BIG WEST CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT: A Preview of Men’s Basketball

UC Riverside’s Kyle Austin.
(Credit: Bobby R. Hester)

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The Big West Conference Tournament for men’s basketball will be held March 11-14 at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, Calif.

Cal State Northridge currently holds the No. 1 seed since it is in the lead of conference standings.

CSUN carries an overall record of 14-12, while being 10-4 in BWC action. Long Beach State (14-13, 9-5) and the University of Pacific (16-11, 9-6) hold the second and third spots, respectively.

UC Riverside sits in fourth with a surprising mark of 16-11 overall and 7-7 in conference play. The Highlanders have come a long way to place themselves where they are as of now.

In the 2006-07 season, the team finished 7-24 overall and 1-13 in BWC play, placing eighth for the year. Soon after, during the first full season under then new head coach Jim Wooldridge, the Highlanders went 9-21 and 4-12 in 2007-08, placing seventh in the standings.

Change was needed. Change was desired. Change is what UCR received this year.

Wooldridge has guided the squad into capturing a comfortable record both overall and in conference competition. If the season ended today, the Highlanders would have a first round bye in the tournament. This would be quite significant for the group in order to rest their bodies for one more day.

Sophomore forward Kyle Austin leads the Highlanders in scoring, averaging 17.2 points per game. Javon Borum and Aaron Scott follow at 9.7 and 9.6 points, respectively.

Cal State Fullerton, UC Davis, UC Irvine, UC Santa Barbara and Cal Poly close out the rest of the standings, respectively.

It will be the ninth consecutive season in which the tournament is held at the Anaheim Convention Center, located across from the Disneyland Resort.

The Championship Game will be March 14 at 1 p.m. Tickets start at $25. Fox Sports Network is scheduled to televise the contest.