It’s March. It’s tournament time. And head coach Joe Callero can’t hide his excitement to be vying for a championship in this week’s 2012 Big West Conference Tournament.
“This is Christmas for us,” he said. “We’ve worked seven months for this when we started this journey. This culminates it. I sleep well as a coach 90 percent of the time, but this last week and the excitement level has made it difficult for me to go to bed.”
The Cal Poly men’s basketball team opens tournament play against UC Riverside tonight at 8:30 p.m. inside the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif.
The single-elimination tournament features the top eight Big West teams matched up based on their overall conference record, the winner advances to the NCAA tournament.
Cal Poly and UC Riverside split the season series with the home squad prevailing in both matchups earlier in the year. The two teams play similar defensive schemes, and a tight, bruising game should be expected, Callero said.
The Highlanders defeated the Mustangs in last year’s conference tournament in a first-round 70-66 overtime thriller at the Honda Center. But, the Mustangs won’t be thinking about 2011’s early exit or potential late-round matchups with UC Santa Barbara or Long Beach State — teams which are 4-0 against the Mustangs this season.
Instead, they’ll be focusing on stopping this year’s version of the Highlanders, and their first-team All-Conference selection Phil Martin.
“We go even more cliché (than one game at a time); we go one play, one day at a time,” Callero said. “I’ve always said that you win the game in the practices preceding the game.”
Defending Martin will be key to Cal Poly’s success on the floor as the senior guard is second amongst Big West players in scoring, averaging 17.6 points per game. He dropped 22 against the Mustangs Feb. 9 in Mott Gym.
The Mustangs implemented a revised practice schedule in recent weeks deviating from standard procedure of reducing time spent on the floor for a team in the late stages of the season. Callero admittedly extended practice time to give his players added repetitions on defense and to prepare for the possibility of three tournament games in three nights.
“We needed to get more consistent on our reps,” Callero said. “We play so much better when there is no confusion. This team does really well with their athleticism and can shine when it’s kept really simple.”
The matchup will spotlight the two best defenses in the conference — Cal Poly ranks first allowing 60.6 points per game — 31st best in the nation — and Riverside 62.9 per game.
Redshirt sophomore forward Chris Eversley leads the Mustangs with 12.8 points per game since Jan. 7 and has recorded double-digit scoring figures in 12 of his last 16 outings. The Chicago-native registered his first career double-double against UC Riverside in a Feb. 9 win.
“We need to stay with our defensive prowess and our defensive fundamentals,” Eversley said. “We’re going to have to key in on their guards, but not take away from their two big men.”
The tournament will mark senior forward David Hanson’s final chance to earn a berth into the NCAA Tournament, which starts on March 15. Hanson garnered 2011-12 All-Big West second team honors earlier this week and is eighth all-time in Mustang scoring history with 1,236 points.
“I’m very happy to have received that (award),” Hanson said. “With that being said, a lot of credit has to go to my teammates and coaching staff. If it weren’t for them, it wouldn’t have been possible.”
A win in the first round will likely pit the Mustangs against the 49ers, the Gauchos or the upstart Titans — a team that finished the regular season in second place in the Big West after dealing Long Beach State its only conference loss.
Cal Poly has never won the Big West Tournament, but came close in 2006-07 — a loss in the final round to Long Beach State knocked the Mustangs out of contention. Since, the team has not made it out of the first-round of play.
“I just want to get to the (NCAA) tournament,” Eversley said. “It’s something I’ve always dreamed of personally, and it would be the only way that I would want to send out the six seniors on our team.”
The semi-final round will be played on Friday evening with the championship game at 7 p.m. on Saturday, which will be televised live on ESPN2.