UCSB Gaucho Hoops™

Monday, November 7, 2022

UCSB season preview, by GauchoFreg

https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/ucsbgauchos/ucsb-season-preview-by-gauchofreg-t25687.html

Unlike dakyne or the professionals, I am not directly interviewing the coaches but I am a voracious reader and compiler and this overview is a result of that.

2022-23 UCSB Preview
Head Coach & Staff
Joe Pasternack begins his sixth season at the helm of the Gauchos. Pasternack has recruited extremely well, especially in the transfer market with at least one transfer making a major impact each season. In year one, he led UCSB to its greatest turnaround season ever with 23 wins versus just 6 the year previous. In 2021 he led the Gauchos to their first NCAA tournament since 2011 where they narrowly lost to #5 seed Creighton 63-62 in the first round. UCSB has won at least 20 games in all but last season, albeit always with soft OOC schedules. Prior to UCSB he was the associate head coach under Sean Miller at Arizona. He was also the head coach for the University of New Orleans in the post Katrina years.
One of the hardest working individuals in the sport at any level, Pasternack goes way beyond the standard coaching responsibilities, he is a program builder. The improvements to the Thunderdome alone would be worthy accomplishments for an entirely separate job position; new chair back seats, practice court, video board, etc. UCSB is very lucky to have him.
Pasternack has had to manage some staff changes as two of his coaches have taken advantages of new opportunities. The toughest being replacing long-time Associate HC John Rillie, an Australian who played at Gonzaga in the 1990s who has returned to his native country to coach Perth of the NBL.   More recently, Director of Operations John Seavey has moved on to the lead assistant coach role at CSU Monterrey Bay.
Long time assistants Ben Tucker, Larry Lewis and Andrew Payne provide experience & stability while former Arizona State great Derek Glasser comes over from Rice.

2021-22 Season Recap
To put it bluntly, UCSB was a mediocre team in the early part of the 2021-22 season. Having to replace a very talented backcourt that had started three seasons together was bound to create a transition period. They also lost three consecutive games to Covid at the start of conference play then played the two top teams in conference after not playing for two weeks. This was followed by two more covid cancellations resulting in a very disjointed start of the year.
There were talented backcourt players to take the place of the graduating backcourt but chemistry & execution didn’t happen overnight. Things finally started to click for the team in February and they went on a nice run into the BW tournament. After losing Josh Pierre-Louis to injury in their first round win over CSUN, they lost on a buzzer beater to regular season champion Long Beach St in the semi-finals. In addition to some bad luck dealing with injuries & covid, KenPom rated UCSB as just the 336th luckiest team in the country on the court.
The Gauchos were solid on offense, averaging 73.8 ppg and a KP rating of 133 in the country. The Gauchos haven’t always rated well defensively but they improved on that end significantly over the course of the season and ended up with a respectable KP rating of 159, allowing 65.8 ppg.   They outrebounded their opponents by 4.1 pg and led the BW in ATO.

The Roster
The Gauchos are experienced, returning four starters and are especially deep in the backcourt. They are tasked with replacing one of their best centers in school history in four year starter Amadou Sow. This year's team will be led by BWC Freshman of the Year Ajay Mitchell, a 6’4” PG out of Belgium and Center Andre Kelly who transferred to UCSB after earning HM All PAC 12 in his last year at Cal. They are solid through the rest of the line-up with All BW level players in guard Ajare Sanni, stretch four Miles Norris and the uber athletic guard Josh Pierre Louis.
UCSB returns every key backcourt player from last year plus adds RS Sophomore SG/Wing Zach Harvey who sat out last year with injury after transferring from Cincinnati. Harvey was a 4* recruit out of high school and shot the ball very well from deep in his freshman campaign with the Bearcats. He’s still working his way back into full health but could have a breakout year if he gets there.
The Gauchos have the best starting frontcourt in the Big West on paper with two all-conference level players in Miles Norris and Kelly. They do lack experienced production behind them though as returning players Jakov Kukich and Ariel Bland saw limited minutes. UCSB also brings in JC transfer Evans Kipruto and 3* freshman Koat Keat who are both getting positive reviews for their defense & rebounding in preseason practices.
To start the season, if everyone is healthy, the starting lineup will likely be the same as last year with just Andre Kelly substituting for the graduating Sow. But, it appears that both Pierre-Louis & Harvey may not be 100% so we may see a smaller guard line-up earlier with Wishart filling in to start the season.

Probable Starters (if all are healthy)
Ajay Mitchel  #13 PG, Freshman 6’4”, 185 lb, 11.6 ppg, 3.7 apg, 2.7 FT/G, 2.1 ATO
Earned the starting point guard position a few games into the season last year on his way to winning the BWC FOY award. He led the team with assists with 3.7 per game and was second in scoring, 11.6 ppg. He is a decent three-point shooter (33%) but does most of his damage in the paint, leading the team in FT attempts and making them at a 75% clip. According to Coach Pasternack he worked hard in the off season and has added considerable muscle mass and several inches to his vertical.

Ajare Sanni #3  Guard, RS Senior, 6’3”, 170 lb
The Big West 6th Man of the Year two years ago, and a player that can be deadly from deep, Sanni dealt with injury last year and never seemed to get in a good extended rhythm last season and his shooting suffered. But there were positive gains too. He seemed to see the court a bit better and did a better job in facilitating with his assists jumping to 2.9 per game from 1.7. With a year of shared experience with the rest of the guards, expect Sanni’s shooting to return to form.

Josh Pierre-Louis  #1 Guard, Senior 6’4”, 190 lb,
One of the best athletes to ever put on a Gaucho uniform, his speed and initials give him the nickname of JPL. He plays phenomenal defense, brings high energy, and can absolutely ignite the fans and his teammates with his thunderous finishes at the rim. He became a much better facilitator last season, with his assists per game increasing to 3.1 from 1.9 the year before leaving him second on the team in that category. His shot selection & shooting % improved slightly last year as well. Reports are that he worked hard on his perimeter shot over the summer. An option to play PG when needed. Started his college career at Temple before transferring after his freshman year. Got a bit dinged up in the preseason so may not start early on and will probably be gradually ramped up in terms of PT.

Miles Norris  #5  Forward, Senior, 6’10” 220lb
All Big West HM for the second consecutive year, Norris is one of the best stretch fours on the west coast. Averaged 10.3 ppg and 5.7 rpg while shooting 36% from deep. His weakness is a lack of consistency. Could work to improve on his post moves as well, especially vs. a physical defender. Can carry the team at times but disappears for long stretches as well. His focus this summer has been on rebounding, especially hitting the glass on offense. Started his career at Oregon, he is a terrific athlete, can elevate and provide show-stopping dunks. Pasternack has raved about his effort this offseason and Miles could do great things this year.

Andre Kelly #2  Center, GT, 6’9” 255 lb
All Pac 12 Honorable Mention last year at Cal where he averaged 13.4 ppg and 8.4 rpg although his season was cut short by injury. Has good hands and touch around the rim. Reminds many Gaucho fans of former UCSB great Alan Williams with his similar build and game. While there is depth at the 4 & 5 in Kukic, Keat and Kipruto (apparently your last name must start with K to be a Gaucho big), none of those players have produced significantly or at all at the D1 level so there will be a high demand on Kelly’s minutes, especially early on while his teammates get up to speed. While his talent is known and appreciated, Kelly is adjusting to a new system so his full potential to impact the game, especially on defense, may take a little while.

Reserves (in order of projected PT, again when all healthy)

Calvin Wishart #10 PG/SG Senior, 6’2” 180lb 7 ppg, 2.8 apg and 2.9 rpg
Wishart started 17 games last year and will likely start the season opener vs. SF State with both JPL and Harvey dealing with some minor injuries. After Mitchell took over the starting PG role after 5 games last year Wishart both started at the two guard spot and came off the bench. Showed improvement on defense through the season, was second on the team in steals and he has a football players toughness (was all state as a WR). No stats kept for it but I would guess he or JPL led the team in charges taken. He is an excellent three-point shooter; was second on the team in 3pt % and third in 3pt makes, he provides crucial experience and production. Reports are that he had a terrific preseason and will have a major role on this year’s team.

Zach Harvey #11 Guard/Wing, Senior 6’6”, 195 lb
Missed last year due to injury. Transfer from Cincinnati. A terrific 3pt shooter for the Bearcats but he did not contribute much in terms of rebounding or assists. Will have to prove himself on the defensive side plus show do more in these areas to crack the starting line-up. The injury he had surgical correction for likely hampered him at Cincinnati so we could see a real break out season for Harvey now that he is healthy. Could end up starting some games. Reports are he is a bit dinged up going into the season so may see limited PT early on.

Jakov Kukic  #14 F/C, RS Sophomore 6’10” 230 lb
Limited minutes his first two years. With Sow, Idehen and Nagle having graduated, he has his best opportunity yet to contribute in a meaningful way. Knows the system, competes well in practice and the need is there.

Matija Belic  #32 Wing, Freshman 6’7”, 205 lb
From Serbia, not as much was known about him coming into the preseason but Belic has been a revelation on offense, showing a lot of skill beyond an excellent 3pt shot. Has work to do to improve on defense but with JPL & Harvey playing limited minutes early, he may get a shot to contribute more sooner than initially planned.
From his highlight videos (which can obviously be misleading) he appears to be physically strong and likes to drive into the paint and finish through contact.   Shot 41% from deep in his last season so he can keep the defense honest. He likes to use a shot fake from outside the 3pt line to then drive past the defender.   Also averaged 5.4 rebounds per game in his last season in the Serbian league.

Cole Anderson #4 Guard, Sophomore 6’4”, 185 lb, 4 ppg
Anderson is UCSB’s best pure shooter, leading the team in 3pt % last year. He earned more minutes as the season progressed. Continued improvement on defense key to more time on the court. According to Coach Pasternack, no player puts in more time in the gym.

Evans Kipruto  #12 Forward, Junior 6’8”, 245 lb
JC transfer. Adds size & depth to the frontcourt. Defense & rebounding big who has been getting positive reviews for this from his coaches. Is probably the toughest defender among the forward reserves. Averaged 10.3 ppg and 6.4 rpg at Barton Community College. With his long arms may remind some old timers of the Freeze. Athletic but raw, his highlights are mostly him dunking. Will play the five.

Koat Keat Tong  #0 Forward, Freshman 6’9”, 205 lb.
Highly rated recruit, held offers from UCLA & USC as well. Averaged 17 ppg, 12 rpg and 4 apg on his way to winning the Orange County POY award. Will play the four. Could push for solid reserve minutes, especially later in the year or if Kukic doesn’t step up into the lead reserve big role.

Ariel Bland  #23 Forward, Sophomore 6’7”, 215 lb.
Played limited minutes last season. Good athleticism and has demonstrated improvement. Will compete with Kukic for minutes at the four, possibly get some run in at the 3.   Not a perimeter threat last year.

Walk-ons:
Gage Gomez #50 Guard, Junior 6’3”, 190 lb
Gage has seen the most floor time amongst the Walk-ons and has looked like he belongs each time. Has yet to play meaningful minutes vs. a D1 opponent.
David Pickles #40 Forward, Sophomore 6’10”, 230 lb
Played two games last year and scored one basket. His brother Andrew also was a walk-on for the Gauchos.
Max Sheldon #53 Guard, Sophomore 5’11”, 180 lb Played in two games last year.
Henry Hartwell #51 Guard, RS Freshman 6’5”, 180 lb
DNP last year.

The Out of Conference Schedule
The out of conference slate, while always soft under Coach Pasternack, takes the cushiness to new levels. The average NET of their opponents is 260 and the average Quadrant # is 3.7

The Gauchos play two teams in the top half of last year’s NET with Appalachian State squeezing in at 167 plus late schedule add Fresno St at 73. Both of these teams will be played on neutral courts. Duquesne, Pepperdine and NAU do bring back a lot of experience so could improve measurably over their respective 2022 results.

With the exception of Fresno St, UCSB will likely be favored in every game currently on their OOC schedule. Right now I am projecting two OOC losses, one to Fresno, the other to Duquesne given the cross country travel (can’t help but think of UCLA/USC to the B10 every time I write about long road trips.) However, the Gauchos should very competitive in both of those games

Rank of the schedule from toughest to weakest; taking into account NET, Baartovik and location. Non-D1 opponents ignored:

Opponent Rank	Date	Home/Away	Team	2022 NET	Baart-ovik Proj.	Prediction
1	11/11/2022	N	Fresno St	73	68	L
2	11/29/2022	A	Duquesne	279	188	L
3	12/21/2022	N	Appalachian St.	167	164	W
4	12/10/2022	A	Pepperdine	285	174	W
5	11/18/2022	A	NAU	336	263	W
6	12/17/2022	A	Portland St.	270	297	W
7	12/03/2022	H	UOP	298	233	W
8	Nov MTE	H	N. Alabama	317	254	W
9	Nov MTE	H	Hampton	322	340	W

The Big West
Defending regular season champ Long Beach, Hawaii, UCR and UCI should be in the top half. Unfortunately for Hawaii, their starting PG was injured in their last exhibition game and is gone for the year. The Beach will probably be the toughest competition for the Gauchos but nearly all of the writers, the computers, and the BW coaches have picked the Gauchos to win the BW.

Keys to the season, as per Coach Pasternack:
1. Leadership
2. Chemistry
3. Defense

The second and third keys are entirely reliant on #1. Pasternack has frequently recounted the leadership provided by the backcourt of his 2020-2021 team that made it to the tournament. How Jaquori McLaughlin, Devearl Ramsey and Brandon Cyrus held the rest of the team accountable every day, especially on defense. He has also referenced the current iteration of the Lakers, all the talent in the world doesn’t mean a thing without chemistry and accountability. We’ll see what this iteration of the Gauchos delivers.

Preseason Predictions:
Non-conference: 9-2 (7-2 vs. D1)
BWC: 15-3, split with UH and LB with the third loss likely to UCI, UCR or Davis.
Overall: 24-5

Go Gauchos!

Saturday, November 5, 2022

Some Observations from a UCSB men's basketball practice on 11/3/22

These are some notes from a UCSB Men's basketball practice on 11/3/22.

At the request of head coach Joe Pasternack, no videos of the practice can be published--even drills, but especially plays and scrimmages. We don't want to give opponents an edge. Having said that, if fans want to attend a practice, they should contact Coach Pasternack directly to arrange attendance at a practice.

So here are my watered down observations of this year's squad.

We are bigger, more athletic, and definitely deeper than previous squads. Coach and I talked after the session, and he declared I was "out of my mind" for believing that, probably because as a coach, all he sees are areas of improvement required to be a championship team. Granted, I'm no expert, but all I can do is see the differences between teams, year over year, and admittedly, it's still early. But based on my observations, we are all of the abovementioned.

There aren't too many differences between the starting 5 and backups. We are deep. Sure, Andre probably has the best hands inside since Al Williams--plus, he's bigger, so he's obviously a high priority for defenders. And he is a good passer out of the double team. He even has a capable 3 point shot, and takes his free throws seriously--probably because he knows he'll get fouled a lot inside. But his strength is obviously finishing inside. Miles, Ajay, and Ajare do look stronger than last year, adding muscle to their thin frames. Cole and Calvin look quicker. Calvin always hustled, but his destinations seem more intentional now--he knows the system better. The Serbian is a deadeye shooter as advertised, but he's also good at pump fakes and driving and finishing. In fact, in 3 point shooting drills, most of the players--including the post players, are adept. But Miles, Cole, and Metija stood out during drills. Again, as Allen Iverson said, "this is practice"--the proof is in the pudding during games, but I have a feeling our 3 point shooting percentages will be improved this year over last year.

Miles, as usual, wins the wind sprints. Josh, despite just coming back to practice, took off from the baseline off of two feet and threw down a thunderous two handed dunk during one drill. He's slowly being brought back and not fully participating yet, and Zach is scheduled to practice next week. So there are the normal, expected nagging injuries with every preseason. Hopefully, we will be at full strength at some point.

Ajay looks like he grew an inch or two, with an improved shot.

Defense and rebounding remain areas of focus. Coach Pasternack has mentioned them being liabilities in the past, but to my unprofessional eyes, the players are putting in a lot of effort, and have been loud in their communication, which is what I would want to see as a fan.

The backup forwards will get playing time because their strengths are defense and rebounding. Kipruto is a beast, and provides good push back for Andre in practice. Think of him as a quicker Robinson. KK is not slouch on defense either, altho thinner than Kipruto, but he also adds some offense down low, and can finish with either hand. Both Ariel and Kukic are improved as well.

I apologize if I haven't gone to great lengths to describe every returnee, and with no videos. But I am convinced we will be a high-caliber team, even with the knowledge that there are a lot of good teams in Div. 1. The key will come down to are we going to defend with urgency, to borrow Coach's terminology. Getting low into a defensive stance is a constant reminder for some. Other staples like not reaching in as a defender. Not taking the head fake, etc. As long as we play smart on offense--including proper spacing, we can be good offensively, given the amount of weapons we have. One key is to get open shots going inside out on offense, and making sure V-cuts are crisp to get open.

The biggest key is we need leaders to emerge. A redundant topic, but one which every championship team possesses. We have leaders--we just need a couple to take the bull by the horns and make every teammate accountable on and off the court.

The players are good teammates and they get along great with each other. They're a bunch of great kids. The killer instinct will need to kick in once conference season approaches.

Interview with UCSB Women's Volleyball Coach Nicole Lantagne Welch

Interview with UCSB Women's Volleyball Coach Nicole Lantagne Welch on 11/3/22

Gaucho Hoops ("GH"): Thanks for taking the interview. Let's start with summarizing the season up until now.

Nicole Lantagne Welch ("NLW"): We're a little bit past the halfway point of our conference season. We're currently at 10-2 in second place, one match behind Hawaii, who is the league leader. Our team is known to be balanced. We run what's called a 6-2, where we have 2 setters that come from the back row and that way, for every 3 rotations, we rotate in a new right side, and we keep 3 attackers in the front row, which allows the balance that we're creating offensively. Along with our offensive balance, our defense is a big push this year, and we are currently ranked 12th in the nation in blocks per set. We're led by Dani Wilson who leads the conference in blocks per set and Nia who is starting her first year, is second in the conference in blocks per set. That's one of the big reasons why we're having a lot of success.

GH: Is part of blocking having height, hops, and size?

NLW: Absolutely. Your ability to move laterally across the net, but size and height are huge, and Nia is our tallest and Deni is second tallest. Nia is 6'4" and Deni is 6'2". Deni is not as tall, but she is pretty long. They're all taller than me.

GH: Comments during the UT NCAA match 3 years go were that you were known for being quick, and you didn't have the size that UT had, and yet, you almost beat them.

NLW: Correct, so we are undersized, but we are very athletic. We run an extremely fast offense, one of the fastest offenses in the country, and so we try to beat teams that have more size (massive players) by going fast, and making our opponents having to get to places on the court faster.

GH: When you say fast, what do you mean?

NLW: The sets are faster--our setting offense. The speed from the ball leaving our setter's hands to our hitter is extremely fast, and that's why we have very dynamic athletes that can catch that speed as attackers.

GH: And you recruit that type of player?

NLW: Correct, absolutely.

GH: What's the difference between the 6-2 and the 5-1?

NLW: The 5-1 means you just have one setter and she sets from all six rotations all the way around, and so goes in the front row as the setter, so that's the only difference.

GH: And so you have two setters.

NLW: Yeah, and right now, Mehana Ma'a is our starting setter. She's a 5th year senior. She's very experienced. And then we have Grace McIntosh coming in after 3 rotations. She's a sophomore.

GH: We can go through the rotations, but Macall, she's the Libero, and she leads the conference in digs?

NLW: She led at some point--I haven't checked this week, but she's up there for sure. She's a very good defender and very good passer as well.

GH: And what about the front row players?

NLW: I think Michelle Ohwobete is leading us in kills. She's a returning outside, number 19. And Briana McKnight is also doing very well as an outside hitter. She and Michelle stay in six rotations on the court, so they pass, they play defense, and they hit for us.

GH: They're all around good players.

NLW: Yes, Tallulah Froley--she was playing in that UT match you were referring to--she's a 5th year senior. She has a really strong hitting percentage. She's excellent for us on the right side. And Tasia Farmer, who also played in that match. She wasn't playing regularly that year, but came on late. She's our other right side. She's another reason why we run the 6-2. We have these nice, good live arms and we can play fast and have success doing it.

GH: And then of course, there's Deni.

NLW: Yes, there's Deni and Nia in the middle, who we talked about earlier. They're our two middle's.

GH: Hawaii is coming here. What's your plan of attack or strategy in the return match--without giving away too much information?

NLW: I have Bakersfield and Cal Poly in the brain. But we had a really close match in Hawaii. It'll be good to get them at home. We'll have to make a few adjustments from our first match. They won the serve / pass match. We need to pass better and serve better. I think that is the biggest shift that we need to make.

GH: When you say serving better, what do you mean?

NLW: The first ball after whistle, the first ball initiates and we just need to be more aggressive and strategic with spots we put on the floor.

GH: Part of that is serving to the weakest link?

NLW: Right, or catch people out of rhythm offensively, all that stuff.

GH: Is Cal Poly the other big challenger?

NLW: Cal Poly, Long Beach, Hawaii and UCSB are the top 4 teams, and plus we have all of them still on our remaining schedule. And any of the top 4 can win it.

GH: Is there going to be a Big West Tournament after the regular season, by the way?

NLW: No, not this year. Some of the coaches tried to add it, but when the Big West added Bakersfield and UCSD, they wanted to do this double round and there wasn't room on the schedule yet so they decided to not have a tournament.

GH: So the regular season champion is the number 1 seed.

NLW: Correct.

GH: In terms of the NCAA's, is it a one-bid conference?

NLW: I think this year, unfortunately, it will be. As a whole, the conference didn't play well during nonconference matches. And teams didn't play well until after conference play started. So the regular season champion will go to the NCAA's.

GH: Any comments on what to look for on the road?

NLW: Yeah, Bakersfield plays great at home. They took Hawaii and Long Beach to five sets. They've have some good wins there. They play with an edge at home, and we have to be absolutely ready and on top of our game, and respect them, and bring our A game.

GH: What are the keys?

NLW: I think we need to bring it. Every time you go on the read, there's extra visuals, so we need to dial in on serving and passing right away. Different gyms, and spatials--you have to hone in on that right away. It's important we have to get our setters decent balls from the fast offense which makes us so efficient. And at the same time, we need our defense to step up, because Bakersfield is gritty at home and they're going to bring it, and play at a different level than we saw here at the Thunderdome.

GH: And Cal Poly?

NLW: Cal Poly is always exciting. It's a rivalry match with them, so it'll be a great environment, the band will be there, so I'm sure it'll be a great match.

GH: When is the next homestand?

NLW: The next home matches will be the following weekend. We have Fullerton and Long Beach at home, that Friday and Saturday.

GH: So we gotta get the community and students in the stands.

NLW: Yes, absolutely.

GH: Thanks Coach!

Tuesday, November 1, 2022

Interview with UCSB Women's basketball coach Bonnie Hendrickson on October 27, 2022

Gaucho Hoops (GH): Let's start with the players first. We can cover strategies, identify what you're working on, how the exhibitions went, and whatever message you want to communicate to fans later.

Bonnie Hendrickson (BH): OK, let's start with seniors first. With Ila, we're obviously excited for her. It's her last year. She's an all-conference player every day in practice. That's why she's so special. She just doesn't take days off. She's explosive around the rim, and she's working on getting to the rim more.

That'll help us because we've got a group of bigger guards. The factor is how well they can play together with ball handling, can they penetrate and kick, and can they keep people in front of them? So if they can't do that, it will impact their minutes. How big can we play on the perimeter--how big can our 2's and 3's be? Can they play together, because if they are all alike, and they have the same weaknesses in a sense, then you can't play them all together. We caught a little bit of that last year because we played Megan and Taylor and Taty together, as they're not primary ball handlers. To play all 3 of them at the same time is hard. Now we can tweak a few things. with not as much driving and kicking, or passing and cutting, but we'll see...

So Ila is a 3 level scorer, getting on the glass and rebounding, using her length

With Alexis Tucker, she's really improved from last year. She's worked hard in the spring and summer. She's worked hard to be confident facing the rim, ball handler, playmaker, getting down hill, getting the ball in the paint, kick it out, getting the right read. She's really improved from a year ago. She was used to playing with her back to the rim. Fans will see that right away, She didn't always play with her back to the glass last year, but she just wasn't aggressive pushing the ball forward. We want her to reverse the ball if there's rotation, she needs to be able to kick it out Can she make a quality pass, can she create a shot for somebody else by putting the ball on the floor?

Anya Choice is a 3 level scorer working on being confident in the mid range She's explosive to the rim. She's improved as a stationary 3 point shooter where the ball comes to her and she steps into it. She made that transition mid-season last year. More movement, not watching the ball and anticipating the ball, getting her feet ready. She's much more improved where she can pull up in rhythm, find that little gap and that space before she gets too deep, was her point of emphasis. Defensively, we had Danae last year, and we need someone who can guard the other teams' best player She's the most capable in terms of being physical and quickness. She's gotta turn the corner there and be more consistent with her effort and energy on that end of the floor. It would be incredibly impactful for us on the perimeter defensively.

Alyssa Marin is the starting point guard for now, can play the 1 and 2. Anya is our third point guard right now. Danae is gone and Alyssa has embraced leadership. Its her turn to step up and lead and get the ball ahead in transition, pass the ball and get us up the court quicker. She played a lot of catch football with her brothers growing up. She can throw the ball from the baseline for a touchdown, but sometimes that's the right thing to do, sometimes it's not. She working on that...like every point guard with decision-making: what's the right play to make? She's a capable scorer and comes back into the rotation . She can knock it down in the midrange. She's a good driver and drop passer. In transition, she passes it across half court. In the half court offense, she gets down hill, and makes good passing decisions. She's got great pace and great energy. I never have to ask her to speed up She's incredibly self-disciplined and very mature in that way.

GH: With Danae graduating, is there a point guard by committee?

BH: Alyssa and Callie Cooper split the duties last night. They're trying to find their niche and voice on both ends of the floor. This group has more scoring options, they just have to defend. How do I get us organized--how do I stay ahead of the play mentally? You can't take a play off, you have to focus. She played point guard last year, but it wasn't the minutes Danae played though. Having those minutes with Alyssa and Callie this year--it'll just feel different. Callie is explosive, she can get downhill, she can get in your face on defense, she's pesky like that She's small in stature but that's a good thing cuz she can get you into pressing who's she defending. That's a good thing, to get their head down without fouling. She can get into the paint and loop around. She's strong if she gets into contact and distributes. She will be a big impact with her ability to pressure the ball defensively. She just has to be consistent.

Alexis Whitfield transferred here from the University of Washington. She's a California kid, a Valley kid. She played well last night. She's big and long--big at the rim, good job on the glass, can get down hill, and score off two feet using her size and strength. She needs to get consistent as a 3 point shooter. Decent in the midrange when she is able to get to the rim because of her size. She's almost 6'2", has to tighten up her handle when she tries to drive it, because she's gonna get pinched more. Defensively, she has to be smart because she's strong and athletic and long. She's just gotta get out there and guard. She needs to not rotate defending the 3. She's gotta get up there and forced them to drive. Force a 2 or 3,and get help from the forwards. She'll get better as this is a different style from where she played. We require more responsibility to be a ball handler , to make decisions, improve quality of decisions: do I shoot, do I pass? That gets us thru the juniors and seniors.

Callie is a sophomore. Analillia tore her acl so she's out for the year. She had surgery last week. Laurel is injured--she's a backup 5. We're asking her to work on her face up game--away from the paint to create more room, especially in practice against Ila. Forcing Ila outside replicates what opponents are doing with her. Laurel is a good screener, able screener. Want her to help out the person with the ball. Step away from the rim on a penetration and kick out for a 10 footer. She can shoot the little 6 foot, 8 foot jumper. That'll impact us positively and creates space for teammates, and also gives her an opportunity to knock down the jumper. Good voice, good leader at the 5 on the defensive end. We need a good communicator on the back end of the defense.

Kennedy Johnson is a great athlete, explosive, can create alot from her defense. She gets to the rim, is shooting at a better rate from the 3. She needs to be consistent from midrange and finishing from 2 feet. She's sometimes so quick, too quick sometimes and doesn't have her head up to see where she is on the floor. She's explosive and has to finish higher. She has to get up off of two feet instead of one. She can get there fast but has to slow down and finish. She can get up and defend the ball. She can be impactful, can create havoc and cause opponents to make poor decisions. We just need more consistency, so she can create an impact for us on defense.

Freshmen--we have two. Skylar from Couer d'Alene from Idaho. Gets more loose balls than anybody on the team. Can get offensive rebounds; her numbers are as good as Ila's and post players. Just tremendous energy. She's on the floor, she's at the rim. She's going to be scrappy. She's tough defensively, learning as a freshman with the pace and speed, and talent level in Div. 1 and in our league. She's got a good mid range game and needs to find her rhythm from the 3 She's a little rushed, little sped up She's got good range, but like Anya, she gets caught watching the ball and when the ball comes to her, her feet aren't ready. She should shoot it, but she shouldn't because she's not ready. Love her energy and enthusiasm and makes things happen just because she's flying around, and that's contagious.

GH: So she leads the team in floor burns.

GH: She sure does. She's the first person down on the floor, and that's contagious. She's the first one on the glass consistently, coming from the 3 point line. That's how we play: 4 out, 1 in, and nobody boxes out so she was getting offensive rebounds.

Jessica Grant has the least stature in our group, but might be the most explosive as far as her ability to score. She hit four 3's last night, just didn't get her feet set or she would have knocked down more. She led the country in 3's last year, made over 500 3's in her high school career. She hit 10 in one game last year. She's like a silent assassin. She's not going to blow you away when you first look at her until she knocks down her 2nd, 3rd, 4th three point shot. She's just starting to understand where her teammates can find her. She's learning how to move without the ball, finding a window where she can't see the ball, and the ball can't see her, so she's starting to move and create opportunities for herself, because her teammates are looking for her. They can kick it out to her on the 3. Pretty soon tho, opponents will take that away, so she has to get down hill. She can make back to back 3's like she did last night. That's why she's here. But she can do more than that because when opponents run her off the 3 point line, and they will do that, so we had to spend time with her to be confident with putting the ball on the floor, and make a good play on the dribble and make a good decision. She'll throw it off the on ball screen to Ila, or penetrate and kick and get it out. She's going to get run off the line, so she doesn't have to make plays. As a freshman, that's really important to understand what she is right now. In games, don't try to be somebody else.

GH: So she's not a one dimensional catch and shooter?

BH: No, no, no, I'm talking all about the 3's, but she's a lot more than that, for sure.

Back to Tatyana, she's a spacer, 6'3", good 3 point shooter who stretches the defense. She'll be the hybrid 5 until Laurel gets back She has played a back up 5 and she's a good screener She has good feet and a 3 point shot. She just has to get on the glass and make some shots and she'll get minutes. Taylor Mole is a senior from Australia. was all-conference her first year, then came off the bench last year. It was good for her. She gets really antsy early--during the exhibitions, taking pull up jumpers and those aren't high percentage shots. She just needs to calm down and let the game come to her a bit. She's a 3 level scorer, 3 point shooter, midrange, finishes at the rim. Need from her defensively on the perimeter. She played at the 4 and is now playing the 3, so she has to guard out there aggressively and competitively.

GH: So with Coach Pasternack his words were urgency, urgency, urgency, referring to defense and rebounding. A lot of fans watch the ball, the shooter, but in his words, we have to defend, and we have to rebound. He's not so keen on their defensive prowess as individual defenders. Josh is one of our premiere defenders, but everything else is based on positioning. Meaning help defense, because if you're not super quick laterally, you better have position to help and communicate to teammates. What are your keys to this team? You were selected 2nd in preseason Big West polls. How do you fulfill those lofty expectations?

BH: We have to guard. After last night we gave up 60. We can't give up 60 points. We have to defend and be able to get into ball handlers. If we don't keep them in front of us, at least we can send them where we want them to go. Help is supposed to be about being in position. It doesn't take talent to be in the correct position. At this point, we only have a handful of defenders who can keep people in front of them against each other in practice. We have to get better there. Two things: improve defensively and our passing decisions.

We can get the ball there, but we don't throw what we call "money" balls. We got to get shooters in rhythm in the "pocket". Last night, that was disappointing. We sped up and rushed and so we got the ball there but they weren't really quality passes. Being as long as we are, use that on the defensive end and on the glass. We got decent numbers on the offensive boards. We have more players on the perimeter than we have had in the past. We have to improve on the decision-making so we make sure we take care of the ball. It's a game of possessions, so some of these guys have to box out on rebounding. With rebounding, you don't want to just go for the ball, you have to hit somebody first and make some contact. So you can't just stand there, pivot and hope. Hit your player, create what we call a push, and more than likely it comes right back at you. Rebounding on both ends of the floor, but on defense is why you win, and offense will tell you how much you win by. We want to put ourselves in a position based on seeding in the Big West tournament We gotta defend and get out in transition. Catch Ila before the defense can set up.

GH: So that's like a secondary fastbreak off transition.

GH: Yeah, it's like offense after a defensive rebound. Outlet up the floor, pass it up the floor, don't be dribbling in transition. Which means we have to rebound and we gotta get out and run.

GH: And that includes Ila running down the court?

BH: She runs, we're not waiting on her. She works really hard to be good in transition.

GH: I do have a question: "in the pocket", does that mean get the pass to the wheelhouse of the shooter?

BH: Yeah, right where they're calling for it, not above their heads, not below their knees. Hit them in rhythm, right into their hands, right where they're calling for it. We didn't do a good job of it last night. We were chasing above our heads, sideways...

GH: That's your first exhibition game.

BH: Yeah, that's why we're playing them. That's why we're here. It's gotta get better.

GH: Thanks, Coach--see you at the next game!

Monday, October 31, 2022

Mark Patton: UC Santa Barbara Seeks Running Start to Basketball Season

https://www.noozhawk.com/article/mark_patton_uc_santa_barbara_running_start_to_basketball_season_20221030

Thursday, October 27, 2022

The JUCO State Champs has RELOADED Again!! City College of San Francisco Team Preview

Wednesday, October 26, 2022

Men's Basketball Slated No. 1 In Big West Preseason Coaches' Poll

https://www.ucsbgauchos.com/sports/m-baskbl/2022-23/releases/20221019rwxryu

UCSB Tops Life Pacific 98-60 in Exhibition

https://www.ucsbgauchos.com/sports/w-baskbl/2022-23/releases/202210272a4x8q

Tuesday, October 25, 2022

UCSB Takes the Floor for the First Time in Exhibition with Life Pacific

https://www.ucsbgauchos.com/sports/w-baskbl/2022-23/releases/20221025ugsoun

Friday, October 21, 2022

Interview with Coach Joe Pasternack, 10-17-22

Interview with UCSB Men's basketball coach Joe Pasternack.

Gaucho Hoops ("GH"): Hi Coach, thanks for taking this preseason interview. The team has some nicks and injuries?

Joe Pasternack ("JP): We're banged up pretty good here, and early practices, that's what happens. And hopefully, there's nothing major. We are banged up, and just trying to build our culture for the team, and acclimate the new guys into the team. They haven't been here long to learn on how to do things. I think our guys are getting sick of playing against each other, and getting ready to play against somebody with a different color jersey. It'll be great.

GH: As far as the newer players, let's start there. Who do you think will have a major impact--maybe even start?

JP: I think Andre Kelly. He's going to hopefully be a primary player for us. Matija Belic--he's really done well for us. KK--Koat Keat, Evans Kipruto--we're all really happy we got all of them. So they all can have a role here for us, at one point or another, as it goes, either earlier or later. With injuries and all the things that happen during a basketball season. All of them are definitely going to be good enough to play for us this year.

GH: Wow. So that's good. There's no redshirt possibilities?

JP: I don't even think about redshirting right now, until the first game. But all of them can play. How they'll actually be able to do in a conference game? We don't know. We're not there yet.

GH: Let's focus on the new players. We kinda know what to expect from the returning players. I'm sure there are some improvements. But as far as the newcomers, can you start with Andre--and what he brings? How you intend to use him?

JP: Andre has experience--that's what he brings. He's done it at the PAC 12 level. He's a big body who has great, great hands. He's a very good passer. He can score in the post.

GH: When you say he's a good passer: is that out of the low post, or the high-low?

JP: Everything. He can pass out of the high post, out of the low post, off of ball screens. He does a really good job with that. I'm very impressed with his passing ability.

GH: Wow, that's a really good wrinkle. So he can play with his back to the basket. Can he play facing the basket too?

JP: Yeah, he can drive the ball as well.

GH: How about KK?

JP: KK is a really good rebounder. One thing he can do is really rebound the basketball on both ends of the floor.

GH: What about his defensive capabilities?

JP: Defense is probably his strength.

GH: What about Kipruto?

JP: Kipruto is an incoming sophomore. He's got a 7'4" wingspan He's just really learning, but I think he's got a chance of being really good. Defensively, his length bothers people. He's long, he's athletic, he plays really hard. He rebounds the ball.

GH: Sounds like the practices are pretty intense.

JP: Kipruto is guarding Andre. Practices are very competitive.

GH: Are Kipruto and KK interchangeable at the 4 and 5?

JP: No KK is more of a 4, and Evan is a 5.

GH: Interesting. What about the Serbian, 6'7" shooter?

JP: He's a driver. He can really drive the ball and he's got a nice shot. He can rebound for being 6'7".

GH: How about his defense, given he's a Euro guy.

JP: Yeah, he's a work in progress. He's just a freshman. He's gotta get better.

GH: Let's start with the returnees. How is Miles doing? I know he's working on rebounding.

JP: Miles is working really hard. He's working on attacking the glass, the offensive glass. I'm really proud of him.

GH: Miles has a 3 point shot. He can take it to the hole. Is he working on any back to the basket stuff?

JP: He's working on it. That's not his strength. Teams are switching on ball screens, and we'll have to take advantage of that.

GH: With rebounding, has he added any muscle?

JP: Yes, he's gotten stronger, but rebounding is more a mentality. He's gotta just go.

GH: Right--just get after it. Who's at the 3 at this point?

JP: We're just gonna play with a lot of different lineups, to be honest with you. We're playing 3 guards. It's not really a 3 man. We have 7 perimeter players. Ajay, Calvin, Cole, Ajare, Josh, Zach, and Matija. And we could go with 3 perimeter guards.

GH: It's going to be pretty deep on the perimeter, it looks like.

JP: It's going to be a highly competitive environment.

GH: Ajay will be starting at the point guard. Who's backing him up?

JP: Calvin.

GH: Who are the team captains?

JP: We haven't gotten there yet.

GH: What about Ajare, what's his status. What's he working on?

JP: He's doing well. He's gotten a lot bigger and stronger. He's doing a nice job.

GH: His photo looks like he's bulked up a little bit. With the covid extra year, are some of the seniors going to take the extra year? Have you navigated through that?

JP: I haven't even thought about it. I'm so worried about our team right now. I'm just trying to figure out how we/re going to guard people. I haven't even thought about anything else.

GH: Is that your biggest concern right now? On defense?

JP: Yes, defending, and rebounding are my biggest concerns.

GH: How about Calvin, JPL and Cole?

JP: Calvin has had an amazing summer and fall, playing the best basketball of his career. I'm really excited about watching him this year.

GH: So he's buying in--he's bought in.

JP: Yes, he is.

GH: How about JPL?

JP: Josh obviously has a great chance to be a great defender for us. A rebounder, and his energy enables him to be a great difference-maker for us from a defensive and rebounding standpoint. His defense leads to scoring for us. He's worked really hard on his shot this summer. We're going to need him to be solid for us.

GH: He's been working on his 3 point shot?

JP: Yes.

GH: How's Cole doing?

JP: Cole's doing well. He's worked really hard. He's working really hard on becoming a better defender. He really loves the game. He's in the gym more than anybody else on our team. So it will be exciting to see what he can do this year. He's a weapon.

GH: He's always had a pretty good shot obviously. Part of shooting is working to get open. What is he doing there to get more separation?

JP: Cole is driving the ball more. He'll have a really good year for us, I think.

GH: So he's not just a catch and shoot. He can drive He can dribble, pull up and shoot?

JP: Yes.

GH: Zach, he didn't play last year. How's he coming along?

JP: Zach is working really hard. He's had major ankle and knee surgeries. He's working hard to get healthy. He's not fully back yet. He had a good summer, but right now he's just trying to get as healthy as possible.

GH: His strengths are defense and rebounding?

JP: He's a big guy. He can score. He can really score, he can shoot the ball, drive the ball. Tough, strong kid, can defend.

GH: Sounds like a 5 tool guy.

JP: He just hasn't played. Experience playing is a big deal.

GH: What about Kukic?

JP: Jakov has worked really hard, and he's waited for 4 years for playing time, and now he's going to have to prove his experience has paid off, he's got so much experience in our program.

GH: So that experience in the program helps, right?

JP: Absolutely.

GH: What about Ariel?

JP: Ariel Bland was a freshman last year, and again he's going to be playing at the 4. He's an athletic rebounder, a defender, and a guy that just runs really hard. He's done well to play his role.

GH: So it sounds like the team is going to be really deep.

JP: Yes, there's not a big difference between our players. So it's ultimately going to come down to how we defend and rebound. And that is a question mark. Last year, we didn't do it. And our team choked. We have a lot more experience this year, and hopefully we can become a great defending and rebounding team.

GH: What do you think the key is to defending better? Is it a mindset?

JP: Urgency, urgency, urgency. And position. We don't have a lot of great defenders, besides Josh. So we have to have amazing position.

GH: Like help defense?

JP: Yes.

GH: And that's communication, too?

JP: Absolutely, yes.

GH: So the three keys: one is defense, obviously. Two is rebounding. What would be the third key?

JP: Chemistry. You have a lot of players that want to play. You can have all the talent in the world on paper, but the Lakers are a good example. LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Russell Westbrook, many would have picked them to win the world championship based on talent. It's not always talent. It's chemistry, and a lot of luck with injuries. And an incredible attitude and discipline, and a team that plays really, really hard. And right now, we're not there. We're a work in progress.

GH: I'll try to make it to the first game against SFSU. The fans are really excited. I mean, we lost Amadou and Robinson. The fans are stoked, and alot of the basketball writers are picking us as favorites. You guys are definitely the favorites in the Big West.

JP: Yeah, but last year we were too, and we finished in 5th place.

GH: That's good motivation, Coach. Any other comments on other programs?

JP: No, every year the Big West is always competitive, and I think it will be this year, too. For us, we had amazing leadership with Jaquori, Devearl, and Brandon Cyrus. What our leadership is will really show a lot about us.

GH: Can you be specific on what that leadership is?

JP: Brandon, Devearl and Jaquori--they were in their senior years. They had that urgency. The urgency they had on a daily basis was unbelievable. The leadership they showed and holding each teammate accountable, because they wanted to win a ring. Was unbelievable. And right now, we're searching for that leadership.

GH: Right, it's earned, definitely.

JP: Yep.

GH: Any other comments?

JP: November 7 is our goal to get the place sold out. That first game sets the tone for the season. That'd be the biggest thing. Get the students and the community out. If you're going to pick one game to come to, come November 7.

GH: How can we help, with Facebook, Twitter, social media...

JP: I think you can go wherever you can go putting it out there. That's the deal. Get that game sold out.

GH: Any promotions?

JP: We're gonna have T shirts, and it's going to be a white out. It's going to be wild. A lot of give-aways. Surprise give-aways.

GH: I have an idea. You know how every game has the 3 keys to winning? You should get Santa Barbara BMW to sponsor that segment. Like what are the 3 keys to the game? Keys to the car.

JP: Sounds like a good idea.

GH: I don't know who your marketing director is, but you should run it by him/her.

JP: You're talking to him.

GH: <laughs> You don't have a marketing director?

JP: No, we're looking for one, if you have anybody. Let's really get this game ratcheted up, November 7.

GH: Will do. Thanks Coach, I really appreciate your time.

JP: Thanks, man, let me know if need anything.

GH: Thank you, sir.