CLICK HERE for all of the Hoops HD Preseason Articles, Interviews, and Conference Previews
BIG WEST
Very little went wrong during a magical 2015-16 season for the Hawai’i Rainbow Warriors. The team went 28-6 overall and 13-3 against Big West competition to win the regular season title. They followed that up with the conference tournament championship, defeating Long Beach State by four points in the final. The Rainbow Warriors then earned a 13-seed in the NCAA Tournament and promptly upset Cal by 11 points before their season ended with a loss to Maryland. Conference tournament runner-up Long Beach State received an NIT invite, while two other Big West teams also played in the postseason – UC-Santa Barbara in the Vegas 16 where they advanced to the semifinals and UC-Irvine in the CIT where they lost in the championship game to Columbia.
As much as went right for Hawai’i last year, things appear to be heading in the exact opposite direction this season. The program is facing potential ineligiblilty for the postseason due to NCAA violations that occurred under the prior coaching regime, though their case is going to be reheard. The team lost four of their starting players, who also happened to be their top four point scorers. Last season was great – this season will be a complete rebuild with potentially not even having the chance for magic due to their probation. The other three postseason participants, Long Beach State, UC-Irvine and UC-Santa Barbara could all be in the thick of the conference race this year, though Long Beach appears to be the team to beat. One other team that could make some serious noise, however, is a veteran Cal State-Northridge squad. Reggie Theus is entering his fourth season as head coach for the Matadors, and it is just about time for him to prove that he was the right man for this job. On paper at least, he may just have the pieces to do it.
Predicted Order of Finish
1. Long Beach State – Nick Faust’s 17.4 points per game are gone, but the 49ers are still going to be tough to beat, especially with more playing time for Noah Blackwell and the addition of Loyola Marymount transfer Evan Payne.
2. UC-Santa Barbara – Top scorer Michael Bryson is gone, but the Gauchos still figure to be in contention with Gabe Vincent in the backcourt and plenty of size down low.
3. Cal State Northridge – The team’s top three scorers (Kendall Smith, Michael Warren and Aaron Parks) all return to lead a veteran lineup. Added into the mix will be 6-11, 240-pound Texas A&M transfer Dylan Johns. If the Matadors can avoid any off-court issues, they should figure right in the mix.
4. UC-Irvine – Four starters from last year’s CIT finalist team are gone, including Mamadou Ndiaye, so a step back should be expected. Head coach Russell Turner did bring in a solid recruiting class and does have senior guard Luke Nelson back, so don’t completely count the Anteaters out.
5. Cal State Fullerton – With last year’s Big West Freshman of the Year, Khalil Ahmad, and the team’s top scorer, Tre’ Coggins, both back, the Titans could be a dangerous team. The problem will be down low, where the roster is incredibly thin and lacking in size.
6. UC-Riverside – With their top two scorers from last season gone, Secean Johnson will really need to step up his game and carry the load if the Highlanders want to avoid finishing at or near the bottom of the league standings.
7. UC-Davis – The Aggies have only one returning player who averaged in double figures in scoring, and that is Darius Graham who averaged exactly 10.0 points per game. A move up in the conference standings does not seem likely this year.
8. Cal Poly – The Mustangs top three scorers from last season are all gone, meaning that the team may be in for a tougher year than last one – and last year they were only 10-20 overall.
9. Hawai’i* – Normally being potentially ineligible for the Big West and NCAA Tournaments would be a bad thing; however, given that almost everyone from last season’s magical team is gone, there probably wasn’t much chance of even qualifying for the Big West Tournament anyhow (which would have only required them to avoid last place). Head coach Eran Ganot has to pretty much start at the bottom and rebuild the program now.
*Hawai’i may be ineligible for postseason play due to NCAA sanctions. They have been granted a re-hearing on the penalties which is currently pending.