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: The UC Santa Barbara Gauchos reacts during play against the Southern Methodist Mustangs at Moody Coliseum on December 8, 2014 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) /

Is this the year the Gauchos reach the top of the Big West mountain?

The UCSB schedule isn’t as strong as it could be for a mid-major with NCAA Tournament aspirations. It is light on opportunities for marquee wins, in fact, there may be just one and it comes in the second game of the season when they travel to Los Angeles to take on UCLA. The Gauchos’ other road game in November is also against a Pac-12 team when they face Oregon State, and the rest of the month sees them hosting Rice, Portland State, and a pair of teams from the SWAC, Jackson State and Grambling.

They spend most of the month of December on the road, beginning it with a four-game road trip to Cal-Bakersfield, Texas-Arlington, Southern Utah, and Idaho State. They then go home for two games against Southern and first-year Division I program Merrimack before ending the month in Louisiana to take on the Ragin’ Cajuns, their final division I game before league play.

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The Gauchos have the roster and the experience to win the Big West, but competing hasn’t been the issue, it has been getting to the NCAA Tournament and this schedule likely means the Gauchos will have to win the Big West Tournament to do so.