We really need a win in this one.  It’s the kind of game we’ve consistently lost during the bad times (late Hobbs/early ML/MoJo years) and we really need to not go 0-2 on this road trip to keep going the good buzz that was probably building on campus after the first two games.

We are playing a generally poor defensive team that has trouble with rotations and struggles against teams that move the ball. If we play one on one ball again, we will lose our advantage against them.  I want to see us play great team ball on the court, not just be “connected” off it.

Combined with reports from the San Diego disaster, sounds like a really fun West Coast swing for GW fans,
 

Cal St Fullerton Titans

Date/Time: Tuesday November 16th @ 10:30 PM ET at Titan Gymnasium in Fullerton, CA. The stadium seats 4,000, which is a tad smaller than the Smith Center.

TV: ESPN+
Preseason Ranks: 207th (KenPom), 213th (Bart Torvik), 293rd (CBS), 214th (SI)
2020-21 Record: 6-10, 5-9 (T-7th in Big West)
2021-22 Preseason Record: 15-16, 9-11 (T-6th in Big West)

Coach: Dedrique Taylor, 100-137 in eight seasons at CSU Fullerton. After three trying years near the bottom of the league, Taylor was able to lift the Titans to three straight 10-6 conference seasons. This resulted in a pair of CIT appearances and a trip to the main dance. Unfortunately, Taylor's Titans have been stuck in the mud the past two years, and it will be tough once again for the Titans to reach the heights they did a few years ago - UC Irvine, UC Santa Barbara, and UC Riverside have been stellar at the top. Taylor played two years at UC Davis collegiately so he knows the league inside and out. He has spent his entire coaching tenure out west with stops at UC Davis, Loyola Marymount, Portland State, Nevada, and Arizona State as an assistant coach.

Head-to-Head: First ever meeting, so an opportunity to stay undefeated in the matchup for the foreseeable future!

Offensive Efficiency: 168th (KenPom), 117th (Bart Torvik)
Defensive Efficiency: 265th (KenPom), 294th (Bart Torvik)
Pace: 37th (KenPom), 22nd (Bart Torvik)
Returning Minutes: 76.8% (88th in country)

Key Returning Players:
Tray Maddox Jr. (Junior; Novi, MI) 15.9 PPG, 2.5 RPG, 2.3 APG; 45% FG, 41% 3-PT, 67% FT
Dante Maddox Jr. (Freshman; Chicago Heights, IL) 11.9 PPG, 2.1 RPG, 1.8 APG; 44% FG, 43% 3-PT, 90% FT
Vincent Lee (Sophomore; Midlothian, TX) 9.9 PPG, 6 RPG; 59% FG, 58% FT
Latrell Wrightsell Jr. (Freshman; Omaha, NE) 9 PPG, 1.8 RPG, 2 APG, 1.4 SPG; 38% FG, 36% 3-PT, 95% FT
Tory San Antonio (Sophomore; Moreno Valley, CA) 7.8 PPG, 3.6 RPG, 2.3 APG; 45% FG, 46% 3-PT, 67% FT

Key Losses:
Wayne Arnold (Transferred; Compton, CA) 11 PPG, 2 RPG, 2.3 APG, 1 BPG; 54% FG, 50% 3-PT
Josh Hall (Graduated; Houston, TX) 8.9 PPG, 7.8 RPG, 2.4 APG, 1.6 SPG; 44% FG, 19% 3-PT, 63% FT

Comments:
Copy and paste. That is something I considered doing when looking back at CSUF's season after taking a look at UC San Diego's. The Titans had the same misfortunes the Tritons endured at the beginning of the season, with COVID practically wiping out their entire OOC slate of opponents. Taylor's squad missed the first month of the season and were only able to play the one match against local NAIA opponent San Diego Christian.

The similarities with UCSD's schedule don't stop there either. The Titans missed out on playing two games against an easier opponent (CSU rival Northridge) which would have been a beneficial tune up game before facing the eventual tourney representative UC Santa Barbara Gauchos (on the road, no less). CSUF ended up dropping both games as expected but played the second game tough. Unlike UC San Diego, Fullerton played a slightly easier schedule, but it remains to be seen what the team would have looked without any COVID impacts regardless. The Titans closed an overall forgettable season with a loss against Cal Poly (basically the equivalent of ending the season with a loss to Fordham). On top of COVID, Fullerton's key players suffered injuries, including Wayne Arnold who only saw action in three games last year before transferring in the offseason.

Fullerton brings back enough returning production this year to climb the standings in the Big West, and quite honestly this is one of the more talented teams in the league on paper - they have dark horse potential in the league despite two close losses on the road to Santa Clara and San Jose State. The Titans can score with anyone. If you thought UC San Diego would be the last team we face with such strong shooting, you are unfortunately mistaken. Cal State Fullerton ranked 14th in the country in three point shooting and they play similarly uptempo. Like UCSD, they aren't great defensively so finding a way to put up points is a must in this one. Taylor did add some size to their frontcourt this season so they should be a bit improved on that end this year (once again, something UCSD also did this offseason). Hopefully we come out with more energy from the onset.

The Titans have an abundance of guard depth to pace their uptempo attack, led by Tray Maddox Jr. and Dante Maddox Jr. The two aren't related (though they both hail from the midwest), but have likely been asked if they are thousands of times since Dante joined the team last season. Both are "maddening" to defend, as they can both be facilitators offensively and score from all over the court (both shot north of 40% from three last season, and Dante made 90% from the FT line). Tray began his career at Oakland and made 2nd-team all Big-West.

Latrell Wrightsell Jr. and Tory San Antonio will likely share the third starting spot in the rotation, or give Taylor the opportunity to go small and play four guards at once (Tray Maddox has the height to make this possible at 6'6"). Wrightsell is probably the best on-ball defender on the team. He struggled at times finishing inside the arc, but is the best free throw shooter on the team and an equally capable passer. A sophomore leap could be in the cards for him. San Antonio has parking lot range (he can literally shoot the ball from San Antonio) as the best three point shooter on the team and is disruptive defensively. I believe he is one of only two players in D1 with San Antonio in their name (the other is SanAntonio Brinson who transferred to Texas A&M-CC from NJIT this offseason).

Vincent Lee returns to man one of the spots up front after coming over from Nevada. Lee is a paint-bound forward who provided some much needed rebounding on the team (second on team last year) and help balance an offense that is very perimeter-centric. A Lee vs. Lee matchup would have been cool to see down low, but alas it was not meant to be. Lee helped Fullerton by default with his height last year but didn't really scare anyone who drove to the hoop.

Lee does get help this year with the arrival of senior EJ Anosike. The well-traveled veteran previously spent time at Sacred Heart and Tennessee. He didn't quite get the opportunity he was looking for in Knoxville but was a big-time player in the NEC. Anosike averaged a double-double and was one of the best players in the league. On a team that is already potent from deep, the fact Anosike can make threes as well will make guarding CSUF a nightmare.

Two other rotation players return for the Titans this year in Jalen Harris and Landis Spivey (both former JUCOs and current juniors). Harris struggled offensively last season as he missed time with injuries but is a useful piece as a backup distributor in the halfcourt. He has not yet played this season. Spivey adds more firepower off the bench as the designated spot-up shooter.

Most coaches would think that much depth at the guard position would be more than sufficient, but Taylor was not satisfied, so he went out and got Damari Milstead, who formerly played at San Francisco and Grand Canyon. Milstead is a strong point guard that can score in bunches and probably becomes one of Fullerton's better defenders along the perimeter.

Former UCF/South Carolina big man Ibrahim Famouke Doumbia and Texas A&M-CC transfer Lado Laku will grab whatever remaining minutes can be found when Lee and Anosike sit. Neither one figures to be a significant factor offensively (like there's room with all those guards anyways) but the hope is their mere presence will deter guards from attacking the hoop with ease.

The chance to play Fullerton a few days after the UC San Diego game is similar to retaking a test - we will see another uptempo perimeter focused attack and it will be interesting to see what we've been able to do in between those games - especially on the offensive side of the ball. The question will be whether we can keep up with Fullerton - if our big 4 are hitting shots we definitely can, but will they get assistance from the bench at all? Hoping to see better ball movement and shot selection tomorrow night.

Predicted Score: CSU Fullerton 81, GW 74. 27% chance to win (Bart Torvik). ESPN gives us a 29.6% chance to even our record at 2-2.
 

Anosike alone provides an edge in the post we cannot answer. CSUF 80 GW 66. Adams w 23. 

Just the abject humiliation of Saturday can and should help propel us to a good win. But I also thought after Md., we should beat San Diego.
   Being at a point where we are the underdogs against a projected 200 to 293rd team, tied for 7th in the Big West (thanks to DMV's research) last year, is not where a GW basketball team should be. On the road or not.

What is the plan?

Mentzinger wrote:

Anosike alone provides an edge in the post we cannot answer. CSUF 80 GW 66. Adams w 23. 

Anodize will be a tough matchup for us.  We’d better move the ball today because we aren’t going to win playing one on one.

Not sure what is going to make me turn this off - the late start, GW's play, or this announcer who truly seems to be reading everything about both teams for the first time.

So what’s the opposite of a monster?   Because we gave up scores on their first 5 possessions.

Nice work by Brayon. Don't try and do too much,though
We pay for 4 guys with clipboards behind the bench to travel with the team? They do seem diligent.