When the Cal Poly men’s basketball team started the season without Kyle Odister and Amaurys Fermin, it was almost certain the Mustangs would feel the loss on the court.
But through the regular season, they haven’t.
The team has wrapped up one of the best seasons in program history. They reeled off eight straight wins in their conference schedule to boast only the second No. 2 seed of all time.
And senior guard Shawn Lewis was one of the main reasons why. Lewis became Cal Poly’s No. 7 leading scorer with 17 points in the Mustangs’ victory against Northern Arizona Feb. 20.
He helped second-year head coach Joe Callero lead the Mustangs to his best season with the Mustangs, despite losing Fermin, Odister and three other seniors from last year’s squad.
But despite a record-setting finish, the Mustangs struggled on the court through their nonconference schedule.
After defeating Seattle 76-60 in the season-opener, the Mustangs dropped two straight games to Cal State Monterey Bay and Montana State. Then, after going 2-1 in their next three games, the Mustangs set their sights on one of the toughest road trips in program history.
Cal Poly was set to play Loyola Marymount, UCLA, No. 10 San Diego State and California. Despite losing to the Aztecs by just six points — and nine points to the Bruins — the Mustangs ended the trip with a 0-5 record.
But with their record in conference play, it seems the harsh competition has paid off.
Cal Poly is poised to make a similar run next season. The Mustangs will lose only one player to graduation — Lewis — and will get back Fermin, Odister and a couple of new faces who may immediate to contributors on the court.
Forward Chris Eversley, a transfer from Rice, will help the Mustangs in terms of size and paint presence, and heralded-recruit Reese Morgan will give Cal Poly a sharpshooter from behind the 3-point line. Morgan averaged 27 points per game in his final season at Palos Verdes Peninsula High School in Rolling Hills Estates, Calif. and, according to ESPN.com’s scouting profile, “may be the most prolific shooter in the west.”
Combine that with experienced freshmen Maliik Love and Jamal Johnson who filled in for injuries this season, and the Mustangs could be contenders for the top of the Big West for the next couple of seasons.
It is certainly a step some didn’t expect after losing two guards at the beginning of the season.