BAKERSFIELD, Calif. – The Big West Conference announced the results of the men's basketball preseason media poll Thursday afternoon with the group tabbing its preseason favorite as well as a six-member All-Conference team.

Heading into their first year as members of the Big West, the CSU Bakersfield Roadrunners were slated to finish seventh out of the ten postseason eligible teams.

The reigning Big West Champion UC Irvine took the top spot in the media poll after receiving nearly two thirds of the first-place votes. UC Santa Barbara was picked to finish second, just as it did in the 2019-20 standings, but the media expects UC Davis to jump up from last year's showing and finish third.

A tight trio of Hawai'i, UC Riverside, and Long Beach State are predicted in the fourth through sixth positions. CSU Bakersfield gained 117 points in the poll and was tabbed to finish seventh in its inaugural season in the Big West.

After tying with UC Santa Barbara for second place last season, the media tabbed CSUN to finish eighth in 2020-21. Cal State Fullerton and Cal Poly rounded out the bottom two places of the Preseason Poll.

The media also selected a six-man Preseason All-Conference Team. Arinze Chidom (UC Riverside), Collin Welp (UC Irvine), and Amadou Sow (UC Santa Barbara) all received nods as forwards. Sow's fellow Gaucho JaQuori McLaughlin joined two other Big West guards in completing the squad: Chance Hunter (Long Beach State) and Ezra Manjon (UC Davis).

Preseason Media Poll
1. UC Irvine (18) - 270
2. UC Santa Barbara (9) - 254
3. UC Davis (1) - 182
4. Hawai'i - 165
5. UC Riverside - 160
6. Long Beach State - 141
7. CSU Bakersfield - 117
8. CSUN - 102
9. Cal State Fullerton - 95
10. Cal Poly - 54
( ) First-place votes
 
Preseason Media All-Conference Team
Arinze Chidom, UC Riverside, Sr., F
Collin Welp, UC Irvine, Jr., F
Amadou Sow, UC Santa Barbara, Jr., F
JaQuori McLaughlin, UC Santa Barbara, Sr., G
Chance Hunter, Long Beach State, Jr., G
Ezra Manjon, UC Davis, So., G

Big West Conference matchups are scheduled to start next month on December 27. Bakersfield's complete league schedule can be viewed on the men's basketball schedule page.