BigWest.org chatted with CSUN head coaches Reggie Theus (men's basketball) and Jason Flowers (women's basketball) to preview the upcoming 2014-15 season.
MEN'S BASKETBALL
FIVE THINGS TO WATCH IN 2014-15
Theus Seeks Further Success: CSUN was one win away from playing in the NCAA Tournament last year, advancing to the Big West Tournament championship game before falling to Cal Poly. After finishing 15-17 overall, the Matadors expect to trend upward in 2014-15, but that will be against a backdrop of an enhanced nonconference schedule. Theus has his troops opening the season with back-to-back road games against preseason No. 17 San Diego State and No. 2 Arizona, with a trip to No. 9 Louisville on the horizon in late December. Throw in two additional games against 2014 NCAA Tournament squads Oregon and Stephen F. Austin, and the Matadors will find out pretty quickly just how competitive they can be.
Right Mixture?: The Matadors return four upperclassmen starters (two seniors, two juniors), and look to blend that talent with eight incoming freshmen and two Division I transfers who redshirted last year and are set to make their Matador debuts. The ingredients are there to create a palatable dish for CSUN fans, but getting them to mix properly is another thing altogether.
Maxwell’s House: Senior Stephen Maxwell is coming off an exceptional 2013-14 campaign in which he averaged 17.5 points and 8.8 rebounds, leading to first team all-conference recognition. He enters this season with 1,263 points and 713 rebounds, and could join rare company as only four others – Long Beach State’s T.J. Robinson (2008-12), Cal State Fullerton’s Tony Neal (1981-85), UNLV’s Stacey Augmon (1988-91) and Utah State’s Greg Grant (1983-86) – have compiled at least 1,000 points and 1,000 rebounds in a career.
Hicks Also Seeks Milestones: Maxwell and teammate Stephan Hicks have combined to play in 179 games, with 163 starts between them over three seasons. Hicks, who twice has been named honorable mention all-conference, is the Big West active career leader in points (1,448), steals (125), field goals made (484) and free throws made (438). The two categories to watch are points and free throws. The guard-forward is 552 points away from becoming just the seventh player in Big West history to reach 2,000. Also, Hicks needs to make 112 free throws to supplant Lucious Harris (549, 1989-93) as the all-time leader in that category.
Tre’s Time: Not to be overlooked in the overall scheme of CSUN’s success is the play of junior Tre Hale-Edmerson. The 6-7 forward/center is already the school’s career blocked shots leader with 92, and he set the single-season record (62) as well last year. But more than that, Theus championed “his ability to guard the post, to score on the perimeter, and to facilitate a lot of our offense.” Big things could be in store for the Sheridan, Ore. native.
QUOTABLES – REGGIE THEUS
(On year two): “Year two is going to be more challenging. I think our schedule is the biggest part of that – we’re playing three top 20 teams. We set some goals for ourselves, very lofty goals, and we’ve got to fight for it. We’re looking forward to it because you have to build, and if you want to do something with your life in terms of basketball, you have to be better every year.”
(On reaching the Big West Tournament final): “I told our guys that success is the best teacher there is. We have to start from where we left off. There’s no reverting back.”
(On Stephan Hicks): “Stephan Hicks is interesting. Even though he’s on his way to scoring 2,000 points, I asked him during the season ‘Do you want to score 30? I’m the head coach. I’m telling you to go get it.’ I believe as an offensive player myself at one time that you have to go get it. Sometimes you have to go after it. That’s the kind of attitude I want him to have.”
(On Stephen Maxwell): “He’s got probably the highest motor in the league. He’s left-handed, you know he’s going left, and you still can’t stop him. He’s a very awkward, unorthodox player that makes you guard in strange ways.”
(On the benefit of having depth): “Last year I had only nine scholarship players. But now I have 13 players that all can play. I’m expecting these guys to go endline to endline the entire game.”
BY THE NUMBERS
3 – Number of CSUN foes ranked in the USA Today Preseason Top-20 Poll – No. 2 Arizona, No. 9 Louisville and No. 17 San Diego State.
4 – Former Big West players to achieve career totals of 1,000 points and 1,000 rebounds. Senior Stephen Maxwell is on pace to become the fifth.
8 – Freshmen on the 2014-15 CSUN roster.
82 – Inches in height (6-10) of Division I transfers Devonte Elliott (Nevada) and Kevin Johnson (Seton Hall), adding to an already talented frontline.
1,448 – Career points total for senior Stephan Hicks, bidding to become just seventh player in Big West history to reach 2,000.
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
FIVE THINGS TO WATCH IN 2014-15
First Time Was The Charm: CSUN accomplished a litany of firsts last season, the first Big West regular season title, first Big West Tournament title, first Big West Player of the Year (Ashlee Guay), first home win over conference rival UC Santa Barbara since 1984 and the first win over USC in the NCAA era.
Experience Counts: The Matadors will boast one of the most experienced starting units around with five seniors in the top lineup. In all CSUN has a wealth of experience on the roster with nine total upperclassmen returning to the fold looking to defend the dual championships.
Guay To The Top: Senior Ashlee Guay’s trophy case has been building by the year and deservedly so. Guay is coming off a season in which she scored 527 points (16.0 per game), the second-best single season showing in program history. She also owns the program career marks for assists (386) and steals (237), while also owning the single-game record for threes (8), all of which were attained last season. Guay’s three-point shooting was on display for more than one game as she knocked down 75 triples and ranked 14th in the NCAA in three-point field goal percentage (.426).
Block Party (The Defensive Kind): Camille Mahlknecht wasn’t in a party mood when players ventured into the paint last season. Mahlknecht led the league with a school record 105 blocks, an average of 3.12 that ranked 11th in the NCAA. Her 11 blocks on the road against Cal State Fullerton were a single-game program record, the third-most in the NCAA last season and just one off the single-game Big West record. Mahlknecht’s efforts earned her the Big West Defensive Player of the Year honor.
Everyone Behind The Line!: Usually known for their stout defense, the Matadors added a new dimension last season with their prolific three-point shooting. The club was second in the league in makes per game (7.2) and third in attempts (22.9). Cinnamon Lister was the most frequent contributor from deep with 89 and five players in all hit at least 15. Janae Sharpe wasn’t letting her teammates have all the fun as she nailed 36 from downtown last season, 12 more than her first two seasons combined.
QUOTABLES – JASON FLOWERS
(On the focus with a veteran group): “The focus never changes for us whether when they were freshman or now that this group is seniors. The focus is always trying to be the best team we can possibly be. Obviously with this group being more experienced, they know what our expectations are of them and to be honest, they’re raised their expectations.”
(On the leadership of the club): “Our five seniors have been phenomenal, I don’t know how to describe it. When you have those kind of kids who have been through the pitfalls, it really helps the younger group get through things. Last year we had three junior captains, and now we have three senior captains and it’s the same three in Cinnamon [Lister], Ashlee [Guay] and Randi [Freiss]. They’ve earned the respect of their teammates.”
(On senior forward and tri-captain Randi Freiss): “Sometimes Randi can get lost in the shuffle when you speak of the other four seniors because of the things that grab attention. Randi has been just as instrumental in the development of our program as the other kids. She’s a kid that does everything asked of her and is extremely unselfish. She’s easy to coach and gets overlooked but is just as important especially when you see she’s been a captain for the last two years.”
(On the what the close NCAA first round loss to South Carolina showed to the team): “You know what, it didn’t really show me anything to be honest and I don’t say that in a negative way. What I think at the end of the day is irrelevant; it’s what I get my team to understand. I think more than anything it showed them that if we do things the right way, we can compete against the top teams in the country.”
(On the CSUN rebrand and its effect on the program): "The rebranding process that’s going on is much bigger than our program. In terms of our program, the rebranding has helped us take it a step further in terms of standing out. It’s definitely built a new sense of pride amongst the athletic teams and there’s a buzz around our campus about athletics that hasn’t been here and that’s always positive.”
BY THE NUMBERS
4.0 – CSUN’s team blocks per game average last season, making it one of two clubs to block four or more shots per outing.
18 – Last year’s win total was the most for the club since 2004-05.
32 – The Matadors are second in the Big West over the last three seasons in victories during conference play.
96 – Ashlee Guay has started every game for CSUN since her career began in 2011-12.
238 – CSUN’s made threes last season that ranked tops in the Big West.