High Post Hoops
Fansided

Big West 2019-20 season preview: another new champion?

By David Yapkowitz

LOS ANGELES, CA - NOVEMBER 21: Head coach Faith Mimnaugh of the Cal Poly Mustangs eyes the play from the bench against the Loyola Marymount Lions in the first half of the home opening game at Gersten Pavilion on November 21, 2014 in Los Angeles, California. Cal Poly won 87-79. (Photo by Jeff Golden/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - NOVEMBER 21: Head coach Faith Mimnaugh of the Cal Poly Mustangs eyes the play from the bench against the Loyola Marymount Lions in the first half of the home opening game at Gersten Pavilion on November 21, 2014 in Los Angeles, California. Cal Poly won 87-79. (Photo by Jeff Golden/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
4 of 10
Next
Marina Ewodo. (photo courtesy UC Riverside Athletics)
Marina Ewodo. (photo courtesy UC Riverside Athletics) /

UC Riverside:

2018-19 record: 17-16, 10-6 Conference

Key Losses:

-Malou De Kergret

Key Additions:

-Aiyana Barnes

It’s hard to tell how UC Riverside is going to fair this season. They were a surprise team last season, coming on strong to end the year. But an injury to Jannon Otto kept her out of the Big West Tournament and the Highlanders fell to Hawaii in the quarterfinals. It also remains to be seen how the team will be affected by the recent allegations of emotional abuse at the hands of former head coach John Margaritis. Margaritis resigned on Sept. 13 and assistant coach Seyram Bell was named as interim head coach.

Aside from that, the Highlanders do have the talent to make a real run at the conference championship. Otto emerged as a double-double threat on a nightly basis. She’s an efficient scorer albeit not being much of a three-point threat. Fellow senior Marina Ewodo also figures to be important to the Highlanders plans. She’s also a strong scorer with an improving outside shot, and a capable defender.

The one player to keep an eye on, however, is Daphne Gnago. She’s essentially a junior, but she redshirted her freshman season and so this is really only her second season playing college basketball. She started in 28 of Riverside’s 33 games and was also a double-double caliber player. She’s a talented interior player who will be a handful for other teams to guard.

Factor in returning players such as Tianna Eaton, Lauryn Pointer, and Keilanei Cooper, and the Highlanders certainly have a roster capable of winning the conference. Their lone new addition is Aiyana Barnes who sat out last season after transferring from Loyola Marymount.

Home/Big West