At A Glance: Big West Conference
In predicted order of finish:
Utah State (5-1 this season)
Coach: Stew Morrill, 43-19, 3rd year; 261-157, 15th year overall
Last year: 28-6, 16-0 Big West (1st East Division), lost first round in NCAA tournament
Returning starters: 4
Strengths: All but guard Troy Rolle return from the squad that ruled the conference last year. Shawn Daniels is a force inside and Tony Brown is a deadly perimeter shooter. One of the best defensive teams in the Big West.
Concerns: Poor free-throw shooting - other than Brown’s 84 percent - could bite Aggies in close games. Balanced offense makes it hard to key on Daniels or Brown.
UC Irvine (3-1)
Coach: Pat Douglass, 29-52, 4th year; 405-170, 20th year
Last year: 14-14, 7-9 (3rd West)
Returning starters: 3
Strengths: Nice inside-outside mix with forward Ben Jones and point guard Jerry Green producing nearly 30 points per game. Jones and Sean Jackson (63.6 percent) can step out and hit the 3-pointer. Posted Big West’s only win over a Pac-10 opponent this season when Anteaters edged Cal.
Concerns: Shortage of weapons outside of Jones, Green and Jackson could lead to low-scoring games. Defense has been super, but offense has been inconsistent.
Long Beach State (3-4)
Coach: Wayne Morgan, 60-54, 5th year
Last year: 24-6, 15-1 (1st West Division), lost in first round of NIT
Returning starters: 2
Strengths: Rock Lloyd and an experienced back court give Long Beach some stability. Lloyd may be the toughest 1-on-1 matchup in the conference.
Concerns: Due to injuries, James “Rudy” Williams, reserve Vance Lawhorn and Tadeu Souza are out or redshirting. Their absence leaves the 49ers with limited interior personnel.
Boise State (4-2)
Coach: Rod Jensen, 79-62, 6th year
Last year: 12-16, 6-10 (T-4th East)
Returning starters: 4
Strengths: Veteran club is used to Jensen’s methodical, defense-oriented style. Narrow loss at Cincinnati showed BSU has potential. Clint Hordemann gives scoring boost off the bench.
Concerns: Richard Morgan is adequate, but Broncos have been searching for a front-line center for years. When streaky shooter Abe Jackson is on, BSU will be tough. When he’s not, Broncos will struggle.
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo (3-1)
Coach: Jeff Schneider, 65-77, 6th year
Last year: 10-18, 5-11 (5th West)
Returning starters: 3
Strengths: Mustangs are a potent offensive team (91 points per game) with four players in the conference’s top 10 in scoring. Five Mustangs average in double digits. Freshmen Varney Dennis and Jamaal Scott have been impressive.
Concerns: Cal Poly’s breakneck pace has backfired in past because it couldn’t keep opponents from lighting up the scoreboard.
Pacific (3-2)
Coach: Bob Thomason, 185-162, 13th year; 312-238, 20th year
Last year: 11-18, 6-10 (4th West)
Returning starters: 4
Strengths: Balanced lineup paced by only one double-figures scorer - senior guard Peter Heizer (12.4). Best defense in the conference statistically - opponents shooting just 37.4 percent.
Concerns: No go-to scorer in crunch time. Tigers’ 3-point shooting, traditionally a strength, appears to be a weakness. Guards have been careless with the ball.
UC Santa Barbara (2-4)
Coach: Bob Williams, 29-27, 3rd year; 218-127, 13th year
Last year: 14-14, 10-6 (2nd West)
Returning starters: 2
Strengths: Gauchos are on two-game winning streak after dropping first four. Forward Mark Hull has scoring ability inside and outside.
Concerns: Williams’ bench is stocked with freshmen, which means a bright future while enduring a few present headaches.
Cal State Fullerton (1-4)
Coach: Donny Daniels, 1st year
Last year: 8-19, 3-13 (6th West)
Returning starters: 3
Strengths: Forward Ike Harmon received an extra year of eligibility from the NCAA, giving the Titans an inside presence.
Concerns: Lowest-scoring team in the Big West (56.6), which is odd because the Titans are hitting 46.6 percent from the field. Down to three healthy guards, causing the team to be turnover-prone and short on assists.
Idaho (2-4)
Coach: Dave Farrar, 43-40, 4th year; 104-113, 9th year
Last year: 12-17, 6-10 (T-3rd East).
Returning starters: 0
Strengths: Since returning from an injury, Marquis Holmes has added some scoring punch. Point guard Bethuel Fletcher ranks among conference leaders in assist-to-turnover ratio.
Concerns: Offense is averaging just 47.5 points against Division I opposition. Vandals are undersized, which figures to create problems on the boards.