Vegas 8, Game 1 vs. UCSB
Hey there Huskies,
Still have a little while before our teams face off in the inaugural Vegas 16 (8) tournament but thought I'd give you some background on our school and team.

Santa Barbara is located on the coast about two hours northwest of Los Angeles. The school itself is about 15 minutes north of SB, isolated enough that it is a true college town. It has its own beaches & surf breaks and once had a major reputation as a party school but that has diminished somewhat as the academics have become extremely competitive. It now ranks 37 in the US News Annual report on colleges. The top sport at UCSB is its men’s soccer team and the school advertises itself as Soccer Heaven and the school has led the country in attendance every year since 2007. They won the NC in 2006 and hosted the College Cup in 2010.

On the hardwood UCSB had its peak run in the late 80s/early 90s when their conference, The Big West, housed then power UNLV which won the NC in 1990. The rivalry between the two schools was a good one and UCSB started to gain recognition in the 87-88 season when they obliterated Jim Valvano’s #18 NC State Wolfpack and swept UNLV with the Rebels ranked in the top 5 for both games. ESPN started their Big Monday games then and the raucous UCSB Campus Events Center earned the nickname the “Thunderdome” during this time. UCSB made the NCAAs twice during this time winning one first round game in 1990 against Houston before falling to #1 seed Michigan State by 4 in the second round. This era produced Brian Shaw who had a lengthy successful career in the NBA highlighted by three championships with the Lakers and an admittedly less successful career as a head coach for the Nuggets
Recent history has been somewhat successful, they made the tournament in 2010 and 2011 led by Orlando Johnson, now with the New Orleans Pelicans. After that, they had a good run with Alan Williams at center who led the nation in rebounding his junior and senior seasons. He graduated last year and after the shorter season in China, is now playing for the Phoenix Suns.

Back to this year’s edition. Both in conference play and out of conference play, the team had a very clear delineation of who they could beat and who they could not. Playing one of the hardest OOC schedules in the country 7th hardest according to CBS Sports, the Gauchos went 6-7. Their best OOC win was against the Huskies, the Washington variety, in Seattle. Every one of UCSB’s losses in OOC and conference play were to teams that made it to the post season with the exception of a buzzer beating road loss to Arizona State. The NCAA teams: USC, Oregon State, Cal, S. Dakota State. They also beat Iona which made the Dance. The worst team we lost to RPI-wise is Vermont at 126 and that was at Vermont. So with an 18-13 record, UCSB proved it could beat the teams it should but, with the exception of knocking off UW (85) and UCI (75), they could not get over the hump against the better teams.

In terms of common opponents, UCSB lost by 14 to Akron in Las Vegas and swept CSUN. Note in the second game which was at CSUN, UCSB was ahead by 38 points with about 7 minutes left before putting in a bunch of walk-ons while Northridge kept their starters in and closed the gap to 15.

In terms of general team strengths I’d say it is strong guard play, a smart-disciplined brand of play and depth. We have 10 players that all get minutes most games with 6 seniors and while this may not be the most talented UCSB team, they do play smart. As for weakness, it is a lack of strength in the front court and vulnerability to highly athletic (top 50 teams) talent.

We are coached by Bob Williams who in his 18th season is the most senior coach west of the Mississippi. He is the all-time wins leader for the school.

The team is led by senior wing Michael Bryson who led the Big West conference in scoring with 18.6ppg while also leading the team in rebounds with about 6.5 pg. Bryson is a very good athlete with mad hops. That said, his strength is the outside shot, he is the all-time 3 point shots leader for UCSB. In the past the biggest criticism was that he could disappear for long stretches but as a senior he was able to stay focused throughout the game most of the season. Sophomore SG Gabe Vincent plays terrific defense, can slash to the bucket and shoots well from outside as well, averaging 2.4 makes per game at a 39% rate. He is our second leading scorer with 14ppg
Our third leading scorer is senior John Green a forward that comes in off the bench. About halfway through the season he was shifted to a 6th man role to give the team some scoring off the bench and that has worked out well. Not the fastest on the court he is crafty and has the ability to score with a variety of moves. He is second on the team in rebounds pulling 5.1 ppg He is extremely well liked and respected by teammates, coaches and fans as he fought through three years of not playing due to injuries.

Junior PG Eric Childress may be the team’s most improved player and has, for the most part, been a very steady leader for the team. He isn’t overly flashy but is capable in all areas of the pg game. He has the quicks to cut to the basket, at nearly 50% from outside the arc he is a threat from deep and runs the offense very efficiently.
The Gaucho front-court is led by Senior Center Sam Beeler who has come out from the shadow of Alan Williams to be a capable starter in that role. Not the strongest he is an excellent finisher leading the conference in FG% at 71% , scoring about 7 pg and pulling down 4.7 bpg. He dislocated his thumb in the conference tournament but is expected to play. He is backed up by fellow Senior Mitch Brewe, an undersized PF who battles hard and plays with the smarts of a senior. New in the PF starting role is freshman Jarriesse Blackmon who is athletic & active on defense but still learning the offense.

The UCSB bench has been a strength for the team, especially in the latter half of the season. Maxwell Kupchak, son of Laker GM Mitch Kupchak, is a fierce competitor and plays very smart for a true freshman. 5th Year Senior PG TJ Taylor is a nice steady hand off the bench and can hit the three. Senior SG Dejuan Smith brings energy and athleticism. I already mentioned Green and Brewe.

UCSB were road warriors this season and actually had a better record on the road vs. home.

As for predictions, if you look at the various computer rankings (RPI, KenPom, DCI, SOS), UCSB has the strongest numbers in the 8 team field so my expectation is that they should win the tournament while playing either ETSU or Oakland in the final. Of course matchups are a major factor and the games are played on the court, not in a computer so we’ll see.

(03-18-2016 01:57 PM)Gauchofreg Wrote:  Vegas 8, Game 1 vs. UCSB
Hey there Huskies,
Still have a little while before our teams face off in the inaugural Vegas 16 (8) tournament but thought I'd give you some background on our school and team.

Santa Barbara is located on the coast about two hours northwest of Los Angeles. The school itself is about 15 minutes north of SB, isolated enough that it is a true college town. It has its own beaches & surf breaks and once had a major reputation as a party school but that has diminished somewhat as the academics have become extremely competitive. It now ranks 37 in the US News Annual report on colleges. The top sport at UCSB is its men’s soccer team and the school advertises itself as Soccer Heaven and the school has led the country in attendance every year since 2007. They won the NC in 2006 and hosted the College Cup in 2010.

On the hardwood UCSB had its peak run in the late 80s/early 90s when their conference, The Big West, housed then power UNLV which won the NC in 1990. The rivalry between the two schools was a good one and UCSB started to gain recognition in the 87-88 season when they obliterated Jim Valvano’s #18 NC State Wolfpack and swept UNLV with the Rebels ranked in the top 5 for both games. ESPN started their Big Monday games then and the raucous UCSB Campus Events Center earned the nickname the “Thunderdome” during this time. UCSB made the NCAAs twice during this time winning one first round game in 1990 against Houston before falling to #1 seed Michigan State by 4 in the second round. This era produced Brian Shaw who had a lengthy successful career in the NBA highlighted by three championships with the Lakers and an admittedly less successful career as a head coach for the Nuggets
Recent history has been somewhat successful, they made the tournament in 2010 and 2011 led by Orlando Johnson, now with the New Orleans Pelicans. After that, they had a good run with Alan Williams at center who led the nation in rebounding his junior and senior seasons. He graduated last year and after the shorter season in China, is now playing for the Phoenix Suns.

Back to this year’s edition. Both in conference play and out of conference play, the team had a very clear delineation of who they could beat and who they could not. Playing one of the hardest OOC schedules in the country 7th hardest according to CBS Sports, the Gauchos went 6-7. Their best OOC win was against the Huskies, the Washington variety, in Seattle. Every one of UCSB’s losses in OOC and conference play were to teams that made it to the post season with the exception of a buzzer beating road loss to Arizona State. The NCAA teams: USC, Oregon State, Cal, S. Dakota State. They also beat Iona which made the Dance. The worst team we lost to RPI-wise is Vermont at 126 and that was at Vermont. So with an 18-13 record, UCSB proved it could beat the teams it should but, with the exception of knocking off UW (85) and UCI (75), they could not get over the hump against the better teams.

In terms of common opponents, UCSB lost by 14 to Akron in Las Vegas and swept CSUN. Note in the second game which was at CSUN, UCSB was ahead by 38 points with about 7 minutes left before putting in a bunch of walk-ons while Northridge kept their starters in and closed the gap to 15.

In terms of general team strengths I’d say it is strong guard play, a smart-disciplined brand of play and depth. We have 10 players that all get minutes most games with 6 seniors and while this may not be the most talented UCSB team, they do play smart. As for weakness, it is a lack of strength in the front court and vulnerability to highly athletic (top 50 teams) talent.

We are coached by Bob Williams who in his 18th season is the most senior coach west of the Mississippi. He is the all-time wins leader for the school.

The team is led by senior wing Michael Bryson who led the Big West conference in scoring with 18.6ppg while also leading the team in rebounds with about 6.5 pg. Bryson is a very good athlete with mad hops. That said, his strength is the outside shot, he is the all-time 3 point shots leader for UCSB. In the past the biggest criticism was that he could disappear for long stretches but as a senior he was able to stay focused throughout the game most of the season. Sophomore SG Gabe Vincent plays terrific defense, can slash to the bucket and shoots well from outside as well, averaging 2.4 makes per game at a 39% rate. He is our second leading scorer with 14ppg
Our third leading scorer is senior John Green a forward that comes in off the bench. About halfway through the season he was shifted to a 6th man role to give the team some scoring off the bench and that has worked out well. Not the fastest on the court he is crafty and has the ability to score with a variety of moves. He is second on the team in rebounds pulling 5.1 ppg He is extremely well liked and respected by teammates, coaches and fans as he fought through three years of not playing due to injuries.

Junior PG Eric Childress may be the team’s most improved player and has, for the most part, been a very steady leader for the team. He isn’t overly flashy but is capable in all areas of the pg game. He has the quicks to cut to the basket, at nearly 50% from outside the arc he is a threat from deep and runs the offense very efficiently.
The Gaucho front-court is led by Senior Center Sam Beeler who has come out from the shadow of Alan Williams to be a capable starter in that role. Not the strongest he is an excellent finisher leading the conference in FG% at 71% , scoring about 7 pg and pulling down 4.7 bpg. He dislocated his thumb in the conference tournament but is expected to play. He is backed up by fellow Senior Mitch Brewe, an undersized PF who battles hard and plays with the smarts of a senior. New in the PF starting role is freshman Jarriesse Blackmon who is athletic & active on defense but still learning the offense.

The UCSB bench has been a strength for the team, especially in the latter half of the season. Maxwell Kupchak, son of Laker GM Mitch Kupchak, is a fierce competitor and plays very smart for a true freshman. 5th Year Senior PG TJ Taylor is a nice steady hand off the bench and can hit the three. Senior SG Dejuan Smith brings energy and athleticism. I already mentioned Green and Brewe.

UCSB were road warriors this season and actually had a better record on the road vs. home.

As for predictions, if you look at the various computer rankings (RPI, KenPom, DCI, SOS), UCSB has the strongest numbers in the 8 team field so my expectation is that they should win the tournament while playing either ETSU or Oakland in the final. Of course matchups are a major factor and the games are played on the court, not in a computer so we’ll see.

Are they the Banana Slugs, or is that Santa Cruz?

They are Gauchos (Spanish for "Cowboys"). My son graduated from UCSB in 2013 with a degree in Physics. They are also famous for flinging tortillas onto the field whenever their soccer team scores. :)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s1x-mK6tfrQ

(03-18-2016 01:57 PM)Gauchofreg Wrote:  Vegas 8, Game 1 vs. UCSB

UCSB were road warriors this season and actually had a better record on the road vs. home.

Interesting insights. I am really looking forward to this game and think Hawaii proved the Big West is an underrated league. Long Beach State almost pulled out a nice win in the NIT as well against a good Pac 12 team the Gauchos beat.

NIU has struggled on the road all season and I think that is why they will have a tough team winning this game. I am pretty sure NIU is the only team in the field with a road record under .500.

According to my analytics, UCSB would be like NIU playing Toledo on a neutral court, probably going to be a slight underdog, but not a big one. The only team which scored better than any MAC team is Old Dominion.

NIU beat Toledo on the road and home so NIU would be favorite on a neutral court.

(03-19-2016 03:50 PM)dekalb222 Wrote:  NIU beat Toledo on the road and home so NIU would be favorite on a neutral court.

Its basketball one game results do not mean a whole lot. If that was true we would say BGSU should be favored to beat CMU on a neutral court since they beat them on a neutral court. Not sure that's reasonable as CMU is 100 times better.

(03-19-2016 04:06 PM)MaddDawgz02 Wrote:  

(03-19-2016 03:50 PM)dekalb222 Wrote:  NIU beat Toledo on the road and home so NIU would be favorite on a neutral court.

Its basketball one game results do not mean a whole lot. If that was true we would say BGSU should be favored to beat CMU on a neutral court since they beat them on a neutral court. Not sure that's reasonable as CMU is 100 times better.

Favorites are determined by gamblers, who are notorious for having a recency bias. It doesn't mean your small sample size logic is wrong, just that gamblers are bad at gambling, ha.

Facts matter Maddawg! It isn't a one game sample size. NIU beat Toledo twice and was a higher seed. If they played a third time NIU would've been the favorite. Also, NIU was better than Toledo this year! As you always say, that's not even up for debate.

(03-19-2016 08:53 PM)dekalb222 Wrote:  Facts matter Maddawg! It isn't a one game sample size. NIU beat Toledo twice and was a higher seed. If they played a third time NIU would've been the favorite. Also, NIU was better than Toledo this year! As you always say, that's not even up for debate.

Wouldn't you say NIU and Toledo were about a wash this year. I think I would classify them as even. Yes I know NIU beat Toledo twice but if they played 100 times on a neutral court, they would probably be near a split don't you think?

(03-19-2016 03:35 PM)MaddDawgz02 Wrote:  According to my analytics, UCSB would be like NIU playing Toledo on a neutral court, probably going to be a slight underdog, but not a big one. The only team which scored better than any MAC team is Old Dominion.

The offshore info I see is that Santa Barbara is opening as a 5 point favorite. I'd give the points there.

(03-19-2016 11:53 PM)Milwaukee Pilot Wrote:  

(03-19-2016 03:35 PM)MaddDawgz02 Wrote:  According to my analytics, UCSB would be like NIU playing Toledo on a neutral court, probably going to be a slight underdog, but not a big one. The only team which scored better than any MAC team is Old Dominion.

The offshore info I see is that Santa Barbara is opening as a 5 point favorite. I'd give the points there.

Sounds like a reasonable line. Tough to know which way to go on that one

Time and TV channel please.

(03-20-2016 08:20 PM)RitzHuskie Wrote:  Time and TV channel please.

Hey Ritz, its on CBS Sports Network at 4:30pm CT 3/28

(03-18-2016 01:57 PM)Gauchofreg Wrote:  Vegas 8, Game 1 vs. UCSB
Hey there Huskies,
Still have a little while before our teams face off in the inaugural Vegas 16 (8) tournament but thought I'd give you some background on our school and team.

Santa Barbara is located on the coast about two hours northwest of Los Angeles. The school itself is about 15 minutes north of SB, isolated enough that it is a true college town. It has its own beaches & surf breaks and once had a major reputation as a party school but that has diminished somewhat as the academics have become extremely competitive. It now ranks 37 in the US News Annual report on colleges. The top sport at UCSB is its men’s soccer team and the school advertises itself as Soccer Heaven and the school has led the country in attendance every year since 2007. They won the NC in 2006 and hosted the College Cup in 2010.

On the hardwood UCSB had its peak run in the late 80s/early 90s when their conference, The Big West, housed then power UNLV which won the NC in 1990. The rivalry between the two schools was a good one and UCSB started to gain recognition in the 87-88 season when they obliterated Jim Valvano’s #18 NC State Wolfpack and swept UNLV with the Rebels ranked in the top 5 for both games. ESPN started their Big Monday games then and the raucous UCSB Campus Events Center earned the nickname the “Thunderdome” during this time. UCSB made the NCAAs twice during this time winning one first round game in 1990 against Houston before falling to #1 seed Michigan State by 4 in the second round. This era produced Brian Shaw who had a lengthy successful career in the NBA highlighted by three championships with the Lakers and an admittedly less successful career as a head coach for the Nuggets
Recent history has been somewhat successful, they made the tournament in 2010 and 2011 led by Orlando Johnson, now with the New Orleans Pelicans. After that, they had a good run with Alan Williams at center who led the nation in rebounding his junior and senior seasons. He graduated last year and after the shorter season in China, is now playing for the Phoenix Suns.

Back to this year’s edition. Both in conference play and out of conference play, the team had a very clear delineation of who they could beat and who they could not. Playing one of the hardest OOC schedules in the country 7th hardest according to CBS Sports, the Gauchos went 6-7. Their best OOC win was against the Huskies, the Washington variety, in Seattle. Every one of UCSB’s losses in OOC and conference play were to teams that made it to the post season with the exception of a buzzer beating road loss to Arizona State. The NCAA teams: USC, Oregon State, Cal, S. Dakota State. They also beat Iona which made the Dance. The worst team we lost to RPI-wise is Vermont at 126 and that was at Vermont. So with an 18-13 record, UCSB proved it could beat the teams it should but, with the exception of knocking off UW (85) and UCI (75), they could not get over the hump against the better teams.

In terms of common opponents, UCSB lost by 14 to Akron in Las Vegas and swept CSUN. Note in the second game which was at CSUN, UCSB was ahead by 38 points with about 7 minutes left before putting in a bunch of walk-ons while Northridge kept their starters in and closed the gap to 15.

In terms of general team strengths I’d say it is strong guard play, a smart-disciplined brand of play and depth. We have 10 players that all get minutes most games with 6 seniors and while this may not be the most talented UCSB team, they do play smart. As for weakness, it is a lack of strength in the front court and vulnerability to highly athletic (top 50 teams) talent.

We are coached by Bob Williams who in his 18th season is the most senior coach west of the Mississippi. He is the all-time wins leader for the school.

The team is led by senior wing Michael Bryson who led the Big West conference in scoring with 18.6ppg while also leading the team in rebounds with about 6.5 pg. Bryson is a very good athlete with mad hops. That said, his strength is the outside shot, he is the all-time 3 point shots leader for UCSB. In the past the biggest criticism was that he could disappear for long stretches but as a senior he was able to stay focused throughout the game most of the season. Sophomore SG Gabe Vincent plays terrific defense, can slash to the bucket and shoots well from outside as well, averaging 2.4 makes per game at a 39% rate. He is our second leading scorer with 14ppg
Our third leading scorer is senior John Green a forward that comes in off the bench. About halfway through the season he was shifted to a 6th man role to give the team some scoring off the bench and that has worked out well. Not the fastest on the court he is crafty and has the ability to score with a variety of moves. He is second on the team in rebounds pulling 5.1 ppg He is extremely well liked and respected by teammates, coaches and fans as he fought through three years of not playing due to injuries.

Junior PG Eric Childress may be the team’s most improved player and has, for the most part, been a very steady leader for the team. He isn’t overly flashy but is capable in all areas of the pg game. He has the quicks to cut to the basket, at nearly 50% from outside the arc he is a threat from deep and runs the offense very efficiently.
The Gaucho front-court is led by Senior Center Sam Beeler who has come out from the shadow of Alan Williams to be a capable starter in that role. Not the strongest he is an excellent finisher leading the conference in FG% at 71% , scoring about 7 pg and pulling down 4.7 bpg. He dislocated his thumb in the conference tournament but is expected to play. He is backed up by fellow Senior Mitch Brewe, an undersized PF who battles hard and plays with the smarts of a senior. New in the PF starting role is freshman Jarriesse Blackmon who is athletic & active on defense but still learning the offense.

The UCSB bench has been a strength for the team, especially in the latter half of the season. Maxwell Kupchak, son of Laker GM Mitch Kupchak, is a fierce competitor and plays very smart for a true freshman. 5th Year Senior PG TJ Taylor is a nice steady hand off the bench and can hit the three. Senior SG Dejuan Smith brings energy and athleticism. I already mentioned Green and Brewe.

UCSB were road warriors this season and actually had a better record on the road vs. home.

As for predictions, if you look at the various computer rankings (RPI, KenPom, DCI, SOS), UCSB has the strongest numbers in the 8 team field so my expectation is that they should win the tournament while playing either ETSU or Oakland in the final. Of course matchups are a major factor and the games are played on the court, not in a computer so we’ll see.

Interesting read, Gaucho, I rather enjoyed getting a bit of insight into the history of the Santa Barbara program. By the way, did C.C. Capwell ever play for the team? Just curious. Thanks for posting and we'll see you on the court.

Thanks Vegashuskie. Looks like you're lucking out with your team coming to your current town, sorry you'll only be able to see them play one game ;-)

I don't know that name CC Capwell so don't believe he ever played for UCSB.
One of the Gauchos that was part of the golden era I mentioned was an Illinois kid, Mike Meyer out of Joliet. A 6'4" guard, he could jump out of the building. That is the only UCSB hoops player I remember with a connection to the Prarie State.

On a positive note, Maric should be healthier.

UCSB's third leading scorer and second leading rebounder F John Green, is out of the tournament with yet another injury which apparently happened in the semi-final loss to Hawaii. This is the player that missed his first three years of play due to injury. A very disappointing way for this great kid to end his career. A big break for NIU and the rest of the Vegas 8.

(03-23-2016 12:05 PM)Gauchofreg Wrote:  UCSB's third leading scorer and second leading rebounder F John Green, is out of the tournament with yet another injury which apparently happened in the semi-final loss to Hawaii. This is the player that missed his first three years of play due to injury. A very disappointing way for this great kid to end his career. A big break for NIU and the rest of the Vegas 8.

Sorry to hear that. Hope he has a nice post-hoops career.

Massey says smart money would be to take UCSB with that 5 or 6 pt spread. Massey has it as a 10 pt win for UCSB. Until losing that last game Vs Hawaii UCSB had won like 9 in a row