October 30, 2007

Show Some Respect: UC Santa Barbara

by Adam Rank

The FanHouse college hoops team conducted a premature poll back in July and it turns out that these guys hate the mid-majors as much as the real pollsters. Just kidding, boys. But there are a number of mid-majors who will be overlooked coming into the season and -- with college hoops practice underway -- now is a great time to start breaking down some of these teams. That way, you won't be sitting there with a ruined March Madness bracket when a team like UNLV makes it to the Sweet 16.

The Big West coaches and media voted UC Santa Barbara as the team to beat. And with four players returning from a team that placed second in the Big West, who is going to argue with that? The Gauchos appear to be on the verge of a big season. And you know what, they had better be.

Expectations are high in Santa Barbara, as they should be. Santa Barbara has one of the most beautiful campuses in the world, and they are near one of the greatest recruiting hotbeds for talent, so the Gauchos should always be in contention for the Big West title. But there always seems to be something missing.

Bob Williams arrived with great fanfare from UC Davis, where he won a Division II national championship. That has never really translated at Santa Barbara. Anybody who remembers the days of the Thunderdome and those epic battles with UNLV on Big Monday, knows the potential with this program. That just hasn't happened at Santa Barbara on a consistent basis.

This, however, could be the year that will change all of that. Of the four returning starters, the key will be All-Big West gaurd Alex Harris, who led the league with 21 points-per-game last season. The 6-foot-6 Harris is tall for a guard -- especially in the Big West -- and with that size would probably be the starting center at Cal State Fullerton. Another good guard is sophomore James Powell. This kid played really well when he stepped in for the injured Cecil Brown last season. He played with a lot of poise and really impressive. Powell had a great game at UNLV last year, scoring 17 points in the Gauchos' upset win over the Rebels. Powell was money from the free-throw line down the stretch for the Gachos in that game, and gave UNLV it's only loss of the season. Powell did struggle at times, but overall, this kid was really impressive. Keep an eye on him.

Chris Devine will anchor the front court for Santa Barbara. Devine, a junior, ranked in the conference's top 10 in scoring, rebounding and field goal percentage. How did they find this guy all of the way in Alaska? The Gauchos always seem to have these guys who play smart around the basket. Devine should step into the conference's elite this season.

Outlook: Santa Barbara deserves to be the top dog heading into season. Their chances to win the Big West title will also greatly increase if Fullerton's Scott Cutley isn't able to play this season. But even so, Harris and Powell are good enough guards to stay with Fullerton, and Devine gives Santa Barbara a size advantage down low. The Big West is a one-bid conference and Santa Barbara has to be the favorite right now. A key home game against UNLV on Nov. 27 should give a pretty good indication where this team is nationally.

Now you must show some respect for:
UNLV
Cal State Fullerton
New Mexico State
Saint Mary's
BYU