Big West Beat: 2/24/2026

    What a weekend on the west coast, the result of which is a three way tie at the top of the conference with three to four games left to go in the season each. It is no surprise to see Hawaii and Irvine in this group as preseason favorites, but Andy Newman and the Runnin' Matadors of CSUN have officially thrown their hat in the ring. After a thrilling end to regulation at Long Beach on Saturday the Matadors escaped the Pyramid with an overtime win marking their 7th win in a row. On this stretch they have beaten Hawaii, UCSD, UCSB, and Cal Poly and catapulted to the top of the Big West race. The Matador offense has led the on this run, scoring more than 80 points in 6 of the 7 wins. Their tempo and length apply immense pressure to teams, while the guard play helps make the whole engine run smooth. The Matadors are running now at the 3rd highest pace in the country, and commanding the court for CSUN is point guard Josiah Davis is averaging over 7 assists per game as well as adding 14 points per game. Josiah Davis has been able to bring a calm steady hand to the chaos that is the CSUN gameplan and that command has allowed for the Matadors to thrive. Larry Hughes is leading the team in scoring coming in around 18 points per game and shooting a mean 42% from three. Hughes success has come from his long range ability and the ultra athletic guards and forwards slashing around him. Although listed as a guard, 6'6 Josh O'Garro has been able to use his length and size on both ends of the court to help drive this high powered offense. O'Garro is nearly averaging a double-double as he leads the team in rebounding with 9.4 per game on top of his 13.9 points. Andy Newman has excelled the last two seasons at CSUN and this season could be his master piece as the team seems to be coming together at the right time. CSUN has a real opportunity to win the Big West and win the Big West tournament as they continue to prove to be a matchup nightmare on both ends of the court for everyone in the conference. 

    

 Remaining Schedules:

CSUN: vs Irvine Feb 26th, @Riverside Feb 28th, @Bakersfield Mar 5th, vs Fullerton Mar 7th

Irvine: @CSUN Feb 26th, vs UCSB Feb 28th, vs Cal Poly Mar 5th, vs Davis Mar 7th

Hawaii: vs Davis Feb 26th, @Fullerton Mar 28th, vs Riverside Mar 5th, vs Long Beach Mar 7th

    Looking at the remaining schedules they appear relatively even, however Hawaii will get three games on the Island and will avoid both CSUN and Irvine. The 'Bows getting Riverside and Long Beach to finish is also an advantage for a team that has struggled to find its rhythm at the finish line of the season. The loss of Point Guard Aaron Hunkin-Claytor is proving to be a thorn in the side of this offense that was already inconsistent. With Hunkin-Claytor out, Isiah Kerr has found the majority of these missing minutes, the Chico State transfer has mirrored this Hawaii offense so far this season, inconsistent. Over the last few games though, Kerr has seemed to find his role for the 'Bows and is visibly more comfortable in the offensive end creating his own. The 'Bows defense continues to be the catalyst for this team and will keep them in every game for the remainder of the season, the real question is will their offense find enough of a retheme to win the conference. I still believe Hawaii is the most talented group in the Big West but Eran Ganot needs to find something on the offensive end to see the NCAA tournament. 

    Irvine has a the toughest draw of these three teams, going to the scorching hot CSUN followed by UCSB, Cal Poly, and Davis. UCSB has the ability to lean on and beat every team in the Big West, their season has not been as successful as projected but still not out of the fight at 10-7 in conference play. Cal Poly similar is similar to CSUN in terms of tempo but are averaging over 30 three point attempts per game. Cal Poly is capable on any night of getting hot and catching a team asleep at the wheel, Hawaii just found out last week. Irvine feels like a good Lipscomb team that just kind of leans on their conference with above average talent and consistent play. 

    Regardless of the result, the Big West delivered AGAIN as a conference and is chasing tournament success in the wake of the possible power vacuum being created by the WCC and Pac12 boxing match. Down the stretch I am rooting for CSUN and Andy Newman as they have been an awesome addition to the Big West picture this season. While Newman is likely headed for brighter lights next season, seeing him bring Northridge to a Big West title or tournament appearance would be a great college basketball storyline. The Big West winner will likely be a 14 seed in the NCAA tournament and like Michigan found out last season, they will be a handful to deal with in the first round. Everyone buckle in for the final laps of the Big West race!