UCSB (3-3)* @ Pacific (2-6)*
Tuesday, December 14, 2021, 7 pm
*D1 records only
Quick Bite: The Gauchos, coming off their worst performance of the season with their 21 point beat down in Moraga, finish their road leg of their non-conference season with a visit to Stockton to take on the UOP Tigers. It is the first game between the former conference foes since the Tigers left the Big West after the 2013 season. The Gauchos look to finish with a winning record vs. the WCC having defeated Pepperdine and lost to St. Mary’s.
UOP-UCSB History
Like the War-by-the-Shore rivalry was, this one is all knotted up, sitting at 55 games apiece. The Tigers won the last game between the two schools, a dramatic 3 point win in the 2013 BWT quarters after allowing the Gauchos to come back from a 19 point deficit.
The teams first played in 1947 with the Tigers winning the first two games of the series, the Gauchos getting their first win in 1948. The longest win streak for the Tigers was 8 games (1977-81) and for the Gauchos it is 6 games, 1999-2001. The Tigers own a one game win streak.
The most famous game between the two schools is the infamous Tortilla game in 1997 in which the 18-2 Tigers, led by future #1 NBA draft pick Michael Olawakandi, came into SB heavily favored and faced a raucous UCSB crowd in no mood to listen to anyone. Tortillas kept hitting the floor and the Gauchos kept getting hit with technicals. But UOP failed to take advantage and made only one of 6 free throws.
The Arena
The Spanos Center, named for the former Chargers owner who has also donated a lot to Cal Poly, was built in 1981 and seats 6,150. It was renovated in 2019 with new lighting & floors. The Tigers are 2-1 vs D1 teams at home this year and average attendance is 973
Tigers Head Coach
Leonard Perry has taken over for the Damion Stoudemire who left to take on an assistant coach role with the Boston Celtics. In college, Perry was a star player for the Idaho Vandals, leading them to the NCAA tournament in 1990, and he coached his alma mater 2001-06, leading theVandals to a 48-97 record. This will be his 6th season with UOP.
Tigers Overview
As is typical with most programs that experience a coaching change, the Tigers lost a couple key players to the Portal plus lost a couple to graduation and the Tigers have had a bit of a rocky start to their season. There is much common ground between the programs as the Tigers are 0-3 vs the Big West already (Hawaii, Davis, Fullerton) and the only D1 wins for the Tigers are vs. the same soft teams that the Gauchos faced in Chicago State and Arkansas Pine Bluff. The Tigers have lost three straight including by 12 at San Jose St on Saturday.
The Tigers do return three starters and have restocked with a mix of transfers and freshmen. Perry is unhappy with how the team has been playing, has been dealing with attitude issues & some injuries and has been tweaking his starting lineup and holding some players out so it is a bit of a guessing game as to who will actually start/get significant minutes.
Possible Starting 5
Point Guard Pierre Cockrell, #3, 6’0”, 175 lb, Junior 6.7ppg, 4.6 apg, 2.6 rpg, 1.8 ATO, 30 mpg.
Has started all but one game, was scoreless vs. SJSU. Leads the team in assists & steals.
Bracket Buster: “There may be no bigger part to a WCC team’s offense than Crockrell’s role for the Pacific Tigers. The driving floor general may be the most underrated point guard in the conference. His 3.41 assist to turnover ratio led the conference and was the 4th best in all of Division I hoops (2020-2021 season). Crockrell’s speed and the Tigers’ screen-heavy system resulted in 10.1 points per game.”
Guard Nick Blake, #, 6’6”, 175 lb, Sophomore, 6.3 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 17 mpg
Transfer from UNLV has taken on a more prominent role of late in the absence of Luke Avdalovic
Wing Alphonso Anderson, #2, 6’6”, 220 lb Senior 10.9 ppg, 7.2 rpg, 29 mpg
Transfer from Utah State, dealing with some back issues.
Forward Jordan Bell, #42 6’8”, 220 lb. Graduate 5.8 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 17 mpg.
Coming off his best game of the season scoring 19 pts and pulling down 7 boards in 32m in the loss to SJSU. In his second year with the Tigers, played the previous two at LMU after starting at Northwestern St. Tiger’s leading rebounder last year starting most games but mostly coming off the bench this season.
Center Sam Freeman, #15 6’10”, 240 lb. Sophomore 6.1 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 14 mpg
Transfer from Minnesota where he was lightly used, 7 fgs all year. Has been starting of late but not playing a lot of minutes.
Possible Key Reserves
Forward Jeremiah Bailey, #13, 6’6”, 220 lb, Senior 13.2 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 14-32 from deep, 2.5 TO pg, 29 mpg. Team’s leading scorer but ran afoul of Perry resulting in first being held out of a game then coming off the bench vs. SJSU. He did play 29m vs. the Spartans so possibly back to his starting role. Leads team in getting to the line but just 59% once there.
Guard Greg Outlaw, #24, 6’4”, 175 lb, Sophomore 4.5 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 15 mpg
Has started 4 games
Guard Jalen Brown, #2, 6’3”, 170 lb Junior 3.5 ppg, 12 mpg
Has started 2 games. JC transfer
Guard Khaleb Wilson-Rouse, #0, 6’2”, 180 lb Junior 3.2 ppg, 15 mpg
Is just 1-9 from deep but 10-11 from the stripe so probably overdue. JC transfer
Injured/Unavailable
G Luke Avdalovic, #2, 6’5”, 190 lb 10 ppg, 16-32 from deep. 30 mpg
Transfer from NAU where he was their 2nd leading scorer. A sharpshooter from deep, leading the Tigers in 3pt makes (16-32), is from nearby Folsom. He is a DNP the last two games and is in concussion protocol according to the UOP message board. Could be back in the lineup.
Match-up & prediction:
Both teams are coming in not playing well. The Gauchos were absolutely schooled in the paint as the St. Mary’s put on a clinic on how to run the Pick & Roll while scorching the Gauchos from deep as well. The good news for UCSB is that Mattias Tass won’t be suiting up for the Tigers and they just don’t have a center of his caliber. Despite being unable to adjust during the game I have to imagine fixing this deficiency has been a focal point between games for the Gauchos. Most of the Tigers production comes from the wings/forward position and, despite shooting a respectable 35% from deep just 25% of UOP’s FG attempts are from beyond the arc.
Sow & Idehen should be able to work better on both ends of the court and the Gauchos should have an advantage at the 5. The strength of the Tigers is at the forward/wing positions as Jeremiah Bailey, Jordan Bell and Alphonso Anderson provide a ton of production there. Mile’s Norris is off to a very slow start certainly part of the story of the Gaucho’s slow start this year. But if he can just defend well Tuesday, the Gauchos have enough firepower elsewhere that a great defensive effort from him can lead SB to the win.
Most interesting will be to see how Ajare Sanni performs against his old team. He is still slumping but maybe familiar sight lines will help. Btw, I met his mom at the last game and she confirmed that Kelton has been butchering the pronunciation of their last name and she even contacted him to fix it. You’ve got this Max!
In the Patton article on Sow yesterday, Amadou commented on how team chemistry is still really good despite the struggles while UOP fans report that body language from the Tiger players suggest a different story. I don’t think it will be pretty and will likely be tight but I think the Gauchos keep believing and pull away. UCSB 74 UOP 67
Official Site: https://pacifictigers.com/sports/mens-basketball
Hey Guys! UOP Tigers message board
How to Watch: https://wccsports.com/watch/?sid=473469
UOP Season Preview and Game Preview Links:
https://www.three-man-weave.com/3mw/wcc-2022-preview
https://bustingbrackets.com/2021/11/01/ ... -season/5/
Fun facts about UOP
The school was founded in 1851 and is the oldest university in California. Initially located in Santa Clara and known as California Wesleyan College, it moved to San Jose in 1871 and Stockton in 1923.
UOP’s greatest athletic success came in women’s volleyball, winning two national championships (1985 & ’86), seven final fours and was a perennial tournament team from 1981-2004. They had a football team for exactly 100 years, from 1895-1995. The program was most famous for having the hall-of-fame coach Amos Alonzo Stagg at the tail end of his career in the 1930s & 40s.
Men’s hoops had its most successful run in the 2000s under Bob Thomason, winning first round games in the 2004 & 2005 NCAA tournaments and winning 7 BWC regular season titles. They also won one a tournament game in 1967 which put them into the Elite 8, losing to UCLA.
Monday, December 13, 2021
UCSB vs UOP Game Preview, by Gaucho Freg
Sunday, December 12, 2021
Saturday, December 11, 2021
UCSB vs. SMC Game Preview, by Gaucho Freg
UCSB (3-2)* @ St. Mary’s College (8-2)
Saturday, December 11, 2021, 3 pm
*D1 games only
Quick Bite: The Gauchos hit the road for the first time in nearly a month to take on the St. Mary’s Gaels in the first matchup between the two teams in 18 years. The Gaels are ranked 38 in KenPom and 46 in NET and will be the second (and last) of two Quad One games on the Gaucho OOC schedule.
St. Mary’s-UCSB History
UCSB and St. Mary’s have played 33 times with the Gauchos holding a commanding 21-12 edge in the series. The teams first played in 1947 with the Gauchos claiming victory in Santa Barbara. The Gaels won the last game played, defeating SB 62-48 in the Thunderdome in 2003. At St. Mary’s the Gauchos are 6-9, including 2-4 in the current arena. The Gaels have a 4 game home win streak over SB with the last Gaucho road win coming in 1992.
The Arena
University Credit Union Arena, still popularly known as McKeon, was built in 1978 and seats just 3,500. Behind one basket is a large wall, nearly all the seats are along the two sidelines. There’s an intent, but no specific plan or budget, to expand the arena by knocking down the two ends and adding seats behind the baskets. There may be little motivation to expand as the Gael’s have dominated at home, typically losing no more than 2 games a year over the past decade. They are 5-0 at home this season.
Gaels Head Coach
Randy Bennett has been with the Gaels for 21 years and has made St. Mary’s one of the most successful mid majors in the country. During his tenure, Bennett has become the school's men's basketball all-time wins leader (462 -194), guiding SMC to 14 postseason appearances (7 NCAA and 7 NIT) including 13 straight (excluding the 2019-20 season lost to COVID-19) and has had a player drafted (Patrick Mills, 2009) into the NBA for the first time since 1984. He has earned three WCC Coach of the Year honors.
Gaels Overview
After a down year last season by Bennett era standards, the Gaels return literally everyone and are off to an excellent start including wins over Oregon, Notre Dame, UCR and Utah State. Unlike many of their past seasons, the Gaels have played a challenging schedule and are already battle tested. They have a tremendous defense, ranking 10th in KenPom and holding their opponents to under 60 per game. Their only losses are to #22 Wisconsin and undefeated Colorado State which was their last game played, a 16 point whupping so they’ll be motivated to get back on track. In November, they blew out UCSB’s conference mate UC Riverside by 17 but didn’t pull away until the second half.
Probable Starting 5
Point Guard Tommy Khuse, #12, 6’2”, 185 lb, Graduate 10.4 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 3.5 apg 52% from deep, 53% overall.
A tremendous shooter, leading the team in three point shooting in addition to assists, Kuhse is playing his fifth year for the Gaels. He reminds me a bit of JRoc, savvy with the ball and has a knack of getting his body between the basket and the defender creating 5 on 4 options.
From BracketBuster (BB): “Kuhse is the Rudy of college basketball, if Rudy was, ya know, good. Kuhse relies on veteran maneuvers of ballhandling in the lane to get himself looks and to set up teammates. He shines by knocking down floaters and forcing defenses into tough positions. Kuhse is exceptional at controlling the pace of play at both ends of the court, bothering the opposing point guard, and forcing tough half-court sets
Guard Logan Johnson, #0, 6’2”, 170 lb Senior 9.9 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 2.4 apg 30 mpg. Just 12-26 from the ft line. Leads team in steals with 18, team’s leading scorer last season. I’ve watched him play and think he’s the best athlete on the Gaels.
BB: “As an upperclassman, he’s learned a great deal in terms of operating Bennet’s heavy screen offense that operates almost as a plotting soccer club looking for the right moment to strike. The system often relies on him getting a solid look in the midrange and driving, or off of screens or helping push the ball in towards the big men spotted in an ideal angle on the roll.”
Wing Alex Ducas, #44 6’6”, 215 lb. Junior, 9.5 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 31 mpg
Two thirds of his FG attempts are from beyond the arc, making 32%. Aussie
Forward Kyle Bowen, #14 6’8”, 225 lb. Junior 4.7 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 29 mpg
Team’s leading rebounder. Aussie
Forward/Center Mathias Tass, #11, 6'10", 245 lb, Senior, 10.5 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 26 mpg
Leads team in getting to the line but is just 57% from the stripe. Great passer for a big with 2.3 apg.
From Estonia.
BB: “After coming back from an ACL tear, it still feels like there’s more for Tass to unlock with his game. Tass at his best opens up the offense by having defenders collapse to him, and he serves as an above-average defender on the other end. After a healthy season, these numbers should continue to grow and Tass could become the fulcrum in making Saint Mary’s post-game function as it has in the past.”
Key Reserves
Forward Dan Fotu, #42 6’7”, 225 lb. Soph 12.8 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 21 mpg. 47% from deep
Team’s leading scorer despite coming off the bench. From New Zealand.
Guard Augustas Marciulionis, #3, 6’4”, 195 lb, Freshman 4.2 ppg, 2.2 apg, 17 mpg
Son of NBA Hall of Famer Sarunas Marciulionis, from Lithuania.
Guard Jabe Mullins, #5, 6’5”, 190 lb, Sophomore 2.4 ppg, 10 mpg.
Injured/Unavailable
Match-up & prediction:
College basketball is strange, unpredictable and consistently makes fools out of people trying to predict outcomes. UCSB experienced this losing to then winless UT Arlington and #20 Florida experienced it losing by 15 to previously winless Texas Southern out of the SWAC. It is a big reason why we love it and why, personally, I am still making the trip to Moraga to watch this game. With that out of the way… …St. Mary’s is probably going to win this game by about 15. The experienced guard tandem of Khuse and Johnson will be the best the Gauchos face this year and SB will be chasing. Bennet’s defensive schemes are working really well this year, he’ll have a good game plan to limit Amadou and a good defender in Tass to execute it.
Keys to the game for UCSB (how they can pull the upset)
· Best defensive effort of the year. JPL, Ajay, Sanni & Wishart, all step up. Defensively, St. Mary’s is a problem as Johnson is the most athletic but Ducas has a height advantage at the wing and they have their top scorer in Fotu coming off the bench. We may see more of Toure this game for his defense.
· Sanni & Norris find their stroke. I think these two have struggled a bit because they’ve tried to take on different roles from last year. Norris has a bit of a height advantage over Kyle Bowen and getting him some open looks, with a green light to catch & shoot, on the perimeter would both provide some points and open up some space for Sow underneath. He’ll have his hands full when Fotu is in and will need to be effective working through screens to defend on the perimeter. With Sanni, I believe its just a matter of time and if that time is just after 3pm on Saturday, that would be great timing.
· Ajay being confident in the starting role. He’s had a couple games in that role now, this is an opportunity to challenge himself against one of the best in Khuse.
· Sow continues to be Sow. Experience is paying dividends for Amadou this year, he is being patient, figuring out defenses, and finishing games strong. Huge task taking on Tass & Bowen, will be a great match-up. Idehen also key as better matches up with Tass size wise.
Prediction: St. Mary’s 77 UCSB 64
Official Site: https://smcgaels.com/sports/mens-basketball
Hey Guys! GodisaGael message board
How to Watch: https://wccsports.com/watch/?sid=473465
St. Mary’s Season Preview and Game Preview Links:
https://www.three-man-weave.com/3mw/wcc-2022-preview
https://cbbreview.com/2021/09/02/saint- ... ank-no-68/
https://www.collegesportsmadness.com/article/19786
https://collegehoopstoday.com/index.php ... eakdown-2/
https://bustingbrackets.com/2021/09/22/ ... season/13/
https://bustingbrackets.com/2021/11/01/ ... -season/7/
Fun facts about St. Mary’s
The school was founded in 1863 in San Francisco, moving to Oakland in 1889 then to its current location in Moraga in 1928 after a fire destroyed much of the Oakland campus.
It is a private catholic college with just 2,700 undergraduates and is the 7th oldest university/college in California. SMC did not open up to women until 1970, now 62% of the students are female.
In athletics, men’s hoops is far & away the most successful program though their men’s soccer team made it to the Elite 8 in 2011. Early in the school history, the Gaels fielded a football team and were one of the better teams in the 30s & 40s, winning the 1939 Cotton Bowl over Texas Tech.
Prior to Randy Bennet taking over in 2001, there were few bright moments for men’s hoops though they did win a game in the 1959 NCAA tournament which was enough to propel them to the Elite 8 in the small tournament size at that time.
Monday, December 6, 2021
Saturday, December 4, 2021
Friday, December 3, 2021
Tuesday, November 30, 2021
Monday, November 29, 2021
UTA vs UCSB Game Preview, by Gaucho Freg
UCSB (2-1) vs University of Texas, Arlington (0-5)
Monday, November 29, 2021, 6 pm PST
Quick Bite: The Gauchos continue with the third game of their season-long five game home stand, hosting the Mavericks of UT Arlington. This is the return game of the 2019 matchup in Arlington that the Gauchos won 72-68. The Mavericks have played a very tough, road heavy schedule and have yet to win a D1 game. Their game with the Gauchos will be their 5th straight against a team that played in the NCAAs last year.
UTA-UCSB History
In the 2019 victory for the Gauchos, Amadou Sow led the way with 23 points on 8-10 from the field, including a perfect 6-6 from the FT line. Jaquori added 22 points and Ramsey dished out 6 assists. In the only other game between the schools, back in 1970 the Gauchos handily defeated the Mavericks 96-67 in Rob Gym.
Head Coach:
Long-time assistant, including 12 years with UTA, Greg Long finally gets his first D1 head coaching gig in taking over the Mavericks this season. He replaces Chris Ogden who departed to become the Associate HC at the University of Texas
Roster & Overview of the Mavericks
With the departure of their head coach, the Mavs also lost some of their fire power from last year due to transfer/graduation, including three of their top four scorers. They do return some major contributors who both missed much of last year in David Azore and Lazaro Rojas. They also bring in a solid GT point guard in Javon Levi. Azore, who is the only Maverick that will be on the court that played against UCSB in 2019, is their team leader in scoring FT attempts.
Their challenging schedule has had road games at Oklahoma St, North Texas whichupset Purdue in the 1st round last year), San Diego St and Utah State. Their lone home game which they lost in OT was vs. Abilene Christian which upset Texas in the first round last year. In their two most recent games they lost to USU by 19 and to SDSU by just 6.
Probable Starters
Guard Javon Levi #1 GT, 5’11”, 175lb 6.2 ppg, 4.2 apg, 3.7 rpg, 27 mpg
Four year starter at UT Rio Grand Valley. Ranks in the top 10 in that school’s history in multiple categories. One of the best passers in the sport, he led the country in assist rate in 2019-20, and is a terrific defender.
Guard David Azore #4 RS Senior, 6’4” 205 lbs 13.2 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 29 mpg
A strong threat on offense, excellent at getting to the FT line, ~4 attempts per game, making them at 83% clip. Normally an excellent 3 point shooter, he is just 2-17 so far this year. Turning it over this year a lot too, a .27 ATO ratio
Wing Pedro Castro #21 RS Senior, 6’6”, 180 lb 7.3 ppg, 5 rpg, 29 mpg, 29% from deep
Has gone a circuitous route through college, his first two years at UTA (one a RS), transferred to a JC, had a terrific year last year at Houston Baptist averaging 15 ppg and 7 rpg and has now made his way back to UTA.
Wing Montez Young #24 Freshman, 6’5”, 192 lb 4.8 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 17 mpg, just 2-8 from the FT line. Was scoreless vs. USU
Forward Kaodirichi Akobundu-Ehiogu #0 RS Junior 6’9”, 190 lb 4.8 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 2.8 bpg
Former walkon, “Ako” is from Nigeria and is a one man block party. Led the team in rebounds last year and had an impressive 60 blocked shots in the shortened season.
Possible Key Reserves:
Guard Carson Bischoff #3 RS Junior, 6’4”, 210 lb, 9 ppg, 17 mpg
Made his season debut vs. USU and went 3-5 from deep and snagged two steals. Had been out recovering from back surgery.
Forward Shemar Wilson #22 Sophomore 6’9”, 225 lb 6.2 ppg, 3.7 rpg
JC transfer Sophomore has had an immediate impact and has started one game.
Guard Jack Hoiberg #10 Graduate, 5’11”, 172lb 4.8 ppg, 2.2 rpg, 1.8 apg, 20 mpg
Transfer from Michigan St. Son of former NBA player, Bull’s coach and current Nebraska coach Fred Hoiberg.
Guard Brandyn Talbot #5 Freshman, 6’5”, 176 lb, 4.3 ppg, 17 mpg
F/C Lazaro Rojas #12 RS Senior, 6’11”, 235 lb 9.6 ppg, 7 rpg, 20 mpg
Played at Fresno St for 3 years before transferring to UTA last season. Missed about half the year due to injury. From Brazil.
Forward Patrick Mwamba #23 RS Junior, 6’7” 201 lbs
Has played just 3 games this year but had a meaningful role last season; 7ppg and 4 rpg and the leading returner in 3pt makes (38%). From the Congo.
Injured/Unavailable
Guard Nicolas Elame #20 Junior, 6’3”, 185lb 7.6 ppg, 18 mpg
Has started just one game, DNP in the USU game due to a hamstring injury and won’t play vs. UCSB. Leading returning player in minutes played. Born in France, grew up in Cameroon, came to the USA at age 16.
Match-up & prediction:
Despite having to replace some critical pieces and their rough beginning, the Mavericks should eventually improve this year and contend in the Sun Belt. They are better than what their record would have you believe. They are the type of team that will create challenges for the Gauchos in that they have two guards that are extremely adept at penetrating defenses, an area of weakness for the Gauchos this young season. Forward Akobundi is one of the leaders in the country in blocked shots so Sow will have his work cut out for him.
Keys to the game for the Gauchos:
· Improvement by the Gaucho guards in perimeter defense.
· Get Ako in foul trouble. He is an impact defender, fully capable doing to the Gauchos what Efe Agobidi of Washington State did in Pullman (6 blocks)
Prediction: This is going to be a struggle, especially early, as the Gauchos aren’t yet defending at a high level. They’ll (probably) pull it out in the end but there will be some tense moments. In Sow we trust and look for Norris to bust (out).
UCSB 82 UTSA 74
Official Site: https://utamavs.com/sports/mens-basketball
Hey Guys! UTA Mavericks - For UTA alumni, students and fans (tapatalk.com)
How to Watch: ESPN+
UTA Season Preview and Game Peview Links:
https://www.three-man-weave.com/3mw/sun ... 22-preview
https://www.collegesportsmadness.com/article/17608
Fun facts about UTA: School has been known as UT Arlington since 1967 after joining the UT system in 1965. It was founded in 1895, went through several private military school iterations that all failed financially before going public & eventually becoming part of the Texas A&M system. Within the A&M system, the school quickly grew, eventually changing its name to the North Texas Agricultural College. The rapid growth led to the College Station home campus to feel threatened and they began blocking funding to their northern campus. UTA officials shook off the shackles by joining the UT system. UTA is now a huge school with over 42,000 students.
Initially known as the Rebels with accompanying Confederate fanfare and even mock slave auctions; administrators ditched the Rebs, replacing it with the Mavericks in 1971. Their women’s volleyball team made the Final 4 in 1989 and their men’s team has made the Big Dance once. In 2017 the men advanced to the NIT quarterfinals.
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