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Cal Baptist Basketball: 2019-20 season preview for Lancers

By Jason Burgess

RENO, NEVADA - NOVEMBER 19: Head coach Rick Croy of the California Baptist Lancers disputes a call with a referee during the game between the Nevada Wolf Pack and the California Baptist Lancers at Lawlor Events Center on November 19, 2018 in Reno, Nevada. (Photo by Jonathan Devich/Getty Images)
RENO, NEVADA - NOVEMBER 19: Head coach Rick Croy of the California Baptist Lancers disputes a call with a referee during the game between the Nevada Wolf Pack and the California Baptist Lancers at Lawlor Events Center on November 19, 2018 in Reno, Nevada. (Photo by Jonathan Devich/Getty Images) /
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RENO, NEVADA – NOVEMBER 19: Jeremy Smith #5 of the California Baptist Lancers dribles the ball to try to get around the Nevada Wolf Pack defense at Lawlor Events Center on November 19, 2018 in Reno, Nevada. (Photo by Jonathan Devich/Getty Images)
RENO, NEVADA – NOVEMBER 19: Jeremy Smith #5 of the California Baptist Lancers dribles the ball to try to get around the Nevada Wolf Pack defense at Lawlor Events Center on November 19, 2018 in Reno, Nevada. (Photo by Jonathan Devich/Getty Images) /

Cal Baptist Basketball had a successful first season in Division I under Rick Croy. What does their second season have in store for the Lancers?

Last season was a historic one for California Baptist Basketball, being the first in a four-year transition to the Division I level. In head coach Rick Croy’s first Division I season the Lancers had a better season than most teams that are making the transition. They finished 16-15 and 7-9 in the WAC, good enough for a fifth-place finish in the conference, but because they are new to Division I the Lancers are ineligible for the conference tournament, they did, however, participate in the College Basketball Invitational where they lost to Loyola Marymount in the first round.

After a 2-5 start, CBU got their footing a bit winning seven of their next eight, including a win over eventual league champion New Mexico State 82-76. They would finish out the season going 7-9 to end their first Division I season. To prepare for their second season they were able to embark on a trip to Australia for nearly two weeks and in that time played five exhibition games.

The Lancers went 2-3 during the trip but got a chance to get some extra time as a team that not every team gets. In the five games, Croy went with mostly the same line up with forwards De’Jon Davis, Bul Kuol and Omar Lo as well as new guards Brandon Boyd and Tre Armstrong all getting multiple starts. CBU had a successful first season are eager to build upon that in 2019-20. Based on their first season, the Lancers won’t be a walkover that some transitional teams are.