Get in on some Mid-Major Madness. The Big West Tournament is about to get underway with a pair of excellent teams leading the pack. The Hawaii Rainbow Warriors and UC Irvine Anteaters are the top draws of the tournament with identical 13-3 records. But they’re not the only ones capable of running away with the golden ticket to the NCAA Tournament.
Don’t sleep on the likes of UC Santa Barbara, UC Riverside and even bottom feeders Cal Poly. They’re all live dogs to shake up this Big West Tournament.
Don’t kid yourselves. You’re waiting for the power conference to duke it out in their respective tourneys. So check out our complete previews of the Big 12 and SEC conference tournaments for a pair of treats.
March Madness News & Predictions
- 2016 March Madness Sleepers Predictions and Picks
- 2016 March Madness Longshots and Best Long Shots Picks and Predictions
- 2016 March Madness Preview
- 2016 NCAA March Madness Expert Picks
2016 Big West Tournament Preview
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Hawaii Rainbow Warriors
The Hawaii Rainbow Warriors clinched a share of the Big West regular season title with a 67-65 win over UC Davis. But they failed to build on that win as they lost to Long Beach State in the regular season finale. The Warriors still have plenty to smile about, though – they own the No. 1 seed in the Big West Tournament.
Jankovic is averaging team-highs of 15.7 points and 6.8 rebounds per game. Valdes is also solid with 14.4 points and 15.4 rebounds per game. Bobbitt is the Warriors’ court general, contributing everywhere on the floor. He’s averaging 13.2 points, 5.7 assists, 4.2 rebounds and 2.1 steals per game. Hawaii has all the talent they need to make a big statement in the Big West Tournament.
UC Irvine Anteaters
The UC Irvine Anteaters tied Hawaii with a 13-3 conference record, but lost the head-to-head tiebreaker to eventually take the second seed in the Big West Tournament. Length will be one of the Anteaters’ best weapons in this tournament, particularly center Mamadou Ndiaye. The Senegalese player stands at a whopping 7-foot-6, towering above almost every other opponent on the court.
Ndiaye has a strong presence inside with team-highs of 7.2 rebounds and 2.4 blocks per game. He’s backed up by solid backcourt play from Luke Nelson and Alex Young. Nelson is averaging 13.3 points per game, while Young is scoring 10 per game. The two guards combined to average 8.5 assists per game this season.
Sleepers
UC Santa Barbara Gauchos
The UC Santa Barbara Gauchos were close to unstoppable towards the end of the season. They won eight straight games as they finished the regular season with an 11-5 conference record. The Gauchos are dangerous opponents for anyone, especially if they limit their opponents’ shots. They’re ranked second in the conference in field goal percentage defense (.421).
UC Santa Barbara isn’t a very good scoring team, ranking just ninth in the 10-team Big West. But they have one of the best players in the conference, Michael Bryson. The senior guard leads the league with 18 points per game this season. He’ll be the Gauchos’ main man on the court if they are to pull off some upsets.
UC Riverside Highlanders
The UC Riverside Highlanders have to be kicking themselves after finishing off the regular season on a horrible 1-7 slump. But the Highlanders’ lone win was one hell of a win, beating the top-seeded Rainbow Warriors at Hawaii on February 25.
If the Highlanders manage to find themselves face-to-face against Hawaii in the conference tournament final, then expect them to play one of the games of their lives. Getting to the final game may be difficult, though. They’re 2-4 against the three teams in their bracket combined.
IF UC Riverside will pull off any upsets, then it will depend on the likes of Jaylen Bland, Taylor Johns and Secean Johnson to lead the team. The three are the only players averaging double-digit points for the team this season. Bland is chipping in 15.9 points per game, Johns 15.5 and Johnson is scoring 12 per game this year.
Long Shot
Cal Poly Mustangs
The Cal Poly Mustangs aren’t good. They’re one of the bottom feeders of the Big West Conference. But they do have a favorable matchup for their first game of the tournament. They face the second-seeded UC Irvine. The Mustangs had a close call against UC Irvine earlier in the season, losing 78-72 in overtime on February 3. They then lost to the Anteaters 72-62 just a week ago on March 3.
Playing on a neutral floor, the Mustangs may be able to pull off an unlikely upset if things fall their way. They’ll need their top two scorers David Nwaba (12.7 points per game) and Reese Morgan (11.2) to have the game of their lives. But that’s not enough; Brian Bennett and Joel Awich also need to have solid games. The two are the only other Mustangs averaging over eight points per game this season.
If Cal Poly manages to pull off the upset, then it may deliver the spark they need to go all the way to win the tournament. Don’t count them out, especially with basically no pressure as the seventh seed of the tournament.
Writer’s Prediction
Hawaii storms toward the Big Dance.
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