MBK: Gauchos Named 2nd in Big West Poll

The UCSB men’s basketball team was picked to finish second in the 2014-15 Big West Conference regular season standings and senior Alan Williams was chosen for the Preseason All-Conference Team in a poll of the league’s media members.

The Gauchos garnered 195 total points and two first-place votes. UC Irvine, which won the regular season title last season, was the favorite to repeat, piling-up 221 points and 20 first-place votes. Long Beach State had three first-place votes and totaled 180 points, while Cal State Northridge collected the final first-place vote and accumulated 165 points. Hawai’i rounded out the top-five with 119 points.

Williams, the reigning Big West Player of the Year and a two-time all-conference selection, was one of six players named to the Big West Preseason All-Conference Team. Williams, who was also an All-District, All-Region and Honorable Mention All-American in 2013-14, averaged a league-leading 21.3 points and a nation-leading 11.5 rebounds per game as a junior.

Media Poll Results

1. UC Irvine (20) 221

2. UC Santa Barbara (2) 195

3. Long Beach State (3) 180

4. CSUN (1) 165

5. Hawai’i 119

6. Cal Poly 109

7. UC Davis 79

8. Cal State Fullerton 64

9. UC Riverside 38

( ) First-place votes

UCSB will play its only home exhibition game of the season on Monday, November 10, 7 p.m. when it hosts Point Loma in the Thunderdome. They will play their first home game Saturday, November 22, 4 p.m., against The Master’s College on in the Thunderdome.

For the full story, see presidiosports.com.