Big West Preview: 2026-27 College Basketball Predictions & Best Bets Recap
Ryan McIntyre (@Moneyline_Mac) and Troy Chewning (@Troychewning) break down the Big West preview for 2026-27 college basketball, a 12-team league with Hawaii gone and three newcomers. It ends with Ryan McIntyre taking UC San Diego to win the regular season and Troy Chewning riding Cal Poly through the conference tournament.
The Big West Preview Starts With A 12-Team League
Hawaii got it done over UC Irvine last year and then walked right out of the league. So the Big West that Ryan McIntyre and Troy Chewning handicap here now runs 12 teams deep. Sac State, Utah Valley and Cal Baptist are the newcomers. Irvine won the regular season again, because Russell Turner always runs a good program. Cal State Fullerton also had a nice bounce-up season, and Northridge went 12 and 8. But UC San Diego took the expected step back. Two years ago the Tritons nearly beat Michigan in the Big Dance. And the real headache this year is eligibility. Half the notes read “if eligible,” so it’s hard to put serious money on anything until those rulings land.
The coaching board tells you a lot about where this league is headed. Turner has been to multiple NCAA tournaments at Irvine, and Pasternack has been solid at Santa Barbara. Taylor also did a great job getting Fullerton back into contention. Then there are the builders. Todd Phillips brings Utah Valley over from the WAC, where they were always in contention. Mike DeGeorge took Cal Poly on a big jump from year one to year two. Meanwhile Mike Bibby enters year two at Sac State. Kyle Getter fits at Cal Baptist after time with Tony Bennett and Mike Brey. Bakersfield is the tough one, because Todd Lee takes over a program that was an absolute dumpster fire last year.
Troy Chewning is watching two moves closely. The first is Irvine adding Oliver Riou, the super tall kid from Florida who barely did anything there. Turner always has good bigs, so that looks like a real fit. The second is UC San Diego, where Allard got promoted from within. Eaglestaff is also trying to get eligible there after contributing at his last stop, and that would be an okay get. And there’s an admitted bias in this preview. The run-and-gun style DeGeorge uses at Cal Poly is exactly how Troy Chewning was taught to play. It may not be quite IU Indy, but it’s about as close as you get.
Cal Poly Rises, Fullerton Comes Back To Earth
Troy Chewning goes stock up on Cal Poly, because Musa and Ward both come back and that style disrupts people. Ryan McIntyre likes them too. It’s year three for DeGeorge, and they bring back 80-plus percent of last year’s roster, including their top two guys. But the official stock up from Ryan McIntyre is Santa Barbara. The Gauchos get Little and Shaw back, which is a ton of returning production these days. They also haven’t finished above fifth in the last three years. That’s well short of the expectations in Santa Barbara, where the goal is competing for championships. UC San Diego is the other easy call, as long as Eaglestaff gets eligible and the Tritons stay healthy.
Sac State deserves a watch as well. Troy Chewning finally got to say the reverse football program play on air. The football is so bad that the money has to be going somewhere. And it’s gotta be the sport Mike Bibby coaches, especially with high major transfers on the roster. The stock down, though, was easy for both guys. Fullerton had a magical year and won a bunch of one-score games. They went from 1 and 19 two years ago to 12 and 8 and a tie for third. Christian Williams is back, but that doesn’t change the read. So expect them to split the difference, something like 9 and 13 over a 22-game league schedule.
Tritons Or Irvine For The Regular Season Crown
This is where the guys split. Ryan McIntyre takes the Tritons to win it for the second time in three years. Irvine slots in second, and the reasoning is simple. Russell Turner has finished top two in 12 of the last 13 years, and the lone miss was the COVID year. So fading Irvine out of the top two makes no sense. Troy Chewning flips it and runs the proud program play, with Irvine first and UC San Diego second. Allard brings plenty to the Tritons either way. And both guys land on Santa Barbara at three, because Little and Shaw bring back enough to keep the Gauchos in the top three.
Ryan McIntyre keeps Utah Valley in the top four. Todd Phillips runs a proud program, and even after losing a little, they’re good enough. Cal Poly lands fifth, which isn’t far off from the other side of the desk. Northridge comes in sixth, because Andy Newman finished seventh in year one and third after that. Newman has never been a bottom-half coach in this league so far. Sac State sits seventh on this card. Bibby went 10 and 21 in year one, so the Sac State coach still has to prove it. DeGeorge and Newman are proven winners, and that’s the bar Bibby has to clear first.
Troy Chewning goes bolder. Cal Poly climbs all the way to fourth as the stock up stab with DeGeorge and the Runnin’ Gunners. Then Bibby and Sac State jump to fifth, a solid leap that doesn’t blow the steady programs away. Utah Valley sits sixth, though Nelson from Iowa State could be a difference maker if eligible. CSUN lands seventh despite Josiah Davis coming back and the Hicks kid arriving from Montana. Both guys also agree on Cal Baptist at eighth. They still have continuity and momentum after almost beating Kansas last year. Getter’s international squads also understand defensive rotations and actually play defense.
The floor is pretty high in this league, so the bottom third still matters. Ryan McIntyre has Riverside ninth in year two under Arginal, because the roster is more talented than last year. Fullerton sits tenth on that card. Troy Chewning reverses those two, with Fullerton bouncing down to nine and Riverside crawling up to ten. Long Beach and Bakersfield round it out at 11 and 12 for both. Chris Acker and Long Beach State get the nod on familiarity. Bakersfield is the basement by default. Last year was a train wreck, with Mike Scott taking over after the Rod Barnes mess before the season. Now Todd Lee comes over from USC and Arkansas to take the job on that blue court.
Irvine Or Cal Poly To Win The Big West Tournament
Ryan McIntyre is riding Russell Turner back to the Big Dance. The history looks ugly at first. Irvine has lost in this tournament as the one seed three of the last four years, then fell to UC San Diego two years ago. That’s four straight championship game losses and no dance since 2020. But a top-two seed gets a double bye again, and this is the year for Turner. Troy Chewning takes a stab with Cal Poly instead. Tall, lanky guys like Riou tend to wear down when the games come in a row. So even with one bye, the Runnin’ Gunners get an extra game to heat up their shots before the big guns. Ryan McIntyre doesn’t hate it at all.
Eaglestaff For Player Of The Year, Allard For Coach
Player of the Year is unanimous, as long as Eaglestaff is eligible. Eaglestaff contributed at such a different level of competition that you have to play it if it’s ever available. Little or Shaw at Santa Barbara works as the fallback, and the Musa and Ward duo at Cal Poly is okay. Coach of the Year then goes to Allard. Ryan McIntyre keeps the case simple: if UC San Diego knocks off Irvine and wins the league, Allard gets it. Troy Chewning agrees, because landing Eaglestaff would be a huge boost to a team already worth backing. And play Bibby for fun, too. If Sac State cracks the top four, the narrative will be sitting right there.
Podcast Chapters
00:00 Download the SGPN App Today!
01:04 Big West Expansion & Newcomers
03:55 Hawaii, Irvine & the Veteran Coaches
11:04 Stock Up, Stock Down
15:35 Regular Season: Irvine, Tritons & Gauchos
24:36 Tournament Winner: Irvine & Cal Poly
26:21 Player & Coach of the Year
28:00 Sign-Off & Socials
