USD Game Preview: Torero’s Take On CSUMB in Exhibition
By Josh Horton
March 02, 2012; Las Vegas, NV, USA; San Diego Toreros guard Christopher Anderson (0) goes up for the layup ahead of Brigham Young Cougars guard Craig Cusick (2) during the first half of the quarterfinals of the 2012 West Coast Conference Tournament at Orleans Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
Could this be the year that San Diego breaks through and finishes in the top 3 of the WCC? This is the question that the Torero faithful are asking themselves. Do they have what it takes? They will find out soon enough when the Torero’s take on Cal State Monterey Bay tonight in an exhibition game.
Before we get ahead of ourselves, let’s take a closer look at Cal State Monterey Bay.
Quick Facts:
Type: Public
Students: 5,609
Colors: Blue, Gold, and Green.
Nickname: The Otters
Basketball Related
Record Last Season:
Conference: CCAA (Division II)
Top Returner: Guard, Brandon Cole
The Otters have not had a winning season since 2008-2009, nor have they reached double-digit wins since then. To discontinue that trend, the Otters must rely on senior guard Brandon Cole. Cole averaged 13.4 points and 2.6 assists as a junior, and is poised to improve in his final year as an Otter.
FUN FACT: The Cal State Monterey Bay basketball court is named “The Kelp Bed.” How cool is that?
A Few Things to Look For
Front-Court: Who steps up?
It will be interesting to see how the frontcourt fares this season. Most people project Kok to be the staple in the Torero’s big men rotation, but Dennis Kramer and Simi Fajemisin could make some contributions as well. Also, with the addition of Thomas Jacobs, he could add a completely different dynamic to the Torero’s frontcourt.
Starting Lineup
It’s guaranteed that Johnny Dee and Christopher Anderson will be in the starting lineup, and it is fairly likely that Kok will be in there as well. That brings up the question: who will be the other two starters. Mike Davis and Dennis Kramer are my best guesses, but Fajemisin and Jacobs could be inserted in there as well.
Gametime: 6 P.M. PT
Projected Starters: Anderson, Dee, Davis, Kok, Kramer