Big West Basketball: Ranking of 25 best players from last decade ('13-23)

Big West Basketball: Ranking of 25 best players from last decade (2013-23)

By Joey Loose | Jul 15, 2023

Mar 14, 2019; Anaheim, CA, USA;Cal State Northridge Matadors forward Lamine Diane (35) lets out a yell after scoring past UC Santa Barbara Gauchos forward Amadou Sow (12) and guard Ar'Mond Davis (1) during the first half of the quarterfinals of the Big West conference tournament at Honda Center. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports /

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Big West Basketball Long Beach State 49ers guard Mike Caffey Gary Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports /

14. Mike Caffey

Caffey is a 6’0 point guard from Corona, California who certainly found success in the Big West. He was a big part of Dan Monson’s squad at Long Beach State in the first half of the 2010’s, actually arriving in Long Beach way back in 2011. He played in the NCAA Tournament as a bench piece as a freshman and took a nice step forward as a sophomore, but we’re just considering his upperclassman efforts today.

During his junior year, Caffey averaged 16.2 points and 4.3 assists per game, numbers he would virtually repeat the following season. Long Beach State finished under .500 in both seasons but were above the watermark in Big West play. Caffey also gave some standout performances, including a 34-point effort against Cal State Fullerton and a 27-point game against Hawaii in the Big West Tournament, his final collegiate game.

Caffey’s strength at point guard helped the entire program and he earned First Team All-Big West honors for his final three seasons. In those last two seasons, he was among the conference’s leaders in points, steals, and assists, while becoming one of the most heavily utilized offensive players in the league. Caffey’s role in the backcourt was significant, contributing greatly on the defensive side as well and continuing the success of this program nearly a decade ago.