UC Santa Barbara Basketball: 2019-20 season preview for Gauchos

LOS ANGELES, CA - DECEMBER 14: Ami Lakoju #14 of the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos scores in front of Gyorgy Goloman #14, Ike Anigbogu #13 and Isaac Hamilton #10 of the UCLA Bruins at Pauley Pavilion on December 14, 2016 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) /

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DALLAS, TX – DECEMBER 08: DaJuan Smith #13 of the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos at Moody Coliseum on December 8, 2014 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) /

UC Santa Barbara Basketball is perennial contenders in the Big West, but getting to post-season play has proved to be tough. Can they buck that trend in 2019-20?

UC Santa Barbara Basketball is an interesting study in the Big West Conference. Year after year they are thought to be a contender for the league title, and for the most part they have been, but over the last 10 years, despite being seeded fourth or better in the conference tournament eight times, including being the No. 2 seed five times, the team has just two titles and NCAA bids in that time, back-to-back wins in 2010 and 2011.

Head Coach Joe Pasternack is entering his third season at UCSB and is just the third coach to run the program over the last 36 years. Over his first two seasons, the team has gone 45-19, a gaudy record for sure but despite being the second-best team in the conference in each of Pasternack’s first two years, the Gauchos don’t have a postseason berth to show for it, having lost in the tournament semifinals the last two years. The Gauchos are clearly a good team and a good program, but for some reason have trouble getting over the proverbial hump.

They have another opportunity in 2019, but will likely face familiar challenges in doing so, namely defending champ UC-Irvine. Can Pasternack get his team to finally break through again? Or will he end up like his predecessor, legendary coach Bob Williams who despite finishing fourth or better in 14 of his 19 seasons, made just three NCAA Tournaments? They get another shot at the brass ring in 2019, their fans are just hoping it’s not another case of Lucy holding the football for Charlie Brown.