UC San Diego's Swan Song Predicted to End in Fifth-Straight CCAA Regular-Season Title
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CALIFORNIA – UC San Diego is favored to win a fifth consecutive regular-season crown, as voted on by 13 league head coaches for the 2019-20 CCAA Women’s Basketball Preseason Poll.
The Tritons have earned 11 of 13 first-place votes for a total of 143 points. Cal Poly Pomona (129 points) and Cal State San Marcos trail (117), each with one first-place nod to both the Broncos and the Cougars. Humboldt State (109) is a close fourth, with Cal State East Bay (94) and Cal State Dominguez Hills (91) bunched up in fifth and sixth, respectively.
UC San Diego is the favorite for a fourth successive preseason following an incredible 2018-19 campaign that saw four-time reigning CCAA Coach of the Year Heidi VanDerveer’s charges sweep the league’s regular-season and tournament banners, rolling to a 30-0 mark prior to suffering a lone defeat to eventual West Region champion Azusa Pacific in the regional semifinals in La Jolla. VanDerveer will have much to replace in the likes of CCAA Player of the Year and All-American Mikayla Williams, fellow starting big Haleigh Hatfield, graduated four-year Triton Joleen Yang, and a fourth starter in Kayla Sato. She does, however, still have All-CCAA Second Team sharpshooter Sydney Sharp and 2018-19 CCAA Freshman of the Year Brianna Claros to count on. UC San Diego also welcomes back point guard Julia Macabuhay after her rookie season was cut short, and has added former Humboldt State standout Tyla Turner, the 2017-18 CCAA Newcomer of the Year and All-CCAA first-teamer, to its stellar backcourt.
After an impressive 25-win season and conference runner-up finish last season, Cal Poly Pomona lands in second in the preseason prognostications. The Broncos lose first team All-CCAA selection Jordyn Shane who has transitiooned to the staff as program assistant for the 2019-20 season. However, the team returns forward tandem of All-CCAA second-teamer Rebecca Islas and honorable mention selection Monica Todd from an experienced squad that is comprised of 10 upperclassmen.
Head coach Renee Jimenez saw her Cal State San Marcos squad come closest to knocking off the Tritons in the regular season last year, falling by two in San Marcos and one in double overtime in La Jolla. The Cougars have All-CCAA First Team choice Jon’Nae Vermillion and second-teamer Emma Forel returning to the post, and honorable mention Akayla Hackson to the backcourt.
Humboldt State is led by its senior tandem of guard Tyra Turner, the twin sister of Tyla, and 2018-19 CCAA Newcomer of the Year Alexia Thrower in its frontcourt. The Jacks and head coach Michelle Bento-Jackson do, however, lose a third All-CCAA First Team selection from a year ago in Isamar Conde.
Cal State East Bay and Cal State Dominguez Hills occupy the fifth and sixth spots in the predictions, flip-flopping spots from last season’s final standings. The Pioneers will look to replace national top-10 rebounder Savannah McGill in the post, but look to have 2017 NCAA Division II’s No. 2 rebounder Morgan Greene back in the fold in the guard-heavy lineup. For the Toros, senior center Ahlisha Henderson will be relied upon to keep DII-leading rebounding squad Cal State Dominguez Hills at the top of the heap after averaging over 49 rebounds a game to lead the country while tallying an impressive 8.4 rebounding margin in 2018-19.
Chico State (73) and Sonoma State (66) round out the predicted postseason positions, and are followed by San Francisco State (64) and Cal State LA (39). Stanislaus State (37) and Cal State San Bernardino (37) shared the 11th spot, ahead of Cal State Monterey Bay (15).
Cal Poly Pomona opens the season this weekend, competing in the exempt CCA Division II Tip-Off Classic in Orange, Nov. 1-3. The Broncos open with Lone Star Conference champion West Texas A&M before matching up with Montana State-Billings and Simon Fraser.
The remainder of the conference - and the country - takes to the hardwood the following weekend, Nov. 8-10, to open the non-conference slate. CCAA play begins early as Cal State LA hosts Cal State San Marcos Nov. 12. League action tips off in earnest on Nov. 21 with a full slate of six contests, and only Cal State Monterey Bay idle.
For one last time, the top eight teams in the final league standings qualify for the CCAA Tournament, with first-round contests taking place on the campuses of the four highest seeds on Tuesday night, March 3. UC San Diego will host the semifinals and finals of both the women’s and men’s tourneys inside its own RIMAC Arena in La Jolla, March 6-7, with all six of those games airing live on ESPN3.
The Tritons, heading into their 20th and final CCAA campaign before their move to Division I and the Big West Conference, are coming off a second tournament success in Hayward last March. The tournament champion again gains an automatic NCAA Championship berth.
The WBCA and D2SIDA preseason national polls are expected to be unveiled in the coming days.
| 2019-20 CCAA Women's Basketball Preseason Poll |
| Rank |
Institution |
Points (First-place votes) |
| 1. |
UC San Diego |
143 (11) |
| 2. |
Cal Poly Pomona |
129 (1) |
| 3. |
Cal State San Marcos |
117 (1) |
| 4. |
Humboldt State |
109 |
| 5. |
Cal State East Bay |
94 |
| 6. |
Cal State Dominguez Hills |
91 |
| 7. |
Chico State |
73 |
| 8. |
Sonoma State |
66 |
| 9. |
San Francisco State |
64 |
| 10. |
Cal State LA |
39 |
| T-11. |
Stanislaus State |
37 |
| T-11. |
Cal State San Bernardino |
37 |
| 13. |
Cal State Monterey Bay |
15 |