Cal Poly Men’s Basketball has got off to a hot start under first-year head coach Mike DeGeorge and his new regime.
With a record of 5-4, the Mustangs have already eclipsed last season’s win total. With Big West play approaching Cal Poly, DeGeorge and company have their sights set on re-establishing the Mustang identity and becoming a conference contender.
In the last three seasons, Cal Poly has a combined record of 4-50 against conference opponents and has not beaten a Big West foe since March 3, 2023, when they took down Long Beach State.
This led to a preseason Big West poll ranking the Mustangs to finish dead last in conference action.
The past is the past, says graduate guard Mac Riniker, who came over with DeGeorge after playing four years at Divison II Colorado Mesa.
“It fired us up a little bit,” Riniker said. “I think as a unit we are all super excited to prove to people and ourselves what we are capable of. Leaving the past in the past and looking to the future to get better.
Heading into Big West play, the stats have proven that the Mustangs have been better. Cal Poly held off Grambling State at home in a close one and most recently took down the 6-2 Stanford Cardinal on the road 97-90.
The win against Stanford was their first against the Cardinal since 1976, their first win against a Power 4 program since 2012 and their first-ever win against an ACC opponent.
Currently, the Mustangs are slotted at No. 83 in the first NET rankings of the year.
Offensive Operations
Cal Poly is an offense-driven program under DeGeorge that creates mismatches for opposing defenses.
The Mustangs are currently averaging the most points per game out of all the Big West schools, with an 82.3 average.
Last year, Cal Poly could only muster up 63.7 PPG, already marking a 19-point increase.
The Mustangs have three players in the Big West in the top 15 in scoring for the season.
Graduate forward Owen Koonce, graduate guard Isaac Jessup and graduate guard Jarred Hyder.
Koonce leads all Cal Poly scorers with 15.8 PPG. He’s a do-it-yourself scorer who uses his 6-foot 7-inch frame to shoot over defenders from three-point or mid-range or his size to finish strong up close.
In the win over Stanford, Koonce dropped a career-high 30 points.
“When your first two shots fall, you know you’re having a good day,” Koonce said. “I was feeling confident, and comfortable and knew we had the right guys to get the job done.”
The guys Koonce mentioned have been getting the job done all season.
Jessup has been lighting it up all year from three-point range. He’s made the most three-pointers in the Big West thus far, knocking down 29 and shooting 47%. Jessup is averaging 14.3 points for the Mustangs, second only to Koonce.
Hyder is another player who plays a considerable role and is consistent from beyond the three-point line.
Hyder averages 13.8 points per game and delivered the clutch three-pointer to take down Stanford.
Big West Expectations
The Mustangs are ranked No. 5 in the Big West standings with a 5-4 record. UC Irvine sits atop the pack, boasting an undefeated 8-0 record to start the year.
Cal Poly’s first dose of Big West play is on the road against the UC Davis Aggies, who have a 3-4 record.
The Mustangs will host a Big West game for the first time this year, welcoming in the CSU Northridge Matadors.
Cal Poly sports an undefeated record at home this year in Mott Athletics Center. Riding a three-game home win streak, the Mustangs hope to keep this home-court advantage rolling.
“I’m looking forward to some more home games,” Riniker said. “The environment is awesome here and I’m excited to get in front of the home crowd and show what we are capable of.”
This revamped and revitalized Cal Poly program has been able to mesh quickly, and this early-season success is a good sign for the later parts of the year.
“To be able to put forth this effort so far together this season is huge for us,” DeGeorge said. “We are gaining confidence in our formula and how we do things going forward.”
Coach DeGeorge and his players, Koonce, Jessup, Riniker, and Ethan Menzies, who followed him to Cal Poly from Division II Colorado Mesa, have thrived in their first Division I action in their NCAA careers.
Cal Poly is bringing something to the Big West that teams aren’t used to.
“I don’t think the Big West is going to be ready for it,” Koonce said. “We’re going to run really fast, we’re going to score really fast.”
The Mustangs tip off their Big West schedule against UC Davis on Thursday, Dec. 5, at 6 p.m. at Mott Athletics Center.
