Analysis

They still operate mostly in anonymity in the San Fernando Valley, where it’s all about the Lakers and Dodgers, but for those paying attention, CS Northridge hoops has provided some decent viewing the past few years since HC Andy Newman arrived from CS San Bernardino and stabilized the Matador program. No mean feat, considering the inevitable roster churn in the Big West, though Newman got a boost when leading scorer G Josiah Davis (15.9 ppg/7.6 apg last term) recently had his eligibility restored, though all other starters from last year’s 20-win side have moved on. By the time Big West play commences, 6-8 Minnesota transfer F BJ Omot (injured last season; 10.3 ppg when last after two years ago at Cal) should be an established force. In early November, however, facing a legit contender in a higher-grade loop that has a veteran presence is a tall order, and Paul Mills’ Wichita State brings back 11 players from last year’s accomplished squad that advanced to the NIT quarterfinals. What is likely the best returning frontcourt in the American is paced by 6-9 Dillion Battie (56% FG shooter last season) and 7-2 Will Berg, who flourished after transferring from Purdue, but it’s on the perimeter where the Wheatshockers can really cook with ex-Chattanooga PG Jordan Frison one of the prizes of the portal, while the off-again, on-again eligibility of All-AAC G Kenyon Giles could provide even more firepower at the Roundhouse. Of course, then there’s Mills, who made a name for himself at Oral Roberts and now has Wichita on the upswing. With the visiting Matadors mostly a blank slate, prefer the more-established commodity that might be on the verge of a real breakthrough this term.
Play Wichita State

With Gonzaga having moved to the new Pac-12 and long-serving HC Randy Bennett having left Saint Mary’s for Arizona State, the coast has been cleared in the WCC for Santa Clara to take control. After qualifying for the Big Dance for the first time in 30 years last March, Herb Sendek looks ready for an encore, unveiling some new weapons in the opening 89-70 cruise past Coastal contender Towson on Monday. Pulling another rabbit out of the hat, Sendek unveiled redshirt G Brad Longcor III, who scored 18 in just 24 minutes of the opener, and along with holdover G and former Villanova transfer Sash Gavalugov (17 points in opener), Sendek might have the best backcourt in the loop. Meanwhile, bruising 6-7, 250-lb. Iowa transfer PF Chris Tadjo, another one of Sendek’s redshirts from a year ago, looked beastly on the blocks in the opener before encountering foul problems. The prospects hardly seem as rosy for Milwaukee, which was on the wrong end of a 32-point beatdown administered by USC in its Monday opener. It didn’t help HC Bart Lundy that his top scorer from last season, G Seth Hubbard (16.6 ppg; though played only 9 games before encountering shoulder problems) transferred to Hampton, while well-regarded 6-8 wing John Lovelace made little impact vs. the Trojans and looks like he has a ways to go after last season’s serious leg injury. Credit Lundy for taking on formidable foes on the road in California to open the new season, but as the USC result indicated, the Panthers don’t look ready to trade points in early November vs. potential Big Dance qualifiers.
Play Santa Clara

Stan Johnson has been stuck on a treadmill hovering around .500 during his tenure at Loyola Marymount, though with Gonzaga now out of the WCC and Randy Bennett gone from Saint Mary’s, Johnson has no excuses if the Lions don’t forge a breakthrough–and soon. The hope is that boomerang 6-11 transfer Jevon Porter (15.5 ppg with the Lions in 2024-025 before moving to Missouri last season, when limited to just 10 games) can prove a linchpin. There’s also some excitement about All-Name transfer G All Wright, who hit better than 42% of this triples for Richard Pitino at Xavier last season. False alarms, however, are common in Westchester, and the fact is that visiting Queens has been achieving a lot more in recent years, including a first-ever Big Dance invite a year ago, for underrated HC Grant Leonard. Leonard’s new edition looks like it can continue at the same uptempo as recent seasons, and scored a healthy 84.9 points per game a year ago, especially if the opening 103-98 win over Winthrop is any indicator. Leonard, who has played the transfer game especially well in stewarding the move up to the D-I ranks, didn’t have to dip as far into the portal this offseason with some familiar faces back in the fold from a year ago, including G Avantae Parker (11.1. ppg LY) and forward Nasir Mann (13.3 ppg last campaign). The Royals were also up to their old tricks in the opener with five double-digit scorers led by 6-5 soph wing Jordan Watford, who A-Sun sources say might be on the verge of a breakthrough campaign after scoring 26 on Monday, while 6-4 frosh G Caleb Jones is generating plenty of excitement after his 15-point debut vs. the Big South contender Eagles, which included connections on all three of his triples. Though this is the longest road trip that Queens has ever taken, air travel isn’t so bad these days, and it’s a very short ride from LAX to Westchester anyway. So why, we wonder, aren’t the Royals getting a bit more respect in the marketplace?
Play Queens

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