Fourteen games are in the books and 14 games remain for the Cal Poly men’s basketball team.
At least until the Big West Conference Tournament, which the Mustangs likely must win if they are to reach the NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history.
But first things first.
Halfway through their regular-season schedule, the Mustangs (6-8, 1-3 Big West) have a clear-cut list of things they are doing well and those they hope to improve.
The good includes a 5-2 record at home, a balanced scoring attack and a stout defense in the paint. The bad includes an 0-5 record on the road, poor free-throw shooting and fairly inconsistent rebounding.
“We’re in the basketball games right down to the end,” Cal Poly head coach Kevin Bromley said Monday at a weekly press conference. “Free-throw shooting hurt us. It’s a fine line. You’re talking about two possessions a game. I think to win this conference, you’ve got to split on the road and win all your home games. We’re a little bit behind the eight ball, so we’ve got to make up for that along the way.”
The Mustangs are coming off consecutive losses at UC Irvine (66-62) and Long Beach State (77-70) on Thursday and Saturday. Their last win was a 67-64 victory over UC Riverside on Dec. 30, which was preceded by an entertaining 99-91 loss to Cal State Fullerton on Dec. 28.
Led by senior point guard and NBA draft prospect Bobby Brown, Cal State Fullerton (12-3, 3-1) is among the favorites to win the conference during the regular season. But the Titans are joined atop the standings early in the race by high-flying Long Beach State (11-4, 2-0), defensive-minded UC Santa Barbara (11-4, 3-1) and defending champion Pacific (5-10, 2-1).
“I think it’s pretty balanced,” Bromley said. “It’s going to be a close race. Whoever can win their home games and split on the road has a good shot of winning the conference.”
Bromley said there does not appear to be a team in the conference this season that forces opponents to raise their game to another level like when Pacific and former member Utah State were nationally ranked over the past few years.
High points for Cal Poly so far this season included a 72-59 win over St. Mary’s as part of a three-game winning streak from Nov. 20-29 and an 82-60 win over Northern Arizona on Dec. 19.
Low points featured an 80-63 loss at woeful San Jose State (1-13) on Dec. 3 and a 95-75 loss at Fresno State on Dec. 23.
Such is the up-and-down life of a young basketball team. Cal Poly has just three seniors on its roster and four sophomores in its rotation.
The Mustangs are 2-4 in games decided by 10 or fewer points.
“We could easily be 3-1 (in conference), but we’re not,” Bromley said. “You’ve just got to make sure you have good character kids, which we do have, and really continue to improve, and hopefully some of those close games start going your way.”
The same starting five has graced the floor all season to this point – sophomore point guard Trae Clark, junior shooting guard Dawin Whiten, senior small forward Derek Stockalper, senior power forward Tyler McGinn and sophomore center Titus Shelton.
Stockalper (12.6), Whiten (11.9) and McGinn (10.4) all average double-figure scoring. The sixth-man role has been filled mostly by 6-foot-8 junior post player Dreshawn Vance, a Portland transfer who averages 8.0 points and 6.1 rebounds.
At 6-foot-7, Shelton is a natural power forward, but has played center admirably with averages of 7.9 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.9 blocks. The son of former NBA All-Star Lonnie Shelton blocked six shots against Cal State Fullerton and had five rejections in two other games this season.
Perhaps the biggest area Cal Poly must improve is free-throw shooting, where it has shot only 56.1 percent. No one on the team who has taken more than six foul shots shoots higher than 76 percent. The Mustangs have also been edged on the boards 518-500 on the season.
“You’ve got to be solid in all facets of the game,” Bromley said. “Offense, defense, free-throw shooting, blockouts, late-game situations have to be solid.”
Cal Poly will have a chance to shore up its deficiencies and get back on track when independent UC Davis (2-11), which will officially join the Big West next year, visits at 7 p.m. Thursday. The Mustangs do not resume Big West play until Jan. 20 at rival UC Santa Barbara.