HAYWARD, Calif. -- The Cal State East Bay men's basketball team officially begins the 2014-15 regular season this weekend with a pair of games at the Penguin Preseason Conference Challenge, hosted by Dominican University. The Pioneers will take on Montana State Billings on Friday at 5:30 p.m. and Dominican on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. Both contests will be at the Conlan Center, with live video available at
Dominicanathletics.com/live.
PIONEER POINTSCal State East Bay was picked to finish 11th in this week's
preseason poll of the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) head coaches. The squad finished in a tie for 11th in 2013-14, their first season under head coach
Gus Argenal, with an overall record of 7-21.
The 2014-15 roster features seven returners, led by seniors
Jacari Whitfield (10.1 ppg, 2.9 apg),
Nick Grieves (9.4 ppg, .414 3-FG), and
Jarred Jourdan (8.6 ppg, 3.3 rpg). Argenal and his staff have also added 11 newcomers to provide much-needed size and depth.
Click here to watch
Coach Argenal's Preseason Interview.
Last weekend, the Pioneers completed a preseason schedule that consisted of three Division I opponents. They dropped exhibition contests at California, San Jose State, and Santa Clara, but showed dramatic improvement in each game. Grieves was East Bay's leading scorer in the preseason, averaging 15.3 ppg and making 50 percent of this three-pointers (12-for-24). However, the team received several impressive performances and had a different leading scorer in each of the three exhibitions.
SCOUTING MSU BILLINGSThis will also be the regular season opener for the Yellowjackets, who have dropped tight exhibition games to Carroll College and Rocky Mountain College. MSU Billings finished 12-15 in 2013-14, with a record of 8-10 in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference. They're led by 6'7" senior forward Austin Hudson (14.3 ppg, 7.5 rpg, .588 FG), who was an All-GNAC selection last season. This will be the first ever meeting between the Pioneers and Yellowjackets.
PENGUIN PREVIEWDominican is coming off a 22-8 season in 2013-14 in which they finished second in the PacWest and just missed out on a berth in the NCAA Division II Regionals. The Penguins lost three All-Conference starters from last year's roster, but they return senior guard Dominique Taplin (14.2 ppg, 5.8 rpg, .527 FG). Cal State East Bay and Dominican met twice in 2013-14 with the Penguins winning both contests, including a 110-106 double-overtime thriller.
