clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

Mid-Major Madness Big West Twitter Space Preview: Joe Pasternack, Mike Magpayo

Nick Lorensen talks with coaches from around the conference

By Nick Lorensen
/ new
COLLEGE BASKETBALL: DEC 17 UC Santa Barbara at USC
Joe Pasternack enters his sixth season at the helm of UC Santa Barbara. The Gauchos are the favorites to win the Big West.
Photo by Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

We continue our conference previews with the Big West. We have hosted a preview Twitter Space twice a week streaming live from the Mid-Major Madness account (@mid_madness), speaking with media members and coaches throughout the selected league.

For the full Big West Twitter Space, hit the link below:

To open the conversation, Mid-Major Madness writer Nick Lorensen recapped what happened in the Big West last season and so far this offseason.

Cal State Fullerton surprised everyone in the regular season, carrying that momentum into the conference tournament and clinching the automatic bid. They would fall to Duke by a score of 78-61 in the Round of 64.

Throughout the rest of the Big West, some impactful big men moved on including Collin Welp (UC Irvine), Amadou Sow (UCSB) and Toni Rocak (UCSD).

To open the conversations with coaches, UCSB head coach Joe Pasternack (4:10) joined to speak about his preseason favorite Gauchos. They return the 2022 Big West Freshman of the Year, Ajay Mitchell along with many other key pieces.

“Returning experience is huge, so really excited about that,” Pasternack said.

UCSB was picked first in the Big West preseason coaches poll.

Following him, UC Riverside head coach Mike Magpayo (38:00) hopped on the Twitter space to talk about the program he has built.

Zyon Pullin had two NBA Draft workouts over the summer and returns to lead the Highlanders this season.

“Not everybody gets calls when you get declare without an agent, but he got calls from the Cavs, Lakers,” Magpayo said. “I think it’s been confidence building because he knows he can compete with those guys.”

UCR opens its season on Monday in Boulder against Colorado. They have beaten a PAC 12 team in the opening weeks of its last two seasons.

Nick then continued the conversation by previewing every team in the league. To hear about your team, advance the recording to each time stamp.

13:40 Cal Poly

15:55 Cal State Bakersfield

17:55 Cal State Fullerton

20:30 CSUN

23:20 Hawai’i

27:10 Long Beach State

29:55 UC Davis

32:50 UC Irvine

35:30 UCSD

54:00 POTY & Title Predictions

More From Mid-Major Madness

Loading comments...