As expected, defending outright Big West Conference champion UC Santa Barbara was selected to finish first by 23 members of the media.
The conference’s preseason media poll was released Thursday with the Gauchos holding the top spot after garnering 20 first-place votes.
Long Beach State picked up two first-place votes and 180 points overall, which is 24 points behind UCSB, to capture the poll’s second spot. The 49ers also had two players named to the preseason all-conference team as T.J. Robinson and Casper Ware earned the nod.
The juniors highlight a proven core of returners that led LBSU to a 17-16 overall record last season. The 49ers lost to UCSB in the Big West tournament final.
Pacific nabbed the remaining first-place vote to earn the third spot with 161 total points. UC Davis (126 points) and Cal Poly (96 points) rounded out the upper half of the poll.
UC Irvine earned 93 points to take sixth, while Cal State Fullerton picked up 81 points. Cal State Northridge (55) and UC Riverside (39) were selected eighth and ninth, respectively.
Like the 49ers, the Gauchos also had two players — Orlando Johnson and James Nunnally — make the preseason all-conference team. Johnson was last season’s Big West player of the year after averaging 18 points and 5.4 rebounds per game.
UCD’s Joe Harden was the only senior to make the six-player team that featured five juniors. UCI forward Eric Wise was the other player to be named to the team.
The 49ers open the season against San Diego State on Nov. 13 at the Walter Pyramid.
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