Opponent: Cal State San Bernardino
Date/Tipoff: Friday, Nov. 10, 2017 | 5 p.m. PST
Location: Portland, Ore.  (LCEF Court)
Live Stream: Stream
Live Stats: Stats
 
Opponent: Monterey Bay
Date/Tipoff: Saturday, Nov. 11, 2017 | 3 p.m. PST
Location: Portland, Ore. (LCEF Court)
Live Stream: Stream
Live Stats: Stats
 
THE GAME
Central Washington tips off the 2017-18 campaign in Portland, Ore. this week against Cal State San Bernardino and Monterey Bay. The Wildcats tip-off against the Coyotes on Friday at 5 p.m., followed by a matchup with the Otters on Saturday at 3 p.m.
 
CWU FAST BREAKS

• The Central Washington Wildcats are coming off a 14-12 campaign from the 2016-17 season, which included an 9-11 record and seventh-place finish in Great Northwest Athletic Conference play.
• The Wildcats enter the season picked third in the 2017-18 Great Northwest Athletic Conference Preseason Coaches' Poll. Voted on by the head coaches across the conference, CWU garnered 91 of a possible 726 points in the poll. 
• Central Washington returns a total of eight letter winners from last season's squad, which includes senior center Fuquan Niles. Last season, Niles led the GNAC with 2.8 blocks per game and a total of 74 rejections, which set a new GNAC single-season record. Niles also averaged 9.5 points per game and 8.3 rebounds and earned Honorable Mention recognition from the conference. Other starters returning to the team is senior forward Jerome Bryant (six starts, 4.3 ppg), senior guard Marc Rodgers (10 starts, 5.3 ppg), junior guard Naim Ladd (seven starts, 13.5 ppg) and senior guard Jawan Stepney (25 starts, 12.9 ppg).
• The Wildcats defeated Northwest University, 100-93, in its lone exhibition contests of the 2017-18 preseason. Junior Naim Ladd led all scorers with 23 points on 9 of 15 shooting, including three triples. Sage Woodruff came off the bench to score 18 points, 12 of which came from behind the arc. Also scoring in double figures for the Widlcats was freshman Khalil Shabazz who added two rebounds, three assists and four steals.

 
SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION
Cal State San Bernardino
The Coyotes are led by three returning seniors who averaged roughly nine points per game a season ago. Forward Dorian Butler headlines this group with 9.1 ppg, followed by guards Elijah Brown (8.7 ppg) and Blake McBride (8.6 ppg). Senior guard Nolan Kelly (3.3 ppg in 25 games) is the only other returner with notable statistics. Entering his first season at Cal State San Bernardino is last season's CIF Division III Player of the Year Damien Reedy. Reedy averaged 15 points and five assists a game for Rancho Verde High School and was named the Inland Valley League MVP last year.
 
Cal State San Bernardino dropped their opening match of the season to Upper Iowa, 88-92. The Coyotes had five players score in double figures in the game, including junior guard Ajon Efferson who scored 26 points on 10-of-18 shooting.
 
Monterey Bay
Head coach Isaac Williams enters his first season at Monterey Bay. Williams recorded two highly successful stints at the helm of Eastern Oregon University. The Otters graduated two of their top-three scorers from last season, but are excited about the return of sophomore guard Jahvon Johnson. Johnson played in 24 games as a freshman and ranked second on the team with 9.7 points per game. Monterey Bay also returns their second leading rebounder, Greg Polosky, who grabbed six rebounds per game.
 
The Otters will face Concordia University (Ore.) on Friday evening before facing the Wildcats on Saturday.
 
-CWU-