UCSB vs Fresno State Game Preview, by GauchoFreg and gauchodan

Game 2
UCSB vs Fresno State
Friday, November 11, 2021, 2:00 pm PST
Santa Cruz, Calif.
 
Quick Bite
The Gauchos head up the 101 to Santa Cruz to open their DI season on the road in a neutral-site game in what will be their 100th contest with the Fresno State Bulldogs of the Mountain West.  Fresno State is 1-0 following an opening night 69-62 victory over DII Stanislaus State.

FSU-UCSB History
UCSB All-time record vs. FSU:  53-46
Long-time conference mates in the PCAA and Big West before the Bulldogs jumped to the WAC in 1991, the Gauchos & Bulldogs have played each other 99 times with the first game coming in 1937.   Fresno won both games that 1937-38 season, the first year of Gaucho basketball.   After one more loss the Gauchos then reeled off 8 straight.
 
Last game:  On February 20, 2010 UCSB went into Fresno and defeated the Paul George led Bulldogs 64-60.   UCSB was led by Orlando Johnson who had 23 points and pulled down a key rebound and hit a pair of free throws to close it out. James Powell added 10 points.
 
The Gauchos own a two-game win streak with Fresno’s last win coming in 2005 in Fresno.
 
The Arena
Kaiser Permanente Arena in Santa Cruz is the home of the Warriors G-League team and the D2 UC Santa Cruz hoops teams.   It was built in 2012 and seats 2,505. 

Head Coach
Justin Hutson enters his fifth season with the Bulldogs which is his first D1 head coaching gig.  He sports an overall record of 69-53 and led Fresno to The Basketball Classic championship last year. In his first season, 2018-19, he led Fresno to a 23-9 record, 3rd in the MWC and earned the Naismith COY award for best first year coach.   He was a long time assistant at SDSU and played two seasons for CSU Bakersfield, winning the DII National Championship both years.

Roster & Overview of the Bulldogs
The Bulldogs have to replace a great one in Orlando Robinson who is now playing for the Sioux Falls Skyforce after failing to make the Miami Heat roster.  The 6’11” center put up 19.4 points (35% from deep), 8.0 rebounds, and 2.8 assists for the Bulldogs.   However they do return the other four starters and remain very experienced across the lineup.   They bring in several solid transfers to add depth to an otherwise inexperienced bench.  

Who starts at Center and attempts to fill the shoes of Orlando Robinson is the biggest question.  Last year, the Bulldogs were one of the best defensive teams in the country and will present an immediate test for Gaucho offensive schemes.

Probable Starters
Isaiah Hill #3, Point Guard, Senior, 6’0”, 165 lb, 10.1 ppg, 3.3 apg, 33 mpg
Team’s leading returning scorer and leading 3 point shooter (makes).  Led team in assists and steals last year.  Scored 22 points and was 5-of-7 from the 3-point line vs. Stanislaus St.
 
Isaih Moore #11, Forward, GT, 6’10”, 197 lb 
Another player on his fourth stop.  Previous were Southern Miss, St. Johns and College of Charleston.  Scored 17 and added 7 rebounds vs. Stanislaus.  

Jamarl Baker #1, Guard, GT, 6’5”, 185 lb 
Previous stops at Kentucky and Arizona.  Was a starter at UA before getting injured in the 20-21 season, averaging 12 ppg, 1.9 apg and 3 rpg.  DNP last year.   Good defender.  Missed all 5 of his 3-point attempts in the season opener.
 
Anthony Holland #25, Wing, Senior, 6’5”, 225 lb, 9.6 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 34 mpg
Led team in getting to the line, 81% from the stripe.  Excellent from deep, 44%, second on the team in 3pt makes.  Grabbed 9 rebounds in the first game.

Jordan Campbell, #5, Guard, Senior, 6’4”, 195 lb, 7.1 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 23 mpg
Was 0-for-5 from field, scoring no points, while handing out 3 assists vs. Stanislaus St. 
  
Probable Key Reserves 
Donovan Yap #0, Guard, Junior, 6’5”, 185, 2.3 ppg, 10 mpg
Was Fresno's best player off the bench last game, hitting 5-of-6 shots and dishing out 6 assists in 27 minutes.  May get the start over Campbell.

Destin Whitaker #22, Guard, Junior, 6’5”, 185 lb, 3.2 ppg, 14 mpg
Three point sniper, making 24-50 last year.  He was 1-of-2 from three vs. Stanislaus.
 
Eduardo Andre #35, Center, Junior, 6’11”, 236 lb, 3.1 ppg, 3.1 rpg
Transfer from Nebraska; stats are from NU.  Played all 30 games.  From London

Leo Colimerio #23, Wing, Junior, 6’7”, 190 lbs, 5.3 ppg, 4.8 rpg
4 points, 4 rebounds in first game.
 
Jordan Brinson #12, Guard, Senior 6’3”, 175 lb 
Making his fourth stop; previously at UAB, Utah Valley and Salt Lake CC which was his most recent stop.  DNP in first game.
 
Chuks Isitua #15, Center, Sophomore, 6’11”, 220 lb, 5.6 ppg, 4.6 rpg
Transfer from IUPUI.  From Nigeria.  DNP in first game.
 
Injured/Unavailable  
Joseph Hunter #14, Guard, Freshman, 6’5”, 185 lb 
Local 4* recruit.
 
Match-up & prediction
This figures to be one of the tougher games of the entire season.  Fresno State flirted with an at-large bid in 2020-21 but settled for a bid to The Basketball Classic.  The Bulldogs struggled with Stanislaus State, and even trailed the DII Warriors 40-37 with 12:49 remaining.  Stanislaus shot 60% in the 2nd half, including 8-of-14 (57%) from three.  UCSB was in a similar situation, although ultimately they led wire-to-wire in disposing of the SF State Gators.  UCSB really struggled with preventing guard penetration, although missing JPL, Sanni and Harvey probably contributed to the situation.  Supposedly they are all close to returning.

Keys to the game for the Gauchos
Prevent penetration.  Hit threes.  Get the inside game working.  Rebound.  In other words, all of the things that were mediocre in Game #1.

Prediction 
Each team has something to prove after so-so performances in their season openers.  Fresno is adjusting to life after Orlando Robinson, while UCSB is adjusting to life after Amadou Sow.  I like UCSB in the long run (like by March), but for now I will make the pessimistic prediction and hope to be pleasantly surprised.  Fresno State 68, UC Santa Barbara 62 

Gauchos Ready For Neutral Site Game Against Bulldogs

https://www.ucsbgauchos.com/sports/m-baskbl/2022-23/releases/20221110rjmzyu

UCSB Hosts Pepperdine in Fansgiving Home Opener

https://www.ucsbgauchos.com/sports/w-baskbl/2022-23/releases/202211100ifa75

UCSB Downs Santa Clara on the Road in Season Opener 73-61

https://www.ucsbgauchos.com/sports/w-baskbl/2022-23/releases/2022110848jqw1

Anderson, Norris Score 20+ Points In Season Opener

https://www.ucsbgauchos.com/sports/m-baskbl/2022-23/releases/202211084tkm2b

2022-23 Season Opens For Men's Basketball Against San Francisco State

https://www.ucsbgauchos.com/sports/m-baskbl/2022-23/releases/20221106wos72l

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!

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!