Big West Mens Basketball: The Top Teams to Watch

The Big West Conference is one of the most competitive in men’s college basketball Here are the top teams to Watch This Season

UC Irvine

The University of California Irvine, commonly referred to as UC Irvine or UCI, is a public university located in Irvine, California. It is one of the ten campuses of the University of California system. UC Irvine offers 80 undergraduate degrees and 98 graduate and professional degrees. The university is classified as a Research I university and in fiscal year 2013 had $348 million in research and development expenditures according to the National Science Foundation. UCI was founded as an agricultural extension center in 1965.

UC Riverside

UC Riverside is a top team to watch in the Big West Conference this season. The Highlanders are coming off a strong season in which they finished second in the conference with a record of 13-5. UC Riverside is led by senior guard George Mawanda-Kalema, who averaged 14.9 points per game last season. The Highlanders will look to build on their success from last season and contend for the conference title this year.

CSUN

CSUN men’s basketball is in a bit of a down year, but they are still one of the top teams to watch in the Big West conference. They have a talented roster that includes two seniors, Jawad Williams and Michael Olowokandi, who are both averaging double-digits in points and rebounds. They also have a solid group of young players who will continue to develop and help the team compete for years to come. Even though they may not be at the top of the conference this year, they are still a team that is worth watching.

UC Santa Barbara

The University of California, Santa Barbara Gauchos men’s basketball team has been one of the Top Teams in the Big West Conference in recent years UCSB has won the conference championship three times in the last five years and has made four straight appearances in the NCAA tournament The Gauchos are led by senior guard Max Heidegger, who is one of the best scorers in the country. UCSB also has a talented group of young players that should keep the team competitive for years to come.

Long Beach State

Long Beach State is looking to make noise in the Big West this season. The 49ers return conference Player of the Year candidate Deishuan Booker, as well as another experienced playmaker in Temidayo Yussuf. Despite losing some production from last year’s team, Long Beach State has the talent to compete for a conference title

The 49ers will have to battle some tough competition in the Big West but they have the pieces to make a run at the conference title.

UC Davis

UC Davis is a Division I men’s college Basketball team located in Davis, California. The school’s team competes in the Big West Conference and have been coached by Jim Les since 2006. The Aggies have made one NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament appearance, in 2019. That year, they won the Big West conference tournament to earn an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament In the first round, they defeated North Carolina Central before losing to Kentucky in the second round.

UC Irvine

In the Big West Conference the UC Irvine Anteaters are always a team to watch They have won the conference tournament four times and have made it to the NCAA tournament three times in the past ten years. The Anteaters have a strong home court advantage as they rarely lose at the Bren Events Center. Last season, they finished second in the conference with a record of 21-10 (13-3 in conference play). They will look to build on that success this season with a talented group of returners and some promising newcomers.

Players to Watch:

Senior guard Max Hazzard is one of the best shooters in the country. He averaged 13.5 points per game last season and shot 41.6% from three-point range He will be the focal point of UC Irvine’s offense this season.

Senior center Mamadou N’Diaye is a 7-footer who is an excellent shot blocker and rebounder. He averaged 2.5 blocks per game last season and will be a key player for UC Irvine’s defense.

Junior forward Jonathan Galloway is another player who provides a big presence on defense. He averaged 9.5 rebounds per game last season and will look to increase his scoring output this year.

Sophomore guard Evan Leonard is a versatile player who can score, rebound, and distribute the ball well. He averaged 10 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists per game as a freshman and will be expected to do even more this season.

CSUN

CSUN finished the season with a 20-9 record, finishing second in the Big West regular season standings behind Long Beach State The Matadors had an up and down season but were one of the top scoring teams in the conference, averaging 75.1 points per game CSUN was led by senior guard Aaron Parks, who averaged 16.1 points per game and was named first-team All-Big West. The Matadors will have to replace Parks’ production next season, but should be a team to watch in the conference once again.

UC Santa Barbara

University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) is a public research university in Santa Barbara California. Founded in 1909 as an independent teachers’ college, it joined the University of California system in 1944 and is now part of the UCs statewide research network.

UCSB’s men’s basketball team has been consistently strong over the years, and is currently ranked #3 in the conference. They are led by senior guard Max Heidegger, who averages over 20 Points per game Other Key Players include junior forward Amadou Sow and sophomore guard Jaquori Mclaughlin UCSB will be a tough team to beat this year, and should be one of the top Teams to Watch in the conference.

UC Davis

In the Big West Conference UC Davis is one of the top men’s basketball teams to watch. The Aggies have a strong tradition of winning, which they hope to continue this season. They have a talented roster that includes some experienced players who know how to win big games. UC Davis will be tough to beat and should be in contention for the conference title.