Big West Basketball: Top 5 returning players for the 2017-2018 season

1 of 7

Mar 11, 2017; Anaheim, CA, USA; UC Davis Aggies forward Chima Moneke (11) keeps the ball away form UC Irvine Anteaters guard Jaron Martin (0) during the finals of the Big West Conference Tournament at Honda Center. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports /

With several weeks remaining until the start of the 2017-2018 season, it is an excellent time to take a look at the top returning players in the Big West.

For the past month or so, college basketball fans have primarily focused on their teams’ top recruits and NBA Draft prospects. With the Draft finally over, the focus can begin to shift back to the rosters for the upcoming season.

In the Big West, there is plenty of talent to be excited about. Some talented players, like Kendall Smith (CSUN) and Roschon Prince (LBSU), have transferred out. Others, such as Tre Coggins (CSU Fullerton and Brynton Lemar (UC Davis), have graduated.

Many fans of programs like Long Beach State and CSU Fullerton, which have lost multiple talented players, will have to focus on incoming recruits and transfers for optimism. The Big West, however, is not a top target for transfers, which means player development is an incredibly important factor.

When creating the list for top returning players in the Big West, only players who played significant minutes during their team’s conference schedule were considered. This means talented players such as Long Beach State’s Gabe Levin, who missed the entire conference schedule with a fractured knee, was not eligible to be named.

This list included players that had impressive season’s a year ago and are expected to continue their performances into this season. This is by no means an exhaustive list of talented players in the conference, and there are sure to be players that surprise us.

With that said, who makes the list for top five returning players in the Big West for the 2017-2018 season?