UCSB vs Montana State Preview by a Gaucho fan

[Gauchofreg]

Hey Bobcats,

Below is my preview of tomorrow's game. It is more focused on the Bobcats to give Gaucho fans some background on the team. I'll provide an overview of the UCSB team too. The table I copied & pasted didn't have the formatting stick so you may find it easier to read over on the Gaucho board. You're welcome to join the discussion of the game there too.
https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/ucsbgau ... s-talk-f1/


Game 4
UCSB vs. Montana State Preview
Saturday, November 17, 2018, 2 pm PST

Overview:
The Gauchos first home game against a D1 opponent in the 2018/19 season comes against the Montana State Grizzlies of the Big Sky Conference, the first of four consecutive games against Big Sky teams. The Bobcats visit to Santa Barbara is a return game of a home & home series in which the Gauchos won the first game in convincing fashion last year in Bozeman, 91-69. Regarding the Big Sky, its membership went down by one from 12 to 11 with North Dakota moving to the Summit. The Bobcats are coming off a close loss at Colorado State, a big improvement after losing their first two D1 games by a combined 75 points.

By the Numbers
Montana St. UCSB
Record (D1 only) 0-3 1-1
Home/away vs D1 0-2 (away) 0-0 (home)
National Rankings
Composite 251 209
DCI (2) 253 225
RPI 121 215
Pomeroy 292 192
Massey 300 155
Sagarin 291 220
SOS 185 217
CBS Preseason Rank 213 203
SI Preseason Rank 176 289
Preseason Poll Pick 5th, 6th 1st – 6th
Efficiency Rankings (Pomeroy)
Offense 235 179
Defense 322 226
Scoring 67.0 76.0
PPG Allowed 82.5 60.0

Montana State:
Best win: Presentation College
Worst Loss: Colorado State

Montana State -UCSB History
UCSB All-time record vs. Bobcats: 10-1
Last game (2017): UCSB 91-69, in Bozeman

Head Coach:
Coach Brian Fish enters his fifth season with a 50-75 record and yet to record a winning season. After showing progress his first three years and with star guard Tyler Hall getting some NBA hype, last year was a step backwards and a repeat performance this year will warm the seat below him.
Roster
The Bobcats are a mature team with most of the team leaders and four of five starters returning from last season. That may or may not be a good thing given their disappointing performance but a roster full of seniors and juniors is usually dangerous. They did lose depth with the graduation of four players that played more than 15 mpg. Tyler Hall, after a spectacular sophomore campaign but disappointing junior campaign, returns, looking for a reboot.

Possible Starters
Guard Harald Frey #5 6’1”, 180 lb, Junior, 9.8 ppg, 4 apg. From Norway, Frey leads the team in assists. Shooting just .273 from three. He earned All Big Sky HM last season. Had 10 points in the loss to the Gauchos last year
Guard Tyler Hall #3 6’5”, 210 lb, Senior, 16.8 ppg, 3.8 rbg. 2/3 of his fg attempts are from three, shooting .325 Pre-season Big Sky MVP a year ago, he ended up on the second team and is a pre-season first teamer this year. Put up 19 points in the loss to the Gauchos last year
Forward Ladan Ricketts #11 6’5”, 185lb JC Transfer Junior 9.8 ppg, .404 from three. Best 3pt shooter on team, has been coming off the bench.
Forward Keljin Blevins #2 6’6”, 200 lb, Senior 13.5 ppg, 7 rpg. Leads team in rebounding & free throw attempts. Put up 8 against UCSB last year.
Center/Forward Devin Kirby #31 6’10” 215lb, Sophomore 6.8 ppg, 5.3 rbg Sat out last year.

Possible Key Reserves:
Guard Russell Daniels #5 5’11”, 165 lb, Junior. Has started all four games but is not generating much statistics wise. May still start. Plays 18 minutes per game.
Center/Forward Sam Neuman #4 6’7” 220lb, Senior 4.1 ppg, 4.5 rpg Started every game last season
Center Usman Haruna #1 6’10” 235lb, Senior

Match-up & prediction:
After a horrific first two games in which the Bobcats lost by a combined 75 points, including by 30 at home to Utah State, they rebounded to play Colorado State extremely tough, only to lose by 4. The Bobcats have given up 80 or more to all three D1 opponents including 101 to Utah State. The biggest question for the Gauchos is when will Max Heidegger return? He is still being listed as day-to-day. Despite some impressive performances by the individual newcomers, in the opinion of this fan, Max is still the best player on the team when he is healthy. UCSB has been a mixed bag and after a poor defensive effort against North Dakota State, the Gauchos took it out on poor D3 Cal Lutheran and held them to 32 points. They won’t be able to match that against the D1 Bobcats of course but the same level of effort should be enough to allow for the Gauchos to prevail, even without Max and if they struggle on the offensive side. UCSB depth is such a key advantage, JP just needs to make sure he plays the hot hands.

Keys to the game for the Gauchos:
Defense. It’s all about defense.
Prediction: UCSB 80 Montana State 64

Official Site: https://msubobcats.com/index.aspx?path=mbball
Hey Guys! viewforum.php?f=21
How to Watch: http://bigwest.sidearmstreaming.com/watch/?Live=1300

Montana State Pre-Season Preview Links:
https://www.three-man-weave.com/3mw/big ... eview-2019
https://cbbcentral.com/2018/10/07/32x32 ... y-preview/

Fun facts about Montana State:
Their 1928-29 men’s team won the mythical National Championship as awarded by both the Helms Foundation and the Premo-Porretta Power Poll. These two groups bestowed national titles retrospectively to whom they deemed to be the best teams in the years before the NCAA tournament got started. So for all of the gripes we have about the soft OOC schedule, it does include 2 former NCs in the first three D1 games alone

[91catAlum]

Is this a troll attempt or does he really not know our mascot?

[Gauchofreg]

Meet the Gauchos

Season Preview: Year two of the Joe Pasternack era at UCSB will have a very different flavor than the first. It was a record setting beginning for the coach as he took a 6 win team all the way to a 23 win season, tying the school record for victories and the Big West Conference record for turnaround. Helping the new coach achieve this success was a very experienced roster with three returning starters and two grad transfers that became starters. Unfortunately, the bulk of that roster has graduated and to repeat the success, he will have to do it with mostly new players. Good thing for UCSB, Pasternack and his staff have worked extremely hard to bring in a very talented mix of freshmen and transfers. And the one returning starter he does have is a great one, leading scorer and First Team All Big West guard Max Heidegger.
Preaseaon prognosticators have not been sure what to make of the Gauchos, they lost so much but the talent coming in is the best in the conference. They have been picked to finish anywhere from 6th to first. With a 10 point victory on the road against Wyoming, it appears that a finish near the top of the conference is the better bet. Expect the pace of play to rise and the defensive pressure to extend with the greater depth & athleticism and this was the case against Wyoming. A fairly soft out of conference schedule this year may translate into some ugly wins as opposed to losses piling up while the new pieces work to come together.

Season summary: UCSB earned a tough road win over Wyoming in high altitude Laramie, pulling away to win by 10. Playing without their star player Max Heidegger who is still out with concussion symptoms, it had great openers for several of their newcomers; Amadou Sow nearly had a double-double with 11 points and 8 boards. JaQuori McLaughlin, a RS Sophomore transfer from Oregon State also had a breakout game with 17 points. Against unheralded North Dakota State, the Gauchos got run allowing 80 points and coach & players alike pointed to poor defense as the reason. The Gauchos took it out on poor D3 Cal Lutheran and limited them to 32 points on Tuesday. Besides the major roster turnover, the biggest difference is depth. UCSB is playing 11 guys regularly with no starter averaging more than 26 minutes and 10 of the 11 averaging 11 mpg or more.

Coach Joe Pasternack
Coach Pasternack set the bar pretty high his first year with the aforementioned and conference records. With a three star and a 3-4 star recruit in his 2019 recruiting class that was just announced, Coach P is continuing to get it done on the recruiting trail. With so many pieces this season, it will be a great test of his abilities & system to see if he can match last year’s success. Coach P comes to UCSB after a successful stint under Sean Miller at the U. Arizona, where he rose to an Associate HC role. He has been an assistant to Ben Braun at Cal and was a Head Coach at the University of New Orleans, right after the disaster of Hurricane Katrina. He got his start as a student assistant at the University of Indiana under Bob Knight.

Probable Starters
Devearl Ramsey: #4 PG, RS Sophomore. 6’0”, 185lb Leads team in scoring and assists and tied for third in rebounding. A very athletic and exciting point guard, Ramsey is eligible this year after the requisite red shirt season after transferring from Nevada. A highly recruited 3-4* player out of high school, his defense was fantastic against the Cowboys and helps UCSB shore up it’s Achilles heel from last year, guarding quick point guards. A vocal leader, he has been named team captain. On the downside, his aggressive play is sometimes out of control and leads to turnovers.

Max Heidegger: #21 Guard, Junior. 6‘3”, 180lb Gauchos star player from a year ago has been out with a concussion so far this year. Max had one of the biggest leaps in improvement in Gaucho hoops history from his freshman year to his sophomore. An amazing talent, he is a terrific three pointer shooter with NBA range, setting the school record for threes, and can drive & finish. A very capable ball handler, he can run the point but will play the off-guard position most of the time. Don’t be surprised if his production decreases slightly this season due to the depth of backcourt talent UCSB has this season versus last. If he does play, he may be a bit rusty and play limited minutes.

JaQuori McLaughlin: , #3 Guard, RS Sophomore 6’4, 190lb Another transfer, McLaughlin comes to UCSB from Oregon State where he set the freshman record for three pointers made. He can play either guard position but may start out on the wing given the depth at guard. He led the team in scoring vs. the Cowboys with 17. Second in scoring and assists but has a low fg %.

Ar’Mond Davis: #1 Wing, Grad Transfer (Alabama). 6‘6”, 190lb Davis sat out last year with an injury after playing the 6th man role at Alabama his junior year. Prior, he excelled at the College of Southern Idaho, earning a top 5 ranking at the JC level. He is athletic and loves to score. The Gauchos will need him to crash the boards and defend bigger players too given the smaller line up. Is the team’s fourth leading scorer but has been ice cold from deep, shooting just .182 on 11 attempts.

Amadou Sow: #12 Forward, Freshman, 6’9”, 235lb One of the more highly rated recruits in Gaucho history, Sow turned down the likes of Cal, Illinois and Wichita State to come to UCSB. The athletic freshman has range to outside the arc but will need to be a force in the paint too as the Gauchos will likely go small with him as the sole big in the starting lineup. Struggled in his second D1 game after an outstanding opener, he is leading the team in rebounds with 6.7


Reserves
Jarriese Blackmon: #2 Forward, Senior, 6’7”, 220lb Blackmon’s high energy and athleticism have been what has earned him minutes on the floor. With Heidegger out, Blackmon has started and is second on the team in rebounding. Has some decent moves within the arc but is not a primary offensive weapon.

Christian Terrell: #23 Wing, Junior, 6’5”, 200lb “CT” is one of the best athletes on the team with great hops and is considered the best defender. He has supposedly improved his shooting which was the weakest part of his game his first two seasons but he has taken the role of facilitator and taking only high percentage shots resulting in an amazing .750 fg%.

Jay Nagle: #5 Wing, Freshman. 6’8”, 205lb The son of basketball coach, Nagle was the first HS recruit signed by Pasternack and has grown 2 inches since he signed. A terrific outside shooter, he is shooting .625 overall inclucing 3-5 from three. Not the quickest or best athlete, he can be a little slow on defense.

Zach Moore: #34 Guard, RS Junior. 6’5”, 210lb A starter at Seattle before transferring to UCSB, Moore averaged about 11ppg and made 74 threes his sophomore year. Provides another outside threat, and is a perfect 3-3 from deep this season.

Ami Lakoju: #14 Center, Senior, 6’9”, 260lb Ami dealt with a foot fracture over the summer but should be recovered and ready for the season, if not a bit rusty. A physical presence, Ami has been prone to foul trouble over his career and struggled mightily in the two D1 games When he stays out of foul trouble, he has been able to make some contributions on offense and can clear the paint for boards with his big body. Someone I’ve always hoped could do more, we’ll see if can elevate in his last season as a Gaucho.

Robinson Idehen: #35 F/C, Sophomore, 6’10”, 230lb A JC transfer, Idehen is expected to be a rebounding and defensive force in the paint. After playing only three minutes against Wyoming he had 8 pts vs NDSU.

Sekou Toure: #0 Guard, Freshman, 6’5”, 185lb Lightly recruited, Toure made great strides his senior year at Prolific Prep where Sow also attended, averaging 16ppg and 8 boards and UCSB may have got a steal in Toure. What impresses most though is his defense which alone may earn him PT right off the bat. Played limited minutes in his first game but came back with 10 pts and 4 boards against NDSU. It may take some time for him to get accustomed to D1 play.

Limited Roles
Senior Forward Maxwell Kupchak and walk-ons Scotty Harris, Andrew Pickles & Mobeen Hirbod will not likely see meaningful minutes.

About UCSB
Hoops history. UCSB has been an above-average mid-major the past 25 years but has not been able to break through with a type of season that would garner national attention. Its hey-day was in the late 80s/early 90s when the Big West conference rivaled the then Pac 10 for hoops superiority in the West. At that time, UNLV was a power and UCSB had a couple major upsets of the Rebels when they were ranked in the top 5 of the country. The Gauchos were the last team to beat UNLV before the Rebels went on to win the National Championship in 1990. Those Rebels would not lose again until to Duke in the Final Four the following year. Also in 1990, the Gauchos won their only NCAA tournament game ever, defeating Houston in the first found before losing to top seed Michigan State by 3. During this time the crowds were among the best in the country and the Campus Events Center earned the nick-name of “The Thunderdome.” Sadly, present-day crowds make a mockery of that name. Under previous coach Bob Williams, who led the program for 19 years, the Gauchos got to the NCAA tournament three times and the NIT twice, never winning a game. Our most famous basketball alum is Brian Shaw who won three NBA championships with the Lakers in the early 2000s and is back with the Lakers as Associate HC.

Gauchos in the NBA
James Nunnally, 2012, a deep bench reserve forward for the Minnesota Timberwolves
Alan Williams, 2015, school’s all-time rebounding leader, under the new NBA Two-Way contract with the Brooklyn Nets and formerly with the Phoenix Suns.

The School: Once more known as a party school (and it certainly was when I was there way back when!), it has grown to become one of the best universities in the country, consistently in the top 40 of the school ratings. You’ll be hard pressed to find a more beautiful campus location, surrounded on two sides by the Pacific Ocean and the Santa Ynez mountains behind. It is more sedate now but still has the surf and bikinis in January. Although in a bit of a lull right now, the soccer team has had a lot of success, winning the National Championship in 2006 and created a fantastic following as the school led the country in attendance for more than 10 consecutive years. The school responded by investing into their stadium and UCSB will be hosting the College Cup (Final 4) for the second time this December.

[Gauchofreg]

Is this a troll attempt or does he really not know our mascot?

Doh!!
Not a troll attempt, just an honest mistake. I get it that it is a sh*tty one given the name I mixed it up with. Will go fix.

[BelgradeBobcat]

From what I've seen UCSB is a very big and very talented team. They should win this game-probably by a lot of points.

[msu_agfan]

Gauchofreg, thanks for sharing! Only error I saw (I feel) is that you state our worst loss was against Colorado state. That was probably our best loss, the worst being either Utah State or Indiana, depending on how you want to define worst. But, thanks again, appreciate that level of commitment/involvement.

[msu_agfan]

Apparently there was a football game during this one...... but I caught most of it. They jumped out to a 17 to 2 lead, we basically never recovered. However I was real impressed with our bigs. We had some offense in there, and I saw several rebounds we got that would have not happened last year. Ladan started tonight, I believe his first start?

[Mcat]

Ricketts hit 3 shots in a run in the second half and the team played very solid D, that got the bobcats within 10 with about 8 minutes to go. Then Ricketts went to the bench. We did not recover after that.