Interesting Things About Eastern Washington

I decided that I didn't know too much about EWU. In my effort to educate myself of the Gauchos next victim, I decided to do some research. Feel free to pitch in on the comments page if you know something that I don't (highly unlikely).

1. Located in Cheney, Washington and has an enrollment of 10,005 students. Interestingly, Cheney has a population of 10,130 (2006). I wonder if the townfolk hate the studentfolk much like they do in the IV-Goleta model.



2. EWU is the fastest growing public university in the state of Washington. This feat shouldn't be hard to achieve since the only other public schools I could think of are UW and WSU.

3. Newsweek has named EWU as a "Best Value for Tuition Dollar" school. Awesome.

4. The only university with a state crime lab on campus is EWU. Man, imagine if UCSB had a crime lab on their campus. The IVFP would be in heaven. In their futile attempts to stop student drinking they could begin beer can analysis. Maybe the ABC could use their wise judgment and give a grant to create a crime lab.

5. Their mascot is named Swoop. Their former mascot used to be a Savage.




6. Their football coach, Paul Wulff, just got hired to coach Washington State. Godspeed, my friend. He looks a little crazy.



7. They've got national championships in wrestling (NAIA), and cross country (D2)

8. EWU has some pretty famous alumni:
Todd McFarlane, creator of Spawn comic book and co-owner of the Edmonton Oilers
Colin Cowherd, the annoying ESPN radio host of "The Herd"
Jesse Chatman, Miami Dolphins RB
Rodney Stuckey, NBA Draft pick last year



I'm done, so I want you to add some interesting facts if you have any.

Game Day: UCSB at EWU

Tonight, we find out if the Gauchos strapped their cojones back on. If they bounce back and smash the Eagles, I think Gaucholand will be satisfied. If they win or lose a close one, some of the familiar doubts/feelings that are all too familiar in Gaucholand will start to creep back into our psyche.

As part of my public service mission to the Gaucho faithful (and because our sports marketing doesn't really seem to care), I want you all to be able to listen to the game. You can catch the game by following the link below to get to the "Big Talker."

http://www.1510kga.com/

As far as I know it won't be on television despite the popular demand of the nation to catch this slugfest. If something changes, I'll be right on top of it, don't worry. Like a good wingman at a DP party, I got your back.

Besides, what else are you going to do on a Saturday night than hang out with the misses or the kids? The game will be over by 9:30 p.m. Let's examine the choices:

1. Alamo Bowl: Penn State vs. Texas A&M. Mmmmn. This one just sounds exciting. I surfed the internet earlier to see if Former A&M Coach Franchione would give me one of his famous tip sheets. I don't understand why he wouldn't want to.

2. College Basketball: Arizona vs. Memphis. Ok, this might actually be a good game. Let's compromise. Put this on mute and listen to the radiocast.

3. Patriots vs. New York Giants: You'll be able to catch the tail end of this game. Seriously, who cares? The Patriots are going to beat the Giants. Beli-cheat doesn't care that he's clinched home field advantage, he just wants to run up the score. I may actually put this game on mute just so I can watch the cruel irony take place when Beli-cheat's hubris gets the better of him and one of his key players goes down. Another exciting aspect of this game: You can choose whether you want to watch this game on NBC, CBS or NFLN. Now we get to hear how crappy Bryant Gumbel really is.

4. ET (Family Channel): Come on, you've watched this 45 times already. "ET, phone home."

Lastly, thanks to the miracles of modern technology (combined with my excessive intellect), I've added a game day poll. Let the rest of the readers (the other two of you), see how the rest of the crew is feeling.

Maybe UCSB's Defeat at UNC Wasn't That Bad

I forgot to mention this in my earlier post, so a second post goes to mention this. Chances are that if you're reading this blog, you already know what I'm going to mention.

For those of you who don't know (or just emerged from your cave yesterday), UNC beat Nevada-Reno 106-70. To recap, UNC beat UCSB 105-70. In other words, Nevada lost to UNC by 1 more point than UCSB did.

I don't know what this means, but I thought I would point it out. Maybe UCSB's loss wasn't that bad. OK, it was bad, but this makes it hurt (and seem) not as bad. After all, Ken Pomeroy gives UNR an RPI of 57, which is about 1,500 higher than UCSB's RPI. This gives us a good barometer to measure our team by. Nevada is 7-5 and we're going to end up having more than a couple common opponents.

Both of us will end up playing UCI, UNLV, Pacific, Montana St. and UNC.

Nevada has lost to UNLV, Pacific and UNC. We beat UNLV, lost to UNC and we're going to beat Pacific.

UCSB is going to beat UCI bad (both times) and we both beat Montana St (but we beat them by more).

Generally, I think people hold Nevada in high esteem as a decent mid major. If they lose to UNC by 36 and we lose to them by 35, I think we're looking good (I can't really say this with a straight face). I know this is a slightly ridiculous argument because the difference between 35 and 36 comes down to semantics, but damnit, it matters to me!

12/29/07: UCSB at Eastern Washington

UCSB Gauchos (10-2) v. Eastern Washington Eagles (6-8)
December 29, 2007, 7:05 p.m. (PST)


This is the return game for last year's Bracket Buster match-up (which UCSB lost 71-70). This is also UCSB's final non-conference game (until the Bracket Buster match-up on February 23, 2008). If you'll recall last year's match-up, EWU was led by Rodney Stuckey and his 30 points.



Yes, that's the same Rodney Stuckey who was drafted in the 2007 NBA Draft by the Detroit Pistons with pick #15. I took a look at last years box score (see link below) and noticed that EWU doesn't have many players on this year's squad who contributed in the UCSB game.

http://ucsbgauchos.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/stats/2006-2007/ucsbmb23.html

However, Gaucho Nation, don't be lulled into a false sense of security by the Eagles 6-8 record. The boys from EWU have played a schedule infinitely (not really, but a lot better) than UCSB's schedule. Among some of the big names on EWU's schedule are Washington State (68-41 loss), New Mexico (92-57 beat down), Washington (82-68 whuppin'), Virginia Tech (69-52 loss), Michigan (61-53 loss) and Kansas (85-47 destruction). As you can see, they've played some big names, so they probably won't be phased by anything the Gaucho Buzzsaw throws at them. Still, it's not a good thing when you're 6-8 and in first place in your league.

Here is kenpom.com's tale of the tape:

UCSB: http://www.kenpom.com/sr.php?team=UC%20Santa%20Barbara&y=2008
EWU: http://www.kenpom.com/sr.php?team=Eastern%20Washington&y=2008

First off, I think the Gauchos immediate advantage is going to be their height. EWU only has 3 players measuring 6'8 or 6'9. The Gauchos will need to exploit this advantage in the form of rebounding and lots of the same ol', same ol' (Chris Devine and Al Harris).

Surprisingly, UCSB with a taller team plays at a slightly faster pace than EWU does. EWU is shooting 45.1% from the floor and allows their opponent to shoot 52.4%. This bodes well for the Gauchos since they come into the contest shooting 51.2% from the field and allowing their opponents to shoot 48.3%.

All in all, when you look at the tale of the tape, UCSB is ahead of almost every single statistic when compared head to head. As a result, I can see the Gauchos pounding the rock inside, shooting the three (hopefully, well) and notching up the defense with a solid margin of victory.

It's important for the Gauchos to start fast and keep it up throughout the game. Not that I need to point it out because you can read my rant below, but our last game was against UNC. It's safe to say that we came out a little flatter than most expected. This is a good game to rebound with before we get rolling into Big West play. The Gauchos need to use this game to wipe that bad taste out of their mouth and prepare themselves to feast on the lame Little West competition.



And, for a little positive mojo before tomorrow's contest, I want everyone to watch these highlights (complete with amazing cinematography and analysis) over and over and repeat "Big West Conference Champions."



This one is my favorite:

USF? Eddie Sutton? WTF?

This has absolutely nothing to do with UCSB (maybe a tiny bit), but, I'm pretty damn confused right now. This also has everything to do with UCSB (not really). How on earth has USF gone from Jessie Evans to Eddie Sutton in a couple hours? I have no idea if this is a coup or just stupidity on USF's part.

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=3168981



Something about this whole situation doesn't smell right. We here at The Gaucho Manifesto (read: me) want to get to the bottom of this to figure out what the hell is going on. ESPN.com is reporting (whether they're correct is another story) that Evans was given an ultimatum to resign or be fired. However, USF is saying that Evans requested the leave of absence (for the remainder of the season) on his own without any pressure from anyone.

This is still weird. Sutton was at the USF-LBSU game in Long Beach last week. He also has said that he had discussions with the USF AD a couple days ago, despite the fact that the AD said that she knew of Evans' decision this morning. I've been trying to find out if Sutton lives in the SoCal area (haven't been able to find that yet). If he doesn't, this makes the departure of Evans very suspicious.

Apparently, Sutton is not interested in taking this job on full-time, as in, coaching next season. He said that selfishly, he's trying to reach 800 wins (so people will forget about his DUI escapades while at OSU).

So, let's summarize. Sutton is using USF to get to 800 wins (he's at 798). Evans is taking a "leave of absence," but he wasn't given an ultimatum. Sutton talked to USF's AD a few days ago about the opening of the job (really, why would he lie about the conversations?). Sutton is only coaching this year. Will Evans be back next year? Who knows.



What does this have to do with UCSB? Well, this refutes the naysayers (sort of) to my suggestion that UCSB could land a "big name" coach. Before anyone jumps all over me to say that Eddie Sutton isn't a big name coach, read the rest of this.

Sutton is a big name coach who can bring instant credibility. While his image may be tarnished, I believe he's still got "it." Sutton last made it to the Final Four in 2004 with OSU. On the other hand, he's (admittedly) selfishly pursuing this position to achieve his goal of 800 wins. If he had 800 wins, would he take this job? Probably not, but that's not the point. The fact that he's taken this job, in my opinion, primarily for "selfish reasons" to get to his 800 win goal, somewhat dilutes my point, but I can make it work.

The point is that Sutton still took this job (again, in my opinion, primarily for selfish reasons). He's never been to the USF campus. They're in the middle of a 4-8 season. I'm sure Sutton will get his 800th win, but he might not get much beyond that.

If Sutton is willing to take a job at a school like USF for half a season, this is evidence supporting my point that UCSB could always land a "big fish." Sutton might not be considered a big fish in terms of coaching ability, but name alone makes him a big fish.

I've always suggested that UCSB should never accept mediocrity from it's athletic programs, especially for a school that so desperately wants to rid its party label while striving to become one of the top academic schools in the nation (it's pretty damn close to the academic goal, good luck on the partying one). If we attacked our athletic program like we attack the aforementioned "problem," we should own the Little West every year. However, the program has become an extension of its AD and administration. They've neglected to care about the program, and, in sod doing, created an environment where mediocrity is acceptable (Don't you wish you had a job like this?). So long as we make it to the Little West semis each year and don't make any negative news, who cares? We should care.

I admit, I'm becoming more of a Bob Williams' fan. He's going to have to get that NCAA Tournament berth to convert me, though. Yet, I've always felt that we need to hold his feet to the fire so that he understands we expect more of him than just a semi-final elimination every year.

The fact that USF can get Sutton (even if only for a year) convinces me that UCSB is perfectly capable of landing a "big name" coach in the event that Coach Williams can't deliver the goods. A while back (a couple of years ago), I suggested to my buddies that UCSB should go after a Bob Knight-esque coach. Someone who's taken a slight hit to their image, but who can take this program to the next level. Think about someone like Bob Huggins. I would never want Huggins (poor academic performance by his teams), but you get the idea.

All we need is one coach to convince the public that UCSB can make the tournament year after year (much like Gonzaga owns the WCC). Then, it makes it easier for the next coach to understand that he has all the resources necessary to win the Little West.

UCSB is the perfect place (except for housing prices) for a coach near the end of his coaching career or looking for somewhere with less media scrutiny. We've got a nice climate, right by the beach and a nice community, among other things.

I'm giving Coach Williams a fair shake (though he'll still get criticized when necessary) because I think he's doing a much better job than he has in the past. I'm pretty confident that his recruits are getting better and he's bringing in more talented guys than he has in the past (see: Luc Richard Mbah a Moute's brother). Although we're a bit of a paper tiger this year (so far), I think 10 wins is still pretty impressive and they're finally playing more like I feel they should.

What is the point of this long, rambling post? Everyone needs to realize that we can get someone with a bigger name to UCSB and we should if the current coaching staff doesn't meet our expectations. After all, we are a school that prides itself on being top notch in everything else; location, academics, partying (whether Chancellor Yang likes it or not) and soccer. We should demand the same for basketball (for all athletics for that matter).

Let me know what you think about this. Leave a comment (or not).

Who is James Nunnally?

Nunnally is the second Gaucho recruit that TGM will profile (probably, horribly). First, his vitals are below.

James Nunnally, SF
Weston Ranch HS (Stockton, CA)
6'5/6'6, no weight listed

Nunnally was The Record's Boys Basketball Player of the Year last year. Below is an article about him.

http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070412/A_SPORTS09/704120324

Nunnally's older brother, Mike, happens to play at Pacific. In fact, most had assumed that Nunnally would commit to Pacific so that he could play with his brother and be close to home. Oh well, the Tigers loss is the Gauchos gain and we're happy to have him. Of course, what's great is that Coach Williams won't have to sell James to Gaucho Nation as the brother of Mike Nunnally (Like when Luc Richard Mbah a Moute's twin brother was signed under the premise of being his brother, which was quite laughable)

According to Rivals.com, he's a two star recruit. While I think these ratings are decent gauge of a player's ability, it's not the be all, end all. For those of you who enjoy football, the 49ers' rookie LB Patrick Willis was a two star recruit coming into Ole' Miss. Now, he's a Top 15 pick, probable defensive rookie of the year and going to his first Pro Bowl. I don't know (although I hope) that Nunnally will turn out to be our version of Patrick Willis, but I think there are good things in store for him. Check out the youtube video below to see some film of his playing in a recent tournament.



Obviously, he's pretty athletic. Although I don't know much about his shooting ability, his shot looks good. Even if his shooting percentage isn't very high, that form looks good and I think he'll be able to improve it drastically over four years. James needs to put on a little muscle and then I think he can be a force to be reckoned with restoring the Gauchos to their rightful spot atop the Big West.

Barring any transfers and any additional commitments (and/or de-commits), UCSB loses Pajevic, Alex Harris and Ivan Elliot after this year. However, if the trend continues, Coach Williams will lose one or two more players who transfer this year. I believe Nunnally will have ample opportunity to compete for a starting position, and, at the very least, playing time in the rotation.

All in all, I'm excited to see him in a Gaucho jersey and I hope you are too.

UCSB Drops to 8th in the Mid Major Poll

After losing 105-70 to UNC, UCSB dropped from their #6 ranking in the Mid Major Top 25 to #8. The only other team in the Top 25 from the Big (Little) West is Cal State Fullerton, coming in at #25. Also, no other Big (Little) West teams are even receiving votes.

For those of you who believe the Gauchos are still alive for an at-large berth (do you really exist?) if the Gauchos pull off the typical Big West Tournament semi-final exit, this does not bode well. If the mid-major poll voters, including 2 Big (Little) West coaches and 4 total California school voters, aren't putting Big West members into the Top 25 or Others Receiving Votes Category, UCSB has their work cut out for them.

In other words, UCSB must win the Conference Tournament to get into the Tournament. Otherwise, NIT here we come.

Merry Christmas

In honor of the Christmas, I decided to post my wish list for Gaucho Basketball (listed in no particular order):

1. NCAA tournament berth (Preferably in Anaheim because I have tickets)
2. Big West Conference Championship
3. Bracket Busters match-up with a top 25 team
4. Stronger out of conference schedule in 2008-2009
5. New Athletic Director (i.e. Gary Cunningham should retire)
6. Marketing Department that actually markets basketball games



Come on Santa, deliver the goods!

UNC vs. UCSB #2

For those of you who didn't get enough of the carnage on Saturday morning, I'd like to remind you of Round #2. That's right, UNC is traveling to the 'Dome to play the Gauchos next year.



The word on the street is that the game is scheduled for November 22, 2008 at the Thunderdome. UNC will be making the trip out to Santa Barbara on their way to take part in the Maui Invitational. Hopefully (hopefully), we'll give them a little pay back.


Assuming no one on the Heels' declares for the NBA Draft (Highly likely, right?), the Heels' will lose only two players off their current roster of 17. I have a funny feeling that that Hansbrough guy will be back for next season. The Junior, considered by some to be a tweener, is still a savage in the post. I think he'll back for this reason. More importantly, though, I believe his father is a doctor. What does that mean? He probably doesn't have to worry about money like some of these other players. Instead, he can enjoy his college experience (wise move) and move onto greener pastures after his senior year.

UNC Hammers UCSB 105-70

Alright, let's start with the observations of the game:

First, I didn't get to see the game on TV. Although UCSB claimed the game would be on TV, it was nowhere to be found. Apparently, the only place you could have seen the game was at a sports bar, but only if you liked watching a blacked out game. If any of the TV geniuses who devised this brilliant plan (black out a UCSB game being played in NC), please post a comment and enlighten my ignorant mind because I'm baffled.

Instead, I listened to the game over an audio stream from some NC Country station. Mad ups to the Rooster, you guys did a pretty good job conveying the mass slaughter to me (so much that I stopped listening with about 10 minutes to go).

On the other hand, these TV idiots may have saved me some grief. Instead of seeing Tyler Hansbrough 360 jam on a fastbreak, I was able to listen to it. In case you don't know what the looks like, you have two options. Option 1: Watch one of the 85 Sportscenter reruns between now and 10 a.m. Option 2: Look at the youtube video below. It's from UNC's Midnight Madness



It still amazes me that a 6'10 F/C can do that. It also amazes me that UCSB was serving up fast breaks like no ones business (more on that below).

Second, UCSB had 2 fast break points, UNC had 45. The ridiculous thing; that's not a typo.

I'm no rocket scientist, and after today's game, it's safe to say that Bob Williams (the other Coach Williams) is not one either.



In all honesty, you would think that at some point, either one of UCSB's assistant coaches or the other Coach Williams would have thought they should change up their scheme because they were giving up fastbreak points like a freshmen chugging free beer at a random DP party (like it's going out of style). The other Coach Williams, if you read this blog (highly unlikely), I'd like you to post a comment as to what adjustments you made to reduce their fast break points (note well: it didn't work).

Third, I'm actually scared for UCSB. For the record, I like our players. For the record, I'm not the biggest "the other Coach Williams" fan. Why am I scared? Because if UNC can score that many fast break points, it's highly likely that the other Coach Williams didn't make any adjustments. That's a scary concept. If Coach Williams can't make any changes in the biggest game he's coached in (arguably), how is he going to make changes in the mighty mighty Big (Little) West?

On the other hand, it's also scary if he did make changes. They obviously weren't working and if he kept doing the same thing over and over, he deserves to be fired on the spot because he's clearly insane. They say the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over while expecting a different result. You get my point.

Fourth, check the boxscore of the game. You can do so here:

http://ucsbgauchos.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/stats/2007-2008/ucsb.html

UNC played 17 players. Where the hell does Roy Williams find 17 players? I'm convinced he started pulling people from the stands. I know I'm being facetious, but up until today, I had never heard of a basketball team carrying 17 players. That's insane.

Fifth, UNC opened the second half on 9 for 11 shooting. Those nine baskets consisted of 7 lay-ups, 1 dunk and 1 hook shot. Another thing I want to know: what did the coaches tell our players at halftime? Going into halftime, UCSB was close (sort of) 52-32 and they had a couple nice runs. I was of the opinion that the Gauchos would come out all fired up, stop those easy baskets and make this a close game. Man, was I wrong. It had the opposite effect. In fact, I propose that whatever our coaches told our players, they never ever say it again.

Sixth, I'm going to give you two numbers, 21 and 30. Do you know what those numbers are? 21 is the number of UNC offensive rebounds. 30 is the number of UCSB total rebounds. Obviously, when we weren't giving up two of UNC's 45 fast break points, we were allowing them to take 21 second chance shots. I'm no NCAA coach, however, I used to coach a little b-ball back in the day. I knew that if my team was to stand a chance against better teams, I couldn't allow them many second chance shots. Either our players forgot to box out or UNC is really good.

It's also embarrassing when your opponent has 2/3 of your total rebounds only on the offensive side of the ball. If I was the other Coach Williams, my players would be in the gym learning how to box out. Here's a quote from Roy Williams after his team beat Nicholls State on Wednesday 88-78 (in which they played poorly) asking him whether his team was tired; "They may be tired of me but they will be a hell of a lot more tired of me tomorrow."

Check out this intense quote from the other Coach Williams; "The Tar Heels were everything we expected and more, but it's just amazing how quickly they get that ball up the floor. They exposed us in a lot of ways." Wow. In fairness, I'm sure Coach Williams had some other quotes that probably showed he was a little PO'd, but I couldn't find them. We'll search the web for them in the following days.

Seven, I was disappointed with the foul discrepancy. In my opinion, most games are played on an even level. When one team is fouling, usually the other team is also. Today, it wasn't the case as UCSB was called for 17 fouls and UNC only 10. UNC had 24 free throw attempts to UCSB's 4. Without being able to watch the game, I couldn't confirm my suspicions, but this has all the marks of a poorly officiated game. Certainly, the free throws would have helped UCSB as they are one of the better FT shooting teams in the nation.

The free throw discrepancy also leads me to one of my biggest beefs with Mr. Hansbrough. He is, no doubt, a fantastic player and a hard worker. However, just like I hated it when we played "The Screamer" in intramural basketball, I have an extreme dislike for a guy who screams every time he's in the post. However, if the refs are dumb enough to send him to the line every damn time he yells, there's nothing we can do. In today's game, though, Hansbrough only went to the line 4 times, coincidentally, the same amount of FT attempts UCSB got.

Eighth, I was impressed that the Gauchos were able to get up to 70 points. UNC came off a poor performance in their prior game. Roy Williams was pissed. You knew they'd come out firing on all cylinders. Being down that bad is pretty demoralizing to any team. For the Gauchos to keep pouring a good effort into the game when it seemed lost from the start of the second half is to be commended.

Ninth, I'm willing to chalk this one up to nerves and a combination of lots of things. Basically, we played our worst game at the most inopportune time. This will serve as a learning experience for our players and hopefully, they'll never have a "tough" game from here on out. We gave up way too many offensive boards, we didn't board enough, we gave up too many fast break points and we weren't catching any breaks from the refs.

Tenth, so far, we still deserve the paper tiger label. Until we can romp through the Big (Little) West and beat down Eastern Washington, we don't deserve votes or any consideration. To get some respect, we needed to have beaten Stanford or UNC or kept both games close. We haven't done either. We've won the games we're supposed to and lost the ones we're supposed to.

I think this game effectively eliminates us from at-large NCAA consideration. I didn't really think it was ever a possibility, but I know some in Gaucholand believed it could happen. Without a cupcake schedule in a cupcake conference, we can't afford to lose games like these.

All in all, I'm disappointed (what true Gaucho fan isn't?), but I'm confident we can learn from this and take our seat at the head of the Little West table.

Next up: @ Eastern Washinton on 12/29

12/22/07: UCSB at UNC

UCSB Gauchos (10-1) v. #1 UNC Tarheels (10-0)
December 22, 2007, 10:00 a.m. (PST)


This Saturday, marks the first time in a long time that the Gauchos have played the #1 team in the land. When was the last time that happened? They last played the #1 ranked UNLV Runnin' Rebels at the 'Dome. What happened? UCSB won.



If UCSB is to pull off the upset this time, they are going to need their stellar 3 point shooting (#3 in the nation) and get to the line to take advantage of their excellent free throw percentage (#4 in the nation).

I see this game as a high paced affair. For those of you who don't know, Roy Williams is a religious follower of points per possession. He wants his teams to be above 1.0 points per possession. His teams typically have one of the highest points per possession in the nation. They try to push the ball and score while in transition. According to kenpom.com, UNC averages 77.2 raw possessions per 40 minute game. That's good for 8th in the nation. UCSB comes in at a measly 70.3 raw possessions per game (111th in the nation).

As you can probably figure it out, UCSB is going to have to employ their pressure defense (ranked 27th by kenpom.com) to reduce the Tar Heels' chances to score. UNC averages about 18 turnovers/game while the Gauchos force about 30. Somethings gotta' give.

If UCSB shoots the ball well, limits turnovers, and reduces UNC's scoring opportunities (isn't that the case for every underdog?), I like their chances to keep it close.

I respect UNC, but I'm going to point something out here. The Tar Heels may be feared (and rightfully so), but their schedule isn't anything to be amazed at. With a kenpom.com SOS of 115, it's nothing to be impressed about. Of course, playing in the ACC will help that, while playing in the Big (Little) West won't. I can say with complete honesty that the only win I'm impressed with is their victory over BYU. Ohio State isn't that good, neither is Kentucky (in fact, to put it blunt, they suck), and the only teams they've blown out are the same teams that UCSB would have blown out. Don't be scared by the name on the jersey, it's just some guys in white jerseys playing basketball.

This is the game that UCSB needs to prove themselves (and get some respect in the polls). Every other team in the Mid-Major Top 10 is receiving votes in the Top 25. The knock on our beloved Gauchos is the strength of schedule. The only worthy team that UCSB has played is Stanford (considered a middle-tier Pac-10 team), losing by 19. I thought this game was a little closer than the score suggested, which is what the Gauchos need to remember. They've also beaten UNLV, a team that is not as strong as they were last year. However, if UCSB keeps the game close and pulls off the victory (look for the video of me streaking naked on youtube, if so(Do you really think I'm going to streak?)) or loses, I believe they start to get some respect.



Regardless, if UCSB wants to strike some fear into the hearts of their foes, they need to beat the Heels. Enough of Hansbrough screaming every time he shoots it (and the refs buying it by sending him to the line), and enough of this Tar Heel love.



Do the UNC fans even know what it feels like to have tar on their heels? I doubt it, but anyone who has gone to UCSB knows what a real tar heel is (I know smart ass, it's not a heel).



This will be a big win for the Gauchos if it really happens. Even if they keep it close, I think this will give the Gauchos the kind of buzz that we at TGM crave. The kind that draws some better recruits to the 'Dome and some more students to the games. This is what we need Coach Williams, don't disappoint the Gaucho Nation.

Here are the links to the scouting reports from Ken Pomeroy (www.kenpom.com):
UCSB: http://www.kenpom.com/sr.php?team=UC%20Santa%20Barbara
UNC: http://www.kenpom.com/sr.php?team=North%20Carolina

The Gaucho Manifesto #4

I have to admit it, I haven't seen everyone's arenas, but the Thunderdome is great.



Just look at that crowd. When the 'Dome gets filled up with students, the 'Dome gets very loud. We happen to have a great tradition of throwing tortillas on the floor. Who else gets crazy like that? No one, that's who. That is what makes college college. Students throwing tortillas on the gym floor while the game is in progress makes for great entertainment.

http://sports.aol.com/fanhouse/2007/11/27/ucsb-needs-to-revive-tradition/#cont


The Thunderdome is loud. When it gets filled (more on that later), it gets crazy. Jerry Tarkanian, coach of the UNLV Runnin' Rebels back in the day, noted that he hated playing in the Thunderdome.

Opponents may make fun of the 'Dome, but it truly is a symbol of college sports. It's a small gym with a capacity of around 6,000 or so, it's got classic bleacher seats, and the students are right in on the action. The place is intimidating to play at when you get the right mix.

If we can get the right players, the 'Dome will be filled up every home game. I realize this is a chicken and egg argument, but it can be done. It was done in the glory days and it can be done now (just look at Men's Soccer).

The Gaucho Manifesto #3

This reason is a bit superficial, but I think it's important. However, it probably doesn't warrant #3 status, and, in my opinion, it isn't the #3 reason we should dominate the Big West, but it's important. The reason is the girls.

It's a pretty well-known fact that UCSB has a great looking student body. Face it, the girls are better looking than most schools. I'm pretty confident in saying that a guy is going to want to play basketball at a school that has some good looking girls in the student body.

I don't know if you sell this point as a coach, but you may as well. I know it's the elephant in the room and in today's PC world, no one wants to mention it. But, hey, like the old saying goes, if you got it, flaunt it. We've got good looking girls and we should proclaim the fact. We shouldn't be penalized for it. Another plus, see #2, but not only our UCSB's girls good looking, but they're also very smart.

The Gaucho Manifesto #2

If there is one thing that bothers me about UCSB's reputation, it's the fact that people only know it as a party school. I won't disagree because I think the Gauchos can rage with the best of them.



However, it bugs me that people won't give UCSB its academic due. This leads us to explore reason #2 as to why the Gauchos should never ever lose the Big West's bid to the NCAA tournament, academics.



I'm currently in my second year of law school, and, if you don't know, rankings are a big deal to law students. Specifically, the rankings of US News & World Reports. The higher your school is rated, the more likely you are to get a high paying job when you graduate. On the other hand, most people in the legal world seem to agree that these rankings are not accurate reflections of a law school. These are the people who attempt to convince US News to stop their rankings because it's unfair. These people also realize (at least I hope they do), that US News will never ever stop these rankings.

Now, I'm not naive enough to believe that undergraduates student don't check the US News & World Report for academic rankings. As a result, you can't turn a blind eye to them because Students still do look at them. Also, I think most would agree that the rankings do a good job of getting most schools in approximately the right area. This long winded explanation brings me to UCSB's academics.

UCSB consistently ranks in the Top 50 of the US News & World Report's rankings of the Top National Universities. We have great academics. The unfortunate problem is that most people only associate UCSB with a good time and a great party. That is true. Also, we're a fine academic institution.

We have a great Engineering Department, our science program is rated consistently high, and we even have a Nobel prize winner in the Economics department.

As most Gaucho alumni believe/realize, most of the kids we're recruiting for the basketball program aren't usually legitimate prospects for the NBA. A good number will get to play overseas, but most won't make it to the league. By logic, we can presume that most players want to go to a school with a great academic reputation. UCSB has that for them.

Like all schools, UCSB also has a tutoring program in place for their athletes. Admittedly, it's not as fancy and great as some of the big name schools, it still does the trick. Therefore, these athletes should be able to finish with a nice GPA and 4-5 years of basketball to put on their resume. That can't be bad.

Compared to our competition, only UC-Davis is ranked ahead of us and it's not by much. UC-Irvine is ranked even with UCSB. Cal Poly, while not ranked, has a great reputation among Californians. However, combined with the other reasons, UCSB should have no problem pulling in top notch recruits who want to get a education. This should be another notch on the post for our program.

The Gaucho Manifesto #1

And, it begins with this; reason #1 why the Gauchos should never be anything less than #1 in the Big West. Reason #1 can be summed up with one word: location. Can this really be beat?



Before we move any further, let's examine the Big West conference and UCSB's fellow members. The Big West consists entirely of California schools, primarily located in the Southern California region. Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo, Cal State Fullerton, Cal State Northridge, Long Beach State, UC-Davis, UC-Irvine, UC-Riverside and Pacific (Stockton) are UCSB's conference competitors. Seriously, if your Coach Williams and you're recruiting players, how do you not get the most talented athletes in the Big West Conference? Don't believe me? Let's look at each school in depth, just to drive the point home (and because I always love to pour salt in an open wound).

Cal Poly: They are one of our closest competitors location wise. Sure, it's in a pretty location, but, is it better than UCSB? I think not.


Cal State Fullerton: First off, CSUF is in the middle of the greater LA area. Do you like smog, concrete and traffic? Didn't think so.

Cal State Northridge: See CSUF

Long Beach State: Ok, LBSU could be a close competitor. However, I've been on their campus (sort of), and it's not that nice. Long Beach is a nice area, so they can give UCSB a run for their money. In the end, though, is their campus on the beach? No. We win.

UC-Davis: Last time I checked Davis was pretty close to Sacramento. It's a college town. I like Pluto's. I dislike the smell of manure. Again, their location is nice, but the manure and non-beach location seal the deal.

UC-Irvine: Irvine might be able to give UCSB a run for their money. Unfortunately, like all of our lesser opponents, UCI also has an image problem. UCI is close to the beach, but not close enough. Being close to Newport Beach makes this a close one, eventually, though, UCSB prevails. Regardless, the other reasons of TGM will show UCSB as the clear cut favorite.

UC-Riverside: Do I really need to write anything here?

Pacific: See UC-Riverside

See? While there are some close competitors here (Cal Poly and UCI), none of our competitors have anything close to the location we have. While each area has a nice downtown, cool bars, nice city, etc..., UCSB is far superior. A beach is part of our campus. This really isn't a hard sell. Furthermore, has anyone visited Isla Vista lately. I'm sure some people don't like the idea of living around thousands of college students in 2.2 square miles, right next to the beach and campus, but those are the people who go to Pacific. Each day that you are in Santa Barbara you get to see the Pacific Ocean. You can walk five minutes to the beach. Everything you need is basically accessible by bicycle. If you can't sell the beach and location to potential recruits, don't worry, somebody else could do it for you.

Before anyone leaves me a hate comment after this post, remember, this is only about location. Sure, it's a fairly superficial analysis, but when you're looking to meet your potential girlfriend, great personalities don't count much and the looks are what matters. There are so many other reasons that UCSB is superior to their conference, that Coach Williams should have no excuse for missing the NCAA tournament.

The Gaucho Manifesto

Hey, this blog would be nothing if I didn't put up a Gaucho Manifesto. Since I'm slightly more visionary than Karl Marx, I want to propose my vision for the Gauchos. In the posts over the next week or so, the Manifesto will be written.

The basic premise of TGM is this: the Gauchos should be in the NCAA tournament 8 out of every 10 years and there is no excuse for the Gauchos not to be. Do you hear me Gary Cunningham? Do you hear me Coach Williams? Do you hear me Chancellor Yang?



So sit back, relax and enjoy the Manifesto. Feel free to agree/disagree with me in the comments.

UCSB Destroys Ball State, 79-52

UCSB beat the tar (catch my drift) out of Ball State tonight. I'll admit it, I was fairly confident of a victory, but I didn't see this coming. The Gauchos shot 63.2% from the three point line, yes, 63.2%. They shot only 52.9% from the field, and 81.3% from the line.

The box score can be found here:

http://ucsbgauchos.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/stats/2007-2008/12-19-07.html

Once I decide to post "The Gaucho Manifesto," you'll understand the situation from my point of view. However, even though Coach Williams has to do more than go 10-1 to get my support, I have to admit, I'm hopeful.

I know it's a tall task to ask the Gauchos to walk right into UNC's gym and do the unthinkable, but I've got hope. And, if I've got hope, the rest of Gaucholand should have waaaay more hope than me. This game was a pasting. UCSB shot the ball well. They shot it from the line well. Those are the kinds of things that can get you over the hump and help you slay the #1 team in the land.

Regardless of our record, this game will show us what UCSB is made of. We've played only two decent teams, Stanford and UNLV, going 1-1. The rest of our opponents have not been very good. To draw an analogy, I'm hoping that we aren't the basketball version of the Kansas Jayhawks football team.

The Jayhawks played a bunch of cupcakes en route to an undefeated match-up with Missouri. Everyone knew the Jayhawks were faking (except, apparently, the Orange Bowl) because they ran over a bunch of cupcakes.

I believe we aren't as bad as the Kansas Jayhawks football team. All you can do is win the games you play, and we've done that except for Stanford. So Gauchos, prove me right, go out there and smash the Tar Heels, get some respect and a Top 25 ranking. That's what I'm talking about.

Who is Greg Somogyi?

Who is he, you ask. Have no fear, I know the answer. He is a member of the 2008-2009 UCSB recruiting class. Greg is a 7-2, 225 lb. point guard from Hungary. Actually, he's a center. Today, a nice article was written about him in the San Francisco Chronicle (find the link at the bottom to read it).





http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/12/19/SPCGU0LR2.DTL

12/19/2007: UCSB (-5) at Ball State (o/u 120)

UCSB Gauchos (9-1) v. Ball State Cardinals (0-9)
December 19, 2007, 4:00 p.m. (PST)

The Gauchos get a true road test tonight, as the Gauchos travel to BSU's Worthen Arena. UCSB hasn't traveled outside of California up to this point. Now, they're in Indiana to take on the 0-9 Cardinals. However, the true test looms this Saturday as Gauchos face the #1 ranked UNC Tar Heels in Chapel Hill.

Hopefully, the Gauchos get out to a hot start and smack Ball State around on their way to 0-10.

Although I have a high amount of confidence in the Gauchos to handle Ball State, I have two reservations. First, UCSB is coming off a 12 day layoff. Their last game was a fairly dominant win over Utah Valley State. Second, Ball State, in my opinion has played a far more difficult schedule, with games against Georgetown, Butler, St. Joe's and Purdue. Regardless, 0-9 is still 0-9, any way you cut it.

Here are two links for the scouting reports for each team provided by kenpom.com:
Ball State: http://www.kenpom.com/sr.php?team=Ball%20St.
UCSB: http://www.kenpom.com/sr.php?team=UC%20Santa%20Barbara