Good morning and Merry Christmas to all who celebrate!
As we just completed the final days of non-conference basketball games, the holiday season is now upon us, and now a winter break for our tremendous student-athletes, coaches, athletic trainers, administrators and Big West staff! I am hopeful you can have a few days of rest with family and friends.
During the holidays, let go of stress and embrace the spirit of joy, love and gratitude. It’s a time to rejuvenate and find inner peace. It is a time to be present and fully embrace the magic of the present moment.
After games are over this time of year, I tend to watch older holiday movies and the past few nights I have watched White Christmas and It’s a Wonderful Life. If you have time, I encourage you to put down the phone for a couple of hours and watch It’s a Wonderful Life. There are so many good life messages in this movie, and it helps to realize how much of an impact your life truly has on others.
The song of the week is "White Christmas" from Bing Crosby, as Alaine and I are in Colorado Springs today to spend time with our daughter and friends.
Let’s get to the holiday edition of The Bold Type!
CONGRATULATIONS
- To Long Beach State men’s volleyball for being voted #1 in the preseason poll and to the seven student-athletes on The Big West Preseason Coaches' Team! Read more >>>
- To the eleven men’s water polo student-athletes who were honored this week with 2023 Men’s Water Polo All-America accolades. Read more >>>
- To CSUN forward Jamar Rickets and UC Irvine goalkeeper Luke Pruter who were selected in Tuesday’s 2024 Major League Soccer Super Draft! Read more >>> Watch Chloe Clark's feature on our three pro picks in December here >>>
- To CSUN men’s basketball for their win at UCLA on Tuesday. Read more >>>
- To UC Irvine men’s basketball for being one of four teams featured via ESPN on mid-majors to watch this season! Read more >>>
- To Rocko DeLuca and his entire staff at UC Davis for their work related to their strategic plan, IGNITE! (LINK)
- To Cody Little, Big West Coordinator of Softball Officials, who was named the Director of Umpire Training and Video review of the NCAA! Read more >>>
- To Long Beach State volleyball legend Misty May-Treanor, recipient of the 2024 Silver Anniversary Award, announced by the NCAA this week. Read more >>>
2024 BIG WEST MEN'S VOLLEYBALL PREVIEW PRESENTED BY THE HAWAIIAN ISLANDS
The Big West Men’s Volleyball Preview Show is now available on ESPN+. Please take the opportunity to click and watch the show. Thank you to our entire external relations team for putting together a great show!
WATCH THE BIG WEST ON NATIONAL TV!
The Big West will be featured on ESPNU with UC Santa Barbara at UC Davis on Thursday, December 28th at 6:00 p.m. PT as Big West play tips off. Stay tuned for an upcoming release on our next ESPN wildcard selected game!
Another game to tune into this week is CSUN at Long Beach State on Saturday, Dec. 30th at 1 p.m. as part of The Big West's 15-game package on Spectrum SportsNet! Each week during Big West Play there will be at least one - and sometimes three! - men's and women's basketball games featured on Spectrum SportsNet. Click here for the full 2023-24 Spectrum SportsNet schedule:
DID YOU KNOW - OFFICIATING?
The Big West was the first conference in the country to require all officials wanting to work games in The Big West to officially register and consent to the NCAA background check? This was done to protect our student-athletes and the integrity of our games. Based on an update provided this week by RefQuest+, 20 of 32 Division I conferences now require this registration.
BIG WEST CARES - HAPPY AND HEALTHY ATHLETES
Institutions around The Big West have participated in the conference's Big West Cares Initiative, which is themed Happy and Healthy Athletes for the 2023-2024 academic year. This initiative promotes positive and impactful acts performed by our student-athletes, coaches and staff across their respective communities and campuses. Through Fall 2023, student-athletes enhanced the Happy and Healthy Athletes cause by contributing to their community through the form of food drives, beach clean ups and many more engaging activities across The Big West. Read more >>>
Gallery: (12-19-2023) Big West Cares Community Service
BIG WEST MEN’S BASKETBALL UPDATES
Big West Men’s Basketball is:
- 1-0 vs. the American Athletic Conference
- 1-0 vs. the Big East
- 1-1 vs. the Big 10
- 1-0 vs. the Mid-American Conference
- 10-4 vs. the West Coast Conference
With the Big West team winning:
- At Michigan
- At DePaul
- At USC (twice!)
- At UCLA
Men's Basketball Metrics
December has been a good month for Big West men's basketball.
- The Big West ranks 15 of 32 conferences in the NCAA NET rankings, a jump from 17 when the NET was released for the first time this season on 12/3/23.
- Most Big West programs have improved in the metrics this December, however significant jumps were made by UCSD (+67), CSUN (+31), and UCSB (+22). UC San Diego benefited tremendously from a like opponent, jumping 49 spots after a blowout road win at Sacramento St. UC Irvine's NET of 61 continues to lead The Big West and continues to positively increase due to their strength of schedule.
- CSUN has continued to rise in the metrics all season defeating many “like” opponents, playing Stanford close, and defeating UCLA this week. The Matadors have their highest NET ranking of 182 since it was first started in 2019, and they are off to their best start since 2012.
- Since the return of 2023 Big West POY Ajay Mitchell from injury, UCSB saw huge benefits (+33) from defeating like WCC opponent LMU on a neutral court.
- Mid Major Top-25: The Big West has two teams ranked in the Mid Major Top 25 this week. UC Irvine (#15) and UC Santa Barbara (#20). Both Long Beach St. (#27) and Hawaii (#38) are receiving votes.
- Ajay Mitchell is the No. 9 point guard in college basketball according to College Basketball Report.
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL UPDATE
- Through games 12/20/23, The Big West currently has seven teams in the top 200 NET rankings, up from five teams at the end of the 2022-23 season.
- Cal Poly jumped 134 spots since the end of the 2022-23 season and currently ranked second in The Big West. All of the Mustangs' victories this year have been 10+ points over Idaho, Fresno St, Seattle U, and Sacramento St. Three of these games were on the road.
- Mid-Major Top 25: UC Irvine is receiving votes in the latest Mid Major Top 25, and has been dotting the list in each of the last three weeks. Their 125 NET ranking currently leads the conference.
- In the past four seasons, The Big West has won 50% of games between Mountain West, WAC, and Big Sky as we focus on competitive improvement for women’s basketball.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
"Remember, no man is a failure who has friends." – Clarence (Henry Travers) in “It’s A Wonderful Life”
HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ALL!
Click to watch a holiday message >>>
May your days be merry and bright.
And may all your Christmases be filled with the joy of family and friends in the week ahead.
All my best,
Dan