NorCal talents abound in the Big West Conference

In a Big West Conference preview from The Backiron comes these snippets on players from Cal State Fullerton, UC Irvine, UC Santa Barbara and UC Davis respectively:

"...Senior guards D.J. Seeley and Kwame Vaughn are easily the league's best backcourt, coming off a season in which they combined for nearly 33 PPG. They were two of the Big West's top six scorers, and Vaughn also paced the league in assists..."

"... [Chris] McNealy did a good job taking care of the ball (1.7 A/T ratio)..."

"...Backup Will Davis played only one fewer minute per night, but he set a school record with 55 blocks..." 

"...Other returnees include point guard T.J. Taylor, who started 14 games but only averaged 17 MPG. Taylor's best attribute last year was ball security, recording a 2.2 A/T ratio..."

"...Ryan Sypkens' return to health will be key for Davis, as he was off to a 14-and-5 start before getting hurt. He averaged 9.7 PPG as a sophomore, so the ability is there. His percentages were slightly off in the early going last season, however. If his sophomore efficiency (.569 eFG%, .583 TS%) matches his junior prolificacy (13.5 FGA/game), he can perhaps threaten the conference scoring lead..."

"...Drawing defensive attention away from Sypkens will be the job of swingman Josh Ritchart. The 6'9" junior was a highly effective defensive rebounder, but not so much offensive. Of course, it's hard to crash the offensive glass when one is busy putting up 180 three-pointers. Ritchart put down 38% from deep, making him an absolute matchup nightmare..."

"...Forward J.T. Adenrele (6'7", 225) led the team with a .523 FG% and 24 blocks..."

On the Big West All Conference First Team:

G D.J. Seeley, Cal State Fullerton (6'4", 195, Sr.)
--Capable of scoring anywhere at any time, and also capable of snagging POY if Joaquim's health slows him.
G Kwame Vaughn, Cal State Fullerton (6'3", 195, Sr.)
--Vaughn may not have as many great targets this year, but there are plenty of good ones. Capable of taking on more scoring load himself if he has to.