With the 2010-11 season fast approaching, several publications are providing their preseason prognostications on all the men's basketball conference races. Rivals.com recently took aim on the Big West Conference, targeting UC Santa Barbara to repeat as league champions although it's clear the bullseye will be squarely on its back.
And there's plenty of evidence to support that claim. The Gauchos return all five starters from the 2009-10 club which won the Big West regular season and tournament titles while finishing 20-10 overall. UCSB gained valuable experience in the NCAA Tournament against Ohio State. Core players include junior Orlando Johnson, who averaged 18.0 points per game en route to earning Big West Player of the Year honors, and junior James Nunnally (14.7 ppg), a second team all-conference selection. Head coach Bob Williams is one win shy of collecting the 200th of his career at UCSB, as he enters the 2010-11 campaign with a 199-156 mark.
Long Beach State appears to have the motivation and experience to overtake the Gauchos, adding intrigue to the upcoming season. The 49ers return a trio of juniors in T.J. Robinson, Casper Ware and Larry Anderson, who have started 150 games between them during their first two seasons. Robinson, an All-Big West First Team selection, became the first conference player since Michael Olowokandi of Pacific (1997-98) to average double-digit rebounds, grabbing 10.1 per game last season. Ware led the Big West in assists (4.82 apg) and steals (2.09 spg), while Anderson battled an injury-plagued sophomore campaign but still averaged 11.8 points per game.
To read Jeff Eisenberg's full Rivals.com preview and see that publication's predicted order of finish, click on this
link.
And remember to follow the Big West throughout the 2010-11 season all the way to
Honda Center.
The Madness Begins In Anaheim
The 2011 Big West Basketball Tournament is moving to Honda Center. Action at Honda Center begins on March 10 with the men's quarterfinal games, and continues with the men's and women's semifinal and championship games on Friday, March 11 and Saturday, March 12.
To purchase tickets, visit the basketball tournament championship page to download a ticket application. All-session tickets are available now at $64, which includes first round women's games on campus sites. There are also limited premium seating tickets available (first four rows along the court) for $144.
