Big West preview

A team-by-team glance at the Big West heading into the 2009-10 season.

(In CBSSports.com predicted order of finish)

1. Long Beach State

Other coaches in the Big West Conference have good reason to be wary of what Dan Monson is doing at Long Beach State. Monson brought in another ballyhooed recruiting class to complement four returning starters from a team that lost the Big West Conference championship on a 3-pointer at the buzzer in the final game of the regular season.

Most expect the 49ers to vie for the conference title again this season. Monson does, too, but he isn't comfortable calling his team the frontrunner.

"I do like the team, and I do think they have potential, but potential gets coaches in trouble," Monson said. "You've got to pull that out, and my concern is that it's pretty much the same team that went .500 last year and didn't quite win the league. Guys have to improve, and new guys need to help, and we need to step up a little more than we did last year if we want to reach our goals."

The 49ers return a wealth of talent, including Larry Anderson, a 6-6 sophomore guard who was named Big West Freshman of the Year and first-team All-Big West last season. Anderson averaged 10.8 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.7 assists while shooting 54.6 percent from the field and 40 percent from 3-point range. He became only the second player in Big West history -- and the first in 35 years -- to earn first-team all-conference honors as a freshman.

Point guard Casper Ware and forward T.J. Robinson also made the Big West All-Freshman Team last season. Ware averaged 9.1 points, 4.1 assists, 2.1 rebounds and 1.1 steals per game. He set a Long Beach State freshman record with 122 assists, the 17th-best single-season total in school history. Robinson averaged 11.4 points and 6.2 rebounds while shooting 59.7 percent from the field. He averaged 13.5 points and 7.8 rebounds in league games, and led all Big West freshmen in rebounding.

The other returning starter is Stephan Gilling, a senior guard who averaged 11 points per game last season. He made five or more 3-pointers in five games and finished with 83, four short of the school record held by Jabril Hodges. Monson is counting on Gilling to provide perimeter shooting.

Injuries have already whittled away some of the depth the 49ers expected to have this season, but Monson still has enough talent to contend for a Big West title in his third season at Long Beach State -- even if he's reluctant to admit it.

"I think this team proved last year with a lot of young guys that it has the ability to compete for a league championship, and that's our goal," Monson said. "I think this team has that type of upside, but, like I said before, it also was a 15-15 team last year, and it needs to get better."

2. Santa Barbara

Expectations have been tempered slightly since UC Santa Barbara announced that senior forward Jesse Byrd will miss the season due to injury, but the Gauchos still have enough talent to contend for the Big West Conference championship.

UC Santa Barbara coach Bob Williams returns three starters and 10 letter winners from a team that went 16-15 overall and 8-8 to tie for fourth in the Big West. Williams also welcomes back junior point guard Justin Joyner and welcomes in sophomore guard Orlando Johnson, one of the most highly touted newcomers in the Big West.

Johnson sat out last season after transferring from Loyola Marymount. He set freshman scoring records at LMU in 2007-08 with 383 points and an average of 12.4 points per game. He also tied the school record for rebounds by a freshman with 152, led the Lions in scoring and rebounding, tied for the team lead with 12 blocked shots and ranked second in 3-point goals with 40.

Byrd would have given the Gauchos one of the more formidable frontlines in the Big West, but they still have a nice collection of talent with Joyner at point guard, Johnson and James Nunnally on the wings, and Jaime Serna, Jon Pastorek and Greg Somogyi in the post.

Joyner's return could be a big plus for the Gauchos. They averaged 15.6 turnovers per game last season, second-worst in the Big West, due in large part to the absence of Joyner, who redshirted because of a wrist injury.

Joyner had 197 assists and 110 turnovers in his first two years at UC Santa Barbara.

Williams received significant contributions last season from Nunnally, Serna, Somogyi and Will Brew Jr., all of whom were freshmen. Nunnally, who "has a chance to have a breakout year," Williams said, was third on the team in scoring at 7.9 points per game. Serna started 16 of 31 games, Brew started 23 of 31, and Somogyi, a 7-2 center, blocked 37 shots while averaging just 11.1 minutes per game.

"The sophomore class got a ton of experience last year because they were forced into action, and so hopefully we reap the benefits of that this year by them being more mature and more ready to step into primetime," Williams said.

3. California Riverside

Expectations have risen to unseen levels since coach Jim Wooldridge arrived at UC Riverside in 2007. The Highlanders are coming off their first winning season at the Division I level and looking for more in the third season of the Wooldridge era.

The Highlanders are one of several teams expected to contend for the Big West Conference championship. They return three starters and 10 letter winners from a team that went 17-13 overall and 8-8 to tie for fourth in the Big West last season. The eight Big West wins represented a program record.

The top returning player is junior Kyle Austin, a 6-7 forward who emerged as one of the Big West's best last season after transferring from USC. Austin became the first UC Riverside player ever to earn first-team All-Big West honors after averaging 16.2 points and 6.1 rebounds per game. He was second in the Big West in scoring and eighth in rebounding. A number of publications have named Austin the preseason Player of the Year in the Big West Conference.

Another key returnee is senior point guard Javon Borum, assuming he's able to play. Borum started 29 games last season. He was second on the team in scoring at 9.7 points per game, and led the team with 43 3-point goals and 43 steals.

When asked if the status of any of his players for the upcoming season was in doubt, Wooldridge said "that's still up in the air" for Borum, who had surgery over the summer to remove a bone spur from the heel of his foot. Wooldridge wouldn't elaborate, but during the team's Midnight Madness festivities, Borum told the Riverside Press-Enterprise he has not played in months.

"Right now I'm just trying to get healthy," Borum said, adding he is not sure he'll be able to play this season. "I should know within the next month or two. I haven't even started running yet."

It is unclear what the Highlanders will do at point guard if Borum is forced to sit this season, but Wooldridge has brought in reinforcements on the wings. He expects to start Victor Valley Community College transfer Dwight Gordon at shooting guard and Gonzaga transfer Larry Gurganious at small forward.

Gurganious, a 6-5 senior, was an all-state selection and the 11th-ranked guard on the West Coast at St. Mary's High School in Oakland, Calif. He averaged 3.3 points and 2.6 rebounds in 11.2 minutes per game as a sophomore at Gonzaga in 2007-08.

Gordon, a 6-2 junior, was a two-time all-conference honoree who averaged 21.8 points, 8.8 rebounds and 3.0 assists as a sophomore at Victor Valley. He shot 57 percent from the field and 36 percent from 3-point range. In his final game for Victor Valley, Gordon scored 41 points on 14-of-18 shooting, including 5 of 6 from 3-point range.

"I think we've improved with the new players, and obviously we have a lot of guys back from a year ago," Wooldridge said. "We expect our team to improve, but I think our league has improved as well, and because of that I think it's going to be a tight race among a lot of us to see who can win the league."

4. California Davis

UC Davis coach Gary Stewart addressed his team's most pressing off-season needs, improving depth, interior toughness and perimeter shooting. Now what Stewart needs is for his team to stay healthy.

Injuries decimated Stewart's roster two years ago and, with the Aggies in the thick of the Big West Conference race, limited the effectiveness of two top starters last season. The Aggies had a clean bill of health when practice began Oct. 16, and they hope this will be the year they are rewarded for their struggles during a difficult transition to Division I.

"It's been challenging, but what important endeavor isn't?" Stewart said. "I'm convinced that our best days are ahead of us -- that's for sure -- and I really like this team. What it translates into in terms of wins and losses, I have no idea, but they are fun to coach and committed collectively as a group."

Junior Mark Payne has emerged as an unlikely NBA prospect and the driving force behind the Aggies' push toward the top of the Big West Conference. Payne, the 2007-08 Big West Freshman of the Year, was named second-team All-Big West last season after averaging 10.4 points, 5.8 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 1.4 steals.

Payne is one of only five returning players in the nation who averaged 10 points, five rebounds and five assists last season. Stewart said "just about every NBA team has called" to inquire about his 6-7 point guard, who wasn't a hot prospect as a 6-3 junior at St. Mary's High School in Stockton, Calif. A massive growth spurt has helped Payne grow on pro scouts, who are intrigued by his size and versatility if not entirely convinced he can play the NBA game.

"He is a hard matchup," Stewart said. "He makes excellent decisions with the ball. You can tell by his field-goal percentage and his assist-to-turnover ratio that he plays at a high efficiency level, and he makes people around him better.

"He can do a lot of things to help you win. He's an excellent rebounder, he's hard to guard, either in transition or in the half-court set, and he's explosive. He's a guy that can get to the rim and finish over the top of you. That's what makes him special, and now I think he's become our best perimeter shooter."

Payne and former high school teammate Joe Harden have formed quite a duo at UC Davis. Harden led the team with 14.6 points and 7.2 rebounds per game last season, his first with the Aggies after transferring from Notre Dame.

Stewart said the air left the Aggies' sails last season when Payne was undercut and injured his lower back in February. Payne played out the season, but he wasn't the same over the final month. Forward Dominic Calegari also played through pain with an unspecified injury.

Stewart hopes this season will be different. If the Aggies remain healthy, they should be deeper and more versatile than they've been the past two seasons. Freshman guard Julian Welch already is drawing rave reviews and should fill the void left by Vince Oliver.

With the additions of sophomore Jelani Floyd and freshman DeAndre Medlock, Stewart has more options in the post. Stewart said Floyd, in particular, will help in terms of defense and rebounding. Floyd, a midyear transfer from Brown, will be eligible when the winter quarter begins.

5. Pacific

Seasons change, players come and go, and still Pacific coach Bob Thomason keeps churning out 20-game winners. The Tigers have won 20 or more games six times in the past eight seasons, amassing a 172-88 record, three Big West Conference championships and three NCAA Tournament appearances over that span.

They finished one game out of first place each of the past two seasons, but a new season brings renewed expectations, and Thomason is trying to piece together another championship contender.

The Tigers lost an overtime thriller to Cal State Northridge in the championship game of the Big West Tournament last season, just missing an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.

Instead, they went to the inaugural CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament and won two games before falling to Bradley in the semifinals. Their postseason run provided a nice sendoff for seniors Anthony Brown, Bryan LeDuc, Michael Kirby, Chad Troyer and James Doran.

The Tigers may have a formidable frontline. Thomason could start Sam Willard, a 6-9 junior, alongside Michael Nunnally, a 6-8 senior, with two junior college transfers, 6-9 junior Nyika Williams and 6-6 junior Pat Eveland, coming off the bench.

Nunnally started 29 games as a junior in 2007-08, averaging 7.4 points and 4.5 rebounds. He was suspended last season for his role in an on-campus incident involving a former member of the women's basketball team. Willard started in Nunnally's place and developed nicely, averaging 7.4 points and 6.7 rebounds.

The Tigers also return Joe Ford, a 6-6 senior with a 7-foot wingspan. The reigning defensive Player of the Year in the Big West has played point guard, small forward and power forward during a college career that was nearly cut short because of injuries before he made a remarkable comeback last season.

Ford started at point guard and moved to small forward when Kirby returned from a first-semester suspension, averaging 4.3 points, 4.0 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.4 steals. Ford is not a 3-point threat and has lacked a reliable mid-range jump shot, but he has great hands and an instinctive ability to score around the basket.

The big question for Pacific is guard play, and more specifically perimeter shooting. The Tigers have to replace more firepower than any team in the Big West.

Troyer, LeDuc, Kirby and Doran combined to shoot 40.2 percent (210-of-523) from 3-point range last season. Returnees accounted for only 25 of the team's 243 3-pointers. Thomason usually has another shooter waiting in the wings, but his options may be limited this season unless a couple of newcomers come out firing.

Thomason identified senior point guard Lavar Neufville and junior shooting guard Terrell Smith as projected starters. Smith shot 44.4 percent from the field and 38.2 percent from 3-point range last season. Neufville shot 39 percent from the field and 29.4 percent beyond the arc.

6. Cal State Northridge

The Matadors wouldn't want to duplicate all the off-court drama that made last season's run to the NCAA tournament so trying, but they do hope to replicate the success.

Coach Bobby Braswell is counting on several newcomers to help him replace five of his six best scorers from last year, but he believes he has enough talent and depth to make a run at a third consecutive Big West Conference championship.

"My hope and what I think will happen with this group is we'll get better as the season goes on," Braswell said. "You might remember last year, we played six straight on the road and kind of got beaten up a little bit, but I thought we got stronger and tougher because of it.

"With all the new faces and the tough schedule we're playing, I think we have a chance to improve as the season progresses. If we stay healthy and continue to get better, we can be really competitive in conference."

The Matadors are coming off their best season as a member of the Big West. They went 11-5 to win the regular-season championship outright after sharing it with two other teams in 2007-08. They reached the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2001. The 15th-seeded Matadors led No. 2 seed Memphis with less than seven minutes remaining in a first-round tournament game, and trailed by only four with 2:30 to play, before falling 81-70.

The Matadors must replace josh Jenkins, Deon Tresvant and a number of players who demonstrated such resiliency in their absence, including first-team All-Big West center Tremaine Townsend, Big West Tournament MVP Rodrigue Mels and program fixture Rob Haynes.

The top returning players are senior point guard Mark Hill, senior swingman Kenny Daniels and senior forward Willie Galick.

Hill appeared in 17 games last season and started 11, averaging 8.2 points and 2.9 assists per game. Daniels started 25 games, averaging 8.9 points and 3.7 rebounds while shooting 57.9 percent from the field and 38.7 percent from 3-point range. Galick also started 25 games. He is the Matadors' top returning scorer and rebounder after averaging 9.3 points and 5.5 rebounds last season.

Hill was good when the Matadors needed him most over the final month of the season, but he could have considerable competition at point guard.

Sacramento State transfer Vinnie McGhee was named Big Sky Freshman of the Year in 2007-08, and Salt Lake Community College transfer Dathan Lyles helped his team win a national championship last season.

Braswell thinks Lenny Daniel, a 6-7 forward, can help fill the void created by Townsend's departure. Braswell envisions a starting lineup with Galick at power forward and Daniel at center, though he stressed that such projections are subject to change. Daniel averaged 17.5 points, 8.0 rebounds and 1.3 blocked shots last season at Coffeyville Community College.

7. Cal State Fullerton

The Titans are moving onward and upward after finishing 15-17 last season with the sort of undersized team that has become coach Bob Burton's trademark in six seasons at Cal State Fullerton.

Three of the Titans' top newcomers are post players, including 6-6, 240-pound forward Jer'Vaughn Johnson and 6-10, 240-pound center Bryce Webster, both of whom are expected to start. Burton also has 6-8 forwards Papa Guisse and Ray Miller, 6-7 junior Orane Chin and 6-9 freshman D.J. Shelton.

The infusion of frontline size should give the Titans a new look a year after they finished eighth in the Big West Conference with a minus-4.2 rebounding margin.

"Last year it was so hard to rebound. We were just awful, and it was so frustrating," Burton said. "You're going to see a totally different team this year. We're going to be a lot more inside oriented, and we think we can do that. It's a totally different team than I've ever had at Fullerton, but it's a plus."

So is the return of Jacques Streeter. The sophomore point guard was named to the Big West All-Freshman Team last season after averaging 10.4 points and 4.4 assists.

"He's a throwback point guard," Burton said. "He's one of these guys who really want to be a point guard and run the team. He's getting better with his shot every year, becoming more offensive minded, and I think he has a chance to become one of the really outstanding point guards on the West Coast eventually."

Other top returning players include senior forward Gerard Anderson and senior guard Aaron Thompson. Burton said Thompson "should have a breakout year," adding, "He's a great defender and can take it to the hole. He just needs consistency in his jump shot."

The Titans have the unenviable task of replacing the production of departed Big West Player of the Year Josh Akognon, who ranked sixth in the nation in scoring last season at 23.9 points per game. Burton said scoring ability will give newcomers Devon Peltier and Robbie Robinson a chance to play right away.

"They are our two best shooters, and the biggest problem our team is going to have is shooting the ball," Burton said. "We're really big. I've never had a team like this. They're big and it's a different-style team, but with that, one of the problems is shooting it, and one of our strengths over the last six years is having kids who can really shoot it."

8. California Irvine

UC Irvine coach Pat Douglass is entering the final year of his contract, and there is speculation that his 13th season with the Anteaters could be his last.

If Douglass is feeling the heat, he isn't letting anyone see him sweat. He claims he is not concerned about his future and has even hired one of his rumored replacements as an assistant coach.

The Anteaters have averaged 15 wins over the past five seasons, but they went 12-19 last season, haven't had a 20-win season since 2002-03 and have yet to reach the NCAA tournament.

Douglass acknowledges his uncertain fate but said it is not a distraction.

"What I've got to focus on is this year, and I'm looking forward to coaching at a high level and seeing what I can do with this team," said Douglass, UC Irvine's career wins leader with a 183-173 record. "It's not a daily thought with me or anything that deters what I have to do on a daily basis."

What Douglass must do is make his team better after finishing under .500 last season for the second time in three years. The Anteaters overcame a 2-11 start and won 10 of their final 18 games, going 8-8 in the Big West Conference to finish tied for fourth place.

Douglass has three starters back to help him build on that progress, but he must develop a supporting cast to complement the inside-outside duo of sophomore forward Eric Wise and senior point guard Michael Hunter.

Hunter received All-Big West honorable mention last season after averaging 11.9 points, 2.5 assists and 1.5 steals. He led the team with 67 3-pointers and ranked second in the Big West in steals per game. Wise earned second-team All-Big West and Big West All-Freshman honors last season after averaging 14 points and 6 rebounds per game.

He recorded six 20-point games and led all Big West freshmen in scoring. Wise, the highest-scoring freshman at UC Irvine in 14 years, proved capable of scoring in the paint and from the perimeter. Douglass said Wise will play more power forward after logging most of his minutes at center last season.

The Anteaters' fortunes will depend at least in part on the continued development of Patrick Rembert. The junior point guard averaged 6.9 points, 2.7 assists and 2.4 rebounds last season, up from his freshman averages of 2.8 points, 1.1 assists and 1.1 rebounds. Rembert also improved his field-goal, free-throw and 3-point shooting percentages. He led the team with 85 assists and ranked fourth in the Big West with 3.5 assists in conference games.

The Daily Pilot reported that Rembert suffered a broken foot in a pickup game in late July and still wore a protective boot in August, but Douglass said Rembert was healthy when practice began. UC Irvine will need Rembert and Hunter to provide perimeter shooting now that Brett Lauer is gone.

Lauer made 63-of-125 (.504) from 3-point range last season, helping the Anteaters lead the Big West and rank seventh nationally in 3-point percentage at 40.3 percent.

9. Cal Poly

Cal Poly fired coach Kevin Bromley last spring after one of his top recruits was arrested for bank robbery, one of his best players was dismissed from school for academic reasons and his team finished last in the Big West Conference for the second time in five years.

The new coach is Joe Callero.

Callero revitalized programs at Division II Seattle University and Division III University of Puget Sound. He hopes to produce similar results at Cal Poly, but his first season could be a struggle.

Callero inherits two returning starters and seven letter winners from a team that finished 7-21 and failed to reach the Big West tournament. The Mustangs have little depth, no proven post players and no one who has logged significant minutes at point guard at the Division I level.

"Our goals aren't too lofty," Callero said. "We're just trying to move out of the cellar."

The returning starters are Lorenzo Keeler, a 6-2 senior guard, and Shawn Lewis, a 6-4 junior guard. Both started all 28 games last season.

Keeler led the team in scoring, averaging 12.7 points per game. He ranked seventh in the Big West in scoring and second in free-throw percentage (.849). Keeler also led the team with 52 3-pointers, nearly half of the team total of 107.

Lewis averaged 11.7 points and 5.0 rebounds per game. He made 50 3-point goals and ranked 10th in the Big West with 1.8 3-point goals per game.

Keeler and Lewis could give the Mustangs a solid backcourt combination, but they must be more efficient. Keeler shot just 33.8 percent from the field and an identical 33.8 percent from 3-point range last season. Lewis shot 40.1 percent from the field and 36 percent beyond the arc.

"The field-goal percentage issue is what we're looking at as an entire team," Callero said. "Keeler and Lewis both need to improve their field-goal percentages, and that's basically shot selection and being more patient on the offensive end -- really valuing each possession."

Callero was planning to move Keeler from shooting guard to point guard when practice began, saying Keeler would provide the steadiest hand unless sophomore Justin Brown or freshman Kyle Odister prove capable of starting.

There is more uncertainty at center with junior college transfer Will Donahue the likely starter.

"We're very unproven at the '1' and '5' spots, and those are such critical positions to have experience at," Callero said. "Everybody wishes they could have an experienced point guard back, and that's where our obvious weakness is with my willingness to take a '2' guard and move him to the point. Keeler's not a natural point guard, but he does handle the ball fairly well and has good experience."