Tip off: 9 PM EST
Spread: UCSB -9.5
Total: 136.5
M/L: UCSB -500, SD +400
SAN DIEGO
San Diego couldn’t have really had any worse of a year than last year. They won only 6 of 30 games, and lost in the first round of the WCC to Pepperdine, and naturally were excluded from all post season tournaments.
While ordinarily a 5-4 record isn’t any reason for elation, it is understandably so for the Toreros. While they did have a three game skid prior to Saturday night’s victory over Maine, they started out the season by winning 4 of their first 5 and a big reason why has been their efficiency. They are shooting 45.7% from the floor, which ranks them in the top 100. It’s nothing overly impressive, but for a team that only averaged 0.89 points per possession in conference play last season, you take improvement as it comes.
Waterbug 6’0″ freshman point guard Johnny Dee has led the way and is making a push for all WCC Freshman of the year with his 14.9 point per game scoring average. He has scored 20 or more three times already and put up his season high of 26 points Saturday night against Maine, as he connected on 9 of 16 shots, 8 of which were behind the arc, as he went 8 of 13 from distance. On the season, he is shooting 43.9% from the arc (25 of 57).
The Toreros don’t really face a lot of big tests this season, other than rival BYU, who they will face on December 31st, January 21st, and then to close out the season on February 25th.
UC SANTA BARBARA
The Gauchos got off to a hot start this season, winning their first four games in impresive fashion, with all victories in double digits, including a 33 point trouncing of Santa Clara and a 36 point domination over Chapman.
Part of the hot start can be attributed to the fact that the four games they won were all at home. But there is more reason for optimism for the 4-2 Gauchos. They hung with San Diego State University before dropping by 1 in Overtime, and then on November 30th, they lost by only 4 to #20 ranked UNLV by 4 in Double Overtime. San Diego shouldn’t be anywhere near as stough as those teams, so that is why the Gauchos are favored by nearly double digits for this contest tonight.
They have been rebounding and scoring with the best of them on paper. Their 42.0 rebounds per game ranks 8th in the nation, while their 81.8 points per game places them 13th offensively. As you would expect, there are gaudy individual stats accomidating that number:
Orlando Johnson is putting up 23.8 points per game in 37 minutes a night, while teammate James Nunnaly is also scoring 18.7 a game. Both also rip down a lot of boards, with 7.7 and 6.3, respectively. Johnson had huge games against both San Diego State and UNLV, recording 62 points in total while going a combined 20 of 45 from the floor. This season, he is shooting 41.4% from behind the arc and 45.5% from teh floor. It is his third season at UCSB, after beginning his career at LMU.
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