2019-20 BIG WEST MEN'S BASKETBALL PRESEASON MEDIA POLL



By the slightest of margins, UC Irvine edged UC Santa Barbara as the media favorite in the quest for the 2019-20 Big West men's basketball regular season title.



The 31-member media panel split their first place votes among UCI and UCSB. UCI prevailed with 258 points and 15 first place votes. UCSB collected 256 points and 15 first place nods of its own. CSUN was a popular third place pick and had 202 points. The middle of the pack included Hawai‘i in fourth place with 155 points, Cal State Fullerton in fifth with 152 and Long Beach State in sixth with 118. The remainder of the poll included UC Riverside (107), UC Davis (104) and Cal Poly (43). UC Davis grabbed the remaining first place vote.



Below are capsules of teams listed in the top half of the poll:



UC IRVINE (31-6, 15-1 IN 2018-19)



• It is the sixth time in the last seven years that UCI has been picked No. 1 in the media poll

• Return three starters and six players who competed on last year's school-record 31-win club

• UCI has posted seven consecutive winning seasons under Russell Turner, who is No. 9 in Big West history with 188 wins

• Three senior starters comprise the core – 6-1 guard EVAN LEONARD (11.3 ppg, 2.5 rpg), 6-8 forward TOMMY RUTHERFORD (6.7 ppg, 4.3 rpg) and 6-2 guard EYASSU WORKU (7.0 ppg, 2.6 apg)

• Sophomore 6-9 forward COLLIN WELP (8.6 ppg, 4.3 rpg) made the Big West All-Tournament Team and scored a career-high 23 points against Cal State Fullerton in the championship game to help punch UCI's ticket to the NCAA Tournament.



UC SANTA BARBARA (22-10, 10-6 IN 2018-19)



• Forty-five wins in Joe Pasternack's brief UCSB head coaching tenure is the most in back-to-back seasons in program history

• Return four starters and eight letterwinners from 22-win squad which won first nine games at home

• Senior 6-3 guard MAX HEIDEGGER (11.9 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 2.7 apg) is No. 2 on Big West active list with 1,059 career points

• Sophomore 6-9 forward AMADOU SOW (12.2 ppg, 6.6 rpg) led the Big West in field goal percentage (.564) as a freshman

• Junior D-I transfers JaQUORI McLAUGHLIN (Oregon State) and DEVEARL RAMSEY (Nevada) fortified UCSB's backcourt – both averaging 10.3 points per game

• Pasternack's first win this season will be career No. 100



CSUN (13-21, 7-9 IN 2018-19)



• Four starters and 10 letterwinners return in Mark Gottfried's second season as head coach

• Sophomore 6-7 forward LAMINE DIANE ranked No. 6 in the country in both scoring (24.8 ppg) and rebounding (11.2 rpg) last year

• Junior 5-8 guard TERRELL GOMEZ was No. 2 in Big West scoring (19.2 ppg) and hit the sixth-most threes (117) in league history

• Diane and Gomez scored a combined 1,470 points, comprising 56.5% of the team's total offense

• Matadors return 92 percent of their total offense from last season

• Sophomore 6-1 guard DARIUS BROWN II started 32 games as a frosh and led Big West with 176 assists



HAWAI‘I (18-13, 9-7 IN 2018-19)



• UH celebrates its 100th season in 2019-20

• Return three starters and eight letterwinners from last year's 18-win team which finished fourth (9-7) in the Big West

• Junior 6-3 guard DREW BUGGS (8.8 ppg, 5.4 apg) earned All-Big West Honorable Mention last year

• Buggs led the Big West in assists per game

• Seniors 6-9 forward ZIGMARS RAIMO (11.5 ppg, 6.1 rpg) and 6-3 guard EDDIE STANSBERRY (11.3 ppg, 77 threes) also return



CAL STATE FULLERTON (16-18, 10-6 IN 2018-19)



• Welcome back three starters that contributed to last year's 16-win club that competed in the CollegeInsider.com Postseason tourney

• Senior 6-7 forward JACKSON ROWE (11.3 ppg, 7.9 rpg) is Big West's active career leader in rebounds (664)

• Senior 6-3 guard AUSTEN AWOSIKA (7.6 ppg, 4.8 rpg) ranked No. 2 among Big West guards in rebounding last season



The media panel also voted for a six-player preseason all-conference team. By the slightest of margins, UC Irvine edged UC Santa Barbara as the media favorite in the quest for the 2019-20 Big West men's basketball regular season title.The 31-member media panel split their first place votes among UCI and UCSB. UCI prevailed with 258 points and 15 first place votes. UCSB collected 256 points and 15 first place nods of its own. CSUN was a popular third place pick and had 202 points. The middle of the pack included Hawai‘i in fourth place with 155 points, Cal State Fullerton in fifth with 152 and Long Beach State in sixth with 118. The remainder of the poll included UC Riverside (107), UC Davis (104) and Cal Poly (43). UC Davis grabbed the remaining first place vote.Below are capsules of teams listed in the top half of the poll:• It is the sixth time in the last seven years that UCI has been picked No. 1 in the media poll• Return three starters and six players who competed on last year's school-record 31-win club• UCI has posted seven consecutive winning seasons under Russell Turner, who is No. 9 in Big West history with 188 wins• Three senior starters comprise the core – 6-1 guard(11.3 ppg, 2.5 rpg), 6-8 forward(6.7 ppg, 4.3 rpg) and 6-2 guard(7.0 ppg, 2.6 apg)• Sophomore 6-9 forward(8.6 ppg, 4.3 rpg) made the Big West All-Tournament Team and scored a career-high 23 points against Cal State Fullerton in the championship game to help punch UCI's ticket to the NCAA Tournament.• Forty-five wins in Joe Pasternack's brief UCSB head coaching tenure is the most in back-to-back seasons in program history• Return four starters and eight letterwinners from 22-win squad which won first nine games at home• Senior 6-3 guard(11.9 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 2.7 apg) is No. 2 on Big West active list with 1,059 career points• Sophomore 6-9 forward(12.2 ppg, 6.6 rpg) led the Big West in field goal percentage (.564) as a freshman• Junior D-I transfers(Oregon State) and(Nevada) fortified UCSB's backcourt – both averaging 10.3 points per game• Pasternack's first win this season will be career No. 100• Four starters and 10 letterwinners return in Mark Gottfried's second season as head coach• Sophomore 6-7 forwardranked No. 6 in the country in both scoring (24.8 ppg) and rebounding (11.2 rpg) last year• Junior 5-8 guardwas No. 2 in Big West scoring (19.2 ppg) and hit the sixth-most threes (117) in league history• Diane and Gomez scored a combined 1,470 points, comprising 56.5% of the team's total offense• Matadors return 92 percent of their total offense from last season• Sophomore 6-1 guardstarted 32 games as a frosh and led Big West with 176 assists• UH celebrates its 100th season in 2019-20• Return three starters and eight letterwinners from last year's 18-win team which finished fourth (9-7) in the Big West• Junior 6-3 guard(8.8 ppg, 5.4 apg) earned All-Big West Honorable Mention last year• Buggs led the Big West in assists per game• Seniors 6-9 forward(11.5 ppg, 6.1 rpg) and 6-3 guard(11.3 ppg, 77 threes) also return• Welcome back three starters that contributed to last year's 16-win club that competed in the CollegeInsider.com Postseason tourney• Senior 6-7 forward(11.3 ppg, 7.9 rpg) is Big West's active career leader in rebounds (664)• Senior 6-3 guard(7.6 ppg, 4.8 rpg) ranked No. 2 among Big West guards in rebounding last seasonThe media panel also voted for a six-player preseason all-conference team.



MEET THE 2019-20 BIG WEST MEN'S BASKETBALL PRESEASON ALL-CONFERENCE TEAM