vandals are quietly forgotten in my eyes.



Maybe it’s because they are 0-6 on the road or the fact that their two wins against Division I schools have come against Elon and Eastern Washington.



Or the fact that they and Utah State are the only two schools located outside of California.



But in any event, if the first ten games are any prediction on how the Vandals will do the rest of the way, it could be a long last season in the Big West. Don’t book that ticket to Anaheim in March for the Big West Tournament just yet.



Pacific Tigers (7-6, 2-0)



Because Pacific starts off 2-0 in conference, does that make them the dark horse of the conference?



Since Lee Corso is out of a job until August, I’ll keep his line in use and say “Not so fast, my friend!”



The Tigers played arguably two of the worst teams in the conference in the Titans and Highlanders but that didn’t stop Christian Maraker from having his two best games of the season. Against UCR, Maraker had 18 points and seven rebounds and followed that up with a 26-point performance two nights later.



Utah State (9-1, 1-0)



Must be nice, Utah State



Home cooking, holidays with family and friends, and those white uniforms.



Considering the Aggies haven’t played a game outside of a 90-mile radius of Logan could explain their 9-1 record including 8-0 at home.



Thursday, the Aggies will travel to UC Santa Barbara for what will be their second real road test. The first was a complete failure as rival Utah beat USU 56-45.



Senior Cardell Butler has quietly stepped up his game, averaging 14.8 points per contest. Butler, known last year mostly for his raw athletic ability, is shooting 54 percent from three point range.



Big West Player of the Year Watch



Three newcomers to the list as conference play begins



1. Varnie Dennis – Cal Poly (18.6 points, 7.8 rebounds, 1.2 blocks)

2. Pape Sow - Cal State Fullerton (18.7 points, 8.0 rebounds, 57.9 field goal percentage)

3. Shane Schilling - Cal Poly (17.6 points, 6.4 rebounds, 2.1 assists)

4. Eto Onyengecha – Cal State Northridge (17.8 points, 4.5 rebounds, 61.4 field goal percentage)

5. Kevin Roberts – Long Beach State (15.5 points, 8.4 rebounds, 2.0 assists per game)



Big West Player of the Week



Christian Maraker – Pacific



The talented sophomore averaged 21 points in the first weekend of conference play as the Tigers jump out to a 2-0 conference start.

Big West Conference Notebook


by Marcus Vanderberg

Where you at, Pac 10?



I’m calling out Hoopville Pac-10 writer Scott Allen.



My conference is better than yours.



First, it was Cal Poly, traveling to Haas Pavilion and knocking off California.



UC Santa Barbara followed that up by defeating UCLA at Pauley Pavilion.



But the icing on the cake came from the Mustangs once again, who did what Cal State Northridge and Cal State Fullerton nearly did earlier in the season and defeated the University of Southern California.



Quietly, the Big West is making a name for itself as a mid-major conference, moving up to 13th in the Sagarin rankings.



He’s going to ‘Gecha’



He was all the talk on the Matador message boards, yet he hadn’t played a single game for CSUN yet.



Fans were already giving him nicknames and counting down the days until he made his debut.



Etoagwara Onyenegecha lived up to the hype at least for one night, scoring 14 points including a span of eight straight in the second half of the Matadors 79-63 victory over Portland State.



Onyenegecha missed the first six games of the season as he was ruled academically ineligible by Northridge. He was expected to become eligible in time for the Matadors contest against Utah on Friday in Salt Lake City but his paperwork was not done in time.



Head coach Bobby Braswell was in desperate need of another player off the bench as he was forced to give the likes of freshmen Austin Waggener and Andre Foy playing time.

Big West Player of the Week



Kameron Gray (32 points, 12 rebounds vs. USC) – Cal Poly



Minus those six turnovers, you would be looking at the box score line of the year for the Big West.



Big West Player of the Year Watch



Dennis and the Mustangs living up to their promise to win the Big West



1. Varnie Dennis – Cal Poly (16.7 points, 7.6 rebounds, 1.6 blocks)

2. Pape Sow – Cal State Fullerton (16.9 points, 7.4 rebounds, 59.5 field goal percentage)

3. Bobby Brown – Cal State Fullerton (15.8 points, 4.5 assists, 2.3 rebounds)

4. Casey Cook – UC Santa Barbara (13.0 points, 7.2 rebounds, 100.0 free throw percentage)

5. Chris Davis – Cal State Northridge (14.0 points, 5.4 rebounds, 54.2 field goal percentage)

Inside the Big West



Cal Poly Mustangs (4-3)



What made the Mustangs victory even more impressive was their 19-point road loss in their previous game against San Diego State. The key to Cal Poly’s success is its streaky shooting. When their shot is on, the Mustangs are hard to stop. Sophomore point guard Kameron Gray ran circles around the Trojan’s suspect defense, with career highs of 32 points and 12 rebounds. Gray leads the Big West with 2.57 steals per contest.



Cal State Fullerton Titans (4-4)



The Titans added another player for their 2004-05 roster this week when Jamaal Brown from Western Kentucky transferred to Fullerton. Brown played in five games this season, averaging 2.4 points and 2.6 rebounds per game. He will be eligible to play for head coach Bob Burton in January 2005.



The highlight of the Titans week had to be their 83-63 victory over Occidental College. While you might be thinking “It is just Occidental,” the Titans lost to this same program last season at home.



Loyola Marymount will travel to Titan Gym to take part in the Titans last non-conference game before opening Big West action on January 3 against Cal State Northridge.



Cal State Northridge Matadors (3-4)



Junior Ian Boylan, arguably the Matadors best player, is in a bit of a slump. After scoring in double figures in 23 straight games, Boylan hasn’t reached the double digit mark his previous three games. Surprisingly, though, Northridge was able to win easily with the 6-6 forward scoring just two points and attempting only two shots. Boylan still makes his presence known on the court, as he grabbed seven rebounds and dished out six assists.



The Matadors gave the Utes all they could handle last Friday before tripping 73-57. With 6:12 remaining in the second half, the Matadors trailed only 55-53, but the Utes would take off on a 12-2 run to seal the game.



Long Beach State 49ers (2-5)



Long Beach State won a game!



And this time it was against a Division-I school!



The 49ers did something Cal State Northridge, Cal Poly and UC Riverside was unable to do: defeat Loyola Marymount.



Granted they were at the Pyramid and the Lions were without center Chris Ayer but a victory is a victory for this program which has struggled all season.



Freshman Kevin Houston finally broke out of his slump, scoring 14 points to go along with five rebounds and four assists. Houston has been criticized mostly for the fact that the 49ers had a chance to get Bobby Brown, who is now blossoming into a star at Cal State Fullerton. But instead, the 49ers went with Houston, who has been a bust so far in seven games.



UC Irvine Anteaters (5-4)



In March when the Anteater faithful are looking back and wondering why their team didn’t win 20 games for the first time in three seasons, they will look back at a loss to Sacramento State as for the possible reason why. The Hornets, once the laughing stalk of the Big Sky, defeated the Anteaters 64-56. As a team, Irvine shot 31 percent from the field and committed 20 turnovers. The loss came as a bit of a shocker, as in their prior game, they played a double overtime thriller and held off Pepperdine 85-83 at the Bren Events Center.



Sophomore Jeff Gloger is quietly putting up impressive numbers for a point guard. Not only is he leading his team in rebounding (7.1), he is one of four Anteaters in double figures in scoring (10.1) and leads the team in assists (4.0)



UC Riverside Highlanders (3-4)



After losing four in a row, UC Riverside has used home court to their advantage, winning three in a row including wins over Northern Arizona and St. Mary’s.



Sophomore Nate Carter leads the conference in scoring at 17 points per game along with shooting .538 from the field.



The Highlanders will look to avoid the fate of UCI as they travel to Hornet Gym to face Sacramento State. Like most teams in the Big West, UCR has struggled on the road, as it is 0-4.



UC Santa Barbara (6-3)



They’re baaaaaaack!



Branduinn Fullove and Nick Jones are both back for the Gauchos and their presence is being known.



UCSB was just the latest mid-major team to go into Pauley Pavilion and defeat the Bruins, joining the likes of Cal State Northridge, Northern Arizona and San Diego.



Unfortunately their luck ran out three nights later when facing #12 Kansas, losing by 20 points.



Fullove finally shook off the rust from his injury and scored 23 points against Alabama State at the WolfPack Holiday Classic.



The Gauchos will finally be at 100 percent when opening conference play January 3 at Long Beach State.



Idaho Vandals (2-6)



One season after being the “sleeper” of the conference, Idaho is just asleep it when it comes to non-conference play. The Vandals don’t have a Division I victory since November 17 (sorry, Great Falls doesn’t count) and the schedule doesn’t get any easier when conference play begins. How about playing at Utah State, Cal Poly and UC Santa Barbara, three teams favored to win the conference.



Pacific Tigers (4-5)



The Tigers are in the latter part of their four game road trip to wrap up their non-conference schedule. On Tuesday night against San Francisco, Pacific played well for 37 minutes until the Dons’ Andre Hazel hit a game winning three pointer for a 73-72 victory.



Following the holidays, UOP heads to the city of Brotherly Love to play St. Joe’s, a team it defeated last season at the Alex G. Spanos Center. Even if the Tigers don’t win, they are almost guaranteed 20 seconds on Sportscenter that evening.



Utah State (6-1)



Quietly, Utah State has improved its record to 6-1 after knocking off rival BYU Tuesday night in Logan. Utah State did everything possible to blow the game as a 26-point second half lead evaporated. Spencer Nelson continues his impressive play including knocking down the game winner with 1 second left. He had 19 points and seven rebounds in the victory.



The Aggies will play the role of host this week in the Gossner Foods Classic. Utah State will be joined by San Francisco, New Mexico State and Texas-San Antonio in the two-day tournament.

Big West Conference Notebook


by Marcus Vanderberg

It’s his prerogative



Bobby Brown has arrived and I’m not talking about the singer who is on the run from the police.



Brown, a freshman guard from Westchester High School (CA) is making his mark for Cal State Fullerton. After a rough two games, Brown has exploded in his last four, including a 27 point performance in a heartbreaking 96-90 overtime lost to the USC Tuesday night. Not only did he lead all players in scoring, but was 5-9 from three point range.



On the season, the 6-1 guard is averaging 15.2 points and 3.8 assists per game for Cal State Fullerton.



Big West Player of the Week



Bobby Brown – Cal State Fullerton



With scoring performances of 22, 16, and 27, this freshman is looking to make a name for himself not just in the Big West but on the West Coast.



Big West Player of the Year Watch



Sow holds on slightly as his teammate is on the rise:



1. Pape Sow – Cal State Fullerton (16.8 points, 7.0 rebounds, 62.7 field goal percentage)
2. Varnie Dennis – Cal Poly (17.6 points, 8.0 rebounds, 1.2 blocks)
3. Bobby Brown – Cal State Fullerton (15.2 points, 3.8 assists, 2.3 rebounds)
4. Casey Cook – UC Santa Barbara (13.0 points, 7.2 rebounds, 100.0 free throw percentage)
5. Chris Davis – Cal State Northridge (14.0 points, 5.4 rebounds, 54.2 field goal percentage)

Inside the Big West



Cal Poly Mustangs (3-2)



Shane Schilling made his presence known as he scored a season-high 24 points in the Mustangs 76-60 victory over Sacramento State, while returning from a hand injury. Senior Varnie Dennis was carrying the scoring and rebounding load while Schilling was out.



With finals approaching, the Mustangs host Cal Baptist in an exhibition game on Saturday.



Cal State Fullerton Titans (2-4)



With a numerous NBA scouts in attendance on Tuesday night at the Sports Arena, Pape Sow went out and laid an egg in the rebound column and fouled out in 21 minutes. Scoring just 9 points, Sow had his worst performance in the season and quite possibly cost his team the victory over USC.



After their recent performance the past three games, the Titans should feel confident heading into the end of their non-conference schedule. Fullerton will host Eastern Washington, Occidental and Loyola Marymount before opening conference play at home against Cal State Northridge.



Cal State Northridge Matadors (2-3)



Well there was good news and bad news for the Matadors.



The good news was a victory over Montana University, rallying from a 10 point deficit in the second half to win 72-63.



The bad: A 55-49 loss to a San Jose State team that had yet to record a Division I victory this season. As if the loss wasn’t enough, junior Davin White went down with an apparent shoulder injury and it’s unknown when he will return.



The 49 points was just the second time in eight years a Bobby Braswell-coached Matador team was held under 50 points.



Long Beach State 49ers (1-4)



Long Beach State won a game!



OK, OK, so it was Cal State Stanislaus, but the 49ers could use any victory they come across.



Pepperdine and Minnesota gave them a dose of reality, defeating a struggling 49ers team that has lost 18 consecutive road games. Senior Kevin Roberts and sophomore Jibril Hodges are the only two 49ers averaging double figures in scoring. Roberts also leads the team in rebounding with 6.6 per game.



UC Irvine Anteaters (4-3)



The Anteaters wrapped up their busy week with an 84-67 victory over Arkansas-Monticello in the McCaffrey Classic. Mike Efevberha scored a career high 37 points as he was lights out from three-point range. The previous night, Adam Parada sank a game winner with less than two seconds left to knock off Princeton, 57-55.



UCI is off until December 18 for finals. Head coach Pat Douglass is one win shy of 100 (Douglass is currently 99-80 in his career).



UC Riverside Highlanders (0-4)



The Highlanders are the last team in the Big West that hasn’t won a game so far.



All the blame can’t go to UCR, who was on the road for its first four games of the season with three of those coming against Pac Ten opponents.



UCR will have its home opener on Monday night against Northern Arizona. Vili Morton continued his impressive play with a 22 point performance against UCLA. In his last two games, Morton is averaging 20.5 points per game.



UC Santa Barbara (2-2)



With senior guard Nick Jones still out for four more games and talk that Big West Player of the Year Branduinn Fullove could be gone for the year, it was crucial that some of the other Gauchos players stepped up.



Joe See, a transfer from Oregon State, did just that with 13 points in UCSB’s 65-62 victory over Pepperdine. Casey Cook picked the right time to hit his first three-pointer of the season as it was the game winner at the buzzer.



Even without their two leading scorers in the lineup, the Gauchos have been competitive thanks to a strong defense. UCSB is only allowing 63 points per game, first in the conference.



Idaho Vandals (1-3)



The verdict is still out on the Vandals who won their season opener against Elon, but have dropped three in a row. Each game came on the road and Idaho allowed more than 70 points. On a good note, the Vandals will finally have their home opener on Saturday when they host in-state rival Boise State. Leonard Perry is not afraid to go to his bench, with 11 players averaging more than 10 minutes per game.



Pacific Tigers (3-2)



There must be something about the Alex G. Spanos center when it comes to Pacific and non-conference foes.



Last year, the Tigers knocked off Western Kentucky and St. Joseph’s at home. So when the Tigers were trailing 75-68 to Nevada on Saturday, they had no reason to worry, outscoring the Wolfpack 14-1 to win 82-76.



Unfortunately for UOP, Saturday will mark the last time it plays at home until December 30. Sophomore Christian Maraker started for the first time this season, scoring 20 points against Nevada.



Utah State (3-1)



So the Hoopville jinx got to Mark Brown.



After selecting him as the Big West Player of the Week, Brown goes out in his next games against Utah and scores a total of 0 points. Yes, 0 points, one game after scoring 20 points and dishing out 13 assists.



Thanks to a swarming Utah defense, the Aggies were held just to 45 points in their loss to the Running Utes. It was the lowest tally for USU since December 7, 1999 when they scored 42, against whom else, Utah. Spencer Nelson has been consistent so far, scoring in double figures in all four games.

Big West Conference Notebook


by Marcus Vanderberg

Big West team finally comes through



Finally, after a week filled with near-upsets, leave it to Cal State Fullerton to actually pull one off.



The Titans went into Firestone Fieldhouse and knocked off the Pepperdine Waves 78-74.



Earlier in the week, Cal State Northridge, UC Riverside, and the University of the Pacific all had opportunities to knock off the USC, Arizona State and Duke, respectively.



The Big West has struggled in non-conference play, with just two teams holding records above .500. Some teams, such as Long Beach State, have flat out been embarrassed as the 49ers were defeated by 30 points in their season opener at San Diego State. Others, like the Highlanders, have been competitive in games with Loyola Marymount and Washington but have been unable to put away teams.



Once again, Utah State is off to a great start at 3-0, including a road victory over Weber State.



Gauchos struggle once again in non-conference play



Life without Branduinn Fullove (foot injury) and Nick Jones (8 game suspension) has been miserable for UC Santa Barbara. After defeating Hawaii 57-51 in their season opener, the Gauchos were unable to pick up a victory in the University of Montana Doubletree Holiday Classic, losing to Saint Mary’s and Southeast Missouri State. Luckily for the Gauchos, they return to the Thunderdome for a three-game home stand, hosting Pepperdine, Westmont College and San Diego.



Triumph Trio … and not much else



When Matadors head coach Bobby Braswell said his team lacked depth, he wasn’t kidding. With the bench struggling, a trio of juniors has carried the load for CSUN. Forward Chris Davis and guards Davin White and Ian Boylan all are averaging more than 15 points a game. Davis and White are tied for second in the Big West in scoring with 18 points a contest and Boylan is sixth at 15.3 per game.



Anteaters on the road again



After opening the season in the BCA Classic in Cincinnati, UC Irvine returned home for one game, a 72-59 loss to Stanford, before packing their duffle bags and hitting the road again. UCI will head to the hostile Haas Pavilion to take on a California team that already lost on its home court to a Big West team – Cal Poly. The Anteaters will then take part in the McCaffrey Classic, hosted by Fresno State. On Friday UCI will take on Princeton and the following night, Arkansas-Monticello.



Big West Player of the Year Watch



Because it’s never too early to guess the Big West Player of the Year …



Pape Sow – Cal State Fullerton (19.5 points, 8.2 rebounds, 60.4 field goal percentage)

Chris Davis – Cal State Northridge (18.0 points, 6.7 rebounds, 55.6 field goal percentage)

Mark Brown – Utah State (13.0 points, 6.33 assists, 3.17 assist/turnover ratio)

Davin White – Cal State Northridge (18.0 points, 5.0 assists, 3.7 rebounds)

Casey Cook – UC Santa Barbara (15.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, 11-11 free throw line)



Big West Player of the Week



Mark Brown – Utah State



Brown had 20 points and 13 assists, both career-highs in the Aggies’ victory over Illinois State.

Cal Poly Mustangs (2-1)



The Mustangs will be the third of five teams to take on LMU when they hook up Wednesday. Junior transfer Nick Enzweiler has been a pleasant surprise to Cal Poly, averaging 11.7 points, 7.0 rebounds and 4.1 assists and was selected as Big West Player of the Week for 11/24.



Cal Poly has struggled with its three point shooting the previous two games including a 4-25 performance against San Jose State. The Mustangs are shooting just 17 percent (8-47) from three point range in that span.



Cal State Fullerton Titans (1-3)



Titans head coach Bob Burton picked up his first Division I victory Monday night against the Pepperdine Waves. CSF got off to a three game skid including dropping its home opener to Sacramento State in overtime 78-71. After a slow start, freshman Bobby Brown has taken off, scoring 22 points including five three-pointers. Brown took the majority of the playing time at the point guard position from senior Zakee Smith who has been atrocious. Smith is averaging just 0.5 points in four games.



Pape Sow is continuing to prove to his critics that he is a NBA prospect, averaging 19.5 points and 8.2 rebounds per game.



Cal State Northridge Matadors (1-2)



After committing 23 turnovers against LMU, the Matadors came back in their next game and gave the USC Trojans a serious scare. Rallying from a 15 point deficit with less than 10 minutes remaining in the game, CSUN had a chance to take the lead but junior Davin White missed two crucial free throws and USC held on 75-69. White has lived up to the hype, averaging 18.0 points, 5.0 assists and 3.7 rebounds per game. The bench could use the services of Etogwara Onyengecha, who could become eligible in time for its December 19th game against the University of Utah.



Long Beach State 49ers (0-2)



Good news 49ers fans – Long Beach State should have no problem with their next opponent, Cal State Stanislaus … or will they? The Warriors (355) are actually ranked higher than the 49ers (409) in the Massey rankings, which rank all NCAA teams. On a positive note, LBSU shot a blistering 68 percent (17-25) in the second half of their loss against Portland. The 49ers could use the help of transfer Anthony Coleman, who is expected to be eligible by the end of the month.



UC Irvine Anteaters (2-2)



Senior Stanislav Zuzak has got off to a great start leading the Anteaters in scoring with 14 points a contest. In four games, Zuzak is shooting 55 percent (10-18) from three-point range. Head coach Pat Douglass’ lineup of three guards has struggled. Sophomore Mike Efevberha is shooting 28 percent from the field while Ross Schraeder has been overmatched on the defensive end, fouling out in two of UCI’s first four games.



The Anteaters will play three games over a four-day stretch before getting nearly two weeks off for finals.



UC Riverside Highlanders (0-3)



Junior Vili Morton appears to finally be healthy after scoring 19 points and grabbing nine rebounds against Arizona State. Morton struggled in his first two games, playing limited minutes off the bench. Nate Carter is proving that he’s not affected by the sophomore slump, leading the team in scoring at 15.7 per game. Senior Kevin Butler has enjoyed his new position at small forward, scoring 15 points a game. The Highlanders losing skid is expected to continue as they go to Pauley Pavilion to play UCLA.



UC Santa Barbara (1-2)



If Cal State Fullerton could defeat Pepperdine, that means the Gauchos could as well, right? Without seniors Branduinn Fullove and Nick Jones, it could be an uphill battle, even though it is at the Thunderdome. Forward Casey Cook has carried the load with Fullove and Jones out, leading the team in scoring (15.0) and rebounding (8.0). UCSB is next to last in the conference in scoring (60.0) but is first in scoring defense (63.3).



Idaho Vandals (1-3)



The verdict is still out on the Vandals who won their season opener against Elon but have dropped three in a row. Each game came on the road and Idaho allowed more than 70 points in those games. On a good note, the Vandals will finally have their home opener on Saturday when they host in-state rival Boise State. Leonard Perry is not afraid to go to his bench, with 11 players averaging more than 10 minutes per game.



Pacific Tigers (2-2)



The Tigers held their own against the mighty Duke Blue Devils, playing a competitive first half before losing 82-69 in the first round of the Great Alaskan Shootout. After such a great effort against the Blue Devils, the Tigers followed it up with a loss to Canisius. Yes, Canisius. Senior Miah Davis averaged 18 points in the Great Alaskan Shootout including a 24-point performance against Duke.



UOP will host two teams from the Western Athletic Conference in Nevada and Fresno State before returning on the road for four contests.



Utah State (3-0)



For the 37th time in school history, the Aggies are off to a 3-0 start. Four USU players are averaging double figures, led by Spencer Nelson. The Aggies, known for having a great defense instead of a great offense, have been scoring at will. In the second half of their game against Illinois State, the Aggies shot 79.2 percent (19-24), but allowed 84 points in the game… a high number Stew Morill would not like to see again.

Big West Conference Preview


by Marcus Vanderberg

Tragedy, an NCAA investigation, grand theft auto and a change in the conference tournament: Just your average summer in the Big West conference.



If Big West Commissioner Dennis Farrell wanted to get his conference more publicity, he was successful. Unfortunately, most of the PR was negative.



The most significant news is the change in the Big West Tournament. Dubbed the “Get UC Irvine to the Big Dance theory” by yours truly, no longer will a team have to three consecutive games in order to win the tournament. The top two seeds will automatically be placed in the tournament semifinals and would just be two wins shy of advancing to the Big Dance.



Are we listening UCI, you just need to win two games in a row this year to win the tournament, a feat that has alluded them.



The third and fourth place teams will earn a bye in the first round but still will have to win three games to win the tournament.



Here comes the kicker.



The fifth through eighth teams have to win a whopping four times over four days to win the tournament.



Just like in the past, the ninth and tenth teams will not qualify for the NCAA Tournament.



If you were to ask Cal State Fullerton guard Ralphy Holmes what he did on his summer vacation, he might respond with something along the lines of “I stole a car, got into an accident, and was sentenced to 60 days of jail”



Holmes pleaded guilty on October 7 and was suspended by Cal State Fullerton for the first 18 games of the 2003-04 season. With Holmes gone, the Titans can almost forget about any outside shot of winning the Big West title.



Cross town, Cal State Northridge spent part of the summer holding their breath as they were being investigated by the NCAA for an apparent grade tampering incident involving guard John Clark. Assistant coach John Dahlager’s contract was not renewed as he was identified as being involved in the tampering situation. Currently, all is quiet on the CSUN front as they are waiting to hear back from the NCAA on their final decision.



The most tragic news of the summer was the death of UC Riverside guard Kellen Dixon. Dixon was killed when riding back with two other UCR basketball players from Las Vegas on Interstate 15.



Even though the Big West regular season title goes through Santa Barbara, don’t be surprised if the Gauchos lose five or six games in conference. Utah State and UC Irvine always poises as a threat year in and year out. The real question marks of the conference are the remaining seven teams. A team like Cal State Northridge or Idaho could finish 4th or 9th depending on how the ball bounces.



Big West All-Conference 1st Team

F – Ian Boylan – Cal State Northridge

F – Varnie Dennis – Cal Poly

G – Nate Carter – UC Riverside

G – Branduinn Fullove – UC Santa Barbara

F – Pape Sow – Cal State Fullerton



Big West All-Conference 2nd Team

F – Shane Schilling – Cal Poly

C – Adam Parada – UC Irvine

F – Spencer Nelson – Utah State

F – Vili Morton – UC Riverside

F – Tyrone Hayes – Idaho



Big West All-Conference 3rd team

G – Davin White – Cal State Northridge

G – Mark Brown – Utah State

F – Anthony Bolton – Cal State Fullerton

F – Kevin Roberts – Long Beach State

F – Christian Maraker – Pacific

Player of the Year: Pape Sow – Cal-State Fullerton



I had my player of the year speech all written out for Cal State Fullerton guard Ralphy Holmes and what does he go out and do? He gets arrested and sentenced to 60 days in jail along with an one year suspension from school. So his teammate Pape Sow, if he, himself, can stay out of more legal trouble should win this award even if Fullerton has a .500 season.



With Sow missing a majority of the season due to a team suspension, the 6-10 senior finished the season in a big way. The last six games of the year Sow averaged 13.1 points and 10.8 rebounds before spraining his MCL and twisting his left ankle in Fullerton’s first-round conference game against Utah State. With Holmes gone, Sow will pick up a bulk of the scoring. Don’t be surprised in June if Sow becomes the first player from the Big West conference to get selected in the NBA draft since Michael Olowokandi of Pacific.



Freshman of the Year: Thomas Shewmake – Cal State Northridge



In a year when the Big West Conference is dominated by upperclassmen, Thomas Shewmake, a 6-10 center from Cathedral City, CA could win this award based on the amount of playing time he will see in the post for the Matadors. Shewmake, who redshirted last season, was one of the Top 25 centers in the nation in 2002.



Coach on the hot seat: Larry Reynolds – Long Beach State



49ers fans let Reynolds slide after a disappointing 5-22 season but if he wants to hang around after this year, Long Beach State might have to at least make the Big West Conference Tournament. It won’t be easy as UC Riverside is eligible for the post-season fun, meaning two of the 10 teams in the conference will be sitting at home come March 10.

1. UC Santa Barbara Gauchos 18-14, (Big West 14-4, 1st )



G – Jacoby Atako (Sr., 4.7 ppg, 3.2 apg)

G – Nick Jones (Sr., 12.4 ppg, 4.3 rpg)

F – Branduinn Fullove (Sr., 14.6 ppg, 3.7 rpg)

F – Cameron Goettsche (So., 9.6 ppg, 7.5 rpg) *

C – Bryan Whitehead (Sr., 3.4 ppg, 4.2 rpg)



* – Stats at Salt Late Community College



To be the man, you got to beat the man. This is the case for UC Santa Barbara who returns Big West player of the year Branduinn Fullove along with three other starters.



It took nearly 20 years but the Gauchos won its first Big West regular season championship title outright. While they didn’t make it through the conference tournament, they were selected to participate in the NIT where they were defeated in the 1st round by San Diego State 67-62.



While the departure of forward Mark Hill is a major blow, the Gauchos have the deepest team in the conference. Transfers Joe See, a guard from Oregon State and Cameron Goettsche from Salt Lake Community College will see a majority of playing time in the off guard and power forward position respectively.



Returning players like Josh Davis, Cecil Brown, Brad Skultety and Chrismen Oliver add to the depth as coach Bob Williams could easily go 10 or 11 players deep off his bench.



Besides Fullove, Nick Jones, Jacoby Atako and Bryan Whitehead return as starts off last season’s team. Jones, a 6-4 senior guard was quietly overlooked as he had a solid season, averaging 12.4 points and 4.3 rebounds. Point guard Atako is the defending Big West Defensive Player of the Year.



In order to make a run through the conference tournament, the Gauchos will have to improve on crashing the boards. UCSB finished 9th in the conference in rebounding. Whitehead averaged 4.2 rebounds per game but what makes that average even more unimpressive is that Jones out-rebounded the 6-8 center.



Even if the Gauchos win the conference, they will probably fall short of a 20 win season once again. Last season UCSB struggled in non-conference play with defeats to Jacksonville State, Bucknell, Nebraska and Detroit. Luckily for the Gauchos, it had little impact on how they performed in their final 18 games of the season. UCLA, Kansas, Hawaii and Pepperdine highlight an even tougher non-conference schedule than last year.

2. Utah State Aggies 23-9, (Big West 12-6, 3rd)



G – Mark Brown (Sr., 8.6 ppg, 4.5 apg)

G – Cardell Butler (Sr., 8.7 ppg, 2.6 rpg)

F – Nate Harris (So., 5.1 ppg, 3.2 rpg)

F – Spencer Nelson (Jr., 10.2 ppg, 7.4 rpg)

C – Mike Ahmad (Sr., 3.6 ppg, 2.5 rpg)



Utah State will win 20 games.



Let’s get that out of the way now.



Aggies head coach Stew Morrill year in and year out proves that he knows how to get the most out of his players. While he heavily recruits JC players, Morrill has found a way to lead his team to four straight 20 or more win seasons including two appearances in the NCAA tournament.



Gone from last season are Desmond Penigar, Toriano Johnson and Ronnie Ross. The JC players that look to fill those shoes are Jason Williams and Quenton Harvey. Williams, a 6-6 forward from Vallejo was expected to compete for a spot in the starting lineup but he has struggled in practices so far.



“Jason is having a hard time adjusting to Division I college basketball and he is trying to find minutes,” Morrill said.



Harvey will compete with Cardell Butler for the off guard spot.



Up front, the agile Spencer Nelson will be a force to deal with. Weighing in at 225 pounds, he uses his quickness and jumping ability to cause havoc on the boards. Nelson averaged 7.4 rebounds to go along with his 10.2 points per game. Senior Mike Ahmad, who redshirted last season returns for the Aggies and will provide the closest thing to a true center.



A flaw of Utah State’s was exposed last season and they might run into trouble with again. Force the Aggies to shoot from the perimeter. With their two best shooters in Penigar and Ross gone, this plan might be used this season. Point guard Mark Brown, who did an excellent job in distributing the basketball at times struggled in getting his offensive game going. He did, however, shoot 36 percent (29-81) from three point range. As a team, they made the least amount of three pointers in the conference but was number one in field goal percentage.



The one real knock on Morrill is he sometimes has the tendency to play a soft non-conference schedule. Outside of playing the big three programs in Utah (BYU, Weber State, Utah), contests with Ft. Lewis College, Illinois State, Jackson State and Texas-San Antonio leave much to be desired.



Even with a few cupcakes on the schedule, Utah State should get through conference play and will attempt to make the NCAA tournament for the second consecutive year.

3. Cal Poly Mustangs 16-13, (Big West10-8, 4th )



G – Eric Jackson (Sr., 4.8 ppg, 3.0 rpg)

G – Shane Schilling (Sr., 13.6 ppg, 5.6 rpg)

F – Nick Enzweiller (Jr. – 6.6 ppg, 2.9 rpg) *

F – Varnie Dennis (Sr., 17.5 ppg, 7.2 rpg)

C – Phil Johnson (Jr., 4.2 ppg, 2.5 rpg)



* – Stats at UTEP



Cal Poly was possibly a three pointer away from becoming the ultimate Cinderella team. After a reasonable 10-8 conference record, the Mustangs defeated Idaho and UC Santa Barbara in the first two rounds of the Big West conference tournament, setting up a showdown with the heavily favored Utah State.



The Aggies and the Mustangs battled back and forth with Cal Poly guard Jason Allen missing a three pointer that would have tied the game with three seconds left.



The state of the Mustangs team this season might rely on the knees of Varnie Dennis. Dennis, Cal Poly’s superstar power forward has struggled throughout his career with bad knees and there was even some talk about the 6-7, 265 pound senior redshirting this season. Last season he averaged 17.5 points and 7.2 rebounds per game while being selected to the All Big West first team.



Shane Schilling, a transfer guard./forward from the University of Minnesota struggled with his consistency at the start of the season but turned out to be the second scoring option head coach Kevin Bromley long desired. The duo of Dennis and Schilling combined for 40 percent of the Mustangs scoring.



To complement Dennis on the front line, returning center Phil Johnson will see an increase of playing time with big men Diaby Kamara and Jared Patterson gone.



Transfer forward Nick Enzweiller from UTEP will compete for the small forward position. As a sophomore in 2001-02, Enzweiller averaged 6.6 points per game before sitting out last season due to the transfer.



Even with Dennis and Schilling, Cal Poly has a few question marks, starting with his depth in the backcourt. Gone are their third and fourth leading scorers in Jason Allen (12.2 ppg) and Steve Geary (8.0 ppg). Senior Eric Jackson has the experience but is not much of a scorer. Seldom used sophomore guard Fernando Sampson and transfer point guard Kameron Gray, who Bromley said, “was the best JC point guard in California,” will have to fill the voids.



The senior Dennis feel this year everything will come together for the Mustangs. “This will be our year. I see us winning the conference and the tournament,” Dennis said. Thanks to a challenging non-conference schedule which includes California, Colorado and USC, the Mustangs should be ready to go when conference play rolls around on January 3rd. Their first test – UC Irvine at the Bren Events Center.

4. UC Irvine Anteaters 20-9, (Big West 13-5, 2nd )



G – Jeff Gloger (So., 8.2 ppg, 4.3 rpg)

G – Mike Efevberha (So., 5.0 ppg, 1.5 rpg)

F – Matt Okoro (Sr., 5.1 ppg, 4.6 rpg)

F – Stanislav Zuzak (Sr., 7.9 ppg, 2.7 rpg)

C – Adam Parada (Sr., 12.2 ppg, 6.2 rpg)

Year in and year out, UC Irvine seems to be near or at the top of the Big West Conference. With three consecutive 20+ win seasons, you would have expected the Anteaters to qualify for the NCAA Tournament but it has been quite the opposite. Head coach Pat Douglass has been unable to get his team through the Big West conference tournament, stumbling last year in the semifinals to Cal Poly.



With his entire frontcourt graduating this year, this might be Douglass’ best shot to get the Anteaters to the promise land. Senior center Adam Parada is coming off a disappointing year where he was unable to live up to the unfair expectations placed upon the 7-footer. When he wasn’t on the bench in foul trouble, Parada led his team in points and rebounds with 12.2 and 6.2 respectively. Also in the front court is sharpshooter Stanislav Zuzak and Matt Okoro.



Redshirt freshman Jeff Gloger took the conference by surprise last year with his tough defense and his solid offensive numbers all the way around (8.2 ppg, 4.3 rbg, 3.0 apg). Younger brother of guard Spencer Gloger at Princeton, he will be joined in the backcourt by Mike Efevberha, who at times made costly mistakes on the court.



A lack of depth is the one thing that could possibly hurt the Anteaters in their run for the NCAA Tournament. Outside of guards Ross Schraeder, Aras Baskauskas and center Greg Ethington, the bench is unproven. Freshman Mark Hill, a 6-5 recruit from Las Vegas should see his share of playing time backing up Matt Okoro at the small forward position.



Douglass expects a change of pace in this year’s team. “We are going to be a little more up-tempo. These players can run the court,” Douglass said.



The Anteaters arguably have the toughest non-conference schedule of the conference. UCI opens the season in the BCA Classic hosted by Xavier University, host the Stanford Cardinal at the Bren Events center before traveling north to take on California. But wait, there’s more as Irvine will take part in the Fresno State Tournament followed by coming home and hosting Pepperdine.



5. Cal State Northridge Matadors 14-15, (Big West 8-10, 7th )



G – Davin White (Jr., 28.0 ppg, 6.0 apg) *

G – Joseph Frazier (Jr., 6.8 ppg, 3.6 rpg)

F – Ian Boylan (Jr., 15.8 ppg, 4.5 rpg)

F – Chris Davis (Jr., 8.1 ppg, 3.9 rpg)

C – Thomas Shewmake (Fr. 18.1 ppg, 15.0 rpg) **



* – Stats at Chandler-Gilbert Junior College

** – Stats at Cathedral City High School

Maybe the third time will be the charm for Cal State Northridge.



The Matadors enter their third season as part of the Big West Conference and are coming off back-to-back losing seasons. Head coach Bobby Braswell faces a challenge replacing the scoring of 6-7 guard Curtis Slaughter but might have found a replacement in JC transfer Davin White. White, a 6-2 guard from Chandler-Gilbert Community College averaged 28 points and six assists in 2001-02. He will have to shake the rust off after sitting out last year from professional basketball.



Braswell didn’t stop there; landing the high-flying Eto Onyenegecha (City College of San Francisco) and power forward Austin Waggener (Culver City HS). While being recruited from such Pac-10 schools as Arizona State and Oregon State, Onyenegecha is expected to come in right away and compete for the starting small forward position.



All-conference swingman Ian Boylan will look to step up and take the leadership role as a junior. Last season Boylan averaged 15.8 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.0 assists.



“Even though Boylan is only a junior, he’s going to be my leader on the court,” Braswell said. “He is one of the toughest guys I have seen while coaching and hasn’t missed a practice in his two years at Northridge.”



In the frontcourt, the Matadors lack depth and experience. Junior Chris Davis, fresh off a summer where he attended Pete Newell’s Big Man Camp, will be looked upon to improve on his solid sophomore season. The 6-9 forward doubled his scoring average from his freshman year (8.2) but lacked in strong rebounding skills with just 3.9 rebounds per game.



For the first time in a few years, Braswell lacks a real deep bench. In the past, he was never afraid to go up to 11 deep with his team as the Matadors play an aggressive style of defense and high-paced offense.



Junior Joseph Frazier led the Matadors in steals at 2.2 per game and is a spark of energy every time he hits the court. Frazier has the ability to play the point guard position but his natural position is shooting guard. Braswell will have to look to some of his freshmen to provide minutes off the bench such as Austin Waggener and Robert Locke, both local players from the Los Angeles area.



In an off-season that saw nearly the entire assistant coaching staff leaving and an investigation by the NCAA regarding former guard John Clark, the Matadors will just be happy to hit the floor on November 21 when they take on Menlo College. Yes, Menlo College.

6. Idaho Vandals 13-15, (Big West 9-9, 5th)



G – Tanoris Shepard (Jr., 12.7 ppg, 2.9 rpg)

G – Dwayne Williams (Sr., 10.4 ppg, 3.0 rpg)

F – Tyrone Hayes (Sr. 13.1 ppg, 6.6 rpg)

F – Rashaad Powell (Sr., 5.8 ppg, 4.8 rpg)

C – Jon Tinnon (Sr., 8.0 ppg, 4.6 rpg)



Yes, Idaho is still in the Big West Conference



Often forgotten about because it is one of the two teams in the Big West not in the state of California, the Vandals could be participating in what might be their last season in the Big West. Idaho and Utah State are scheduled to move to the Sun Belt conference in time for the 2004-05 season.



Head coach Leonard Perry has quietly turned around a sub-par program into a team that could possibly do some damage in conference play. The Vandals have five seniors including Tyrone Harris, the team’s leading scorer and rebounder from last year. He was selected to the All-Big West second team for his all around play, averaging 13.1 points and 6.6 rebounds per game.



While a bit undersized, the Vandals should have no problem putting up points this season if everyone remains healthy.



Prior to going down with a season-ending knee injury, guard Tanoris Shepard was averaging 12.7 points in seven games. All accounts so far is that he is nearly at 100 percent physically. With point guard Justin Logan gone, Shepard should see a majority of time handling the rock. Also returning in the backcourt is Dwayne Williams, a shooting guard who didn’t see a three pointer he didn’t like, jacking up 169 attempts from beyond the arc.



With Jack May transferring, Jon Tinnon is left as the lone proven player of any height. The senior Tinnon averaged 8.0 points and 4.6 rebounds last season. Sophomore center David Radlovic some limited playing time last season and is steadily improving his game.



After last’s year success, Perry feels that his team won’t be able to surprise people like last season.



“Will we sneak up on teams this year? No, I don’t think so,” Perry said. “Hopefully when the pre-season polls come out, the players will take some pride in themselves.”



Perry did a great job of recruiting, landing Zack Proett and Armend Kahrimanovic. Proett is expected to redshirt this season after going through knee surgery in the spring. Idaho is facing probably their toughest schedule in the past 10 years. With contests against mid-major powerhouse Gonzaga, Washington State and possibly South Carolina in the Guardians Classic tournament, the Vandals will be put to the test well before conference play.

7. Cal State Fullerton Titans 10-19, Big West 8-10, 6th )



G – Zakee Smith (Sr., 4.2 ppg, 4.7 apg)

G – Derick Andrew (Sr., 9.6 ppg, 2.2 apg)

F – Anthony Bolton (Sr., 10.8 ppg, 4.1 rpg)

F – Babacar Camara (Sr., 0.4 ppg, 0.6 rpg)

C – Pape Sow (Sr., 13.8 ppg, 8.8 rpg)



Welcome to the Cal State Fullerton family, Bob Burton.



You take the position as the new Titans coach on June 6 with hopes of possibly being the “sleeper” team of the conference only to find out that your star all-conference player, Ralphy Holmes, was charged with felony auto theft and a misdemeanor hit-and-run 10 days later. Holmes pleaded guilty October 7 and was sentenced to 60 days in jail and was suspended for the entire 2003-04 season.



Without Holmes, reality of Fullerton basketball has settled back in and a finish in the bottom half of the conference is expected.



There is still one player the conference worth fearing and that’s in the form of 6-10 senior center Pape Sow. After battling his own legal issues last season, Sow finished the season strong before getting injured in the Titan’s first round conference tournament match up against Utah State. In just 18 games last season, Sow averaged 13.8 points and 8.8 rebounds.



Rounding out the starting five are three returning starters in Zakee Smith, Derick Andrew and Anthony Bolton. The 6-7 swingman Bolton made drastic improvement in the second half of the season to average 10.8 points per game and scored a combined 49 points in his final two games.



Smith, a senior point guard from Philadelphia led the Big West in assists with 4.7 per game but struggled with his shooting skills. He shot a Shaquille O’Neal like .443 from the free throw line and .315 from the field.



Burton’s coaching experience has already made an immediate impact as a recruiting tool. Jermaine Harper, a transfer guard from the University of Virginia will redshirt this year. He averaged 5.8 points as a freshman and 3.9 points as a sophomore. Ceylon Taylor, the sixth ranked point guard on the west coast from San Jose, CA, verbally committed to the Titans for the 2004-05 season. And if it weren’t for the Admissions and Records office at Cal State Fullerton, the Titans would have landed the number one power forward JuCo recruit in Chris Adams. From City College of San Francisco, the 6-10 Adams was denied late admission into the school by Jim Blackburn, director of Admissions and Records.

8. UC Riverside Highlanders 6-18, (Big West 5-13, 9th)



G – Ted Bell (Sr., 9.5 ppg, 1.4 rpg)

G – Kevin Butler (Sr., 8.5 ppg, 2.9 apg)

F – Nate Carter (So., 16.4 ppg, 5.4 rpg)

F – Vili Morton (Jr., 10.9 ppg, 9.3 rpg)

C – Klaus Schille (So., 3.9 ppg, 2.4 rpg)



Whatever the outcome might be of the UC Riverside basketball team this year won’t be important. For the Highlander players and coaching staff, they realized that basketball doesn’t matter nearly as much as it once seemed to.



On September 13, UC Riverside lost one of their own in guard Kellen Dixon. He, along with Mark Peters and Mike Ferrera were returning from a concert in Las Vegas on I-15 when the car they were riding in was involved in an accident with a big-rig truck. Both Peters and Ferrera suffered minor injuries but the memory of Dixon will live on in each and every Highlander player’s heart.



Returning this season to UC Riverside is power forward Vili Morton. In 2001-02, Morton averaged 10.9, 9.3 rebounds and 3.2 blocks. The 6-8 forward redshirted for the Highlanders program because this is the first season that UC Riverside is post-season eligible.



The decision to redshirt Morton was a hard decision for head coach John Masi but one he does not regret. “It was hard to pull the trigger on sitting Morton for the year,” Masi said. “I would look down at the end of the bench at times during last season and see Vili sitting there and just wanted to bring him in for a few minutes.”



What Morton didn’t know when he sat out is that he would have the Freshman of the Year playing next to him. Nate Carter, who could have easily been Big West Player of the Year if the Highlanders didn’t go 6-18, averaged 16.4 points and 5.4 rebounds per game along with shooting .491 from the field.



Ted Bell and Kevin Butler make up a senior backcourt that were the second and third leading scorers from last season. Bell is especially dangerous from three point range, shooting an impressive .431 percent (50-116).



As for the rest of the team, the jury is still out. The Highlanders took a minor blow losing such seniors as Mark Miller, Jake Wessel, John Galbreath and Aaron Hands.



Transfers Brett Ost and David Jobe, along with freshman recruit Larry Cunningham will headline the bench. Jobe, a 6-8 power forward transferred from Diablo Valley College and played well during summer league action.



The bench will be the one hurdle that prevents UCR from making the climb out of the Big West basement.

9. University of the Pacific Tigers 12-16, (Big West 7-11, 8th)



G – David Doubley (Jr.,16.0 ppg, 9.1 apg) *

G – Miah Davis (Sr., 10.1 ppg, 3.4 rpg)

F – Tom Cockle (Sr., 6.0 ppg, 2.8 rpg)

F – Christian Maraker (So., 11.3 ppg, 6.1 rpg)

C – Matt Kemper (Jr., 7.5 ppg, 5.9 rpg)



* – Stats at Skyline Junior College



The University of the Pacific Tigers were on top of the world.



With victories over Western Kentucky and Saint Joseph’s, the Tigers suddenly went from a team predicted to finish in the bottom of the pack to possibly winning the Big West conference.



Then reality set back in.



Thanks to a stretch where they dropped 12 out of their last 16 games, the Tigers finished with a 12-16 overall record.



Head coach Bob Thomason is in a good position for a winning season with three seniors and eight juniors on this year’s roster. Unfortunately, only six of those players saw significant playing time as the Tigers used just 10 players all of last season.



The success of the Tigers this season rides on the play of Christian Maraker. The injury prone 6-10 forward is currently battling a mid-foot sprain. Last season, the sophomore tore his plantar fascia in his right foot. The season prior, Maraker broke a bone in his left wrist, sideling him for the season as he used his redshirt year.



If you notice an improvement in Maraker’s game, it was from playing for the Swedish National team where he took on current NBA players such as Dirk Nowitzki and Tony Parker.



Miah Davis and Myree Bowden return in the backcourt from last season. Davis started all 28 games last season as a JC transfer, averaging 10.1 points per game. Junior college transfer David Doubley is expected to the start in the backcourt with Davis. Doubley averaged 16.0 points and 9.1 assists per game at Skyline Junior College in San Bruno, Calif.



Thomason gives his players the green light when shooting three pointers and this is apparent when looking at forward/center Matt Kemper. You wouldn’t be able to tell by looking at the 6-9, 250 pounder that he shot .344 percent from three-point range. Just because Kemper might be seen hanging out on the perimeter doesn’t mean he’s not afraid to bang it up inside, averaging 5.9 rebounds per game.



Thanks to a new found sense of some depth, Thomason won’t be afraid to miss and match lineups.



“We are flexible on how we can play every night,” Thomason said. “We can play small or big and adjust depending on the tempo of the game.”



Injuries to Maraker and Jason Korajkic have slowed the team’s progess early on. At practice on Tuesday, the Tigers had five players sitting out due to injuries. “Things are going slow, real slow right now,” Davis said.



The Great Alaskan Shootout highlights Pacific’s non-conference schedule, as they take on the Duke Blue Devils in the first round on ESPN2 on Thanksgiving night. Also, a trip to the city of Brotherly Love where they take on Saint Joseph’s who will be seeking redemption from last year’s game.

10. Long Beach State 49ers 5-22 (Big West 4-14, 10th)



G – Mark Bowens (So., 1.4 ppg, 0.4 rpg)

G – Jibril Hodges (So., 6.0 ppg, 2.1 apg)

F – Cody Pearson (Jr., 4.1 ppg, 3.5 rpg)

F – Kevin Roberts (Sr., 12.3 ppg, 6.0 rpg)

C – Antoine Jackson (Sr., 3.8 ppg, 3.4 rpg)

If you are a Long Beach State fan, you probably were riding high this off-season after what was thought to be a great recruiting year. Anthony Coleman, a transfer from Xavier University, along with Louis Darby, Kevin Houston and Travon Free all committed to Long Beach State.



Even without the addition of Hawkins, head coach Larry Reynolds can’t do much worse than last year’s 5-22 campaign. It was the first time the 49ers didn’t qualify for the post-season tournament since 1996.



Senior Kevin Roberts is the leader of this team as he will be surrounded with 10 returning lettermen.



The 6-7 forward who started all 27 games last year for the 49ers averaged 12.3 points and 6.0 rebound per game. With the losses of Vance Lawhorn and Tony Darden, Roberts will be looked upon as the go-to-guy in clutch situations.



From what Roberts has seen of the other freshmen in practice, he is confident about this season.



“The freshmen are freshmen, but they are at least open minded,” Roberts said. “They have their ups and downs in practice like anyone else.”



The backcourt will miss the presence of Tony Darden and his 15.9 points per game. Sophomore point guard Jibril Hodges, the son of former Chicago Bulls rifleman Craig Hodges was thrown into the starting lineup towards the end of last season and held his own.



Cody Pearson, who at times have show flashes of talent and his aggressive style of play will have to take his game to the next level. If not, expect Darby to take his playing time.



Adding some depth to the front court will be Coleman when he becomes eligible on December 23rd.



“It is hard for a player to mix six games and then work his way into the loop,” Reynolds said. “He will have to come in and find his niche.”



Wayne Morgan left a parting gift for last season’s team before his departure to Iowa State. The 49ers had a brutal non-conference schedule for the 2002-03 season with contests against Pepperdine, UCLA (OK, OK, I know they tanked), San Diego State and Gonzaga. Their only win in non-conference play was against DIII Cal State Monterey Bay. Even more remarkable is they only won the game by 11 points and it was at the Pyramid. This year is not nearly as bad with Reynolds would hope will be easy “W’s” against Cal State Stanislaus, Sacramento State and Colgate.

Big West Offseason News Update


by Dean Austin

You know, when one of the biggest pieces of news during the off season is one school putting in a new scoreboard, it might be time for a little more excitement in your conference. Certainly no conference wishes to go through the trials and tribulations of the Big 12 this off season. Roy Williams leaving Kansas, the Clemons mess in Missouri, Larry Eustachy’s departure at Iowa State would have been enough for any conference, but add in the Baylor mess and this is one off season folks will not soon forget. The Big West? Literally Cal State Fullerton putting in a new drop down scoreboard would make a Letterman top 10 list of offseason news.



But the Big West did share similar emotions with the Baylor fans, as news came last month of the death of UC-Riverside’s Kellen Dixon. Dixon, along with two teammates, Mark Ferrera and Mark Peters, were involved in a fatal accident on September 13th. The accident occurred on Interstate 15, 17 miles northeast of Baker, California. The three players, along with three other males from the Riverside area, were in a Jeep Cherokee driven by Ferrera, 21, as they were returning from a concert in Las Vegas. The car was going south on I-15 when a 18-wheel tractor trailer veered off the road, hit a guard rail, went up an embankment and careened back into the freeway, causing a four-car accident that claimed three lives, including that of Dixon. Peters and Ferrera suffered minor injuries and were taken to the University Medical Center in Las Vegas where Ferrera was released two days later. Dixon appeared in 17 games last season averaging 1.5 points and 1.2 rebounds.



Probably the biggest news was the adoption of a new format for the Big West Tournament starting with this season. This new format is heavily slanted towards the regular season performance giving the top two seeds a free ride until the semi finals of the tournament. Seeds five through eight will play a first round with the winners playing seeds three and four in the quarter finals. The winners take on the aforementioned top two seeds before a meeting in the final. Any team ranked five through eight will have to win four games on consecutive nights to advance to the NCAA Tournament, a quite ludicrous set up.



This is also the last year in the conference for Utah State and Idaho, who will leave at the end of the season for the Sun Belt conference. Obviously the ACC and Big East spat/expansion has made all the news lately but there has also been minor shuffling going on in other conferences over the past few years. The Big West will see UC Davis joining the conference as the Aggies and Vandals leave and the Big West will become an all California conference. Or Cal-eee-forn-ya conference if Governor Elect Ahnold is to be believed!



There was only one head coaching change in the Big West this off season. Ben Howland’s arrival at UCLA impacted the Titans when Coach Donny Daniels left to be his assistant. In his place arrived Bob Burton, a former Fresno State assistant who also brought fellow Bulldog assistant Andy Newman to Cal State Fullerton.



In addition to Newman a number of new assistants joined the conference. Down at UC Irvine, Terry Boesel joined the staff of Coach Pat Douglass. The opening occurred when previous assistant Mike Johnson departed for the greener pastures of USC. Meanwhile Ethan Hamilton moved to UC Riverside from Azusza Pacific University and Joel Sobotka and Carl Holmes rounded out the CS Northridge staff.



The international flavor of the game was also highlighted this off season. UC Irvine center Adam Parada played for Mexico in the Americas Olympic Qualifying Tournament in San Juan, Puerto Rico and Pacific Tiger Christian Maraker played for Sweden, his native country, at Eurobasket 2003.



One of the better pieces of news was that UC Irvine was selected to be part of ESPN’s Bracket Buster Saturday. I’d thought that was what happened to my bracket the first week of the tournament! However in fact this is an interesting piece of scheduling by ESPN on February 21st when 46 teams across the nation will play in an attempt to really confuse the selection committee, although given recent seedings (Gonzaga) and omissions (Vanderbilt) that apparently isn’t all that hard to do. The Anteaters already know that they will be one of the road teams, but will find out their opponent 3 weeks before hand.



Starting the season next month Pacific will face Duke in the opening round of the Great Alaska Shootout. Considered by many to be the number #1 team in the country, this will be an extremely tough early season match up for the Tigers.



Fans of Big West basketball will also get to see a number of high quality programs play their favorites. Cal Poly starts the season against one of the sleeper teams in the nation, California before the Buffaloes of Colorado come a calling. Cal State Fullerton sees Pac 10 stars from Arizona State and USC the latter also receiving a visit from Cal State Northridge. UC Riverside ups the ante to three Pac 10 schools with UCLA and Washington joining the Sun Devils in the mix.



Up in Moscow, Idaho has the unenviable task of opening against the continually underrated Gonzaga Bulldogs who this year just might be even better than the experts who are picking them in the Top 20! Long Beach State gets creative in scheduling Minnesota while Pacific has the previously mentioned battle with Duke. Conference eight hundred pound Gorilla UC Irvine acts like it by scheduling Stanford and Cal while UC Santa Barbara travels to both Hawaii and UCLA. Lastly Utah State also takes geography into account by playing BYU and Utah.



UC Irvine remains the biggest bet to pull an upset and get the conference some much needed ink. With the various changes still to be completed this is a conference in search of an identity. I suppose we couldn’t get them to merge with the West Coast conference to form a fascinating union?



Hoopville Staff writer Marcus Vanderberg contributed to this report.

Big West Conference Recap


by Shaan Hassan

The conference season started unusually with UCSB playing very poorly and teams such as Cal Poly SLO and Idaho starting well. But when all was said and done, it was the most consistent team in the conference, Utah State, which advanced through to the NCAA and the regular season champion, UC Santa Barbara, competing in the NIT.



Cal Poly SLO was the Cinderella in the conference that eventually upset UCSB in the tournament. That set up a match-up against Utah State. To get there, the Aggies beat their archrival UCI, which had beaten them twice during the regular season. Utah State won the most meaningful game against the Anteaters and then broke Cinderella’s glass slipper.



But that was about it. 15th seed Utah State put up a valiant effort against second-seed Kansas in the NCAA tournament’s first round and was within one three-pointer of sending it to overtime. Yet, Kansas survived 64-61 March 20 and is now battling for a championship. UCSB received an invite to the NIT and met San Diego State in the first round. Like Utah State, the Gauchos almost seemed like they were ready to advance, but their opponent never let them. San Diego State defeated UCSB 67-62 at San Diego State March 19.



Shaan’s Stand-Outs



First Team All-Conference:



Utah State forward Desmond Penigar

Utah State center Spencer Nelson

UCSB forward Branduinn Fullove

Cal State Fullerton guard Ralphy Holmes

Cal Poly SLO’s Varney Dennis

Player of the Year:



Utah State senior forward Desmond Penigar. UCSB forward Branduinn Fullove was the conference’s pick, but including the tournament, Penigar came up with huge performances against Irvine and nearly single-handedly defeated Kansas. Through the season, Penigar averaged 15.7 points and 6.7 rebounds per game to go with a 47 percent shooting percentage.

Freshman of the Year: Riverside guard Nate Carter

Newcomer of the Year: Cal State Fullerton guard Ralphy Holmes

Defensive Player of the Year: UCI guard Jeff Gloger

Coach of the Year:



Idaho’s Leonard Perry. Perry guided a team that featured three players above 6-6, none taller than 6-9 into a 9-9 conference season that included match-ups against several bigger, taller players. I picked the Vandals to finish last. They ended fourth.



Team Reviews

UC Santa Barbara (18-14, 14-4)



Starters leaving: Mark Hull


Starters staying: Nick Jones, Jacoby Atako, Branduinn Fullove, Bryan Whitehead


Key players staying: Nick Jones, Jacoby Atako, Branduinn Fullove


Leading scorer: Branduinn Fullove, 15 points per game


Leading rebounder: Mark Hull, 5.0 rebounds per game


Leading assists guy: Jacoby Atako, 3.1 assists per game

UC Irvine (20-9, 13-5)



Starters leaving: Jordan Harris, Mike Hood


Starters staying: Jeff Gloger, Stanislav Zuzak, Adam Parada


Key players staying: Jeff Gloger, Stanislav Zuzak, Adam Parada, Matt Okoro


Leading scorer: Jordan Harris, 12.7 points per game


Leading rebounder: Adam Parada, 6.2 rebounds per game


Leading assists guy: Jeff Gloger, 3.0 assists per game

Utah State (24-9, 12-6)



Starters leaving: Ronnie Ross, Desmond Penigar


Starters staying: Spencer Nelson, Mark Brown, Cardell Butler


Key players staying: Toraino Johnson, Spencer Nelson, Mark Brown, Cardell Butler, Chad Evans


Leading scorer: Desmond Penigar, 15.4 points per game


Leading rebounder: Spencer Nelson, 7.3 rebounds per game


Leading assists guy: Mark Brown, 4.6 assists per game

Cal Poly SLO (16-14, 10-8)



Starters leaving: Jason Allen, Steve Geary, Eric Jackson


Starters staying: Varney Dennis, Shane Schilling


Key players staying: Varney Dennis, Shane Schilling


Leading scorer: Varney Dennis, 17.5 points per game


Leading rebounder: Varney Dennis, 7.2 rebounds per game


Leading assists guy: Jason Allen, 2.7 assists per game

Idaho (13-15, 9-9)



Starters leaving: Justin Logan


Starters staying: Tyrone Hayes, Tanoris Shepard, Dwayne Williams, Rashaad Powell


Key players staying: Tyrone Hayes, Tanoris Shepard, Dwayne Williams, Rashaad Powell, Jon Tinnon, Jack May


Leading scorer: Tyrone Hayes, 13.1 points per game


Leading rebounder: Tyrone Hayes, 6.6 rebounds per game


Leading assists guy: Justin Logan, 3.9 assists per game

Cal State Fullerton (10-19, 8-10)



Starters leaving: None

Starters staying: Anthony Bolton, Zakee Smith, Derick Andrew, Pape Sow, Ralphy Holmes

Key players staying: Anthony Bolton, Zakee Smith, Derick Andrew, Pape Sow, Ralphy Holmes, Federic Holm-Hadulla

Leading scorer: Ralphy Holmes, 16.8 points per game

Leading rebounder: Pape Sow, 8.8 rebounds per game

Leading assists guy: Zakee Smith, 4.7 assists per game

Cal State Northridge (14-15, 8-10)



Starters leaving: Lionel Benjamin

Starters staying: Ian Boylan, Curtis Slaughter, Chris Davis, John Clark

Key players staying: Ian Boylan, Curtis Slaughter, Chris Davis, John Clark

Leading scorer: Ian Boylan, 15.8 points per game

Leading rebounder: Lionel Benjamin, 5.3 rebounds per game

Leading assists guy: Curtis Slaughter, 4.2 assists per game

Pacific (12-16, 7-11)



Starters leaving: Demetrius Jackson

Starters staying: Christian Maraker, Miah Davis, Matt Kemper, Jasko Korajkic

Key players staying: Christian Maraker, Miah Davis, Matt Kemper, Jasko Korajkic, Myree Bowden

Leading scorer: Demetrius Jackson, 13.6 points per game

Leading rebounder: Christian Maraker, 6.1 rebounds per game

Leading assists guy: Demetrius Jackson, 3.0 assists per game

UC Riverside (6-18, 5-13)

Starters leaving: John Galbreath, Aaron Hands

Starters staying: Nate Carter, Ted Bell, Kevin Butler

Key players staying: Nate Carter, Ted Bell, Kevin Butler, Klaus Schille

Leading scorer: Nate Carter, 16.3 points per game

Leading rebounder: Aaron Hands, 5.9 rebounds per game

Leading assists guy: Kevin Butler, 2.9 assists per game

Long Beach State (5-22, 4-14)

Starters leaving: Tony Darden, Vance Lawhorn, Lemi Williams

Starters staying: Kevin Roberts, Darnell Thompson

Key players staying: Jibril Hodges, Cody Pearson, Kevin Roberts, Darnell Thompson

Leading scorer: Tony Darden, 15.9 points per game

Leading rebounder: Kevin Roberts: 6.0 rebounds per game

Leading assists guy: Tony Darden, 2.4 assists per game

Big West Conference Notebook


by Shaan Hassan

Utah State Advances – As Predicted



For once I was right. In last week’s column I said Utah State would win the conference
title as the third seed, and indeed they did. Everything I predicted would happen did
happen to a “T,” with the exception of one thing: the championship. And I’m not sure
anyone saw that coming.



In the conference championship game, number three Utah State faced off against number four
Cal Poly SLO, March 15 at the Anaheim Convention Center. As the underdog and trying to be
this year’s UCSB, Cal Poly never ventured far from the lead and were in the game until the
end, but the Aggies prevailed 57-54. Guard Cardell Butler led Utah State with 17 points
and eight rebounds, while forward Desmond Penigar had 13 points and six rebounds. The
Aggies’ defense held the Mustangs’ forward Shane Schilling to zero points on 0-8 shooting.
Guard Jason Allen had 21 points.



To get to this point, Utah State first had to fend off sixth seed Cal State Fullerton and
they did just that with an 89-83 overtime win in the first round. Penigar led the Aggies
with 17 points and seven rebounds while Butler added 19 points. Fullerton received
numerous clutch shots from forward Anthony Bolton and guard Ralphy Holmes. Bolton scored
25 points on 5-11 three-point shooting and 10-10 from the free throw line. Holmes poured
in 24 points on 3-6 three-point shooting. Both teams shot 50 percent from behind the arc
and 80 percent from the charity stripe.



In their next game, the Aggies edged their biggest foe, second seed UC Irvine 62-55.
Penigar guided the Aggies with 24 points on 6-12 shooting, while the Anteaters were led by
guard Mike Hood’s 14 points on 4-6 three-point shooting. Both teams shot 40 percent from
the field and behind the arc.



During Cal Poly’s road, they first knocked off fifth seed Idaho 54-50. Cal Poly was led by
Schilling’s 15 points and forward Varnie Dennis’ 17 points. Their defense held Idaho in
check as just one Vandal scored in double digits, forward Rashaad Powell who scored 16.
Both teams shot 20 percent from behind the arc.



Cal Poly then had to prepare for top seed UCSB. With stifling defense, the Vandals upset
the Gauchos 67-52. Dennis had 18 points and 10 rebounds for Cal Poly and the Mustangs’
defense held UCSB to just 30 percent field goal shooting and an even worse 20 percent from
three-point land. Guard Nick Jones still managed 19 points for the Gauchos.



In the two other first round games, UCSB defeated eight seed Pacific 53-44 and UCI held
off seventh seed Cal State Northridge in overtime, 70-64. Player of the Year forward
Branduinn Fullove led UCSB with 20 points and no Pacific player scored more than 12
points. In their game, UCI shot a horrendous 16-33 from the free throw line despite being
a 75 percent free throw shooting team on the season. Hood’s 16 points helped UCI with the
win. Forward Curtis Slaughter led CSUN with 17 points.



The 2003 Conference All-Tournament team featured MVP Penigar from Utah State in addition
to his Aggies’ teammates Butler and guard Mark Brown. Mustangs Dennis and Allen and UCI’s
Hood were also named.



The Aftermath



Despite Utah State winning the conference tournament for the second time in three years
and having a 24-8 overall record, the Aggies received no love from the NCAA committee as
they drew second seed Kansas in the first round of the NCAA tournament, March 20. In
addition to being just a 15 seed, Utah State also missed out by just one seed of playing
their first round game in Salt Lake City, Utah. Instead, it was 19-13 Colorado State that
drew the 14 seed and will play third seed Duke. The new pod system that is supposed to
give teams the chance to play closer to home apparently doesn’t apply to Utah State who
will play in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.



After being upset by Cal Poly, UCSB still managed to receive a bid into the NIT tournament
thanks to its 18-13 overall record and regular season championship. They will face San
Diego State in San Diego, March 19.

Big West Conference Notebook


by Shaan Hassan

All as Planned in Final Week



During the last week of the regular season, few upsets took place which means whatever seeding teams entered the week with, chances are they left with it.



UC Santa Barbara (14-4) won both their games last week to solidify their number-one seed. The Gauchos edged Cal State Fullerton 63-60, March 6. Forward Branduinn Fullove led UCSB with 19 points, while guard Ralphy Holmes led Fullerton (8-10) with 15 points. UCSB also shot 50 percent from behind the arc. Two days later at Riverside (5-13), UCSB had a much easier time with a 70-55 triumph. Fullove again led with 18 points and nine rebounds. No player scored more than 15 for Riverside.



UCI’s lone game of the week came in blowout fashion as they mauled Long Beach State (4-14), 95-60, March 8. Playing in their last home games, forward Jordan Harris and guard Mike Hood combined for 37 points and center Adam Parada added 24 points and 13 rebounds for Irvine (13-5). Forward Tony Darden was the only 49er in double figures as he scored 27 points.



Utah State (12-6) began their successful week with a 69-58 win over CSUN (8-10), March 6. Forward Desmond Penigar and guard Ronnie Ross added 17 points apiece, while the Matadors were led by guard Ian Boylan’s 22 points. The Aggies then finished off a struggling Pacific club with a 75-70 victory, March 8. Guard Mark Brown led the Aggies with 15 points and guard Demetrius Jackson had 14 for Pacific (7-11).



Week Review



Pacific’s loss to Utah State ended a winless week for the Tigers as they fell to Idaho (9-9) two days prior, 60-55. Jackson had 17 points for Pacific and forward Justin Logan led the Vandals with 19 points.



After their three-point loss to UCSB, Fullerton rebounded with an 88-85 overtime win over Cal Poly SLO (10-8). Forward Anthony Bolton scored 24 points for the Titans and center Shane Schilling scored a game-high 32 points to go with seven rebounds for Cal Poly. Prior to that loss, Cal Poly demolished Riverside 86-67, March 6. Forward Varnie Dennis led Cal Poly with 21 points and forward John Galbreath scored 21 points for UCR.



To round off the week, CSUN clashed with Idaho to a double overtime victory of 86-78, March 8. Guard Curtis Slaughter led the Matadors with 26 points and eight rebounds and forward Dwayne Williams scored 28 for the Vandals.



Conference Tournament Preview



With the regular season over, all eight seeds have been decided and here they are: number one UCSB vs. number eight Pacific, number two UCI vs. seven CSUN, number three Utah State vs. number six Fullerton and number four Cal Poly vs. number five Idaho.



In the top half of the bracket, UCSB just edged UCI for the top spot, but shouldn’t have any trouble finishing off a disappointing Pacific team. Cal Poly finished the season strong and should be prepared to face UCSB in the second round. The Gauchos have experience from last year’s championship and will advance to the title game.



In the bottom half of the bracket, Utah State won’t have the comfy confines of Logan, Utah to help them and may struggle against Fullerton. But a win is still nearly certain. UCI will have a battle on their hands against CSUN, but UCI is battle-tested and should advance to face their conference foes, Utah State, in the semis. Three’s a crowd, and UCI has beaten Utah State twice already this season. The Aggies will get their first win.



UCSB and Utah State will then square off for the championship, which should be a gem to watch. UCSB lives and dies by the three-pointer, but that shot may not be there against Utah State’s defense. The Aggies will advance to the NCAA title game.



Big West Dishes Out the Rest



Among the many honors awarded by the conference yesterday, UCSB’s Fullove was named Conference Player of the Year. During the season, Fullove averaged 15.3 points, nearly four rebounds and two assists per game. He also shot 48 percent from the field and 42 percent from behind the arc.



Also, Riverside’s guard Nate Carter earned the Freshman of the Year award by scoring 16.4 points per game to lead UCR, while UCSB’s Head Coach Bob Williams was named Coach of the Year.



The conference also named its All-Big West First team with six members and those included were UCSB’s forward Mark Hull, Utah State’s Penigar, Cal Poly’s guard Varnie Dennis, UCI’s Harris and Fullerton’s Holmes in addition to Fullove.



Fullove’s awards also included Player of the Week honors as he averaged 18.5 points and shot nearly 60 percent for the week in UCSB’s two wins.

Big West Conference Notebook


by Shaan Hassan

UC Santa Barbara, UC Irvine Neck-and-Neck



The top seed for the conference tournament has been up for grabs nearly all
season, so it comes as no surprise that with just one week left in the
regular season, we have a new first place team: UC Santa Barbara (12-4).
The Gauchos were in second place prior to this week, but things took a turn
when they hosted first place UC Irvine (12-5), March 1, in the game of the
week. UCSB handedly took care of business as they defeated Irvine 67-51. The
Gauchos held the Anteaters to 18 first half points, while they scored 38.



Guard Nick Jones scored 16 points and forward Branduinn Fullove followed
with 15. Irvine was led by guard Jeff Gloger’s 13 points and forward Jordan
Harris’ 15 points. No other Anteater scored in double figures.



Prior to this match-up, both teams won their previous games. UCSB had no
problem dismantling Long Beach State 70-46, Feb. 27. Fullove was UCSB’s
leading scorer with 11 points, but 10 different Gauchos got their names in
the scoring column. Forward Tony Darden led the 49ers (4-13) with 11 points.



On that same day, Irvine held upstart Cal Poly SLO in check 68-62 behind
Harris’ 18 points and 11 rebounds. Gloger added 12 points and eight
rebounds. Cal Poly (9-7) was led by forward Varnie Dennis’ 21 points. Both
teams shot a combined 6-30 from behind the arc, 40 percent from the field
and nearly identical from the free throw line. Irvine shot 90 percent on
30-33 and Cal Poly shot 80 percent on 20-25.



Despite UCI and UCSB being highlighted in the game of the week, Utah State
(10-6) was featured in the shock of the week. Hoping to keep pace with
Irvine, the Aggies were upset by 8-8 Idaho 52-51, March 1 in Logan. This
game was clearly a defensive struggle as forward Tyrone Hayes led Idaho with
20 points, but no other Vandal scored more than nine. Utah State was led by
forward Desmond Penigar’s 11 points and 11 rebounds, but just seven Aggies
scored, three of which couldn’t top five points.



The Great 8 Is Clinched



Thanks to UC Riverside’s two losses last week to sink them to 5-11, Cal
State Fullerton (7-9) clinched the eighth and final spot in the conference.
Aside from the top three teams and Fullerton, the teams qualifying for the
conference tournament include Cal Poly, Idaho, CSUN (7-9) and Pacific (7-9).



Cal Poly was able to hold on to their fourth spot for the time being with a
76-64 win over Long Beach State, March 1. Dennis led Cal Poly with 22 points
and 10 rebounds, while Darden led Long Beach State with 23 points.



With a pair of wins, CSUN vaulted into the sixth spot. First, they defeated
UC Riverside, Feb. 27, in overtime 78-70. Forward Curtis Slaughter led the
Matadors with 21 points, while guard Ian Boylan added 17 points and 11
rebounds. Forward Nate Carter led the Highlanders with 22 points, including
the game-tying three-pointer with .2 seconds left to send the game into
overtime. In their second game, CSUN took care of business against
Fullerton, defeating them 70-62, March 1. Again, Slaughter led the way for
CSUN with 18 points, while center Pape Sow led Fullerton with 19 points and
12 rebounds.



After at one point, being among the top four teams in the conference,
Pacific has gone on a slide and now sits in the seventh spot. Their week
started poorly Feb. 27 with a loss to Fullerton 55-52. No Tiger scored in
double figures, as Pacific shot 17-50 from the field and 6-26 from behind
the arc. Guard Frederic Holm-Hadulla led Fullerton with 15 points on 5-9
shooting from three-point land. Pacific was able to recover March 1 against
Riverside as they defeated the Highlanders 77-65. Guard Miah Davis scored 19
points for Pacific, while guard Kevin Butler scored 13 for Riverside.



Week Preview



With just one week left in the regular season and several seeds still
undecided, plenty of big games loom ahead for the Big West.
UCSB has two road games, one at Fullerton and the other at Riverside, and
should they win both, they win the conference outright. If they should
falter in either game, and UCI defeats Long Beach State in the Anteaters’
only game, both UCI and UCSB would be tied, but Santa Barbara would still
hold the title due to the head-to-head tiebreaker.



Utah State will try to hold on to their third seed in both their home games
against CSUN and Pacific, while Cal Poly hopes to catch them in their games
at Riverside and Fullerton. Idaho’s lone game is at home against Pacific.



Shock of the Week Provides Player of the Week



Not only did the Idaho/Utah State game contribute to the shocker of the
week, but it also provided the Big West Conference Player of the Week as the
honor went to Idaho forward Tyrone Hayes.



Hayes scored a game-high 20 points on 6-11 shooting and 8-10 from the free
throw line in addition to eight rebounds, two steals and a block in 33
minutes. The Vandal win broke a nine-game losing streak to the Aggies and
marked just the seventh time in the past six years that Utah State has lost
in the Smith Spectrum.