ELLENSBURG, Wash. – Central Washington men's basketball starts their 2023-24 season this week at the CCAA/GNAC Challenge in California. The 'Cats open the tournament against Cal State Monterey Bay on Friday at 1:00 p.m. and then face the hosts, 13^th-ranked Cal State San Bernardino, on Saturday at 1:00 p.m.
 
QUOTING HEAD COACH BRANDON RINTA
"This is always an exciting time of year as we begin our non-conference schedule. Our yearly opening weekend tourney with Cal State Monterey Bay and San Bernardino always gives us a sense of where we are at. These are two talented and well coached teams."
 
THE WILDCATS
The Crimson and Black held a 14-15 record and went 9-9 in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference. Central Washington went on a five-game winning streak in January and ended the regular season with four straight wins and earned the fourth seed in the GNAC tournament. The 'Cats won 80-66 in the opener against Western Oregon before falling to Saint Martin's in the semifinals.
 
The Wildcats had three key players graduate last year. Guards Isaiah Banks and Brock Gilbert as well as sensational forward Matt Poquette. Brock led the team and the GNAC in assists and was the floor general. Banks was a scoring guard who played stellar defense and always elevated the team's energy.
 
Matt Poquette had a great career for Central Washington, scoring over 200 points in every full season he played. Last year, Poquette was named to the GNAC All-Conference second team, and in 2021 he earned a GNAC All-Conference honorable mention. Poquette finished his career with 1,239 points, 641 rebounds, and 181 assists.
 
Central Washington welcomes back Senior guard Camron McNeil and senior forward Samaad Hector. Hector has a great inside-out presence and averaged 11.7 ppg, 6.1 rebounds per game, and led CWU with 31 blocks. McNeil, the 'Cats 2022-23 leading scorer averaged 15.6 ppg, shot 39.6% from deep making 59, had 44 assists, and 26 steals. The GNAC named Hector and McNeil to the Preseason All-Conference team.
 
Mitch Brizee, Coby Gennett, and Noah Pepper also return to the lineup for Central Washington. Brizee is a great inside presence and averaged just over six points a game, shot 67% from the field, and hauled in 49 defensive boards. Gennett and Pepper came off the bench as sharpshooters and combined for 41 threes.
 
The Wildcats added three transfers and five freshmen over the offseason. Seth Dawson, a junior guard transferred in from Coastal Carolina. The 'Cats acquired Senior Guard Anjaylo Lloyd from Seattle University. Junior Forward Carl Thorpe is the final transfer. Thorpe transferred from Western Nebraska Community College.
 
Central welcomes five in-state freshmen. Seattle native Jordan Clark, Selah native Levi Pepper, and Maverick Sanders hailing from Spokane, Washington. Cavin Holden is from Longview Washington and Bradley Swillie joins the team from Tacoma.
 
SCOUTING CAL STATE MONTEREY BAY
The Sea Otters finished their 2022-2023 campaign with a 10-17 record and went 8-14 in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA). Cal State Monterey Bay is slated 11^th in the CCAA preseason coaches' poll.
 
The Sea Otter's top returning scorer is Senior, Forward, Joe Wall. Wall averaged 12.9 points per game and hauled in 124 defensive rebounds last season. He led the team in rebounds per game, corralling 5.2. Jailen Nelson returns. He started 25 games last season and led the team with 85 assists. Another key facilitator is Ameere Britton, who dished out 72 assists in 27 games.  
 
SCOUTING CAL STATE SAN BERNARDINO
The Yotes finished 2022-23 with a record-setting 31-4 record and won the CCAA regular season (20-2), the conference tournament, the NCAA West Regional, and reached the NCAA Div. II national championship semifinals.
 
Cal State San Bernardino's only returning starter is Robby Robinson. He played a key role last season and averaged 8.3 points and 7.8 boards for the Yotes.
 
Despite having such turnover, Cal State San Bernardino is ranked 13^th in the NCAA Division II pre-season poll and earned 2^nd in the 2023-24 Men's Basketball CCAA Coaches poll and received seven first-place votes.
 
The Yotes have a brand new coaching staff. First-year Head Coach Gus Argenal, a star guard for UC Daves when the Aggies were CCAA members, is assisted by Markus Black, Jim Bross, and Micah Dykes.
 
UP NEXT
The Wildcats return to Ellensburg next week to host the CWU tournament. The tournament includes Northwest Nazarene, Westminster (UT), and Cal State LA. Central Washington squares off with Cal State LA next Friday at seven before facing Westminster (UT) on Saturday night.