Big West: Conference tournament preview

BIG WEST

BEGINS: Thursday

CHAMPIONSHIP: Saturday, 11:30 p.m. ET, ESPN2

WHERE: Anaheim, Calif.

OVERVIEW: Last season’s tournament champion, UC Irvine, and this year’s top dog Hawaii are the favorites . Hawaii is led by senior guard Roderick Bobbitt, who is averaging 13.0 points per game and leads the league in assists (5.7 per game), as well as the Big West’s fNo. 4, junior forward Stefan Jankovic. The Anteaters are known for their presence down low, specifically from junior center Mamadou Ndiaye. Ndiaye is 7-6 and plays exactly as you’d expect. He’s first in the conference in blocks (2.5 per game), third in rebounding (7.1 per game), atop the Big West in field goal percentage (67.0%) and integral to UC Irvine’s success.

STANDINGS

Hawaii (13-3, 24-5)

UC Irvine (13-3, 24-8)

Long Beach State (12-4, 18-13)

UC Santa Barbara (11-5, 17-12)

UC Davis (6-10, 11-18)

*Cal State Northridge (5-11, 10-20)

UC Riverside (5-11, 14-18)

Cal Poly (4-12, 10-19)

Cal State Fullerton (3-13, 10-19)

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