Cal Poly Pomona basketball coach Greg Kamansky and Cal State San Bernardino coach Jeff Oliver dont think they will have to caution their teams about overconfidence when they head north to start the second round of CCAA play against San Francisco State and Cal State Monterey Bay.
The Coyotes (15-3, 8-2), ranked second in the region and 13th nationally, have a one-game lead in the CCAA over Humboldt State (12-5, 7-3) and Cal Poly Pomona (8-7, 7-3) with three other teams two games back.
Meanwhile Monterey Bay (4-12, 3-7) stands ninth out of 11 teams so it might look like an easy win. But think again. The Otters beat UC San Diego in the first go-round, something both the Coyotes and the Broncos failed to do.
They are very dangerous offensively, Oliver said. They keep coming at you, they shoot the three very well and they do not quit. You cant get rid of them.
Kamansky agrees.
They are not a 4-12 team, he said. I dont know why they havent won more games because they have given all of us fits. They never think theyre out of a game.
Then theres San Francisco State (11-6, 6-4), picked by the coaches in the preseason to finish dead last after a 6-21 showing a year ago. But the Gators have been the surprise team thus far. And like Monterey Bay, the Gators beat San Diego a week ago.
The Coyotes also have a history of struggling in the cramped, antiquated gym. Three years ago they faced the Gators in the last game of the regular season with the outright conference title on the line and lost to a then .500 team.
Cal State defeated San Francisco handily at Coussoulis Arena but the Broncos lost to the Gators at home in their first conference game of the season.
Back then it seemed like a really bad loss, Kamansky said. But they have shown theyre for real. No one is taking them lightly now. Certainly not us.
Oliver said his team is coming off perhaps its best practice of the season. The Coyotes have been led recently by senior center Michael Earl (13.4 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 2.6 bpg) and senior guard Marlon Pierce (12.1 ppg, 4.1 apg) with junior Devon Davis (5.1 ppg) and senior David Reichel (6.8 ppg) putting in some quality minutes off the bench in a win over Humbolt State Saturday.
Kamansky has gotten a stellar effort from his 1-2 punch of junior forward Larry Gordon (18.1 ppg, 9.5 rpg) and senior guard Angelo Tsagarakis (15 ppg, 2.8 apg). But others have stepped up in recent games, most notably sophomore Donnelle Booker (7.9 ppg, 4.8 rpg).
Both teams face tough roads the rest of the way. The Broncos, who are ranked eighth in the region, have eight of their last 10 conference games on the road while the Coyotes are on the road for seven.
We have a tough road ahead of us, Oliver said. Humboldt is in the best shape because they have the majority of their games at home and we still have to go there.
Both womens teams will be playing the same foes. Cal State San Bernardino (14-3, 8-2) is tied atop the conference with Chico State and was a surprising second in the first West Region poll of the season released on Wednesday.
Coach Kevin Becker thought his team would be fifth or sixth.
The Broncos (8-8, 5-5) are tied for fifth in the conference but have beaten two nationally ranked teams in the last eight days – defending conference and region champion UC San Diego and Sonoma State.
Cal State gets San Francisco State tonight while Cal Poly opens play at Monterey. The teams will then swap foes the following night.
There are a two local players on the rosters of the opposing teams. Former Rialto High and San Bernardino Valley College standout JaNae Westmoreland (6.5 ppg, 6.6 rpg) plays for Monterey Bay while junior guard Will Logan (5.2 ppg, 3.8 rpg), a former Apple Valley High player, is on the Gators roster.
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