Saturday, December 16, 2017

UCSB vs. USC Men's Basketball Game Preview, by Gaucho Freg

UCSB @ USC Preview

Sunday, December 17, 2017, 5:00 PST

By the Numbers;
USC Rankings:                                                                 UCSB Rankings:
DC2: 61                                                                             DC2:  79
RPI:  77, RPI SOS:  58                                                      RPI:  32, RPI SOS:  149
Pomeroy:  28                                                                     Pomeroy:  139


The Gauchos travel down the smoky 101 to take on the uber talented & athletic USC Trojans which started the season ranked as high as #10 in some polls but now are unranked at 5-3.  USC easily handled Santa Clara Thursday night in the Galen Center leading by about 20 most of the game and winning 82-59.  The Trojans are considered a disappointment so far and as they were picked #10, I suppose that is reasonable.  Still, their three losses are to teams all ranked in the top 30 Pomeroy; Texas A&M, SMU and Oklahoma.

Shared Opponents:  UCSB defeated N. Dakota State in their home & season opener by 19.  Two nights later the Jackrabbits gave the Trojans a scare in LA, leading by as much as 10 before foul trouble led to an end-of-game surge by SC and the Trojans won by 10.   Both teams lost handily to Texas A&M, the Gauchos by 19 on the road, USC by 16 in the Galen Center.

The Arena:  The Galen Center opened in 2006, seats 10,258.  They are averaging about 3900 fans per game this season.  From all I’ve heard, it’s a beautiful arena and I’m looking forward to my first visit there. 

Stats Overview:
Despite their three losses, when the Trojans win, they have so decisively.  They are scoring at 77 pt clip while holding their opponents to 69.  They are shooting at a .432 clip, .369 from three.  They attempt 22.4 three pointers per game, a bit surprising to me given the strength of their front court.  UCSB attempts about 20 per game.  This will be their 6th home game, they are 4-1 at home.

Roster
Contributing to their relatively poor start is the absence of Sophomore SG De’Anthony Melton who is being forced to sit by the USC admin while they investigate a possible improper payment.  Also absent is sophomore guard Derryck Thornton who has been injured.  I’m not sure of the status of either player for Sunday but they are both impact players so UCSB catches a break if they are not available.

Starters
USC’s has some fantastic talent across the roster but the cream of the crop is projected first round draft pick 6’11” F/C Chimezi Mehtu who leads the team in scoring with 16.1ppg and in rebounding 8.5 pg.  He has terrific quicks for a big and will be a great challenge for Canty and Ami to defend.
At the other forward spot is another talented player in 6’10”  Bennie Boatwright who is averaging 15.5 and 8.3.  At times he has been a major star and carried the Trojans through SC’s terrific 26 win season last year.  At times he’s been pretty quiet.  He is similar to King, can rebound well and shoot the three, but not as well, .313
PG Jordan McGlauglin (6’1” 185 lb) has been a stud for the Trojans this year, shooting lights out from both within and beyond the arc while leading the team with 6.8 apg and pulling 4.3 boards per game.  He’ll be a handful and I’m hoping that our defense can step up the same way it did against USD’s Isiah Wright
Senior Guard/wing Elijah Stewart, 6’5” 195 lb is a three point threat, shooting 17-40.
Another Sophomore Guard Jonah Mathews (6’3” 195) contributes a solid 8.4 ppg, 3.6 rpg and shoots .407 from three. There’s no weak link in their starting line-up.

Key Reserves
6’11” Sophomore F/C Nick Racocevic is a terrific player that would be starting on most D1 teams.  USC just happens to have Mehtu in front of him.  He’s tough and the depth he gives USC in the front court will make things tough for our bigs.
6’7”  RS Jr Wing Shaqquan Aaron seems to be a role player and plays significant minutes.

Match-up, prediction:  USC played terrific in their win over Santa Clara and may be finding their stride.  Pasternack and his staff have impressed me in their ability to prepare for different teams so I give the Gauchos much more of a chance than I would have thought at the season start.  Much depends upon the health of Jackson, if his hip is less bothersome and he can limit the impact of Mclaughlin, that will certainly help.  Regardless, I have a lot of faith in the Gaucho starters and if the refs don’t take our bigs out of the game, I think this game remains close til late.  I do think the depth of the SC front court will take its toll and the Trojans will pull away in the end.  USC 77 UCSB 72.  Prove me wrong Gauchos!

USC Fun Fact:   USC has played in two Final Fours, 1940 and 1954 

Official Site:   http://usctrojans.com/index.aspx?path=mbball
Hey Guys! (with my preview of UCSB):  https://wearesc.com/forum/index.php?forums/usc-hoops.4/
How to Watch:   For you So Cal locals, get to the Galen Center and watch it in person!  For the rest of you, Pac 12 Network

Gauchos Travel to No. 17 Oregon State Saturday and LMU on Monday

http://www.ucsbgauchos.com/sports/w-baskbl/2017-18/releases/20171214lfaa2t

Friday, December 8, 2017

UCSB vs. Montana State Game Preview, by Gaucho Freg

Montana State Preview

Saturday, December 9, 2017, 1:00 PST

By the Numbers;
MSU Rankings:                                                                 UCSB Rankings:
DC2:  159                                                                           DC2:  106
RPI:  77, RPI SOS:  74                                                       RPI:  44, RPI SOS:  156
Pomeroy:  185                                                                    Pomeroy:  164


The Gauchos go back on the road to face a Montana State Bobcats team that might be a little angry after getting walloped by Central Michigan earlier this week.  The Bobcats have been road warriors and this will be their first home game against a D1 program.  Their home is the Brick Breeden Arena, originally opened in 1957, seats 8455, renovated twice (1993, 2013).  They’ve averaged about 2400 a game but expect more Saturday as their other home games were against lower division teams.  Of consideration, the arena is located at an elevation of ~ 4900 feet so altitude could play a factor for our team not accustomed to it.

The Bobcats have played a more difficult schedule than the Gauchos losing on the road to Louisiana Tech, Utah State and Fresno State.  The teams have one shared opponent in Nebraska Omaha with both coming out victorious, the Bobcats winning by 9 in their opening game which was on a “neutral” (in Great Falls, MT) court.  They will be the second out of three Big Sky opponents for the Gauchos this season with the Gauchos defeating Montana and yet to play Sac State. The Bobcats were picked fourth in the Big Sky, just behind Montana.  UCSB and Montana State have played 10 times in a series that began in 1972. The Gauchos hold a 9-1 all-time edge. The teams last met on Dec. 12, 2009 with the Bobcats recording a 76-64 victory in Bozeman. The last time Santa Barbara won a game in the series was on February 21, 2009, when it won a 78-72 overtime in SB.

Looking at their season stats, which are skewed by their stinker of a game against CMU, the Bobcats are scoring 77ppg and giving up 75 ppg.   They attempt about 21 3pt shots per game and make them at a .381 clip which includes their 1-16 performance against the Chippewas.  They force about 13 turnovers per game. 

The Bobcats have a star player who deserves the focus of the Gaucho defense.  Junior wing Tyler Hall (6’5”, 210) is the pre-season Big Sky MVP and was shut down by CMU, scoring zero points in just 11 minutes of play.  On their message board, the fans said he might be nursing an ankle injury which would explain that performance.  Still, he is scoring about 19 ppg, takes a lot a of threes, about 8 attempts per game and makes them at a .432 clip.  He only attempts a couple fts per game but is shooting .913 from the line. 

Running the point is sophomore Harald Frey (6’1”, 180 lb) from Norway.   He is second on the team in scoring with 14.3 ppg and leads the team in assists with 3.2.  He takes five three pointers a game and is making them at a .400 clip.
RS Junior Forward Keljin Belvins who transferred from S. Mississippi (6’6”, 200 lb) is third in scoring with 8.9 and second in rebounding, 4.7 pg.
These three are the only players to average more than 25 minutes.
Senior reserve forward Konner Frey (6’6”, 200 lb), no relation to Harald, leads the team in rebounds with 5.3 pg in only 17 minutes of play.
Juniors Devonte Kline, a 6’0” guard and Sam Neuman, a 6’7” forward have started most of the games.

Match-up, prediction:  Since opening with an easy win over NDSU, the rest of our games have been close, Texas A&M excepted.  Despite our 7-2 record, we are only outscoring our opponents for the season by about 3.  I think this game hinges upon the health of Tyler Hall.  If he is 100%, it seems that he is the kind of player that can keep his team in the game no matter what.  If he is injured and is unable to perform, then the Gauchos should end up winning comfortably.
I’ll go with that Hall is healthy and while I penciled this game as a loss before the season started, with the way the Gauchos are playing now, I predict the Gauchos end up in another battle but are able to once again come out on top.  UCSB 78 MSU 74

Montana State Fun Fact:  Their 1928-29 men’s team won the mythical National Championship as awarded by both the Helms Foundation and the Premo-Porretta Power Poll.  These two groups bestowed national titles retrospectively to whom they deemed to be the best teams in the years before the NCAA tournament got started. 

Official Site:   http://www.msubobcats.com/index.aspx?path=mbball
Hey Guys! (with my preview of UCSB): http://bobcatnation.com/bobcatbb/viewforum.php?f=21
How to Watch:    http://www.bigskyconf.com/sports/2015/1 ... igSky.aspx

Monday, December 4, 2017

UNO vs. UCSB Game Preview, by Gaucho Freg

Nebraska-Omaha Preview
Tuesday, December 5, 2017, 7:00 PST
 
The Gauchos welcome the road weary Mavericks to the Campus Events Center Tuesday night, in the third straight year these two teams have met.  In 2015, the Gauchos spoiled the opener of Omaha’s new arena in on a last second bucket by Eric Childress and in 2016 Omaha returned the favor on the Gauchos home court, easily defeating the young Gauchos. The Mavericks  are coming off 12 point loss to the Washington Huskies, their 8th defeat of the season vs only one victory.  They have played a difficult schedule, ranked 94th in the country and with only one home game.  They’ve been handled fairly easily by the P5 schools and have been competitive with the low to mid-majors.

Looking at their season stats, the Mavericks are giving up a whopping 89.6 ppg and allowing about a .500 shooting % so our prolific Gauchos should have no trouble scoring on them.  They are scoring 76.7 ppg including a respectable .367 from three.  They take about five more shots from beyond the arc than the Gauchos ~25 vs. ~20.  Similar to the Gauchos, they have balanced scoring with 4 players in double figures plus two more just under 10.  They don’t rebound particularly well, outboarded by about 6 pg.

Individually, the Mavs are lead by Junior wing Zach Jackson (6’5”, 185) with 17.6 ppg, shooting .441 from three, adding 5 rpg and 10 steals. He gets to the line the most on the team with 49 attempts, .755 on the makes.  For comparison, Max has 67 attempts in one less game.  Jackson scored his then career high 14 points on the Gauchos last year while adding 8 boards.
Senior guard Daniel Norl (6’3”, 200lb) is second in scoring with 13.1 ppg, shooting threes at a .333 clip and pulls down 5.2 rpg.
Junior Forward Mitch Hahn (6’8”, 210lb) missed has four games but started the five he’s played in.  He leads the team in rebounding at 6.2 pg.  Jacks up a fair # of threes but only makes .273 of them. Overall he is scoring 12ppg.  Last year, he scored 15 on five three pointers against us.
Sophomore PG KJ Robinson (6’0”, 190lb) leads the team in assists with 4 pg and adds 10.9ppg.  He is the team’s best 3 point shooter making 20-42, .476
Sophomore guard JT Gibson (6’3”, 195lb) comes off the bench but plays starter minutes at 27mpg.  He scores 8.7ppg and is not shooting well from three, .289
Senior PF Lamar Wofford-Humphrey (6’9”, 225lb) started in Hahn’s place when he was out and scores at a 8.4 ppg clip.  He is second on the team in rebounds with 5.3 per.
Senior PF Daniel Meyer (6’9”, 250lb)  has started every game but plays reserve minutes at less than 14 per game.


Match-up, prediction:  If the Gauchos manage to bring the same motivation & intensity they have been, they will win this handily by around 15.  That being said, this could be a trap game, Omaha might be better than their record and its tough to bring it every game.  I think it will be closer than it should.  UCSB 87 Omaha 81

Official Sitehttp://www.omavs.com/index.aspx?path=mbball
Hey Guys! (another dead board):  http://www.mavpuck.com/mpboard/forum.asp?FORUM_ID=5
How to Watchhttp://bigwest.sidearmstreaming.com/watch/?Live=281 

Monday, November 27, 2017

Prairie View vs. UCSB Highlights, 11-24-17


UCSB vs. USF Game Preview, by Gaucho Freg

UCSB @ USF
Tuesday, November 28 @ 7:00
Rankings:  (RPI, DC2)
UCSB:  41, 101
USF:  335, 222

The San Francisco Dons have only played three games against D1 competition and have yet to leave the cozy confines of War Memorial Gym.  In their opener, they surprisingly lost by 12 to Long Beach State despite being favored by 14.  They’ve managed low double digit wins against St. Francis and Sac State.
All-in-all, a disappointing start for a team that took the West Coast by surprise last year under then first-year coach Kyle Smith who led the Dons to a 20 win season and 4th place conference finish after being picked last.  USF was again picked by most to finish 4th behind St. Mary’s, Gonzaga and BYU in the WCC.

So far this season the Dons are scoring at 73.2 ppg while holding their opponents to 64 and are shooting at a .430 clip including .317 from three.
Coach Smith likes to run a deep roster and the starters are averaging about 20 minutes per game with only Sophomore guard Jordan Ratinho averaging above 30.  Very different from UCSB in this respect.  Overview of their players that are averaging 15mpg or more:

Starters
The Dons are led by Senior Forward Chase Foster (6’7”, 187lb) who is 2nd in scoring with 13.5ppg and first in rebounds at 5 per game.  He can score from outside shooting 8-18 from three. 
Sophomore Guard Jordan Rathino (6’5”, 210lb) was an All WCC freshman and shoots over .500 from the field and leads the team in 3ptrs made (9).  He is third on the team in scoring at 12.3 ppg.
Junior Forward Nate Renfro (6’7”, 186lb)  is the team captain and a glue guy but has been statistically quiet so far.
Freshman Jamaree Bouyea (6’2”, 155lb) has earned the starting pg spot despite his slender frame.  He averages 4.8 boards but has only 3 assists so far this year. From the WCC Don’s preview; “Jamaree Bouyea appears to be a nice point guard with a deep three point shot. Excellent handle and displays great body control in traffic. Pretty good defender. Suspect this kid has a superior basketball IQ. Really anticipates well and knows his personnel. This guy isn’t just a good player, he makes everyone else on the floor better.”
The fifth starter has varied.
The Bench
Another skinny Freshman guard is Souley Boum (6’3”, 145lb) who leads the team in scoring with 14.8 ppg on 7-12 from three.  He is second on the team in assists with 8.  “Average athletism but great first step. Displays a nice three point shot and can get to the basket in a variety of ways. Predominately right handed. Not much of a passer. Looks to score when he has the ball. Appears to know the game well and defends better than most. “

Junior PG Frankie Ferrari (5’11, 179lb) leads the team in assists (11), scores 5.3 ppg  and is putting in the same mpg as starter Bouyea. 

Sophomore forward Remu Raitanen (6’9, 198 lb) from Finland has not shot the ball well but is playing about 20mpg and pulling down about 5 boards.

Junior Forward Matt McCarthy (6’9”, 232) from Australia adds some size to this smaller roster and has started two games.  He has shot 7-12 and is pulling 3 boards per game.  He started 27/33 games last year for the Dons.

Junior Forward Nick Loew (6’8”, 220lb) has shot 5-8 and is pulling 4.3 boards per game.


Preseason Overview of the Dons by WCC fan Jon Ralston:
Coach Smith quite frankly put every other new coach in the WCC in the last 5 years to shame by taking a roster that I quite frankly didn’t like that much and winning 20 games with them by playing a style of basketball that maximized their strengths and minimized their weaknesses. I understand that Gonzaga had a historic season, but if coaching is maximizing your squad’s abilities to be the best they can be then Coach Smith was my coach of the year last year. Now the question is can they sustain last year’s success. It seems like many teams have risen to the 4th place spot in the conference but no one has been able to sustain that level consistently. I see the Dons staying at 4th place, but I’m not ready to say they supplant BYU in the 3rd position. It’s definitely possible, but I’m a believe it when I see it kind of guy and until they actually get over the hump I’m going with the Dons 4th and BYU 3rd. The success of the Dons is obvious; spacing, ball movement, solid team defense, and 3 point shooting. In fact Dons put up an amazing 237 more 3’s than opponents last year. In year two teams are going to run the Dons off the 3 point line and force them to put the ball on the floor. Easier said than done, but to a certain extent the cat is out of the bag and I’m not certain how they’ll respond. The Dons need to rebound better. Poulsen should help in that manner, but it will also need to be a team effort. The Dons will need to take better care of the ball if they hope to crack the top 3 and the Dons will need some more athleticism in the 1-3 positions in order to defend more athletic opponents. The Dons weren’t a great free throw shooting team which will hopefully have improved after an off season of workouts. The Dons also didn’t get to the line as much as they needed to with opponents shooting more than 100 more free throws than the Dons. In terms of trends I’m high on the Dons future, but I see them treading water at 4th for a season or two until they can get a couple more recruiting classes into the fold. I think in year 3 and 4 of the Coach Smith era we’ll see the Dons challenge the top 3 and possibly make the NCAA tournament.

Matchups & Prediction
PG:  Marcus Jackson (backed up by Max, Davis) vs. Bouyea/Ferrari
Name advantage-Dons.  Experience advantage to UCSB.
SG:  Rathino/Boum vs Max H/CT. 
Push.  Max is probably going to be the best player on the court but such a drop off to CT.
Wing:  Foster vs. Gabe
Advantage USF.  Gabe is just not quite 100% where he was before the injury and gives up some height.
F:  Renfro/multiple vs King/Blackmon & Kupchak
Advantage UCSB
F/C:  Multiple vs. Canty/Ami, Hart
Advantage UCSB

Just looking at the stats & individual match-ups  it is very tempting to go with the Gauchos on this one, especially after USF was handled easily by LB.
It seems that the Dons are still sorting out how their new pieces will fit. I am going to go with the Dons not hitting their stride just yet and the Gauchos taking this in their fourth consecutive close game. UCSB 79 USF 76

Official Site:   http://usfdons.com/index.aspx?path=mbball

 WCC Fan Preview:  http://wccboards.com/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=1738
Hey Guys! (and my overview of UCSB for the USF fans):  http://donscentral.com/board/2/hilltop-hoops
How to Watch:  http://www.wccsports.com/gamecenter/m-b ... -sanf.html

Heidegger Named Lou Henson Mid-Major Player of the Week

http://ucsbgauchos.com/sports/m-baskbl/2017-18/releases/201711270ii1ax
 

Tuesday, November 21, 2017

UCSB Wins Progressive Legends Classic Sub-Regional, 80-73 Over Montana

http://www.ucsbgauchos.com/sports/m-baskbl/2017-18/releases/20171121yzjdrt

 

UCSB vs. Montana Game Preview, by Gaucho Freg

UCSB vs. Montana, Progressive Legends Classic
Tuesday, November 21st, 5:00pm
 
The Gauchos and the Grizzlies face off in the Championship game of the Pepperdine Region of the Progressive Legends Classic tournament.  Montana by virtue of a 69-64 victory over Oral Roberts and UCSB with their 92-84 win over the host Waves.  We have a shared opponent this year, both on the road at Pitt with the Grizzlies coming out on top in OT and the Gauchos losing by 8.  Head-to-head UCSB has a 3-2 advantage including a win in their last match-up which was in 2004 in Santa Barbara. 

The Grizzlies return the bulk of their production from last year’s .500 team plus add a familiar face in Cal State Fullerton transfer J Akoh.  In total, Montana returns the majority of its production in all aspects of the game, bringing back its top two – and four of its top five – scorers. On the other end of the floor, Montana had six players with 90 or more rebounds a year ago; five of them are back on the court. In total, Montana returns 68.1 percent of its rebounds, 67.4 percent of its steals, 65.9 percent of its blocked shots, 62.1 percent of its points and 59.9 percent of its assists. They do have a high roster turnover with 6 new faces.  They were picked to finish 3rd in the 12 team Big Sky.  Their top-two leading scorers returning are guards Ahmaad Rorie and Michael Oguine and will be a challenge for Jackson and Heidegger to stop.  Rorie, a 2016-17 Second Team All-Conference honoree, averaged 17.6 points last year including a 19.4 average in Big Sky play. Oguine also put up better numbers in league play scoring 13 points per game compared to an 11-point average on the year. 
The Grizzlies are scoring at 70 ppg and giving up 68ppg.

Starting Lineup:
PG:  Jr Ahmaad Rorie, a transfer from Oregon, is again leading the team in pts (18 pg) and assists (4 pg).  He is athletic, quick and will be tough to stop.
SG:  Michael Oguine is posting similar numbers with 17 ppg and 3apg while adding a team leading 6.7 rpg.  Neither he nor Rorie shoot lights out from three but do make many attempts, 50 between them at about a .300 average clip.
Wing:  Junior, 6’7”  Bobby Morehead is 3rd in scoring at about 9pg and 2nd in rebounding with 5.5 pg. He leads the team in 3pt % at .375 but has only 16 attempts.
F:  6’8” Senior Fabijan Krslovic out of Australia is contributing 6ppg and 5.5 rpg.
F:  6’8” Junior Jamar Akoh (CSUF) is adding 5.8 ppg and 3.5 rpg but is shooting at only a .333 clip, horrible for a post.

Major Bench Players
6’5” Soph guard Sayeed Pridgett provides some scoring punch, 3rd on the team with 7ppg in 24mpg.  He is more of a slasher with only 4 3pt attempts this year, making 1
6’8” Frosh forward Karl Nichols had a bit of a break-out game against Oral Roberts with 11 pts on 5-6 shooting and 4 rebounds
6’2” Frosh guard Timmy Falls is averaging about 10 mpg. 

Match-up & Prediction:
I think these teams are evenly matched and the game will be closely contested and entertaining.
With Marcus Jackson back, we have a more well-rounded team than in the first three games.  Canty and King are superior to the Grizzlies Krslovi and Akoh so we have an advantage in the post.   The speed of Rorie is of concern and we may see Gabe tasked with covering him.  Should Jackson struggle on defense, Terrell may see significant minutes to counter their guards.   Should be a fun one but I see the Gauchos coming out ahead.  UCSB 79  Montana 74.

Montana Official Preview:  http://www.gogriz.com/news/2017/11/20/m ... ath=mbball
Hey Guys!  http://egriz.com/grizboard/viewforum.ph ... ceaed6fe8a
How to watch:  https://watchstadium.com/live/uc-santa-barbara-vs-tbd/

Montana vs. UC-Santa Barbara - 11/21/17 College Basketball Pick, Odds, and Prediction

https://sportschatplace.com/college-basketball-picks/2017/11/21/montana-vs-uc-santa-barbara-11/21/17-college-basketball-pick-odds-and-prediction?utm_campaign=Contact+Quiboat+For+More+Referrer&utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=quiboat&utm_content=&utm_term=

Balanced Gauchos Cruise Past Pepperdine, 92-84

http://www.ucsbgauchos.com/sports/m-baskbl/2017-18/releases/201711212k99uo


Monday, November 20, 2017

Gauchos Continue Busy November at Pepperdine Monday

http://www.ucsbgauchos.com/sports/m-baskbl/2017-18/releases/20171119rvfobg


UCSB vs. Pepperdine Game Preview, by Gaucho Freg

UCSB @ Pepperdine Preview: 
Progressive Legends Classic
Monday, November 20th, 7:30pm

Coming off a 9 win season last year, the Waves lost a lot and are expected to contend with Portland for the cellar of the WCC this year.  Former UCSB assistant under Bob Williams, now Wave HC Marty Wilson is certainly on the hot seat and should another sub 10 win season be the result, he may be following the path of his former boss.  They have started three true freshman in two of their three games.  The first three games don’t bode so well as the Waves lost both of their D1 games, by 31 on the road to Oklahoma State who was picked last in the Big 12, and by 2 at home to Northern Colorado of the Big Sky who were pasted by Davis in Colorado.  They did handily beat Div III Cal Lutheran.    They don’t shoot the ball well from beyond the arc, 14-49 for a .286 percentage.  They do make their free throws, .709.   Senior PG Amadi Udenyi has not played since their opener and was in concussion protocol last week.  Not sure about his status.  Another player they were looking to rely on, Eric Cooper (yet another transfer out of Nevada) has also been injured and has yet to play.  His status for tonight’s game is also unknown.

The Waves have a balanced attack with 8 players averaging between 6.7 and 13 ppg.  Could be indicative of a team also still searching for go-to players.
True freshman wing Trae Berhow (6’5”, 195lb) leads with 13 ppg including 5-14 from three while grabbing 6.3 boards pg. He also leads the team in minutes played, 32 pg.
Grad Transfer (UW) Mathew Attewe (6’9”, 255lb) is a F/C and is second on the team in both scoring and rebounding with 10.3 ppg and 6.7 rpg in only 18m of play per game.
RS Sophomore Forward Kameron Edwards sat out last season after an All WCC freshman season.  He leads the team with 7 boards per game while adding 10ppg.  He has shot 1-5 from three.
Freshman, Colbey Ross, plays pg, leads the team with 15 assists and is adept at getting to the rim & drawing fouls.  He is a perfect 15-15 from the stripe.  That does not extend to 3 pt shooting where he is only 1-7.  Seems he is filling in for Udenyi until he is healthy. 
The third freshman, wing Jade Smith (6’4”, 175lb) is  adding 8.3ppg and 4 rpg and is only 1-8 from three.

Key reserves:
F Nolan Taylor (6’7”, 260lb) is a sophomore, shoots a high percentage from both the field and the line and is contributing 9.3 ppg and 5.3 rpg.
JC Transfer Forward Darnell Dunn (6’6”, 205lb) can also get to the line where he is 8-11 and is scoring 8.7 ppg.
Sophomore Guard Knox Hellums (6’5”, 195lb) is a three point threat, making 6-13 and scoring 6.7ppg.

Prediction:
The Waves remind me a bit of last year’s Gaucho team which also had misfortune due to unavailable players and had to rely on contributions from true freshmen early.  The questionable status of Cooper and Udenyi for the Waves and Jackson for the Gauchos does provide some uncertainty, but I think UCSB wins this regardless.  With the assumption that none of the questionable players play, UCSB wins by about a dozen, 79-67.

The WCC message board put together an in-depth analysis of the Waves:
http://wccboards.com/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=1721
Official Site:  http://www.pepperdinewaves.com/sports/m ... -body.html
How to Watch:  http://www.wccsports.com/gamecenter/m-b ... -pepp.html
Hey Guys!     https://scout.com/college/pepperdine/Bo ... ics-102450
(But don’t bother Chief, board is dead)