The cast of players might have changed, but the road to a SCIAC championship in men’s basketball is probably still going through Occidental College.
The Tigers (10-1) are ranked No. 21 in the NCAA D3hoops national poll heading into conference play, which starts today. The Tigers have company in that select group as conference foe Cal Lutheran (10-1) is ranked for the first time at No. 24.
So the four area teams will face a formidable challenge. Three of the four teams will be at home for their openers tonight, with Redlands (5-6) hosting Caltech (1-9), much-improved La Verne (6-5) at Pomona-Pitzer (5-5) and Occidental (10-1) traveling to Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (6-5).
“They (Occidental) had some seniors last year, but I think people are realizing now that their supporting players from last year are better than people realized,” Pomona-Pitzer coach Charlie Katsiaficas said. “Those guys have stepped up in more significant roles this year, and they’re off to a great start.”
Among the departed Tigers is 2006-07 Player of the Year Sam Betty. Senior guard Connor Whitman has picked up where Betty left off, averaging a conference-best 19.4 points a game. The Tigers also inherited a 6-foot-10 sophomore in UC Riverside transfer Sean Anderson.
Occidental already has a big victory in hand, beating Plattsburgh State (N.Y.), ranked in the Top 25 at the time. Cal Lutheran got an even bigger one, beating then-No. 3 Wisconsin Stevens Point.
“Those games show what those teams are capable of,” Katsiaficas said. “You have to look at those two teams as the favorites.”
The Sagehens, led by steady senior Jabarri Reynolds, have won three of their past four games.
“We have put together a few solid games, so it is nice to have some momentum going into conference,” Katsiaficas said.
All four area teams are within a game of .500, with the most surprising being La Verne, now under the direction of former player Richard Reed. The Leopards already have won more games than they did all of last season and tuned up for their conference debut with a victory over La Sierra on Wednesday.
The biggest question mark in the conference is the University of Redlands. The Bulldogs are in transition, with Jim Ducey taking over from the retired Gary Smith. With that change comes a new style of play as the Bulldogs go from up-tempo to a more conventional set offense.
So no one is quite sure where the Bulldogs will factor in since they haven’t played a traditional game with their current personnel. Ducey said he met with the team when he first was given the job and informed his players they would be returning to a more normal game.
“No one was really surprised,” Ducey said. “I don’t think they expected me to run what they had been running.”
Ducey is keeping a busy schedule since spring sports have started; he also directs the women’s tennis team. But he still has found a way to scout his upcoming opponents.
“I have seen every team play at least twice. Every team has got some weapons, so it should be interesting,” he said. “We have progressed pretty much as I thought we would. We’re not as good as we can be, but we’re getting better.”
The Stags have been on the winning side of some close games — four of their six victories have come by a total of 14 points, the most recent being a two-point decision over La Sierra on Monday.
Like the women, the men will hold a conference tournament at the end of the season. The winner earns the automatic playoff berth that had previously gone to the regular-season champion.
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