Sunday, Nov. 11 vs. Notre Dame de Namur
Pioneer Gym
2 p.m.
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Tuesday, Nov. 13 @ University of San Francisco
War Memorial Gym
7 p.m.
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HAYWARD, Calif. – The Cal State East Bay men's basketball team kicks off its 2012-13 season with a home game Sunday afternoon at 2 p.m. against cross-bay foe Notre Dame de Namur. This will be the first of four preseason games for the Pioneers, and the only one at Pioneer Gym. Sunday's game will cap off an exciting opening weekend of basketball in Hayward, as Cal State East Bay will also host the women's CCAA/PacWest Challenge on Friday and Saturday. Two nights later, the Pioneer men will cross the bridge to face perhaps their most talented opponent of the season in the Dons of San Francisco. Tuesday's game is scheduled to tip off at 7 p.m. from War Memorial Gym.

Head coach Will Biggs and his players are excited to get the season underway. “We are ready to get started,” said Biggs. “We're looking forward to playing someone other than ourselves. Hopefully we will stay healthy and take care of the things we are able to control.”
 
GRAND OPENING

The Pioneers will look to jump out of the gate with a strong start this weekend, an area where Coach Biggs' squads have had success in recent years. East Bay has won its last three season openers, all of which came at home. This includes victories over San Diego Christian, Academy of Art, and Dominican University. The trends certainly favor the Pioneers, as Notre Dame de Namur has dropped its last two openers.

ON THE UPSWING

The East Bay men's basketball program has shown notable improvement since joining Division II and the CCAA three years ago. Last season, the Pioneers accumulated double-digit wins for the first time since moving up, and also posted their best conference standing.

This year's crew is even deeper and more experienced. Despite being picked to finish 10th in the CCAA by the coaches, Biggs believes his team has a chance to make some real noise this season. “The biggest challenge for this team is believing we belong over the long haul,” he said. “Last year we had our moments, but this team needs to truly embrace the challenge of 22 conference games and honestly believe we have a chance and a way to win every night.”

FILLING THE VOID

If the Pioneers are to realize their desired level of success, several players will need to step up into prominent roles, particularly on offense. East Bay will be without its two leading scorers from last season (Roshun Wynne graduated and senior Mark Samuels will utilize a medical redshirt as he rehabs from a herniated disc), leaving a scoring void the Pioneers will need to fill.

Fortunately, there are plenty of viable candidates. Junior transfer Gabe Kindred brings a dynamic skill set as a combo guard, and reigning CCAA Newcomer of the Year Jacari Whitfield figures to play a more significant scoring role. Senior guard Jason Smith was the Pioneers' best outside shooter a year ago, shooting 90 percent from the line and 44 percent from behind the arc, while leading the team in three-pointers made. Smith is the only returning Pioneer to average double-figures in scoring last year.

Another senior, Jurrell Turner, started 24 games for East Bay and shot 46 percent from the field as the team's fourth-leading scorer. A potential dark horse is senior Nick Marshall, who missed much of last year, but was the team's leading rebounder and averaged 8.9 ppg in his limited time. The injury to Samuels was a disappointment to be sure, but the Pioneers figure to have plenty of experienced options on offense.

CRASHING THE BOARDS

So what can fans expect to be East Bay's biggest challenge in 2012-13? Coach Biggs and his staff have been focused on improving in all aspects of the game, but there is certainly a priority on limiting their opponents' scoring chances. “We have been working hard with an emphasis on half-court man defense, avoiding turnovers on offense, and rebounding,” Biggs said. “Our strengths are our length, quickness, and chemistry, but we were a mediocre rebounding team last year.” The Pioneers will hope to improve their performance on the glass on both ends of the floor, limiting second-chance points for their opponents and creating opportunities for transition points where they can utilize their athleticism.

VETERAN PRESENCE 

Ultimately, the biggest advantage for Cal State East Bay heading into the season is the experience level of the players. With local recruit Paramvir Singh utilizing a redshirt, the Pioneers will not have a single true freshman on their roster. “What I like most about this team is we finally have some seniors with CCAA experience, a solid group of juniors, and some very exciting young guards,” noted Biggs. “The fortunate thing is we have 10 returning players -- 11 if you count Donavon Jackson, who played two years ago -- so that certainly will help.”

Regardless of the lineup they have on the floor, the Pioneers should have a veteran presence throughout their rotation. Kindred, Ryan Hebebrand, and Spencer Britschgi highlight a talented group of transfers. Whitfield and sophomore guard Tre Mauldin both saw regular playing time as freshmen last year. Smith, Turner, and Vincent Capellino lead a group of experienced seniors.

It will be only a matter of time before we see which players emerge as this year's leaders, but Coach Biggs is optimistic about his team's character. “I like our overall make-up,” he added, “and so far this group seems to enjoy being in the gym together.”

ANALYZING THE ARGONAUTS

Notre Dame de Namur is coming off a season in which they collectively out-shot and out-rebounded their opponents, but nonetheless finished below .500 at 11-14 (7-10 in the PacWest). The Argonauts struggled on the road in particular in 2011-12, posting a 1-10 record. Senior Wesley White leads the NDNU frontcourt, having averaged 10.8 ppg and 7.4 rpg last year, while shooting a team-best 55.6 percent from the field. Senior Eric Bell returns at point guard after scoring 6.9 ppg and leading the team in assists (72) a year ago. Like the Pioneers, NDNU lost two of their top three scorers from last season. Cal State East Bay defeated the Argonauts 77-66 at Pioneer Gym when the teams last met two seasons ago.

DECIPHERING THE DONS

San Francisco returns just one starter from a team that won 20 games and finished 8-8 in the difficult West Coast Conference, good for fifth place. This will be the second game of the season for the Dons, who open Nov. 9 at Stanford. USF was 12-5 at home in 2011-12, but they'll be without their top four scorers from a year ago. Junior point guard Cody Doolin is the team's most experienced returner, last year averaging 9.3 ppg and 3.1 apg. Cole Dickerson was just the sixth-leading scorer for USF a year ago, but he shot 57 percent from the field and grabbed 4.0 rpg coming off the bench. The junior forward figures to play a more prominent role this season. The Dons will be the only Division I opponent on the Pioneers' schedule this year, and they ought to provide a tough test in preparation for conference play.

“HELP A HERO”

This week, the Cal State East Bay Athletic department is partnering with Sport Clips of Hayward in support of the Annual "Help a Hero" fundraising campaign, benefiting the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Operation Uplink. Operation Uplink connects deployed and hospitalized U.S. service members with their loved ones through free phone cards, making possible nearly two million free calls home since 2007. Through November 11th, anyone who gets a haircut at Sport Clips of Hayward will receive a free weekend pass to this week's men's and women's basketball home games. In addition, all U.S. service members -- active and retired -- and one guest will receive free admission to the men's basketball game vs. Notre Dame de Namur.