Big West Basketball is pretty typical mid-major stuff. Only one team is likely to get into the NCAA and most players will not be making a living playing ball when they finish college. Nonetheless, since I went to graduate school at UC Irvine, I have some rooting interest in this mid-major conference.
This year is actually an up year for the Big West as two of the teams have gained some attention and will be televised in Bracket Buster Weekend.
CAL STATE NORTHRIDGE is 18-6, 10-2 in the Big West and will play Rider.
UC SANTA BARBARA is 20-6 and 9-4 in the Big West and will play former Big West menace Utah State.
My Anteaters are in the middle of the Big West in 5th place 6-6 in conference play and 11-14 overall.
Tonight, they play Idaho in a non-ESPN televised part of the Bracket Buster Weekend.
Go 'Eaters, zot, zot, zot!
UPDATE: The Big West went 4-5 this weekend. The Anteaters win! I went down to the Bren to see the game and finally got to see the Anteaters win while I was in the building!
The Anteaters played good defense against Idaho forcing 21 turnovers.
McIntosh and Hunter were the starting guards. In the program, it said that McIntosh used to play for Texas A&M, a major basketball program, suggeting he probably transferred to UCI to get more playing time? Anyway, he showed some speed, a nose for the ball and the basket. Sanders and DeCasas were the starting forwards. Sanders one of three senior starters is the leading scorer on the team. Fells is the starting center with pro ball potential. He is a big body with pretty good hands. He had 14 points and 9 rebounds.
Lauer and Rembert are the backup guards that at times came in as a pair to give McIntosh and Hunter a break. Bland is their 6th man who was a highly rated California junior college player. He brings a lot of energy and hustle and indeed fouled out of the game and got a technical! The 9th man was Ballard who was in for a handful of minutes to rest the frontline.
Perhaps Idaho was not very good but the way the Anteaters played in the 2nd half, one would have thought UCI would have a better record. Anyway, they have 4 more games in conference. If they can play like they did last night they should be in a good position to make a run in the Big West Tournament.
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