College Hoops Top 50

Last Year: 16-15; 9-11, Seventh in the Big West

Head Coach: Joe Pasternack (Eighth Year; 148-68 at UCSB, with two NCAA Tournament appearances)

Projected Starting Lineup

PG Stephan Swenson – 6’2″, 195 5th-year Senior

G Deuce Turner – 6’2″, 190 5th-year Senior

W Cole Anderson – 6’4″, 195 Senior

F Ariel Bland – 6’7″, 230 5th-year Senior

F/C Kenny Pohto – 6’11”, 240 Senior

Experienced Reserves

G Ben Shtolzberg – 6’4″, 195 Junior

W Jason Fontenet II – 6’6″, 205 Sophomore

F Colin Smith – 6’8″, 220 Sophomore

F Max Murrell – 6’9″, 220 5th-year Senior

F/C Koat Keat Tong – 6’10”, 220 Sophomore

Freshmen

G Zachiah ‘ZZ’ Clark – 6’2″, 205

W Zion Sensley – 6’8″, 200

Things had never looked so good for the Gauchos at this time last year. Under head coach Joe Pasternack, UC Santa Barbara had become consistently the best team in the Big West. Across his first six years in charge, UCSB had gone 132-53, with a pair of trips to the NCAA Tournament. Then came the greatest combined haul of transfers and recruits in program history, and the return of Ajay Mitchell, the league’s defending Player of the Year. 

To say that the Gauchos’ 16-15 record, eighth-place finish in conference play, and failure to appear in any postseason event at all came as a shocking disappointment would be an understatement. UCSB went home after the first round of the Big West Tournament, Mitchell declared for the NBA Draft, and a couple of the other most productive players have gone as well. Seemed a bit like there was nothing more for Pasternack to do but turn out the lights on the near-dynasty he had built beside the beach.

Except that, well, Pasternack is back and ready to contend once more: and he’s loaded up quite possibly his deepest roster yet. With his combination of intensity and passion – plus the results he’s produced for years – Pasternack recruits like a high major coach, and UCSB has once again pulled in some players that the power conferences really wanted to be theirs. 

It all starts with the brand new pick-and-roll combination of former Stetson point guard Stephan Swenson and former Wichita State big man Kenny Pohto, the latest international stars that have decided to play in sunny Santa Barbara. The latest guard to take the reins of UCSB’s offense, Swenson has it on good authority that he should be a great fit in Santa Barbara. Having grown up together in Belgium, Swenson heard all about the Gauchos from none other than the outgoing Mitchell. 

“We’ve played together, played against each other, done camps together,” Swenson told Mark Patton for Noozhawk this spring. “We know each other really well…It just kind of confirmed everything that I was feeling about Santa Barbara, hearing about his experience. He (Mitchell) was a big key to my decision, knowing that he’s had such big success and done great things at Santa Barbara.”

A 104-game starter in DeLand, FL, Stetson went 12-15 in Swenson’s first year at the controls. By the end of last season, the Hatters were in the NCAA Tournament as Atlantic Sun Tournament champs, and Swenson had finished the year ranked 18th in the nation in assists. He departs the ASUN with the fourth-most career helpers in league history, and over the course of last season, Swenson emerged as a genuine scoring threat, too. Starting with his 19-point, 10-assist effort in a win over Austin Peay in late January, Swenson averaged 16.6 points over the Hatters’ final 15 contests. He’s a crafty, creative ballhandler who strikes a smooth balance between probing the lane and stepping back to splash jumpers. A strong mid-range shooter who unsettles the defense by drawing attention with his dribble and then picking his preference, Swenson canned 46.7% of his in-between shots last year, per Bart Torvik. On a team that liked to score, Swenson also proved to be a solid defender. Really, Swenson has proven that he can do everything asked of a point guard, his new teammates sure are going to appreciate that reliability. 

A big, talented, experienced Swede looking for a breakout year to cap his collegiate career, Pohto should be on the receiving end of all sorts of feeds from Swenson. At his best, Pohto can maneuver smoothly through the paint to score in close or step out on the perimeter to check if his defender can hang. While his jumper has been quite streaky the further he ranges from the rim, Pohto has the skill to pop or roll after setting a screen. Last year, Pohto was largely in a time-share with Quincy Ballard, who is more of a dunk-and-D post man and provided lots of blocked shots for a Shockers team which was often shaky defensively. When he’s rolling, though, Pohto plays a well-rounded game at both ends of the floor. This year, Pasternack and his staff are looking to see the full repertoire. 

With teams across the country shooting more triples than ever these days, UCSB has largely gone against the grain. The Gauchos favor quality chances more than anything else, and as a result have ranked among the top 25 teams nationally in field goal percentage four years running. It’s not to say they’ll be without a deep threat now that Mitchell’s 39.3% three-point marksmanship is gone to the pro’s, either.

Senior Cole Anderson is back to be the team’s top bombardier yet again, and given that he’s never finished a season shooting less than 40% from the land of trey, that’s a comforting thought. With good size, great awareness, and the sixth sense to read defenses and find open spaces, Anderson has established himself as one of the genuine must-cover guys on Big West scouting reports. His improvements each season have been steady and clear to see, and Anderson finished third in the league with 76 makes at a sizzling 41.3% clip from distance last winter. He also missed just one free throw attempt all year. 

Since Santa Barbara has become known as a place where good players can go to get even better, allow Pasternack and his staff to introduce Colin Smith, Kieves ‘Deuce’ Turner, and Zion Sensley. A trio of highly sought-after talents, each figures to step immediately into a very noticeable role. A transfer from Vanderbilt, Smith is a shooting forward who’s looking to rebound from a season lost almost entirely to injury. In just the seventh game of his second year, Smith suffered a torn Achilles and had to sit out the rest of the way. With a smooth stroke that’s tough to deter given his 6’8″ stature, Smith’s reputation as a dangerous shooter should help to spread out the Gaucho offense. He’s been described by Pasternack as ahead of schedule on his rehab this summer, and the hope is that Smith will be ready to roll this fall. 

“At times last year we’d have three guys on the court at the same time who really weren’t great three-point shooters,” Pasternack lamented this summer. “That’s less likely to happen next season.”

Five Stats Which Tell The Tale (with national ranks)

47.9% – Team FG Percentage (20th)

45.2% – Opponent FG Percentage (241st)

15.9 – FT Made Per Game (50th)

0.974 – Assists Per Turnover (256th)

0.397 – Free Throws Per FG Attempt (27th)

Sensley had been pledged to Saint Mary’s until this spring, but following the departure of assistant coach Justin Joyner to Michigan, the 4-star freshman re-opened his recruitment. Now that he’s signed to the Gauchos, Sensley arrives as one of the best prospects in program history, and there’s a sense of excitement surrounding the high-flying wing. Sensley is from northern California, and fans are familiar with his game. He can score on slick glides to the rim or launch from distance, and with added strength and an improved handle, Sensley should become adept at scoring from everywhere in between, too. He slashes effectively to the cup and can finish above it or acrobatically from nearby, and Sensley needs only to prove that he can hang physically to get a whole lot of run. He’s a thin youngster, and Big West veterans will test the talented rookie, but Sensley figures to give better than he gets very soon. 

With the departure of last season’s top three scorers – and their combined average of almost 46 points per game – Pasternack is going to need bucket-getters. Deuce Turner gets buckets. The West Coast Conference 6th Man of the Year last winter, Turner broke out in a big way for San Diego. Now, he’s set to add firepower to what looks like a hugely improved three-point arsenal for the Gauchos. Turner carried a career average of just 7.0 points into last season, but lit up the WCC to the tune of the fourth-most points per game and third-most made free throws in the league. He also saw the highest (30.7%) usage rate in the conference; when Deuce was loose, the Toreros wanted the ball in his hands and gave him a green light to create. It’s unlikely that Turner will see quite as large a spotlight in Santa Barbara, but his natural playmaking tendencies should play very well alongside Swenson. Turner should also help to ease the absence of Mitchell’s penchant for exploding towards the basket. Though Turner isn’t quite as big or bouncy, he’s proven adept at matriculating through the lane and making something happen – that ‘something’ often taking the form of a stroll to the charity stripe when the offense needs a kick-start.

With so many new faces coming aboard, the continuity provided by returning contributors Ariel Bland, Jason Fontenet II, and Ben Shtolzberg will be particularly valuable in getting all the Gauchos onto the same page. Bland became pretty much indispensable as a defender and rebounder last season, making 25 starts and playing tough minutes in the paint. With Pasternack having stated his goal that the team improve in both areas, Bland will figure prominently into the equation once again. He’s got skill, too; Bland was the only player in the Big West to mess around and post a triple-double last winter with his 13-board, 12-point, 10-assist effort in early December. As a mobile guy who can block shots close to the rim and farther away, Bland adds great versatility to the frontcourt rotation. He can play spot minutes at the 5, and may even be able to join Smith and Pohto if Pasternack wants to see how opponents handle a super-sized lineup. 

For Fontenet, the only true freshman who broke into last year’s every-game rotation, a breakout may be just around the corner. With high major size and athleticism, Fontenet didn’t look out of place against the Big West’s veteran competition. Though his shot seemed to come and go throughout his rookie year, Fontenet’s effort didn’t, and he showed a fairly complete understanding of what Pasternack wants from his guys by season’s end. Against UC Irvine in late February, Fontenet went for ten points, four boards, four steals, and three assists; a week later he had nine points and six rebounds, and in the Big West tournament, Fontenet added seven points and nine boards. He’s got a range of ways to help the team, and with a year’s experience and plenty of work polishing his game this summer, Fontenet could rise this winter. 

The thought was that it may have happened last year, but this winter truly looks like Shtolzberg’s time to shine. A smooth shooter from nearby Northridge, Shtolzberg spent his freshman season as a deep reserve at Creighton, and he didn’t play a great deal as a sophomore for the Gauchos. He sure looks like a deep threat, but Shtolzberg made just seven triples at 25.0% last season. With greater familiarity with Pasternack’s system and a need for scoring support, it feels like just a matter of time until Shtolzberg starts lighting things up from the outside. He can also distribute the ball, whether bringing it up the floor and getting the Gauchos into their offense or making feeds inside after drawing the defense. If Shtolzberg can play to his strengths and confidently step into open jumpers, he should become a valuable part of UCSB’s rotation. 

The post will be strengthened by two guys who didn’t play for the Gauchos last year. Koat Keat Tong made his debut for UCSB two seasons back, but redshirted last winter due to a knee injury. When he was on the floor as a rookie, Tong was a voracious rebounder whose length provides real options defensively. If he is healthy, Tong will afford Pasternack the chance to play whatever lineup he likes and then insert a guy who can clean the glass and deny good looks at the rim behind them. He’s also a standout on the offensive glass, and Tong proved in his brief time so far that he will keep loose balls alive and tap rebounds towards his teammates even well away from where he had been standing just a moment before. Transfer Max Murrell spent last winter at Stanford, where he played four seasons as a solid reserve. Something of a 3-and-D big man, Murrell can hit from the outside and protect the rim, and in theory, provides a terrific complementary skillset to the talents offered by Tong. A solid defensive rebounder who uses length and great positioning rather than pure power to crash the glass. If Murrell can consistently stretch defenders out to the perimeter with his jumper, it will give Pasternack a few options to try things he hasn’t been able to offensively since Miles Norris graduated two years ago.  

Five Out-of-Conference Games to Keep an Eye on

@ San José State – November 17

vs UTEP – November 20

@ Portland – November 9

vs Green Bay – December 14

vs Eastern Washington – November 26

In addition to Sensley, Pasternack has added a promising freshman combo guard to develop along with the rest of UCSB’s young backcourt. The brother of UCLA guard Skyy Clark, Zachiah ‘ZZ’ Clark can score, distribute, and has a flair for some highlight plays. He’s also a solidly-built youngster who should be able to see the floor immediately – and he’s shown savvy both on and off the floor already. 

“To be honest it’s Santa Barbara, who wouldn’t want to go to school in Santa Barbara?” Clark mused when asked this spring about flipping his commitment from Tennessee State to UCSB. “It’s probably the most beautiful campus in the country.”

Things are very enjoyable in Santa Barbara, but winning makes everything so much better. The Gauchos hit roadblocks on the way towards living up to higher-than-usual expectations last year, and the disappointment was palpable given how much talent was on the roster. 

This year’s team is hoping to play a bit more freely, but the expectation that they will contend remains. UC Irvine hasn’t gone away, and wresting the Big West title away from the Anteaters will be a challenge. Pasternack and his staff have ensured that Santa Barbara has the pieces needed to succeed, and if this group’s health, chemistry and defensive resolve are greater than the Gauchos had last year, the good times will return to sunny Santa Barbara.