October 25, 2007

Coaches: Expect Tigers in hunt

By Jason Anderson
Record Staff Writer

Opposing coaches believe Pacific can contend for the Big West Conference men's basketball championship, but UC Santa Barbara was picked to win in polls conducted Wednesday at the Irvine Marriott Hotel.

Pacific received three first-place votes in the coaches' poll and tied Cal State Fullerton for third place with 48 points. The Tigers were fifth in the media poll.

"I hope the coaches know more than the media this year," Pacific coach Bob Thomason said.

Pacific forward Anthony Brown was named to the preseason all-conference team along with UC Santa Barbara's Alex Harris and Chris Devine, Cal State Fullerton's Scott Cutley, UC Irvine's Patrick Sanders and Cal Poly's Dawin Whiten.

"Usually when your team wins the league, you have two guys on the first team, and that's our goal, to make sure we win the league," Thomason said.

Pacific went 12-19 overall and 5-9 to finish seventh in the Big West last season, a hard fall for a team that was 48-3 against conference foes from 2003-06. Thomason ratcheted up expectations when he told a "Midnight Mania" crowd his team has the ability to reclaim the Big West championship, and rival coaches aren't counting the Tigers out.

"They've come off a three-year run that was unparalleled in this league, and they'll be back," UC Santa Barbara coach Bob Williams said. "I think anybody who doesn't put Pacific with the frontrunners in this league is making a big mistake."

The Gauchos received four of eight possible first-place votes in the coaches' poll and 13 of 16 in the media poll. They return six of their top seven scorers. Harris, a 6-foot-6 senior guard, led the Big West with 21.1 points per game last season. Devine, a 6-8 senior forward, averaged 14.1 points and 6.6 rebounds.

"With the players they have coming back, Santa Barbara probably has the best nucleus," Thomason said.

Cal Poly was picked second in both polls. In the coaches' poll, Pacific and Cal State Fullerton were third, UC Irvine fifth, Cal State Northridge sixth, UC Davis seventh, Long Beach State eighth and UC Riverside ninth. In the media poll, Cal State Fullerton was third, UC Irvine fourth, Pacific fifth, Cal State Northridge sixth, Long Beach State seventh, UC Davis eighth and UC Riverside ninth.

Many believe UC Santa Barbara, Cal State Fullerton, Pacific, Cal Poly and UC Irvine all are capable of winning the conference. Thomason said Cal State Fullerton might have been favored if Cutley, a 6-6 senior forward, weren't out for six to eight weeks with a broken ankle.

UC Irvine might have the best frontcourt with 6-6 small forward Patrick Sanders, 6-8 power forward Kevin Bland and 6-7 center Darren Fells. Bland, a West High graduate, was named co-California player of the year at Delta College in 2005-06.

"Kevin can play inside-out, and he's a very intelligent player," UC Irvine coach Pat Douglass said. "We expect him to do some good things for us."

Cal Poly returns a talented backcourt and 6-7 senior forward Titus Shelton, but the Mustangs must replace 6-5 swingman Derek Stockalper and 6-6 forward Tyler McGinn.

"Cal Poly is on the rise, but being on the rise is one thing. Being able to win the league and go to the NCAAs is something else," Thomason said. "That's the thing about these other teams. They haven't won the league recently or gone to the NCAAs recently, so we'll see how they handle the pressure."

Preseason all-big west team

Anthony Brown, Jr., F, Pacific

Scott Cutley, Sr., F, Cal State Fullerton

Chris Devine, Jr., F, UC Santa Barbara

Alex Harris, Sr., G, UC Santa Barbara

Patrick Sanders, Sr., F, UC Irvine

Dawin Whiten, Sr., G, Cal Poly

Men's basketball

Preseason polls

First-place votes in parentheses

Coaches

1. UC Santa Barbara (4) 58

2. Cal Poly (1) 52

3. Pacific (3) 48

3. Cal State Fullerton (1) 48

5. UC Irvine 42

6. Cal State Northridge 31

7. UC Davis 20

8. Long Beach State 14

9. UC Riverside 11

Media

1. UC Santa Barbara (13) 152

2. Cal Poly (2) 138

3. Cal State Fullerton (1) 114

4. UC Irvine 109

5. Pacific 92

6. Cal State Northridge 76

7. Long Beach State (2) 52

8. UC Davis 43

9. UC Riverside 34