Last week’s wins over Hawaii, UC Irvine and UC Santa Barbara showcased the potential of the Mike DeGeorge system, despite having a roster filled with majority underclassmen.
However, the transfer portal always looms large for mid-major schools like Cal Poly, affecting player outcomes during the offseason. Universities in more prominent conferences can give players more money and attention, especially applying to football and men’s basketball.
Power Four conferences have larger media rights deals and generate more revenue from ticket sales, allowing for universities in these conferences to offer players more money in the NCAA’s direct revenue sharing model.
A few Mustangs, such as sophomore forward Hamad Mousa, may catch the attention of higher-level programs with their performance this season.
Mousa leads the Big West Conference with 20 points per game. Sophomore guards Cayden Ward and Peter Bandelj are both in the top 15.
“If they’re getting big-time financial offers to go play in the Power [Four], and they come from a financial situation where it’s kind of like life-changing money, I mean, how can they not take that?” DeGeorge said.
While keeping a player who is able to move up in the basketball world may be difficult, DeGeorge wants to keep the number of lateral transfers to zero. Lateral transfers are players who leave for schools at the same competition level.
DeGeorge knows that players wanting to go to a Power Four Conference – The Big 10, Big 12, ACC and SEC – is inevitable, but he has more control in preventing players from going to the WAC, WCC or another school in the Big West.
“What we do want them to understand is, most of the guys that go from a mid major to a high major are doing it at a sacrifice for their role,” DeGeorge said. “They’re going to play a lesser role.”
Cal Poly focuses on player development, and not just skill development. Multiple players such as Mousa appreciate that the team plays in a way that reflects the professional environment in America today. Cal Poly is eleventh in the nation with 11 three-pointers made per game.
“I could always compare it to an NBA team, that’s how almost every NBA team plays now,” Mousa said. “I just really enjoy playing with the team.”
DeGeorge’s system has three main components: Being positionless, creating space and playing fast. Mastering a role in this playstyle prepares players for the next level.
“I mean, our goal is to create a great culture that’s helping guys develop into pros,” DeGeorge said. “The way we’ve tried to sell it in recruiting, and what we tried to embrace as a program is that what we want number one is in the best interest of players.”
This philosophy worked last season. While Cal Poly lost a few seniors, they were the only team in the Big West to not lose any players to the transfer portal.
Peter Bandelj briefly entered the transfer portal, but ultimately decided that another year at Cal Poly would be best for his career.
“I really think that this is one of the best programs we can get, actually better as a basketball player,” Bandelj said. “So I think I value that, and that was a big part of why I came back.”
With breakout seasons from Bandelj, Ward and especially Mousa, the likelihood of them getting a Power Four offer after this season continues to grow.
Cal Poly has the talent to make a deep postseason run this year, but the program would benefit greatly next year from the stability of keeping their top players.
“If they are able to get a Power [Four] offer and make a lot of money, and it’s something they want to do, we’ll wish them the best, and we’ll find other guys,” DeGeorge said. “If we can keep guys until they’re ready for that kind of opportunity. I think that would be ideal, and kind of the best-case scenario. And I think it puts us ahead of the Big West.”