Remember the Titans?
The Cal State Fullerton basketball team left indelible impressions on Hawaii, ousting the Rainbow Warriors in the semifinals of 2022 Big West Tournament, and then winning in overtime last month.
The teams meet tonight in SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center. Tip-off is set for 7:05.
The Titans have reloaded after losing two key playmakers from last year’s NCAA Tournament team. The Titans rely on an aggressive rhythm-breaking defense and a four-out offense that thrives on 3s and drives.
“They really spread the floor,” UH associate head coach John Montgomery said, “and their whole deal is trying to get to the rim, and put us in rotations, and shoot open 3s.”
Latrell Wrightsell Jr., a 6-foot-3 guard, has been instrumental in the Titans’ move from last year’s interior presence to this season’s four-wide attack. After an illness-shortened freshman year and then averaging 6.7 points and 27 minutes in 2021-22, Wrightsell leads the Titans at 16.0 points per game. He has connected on 38.7% of his 3-point shots, 45.6% inside the arc, and 85.2% on free throws.
Wrightsell is a three-tier scorer who is accurate deep and from mid-range, and creative on drives.
“We’re finally seeing it come to fruition for him,” Fullerton coach Dedrique Taylor said of Wrightsell. “He’s a super-talented dude with a really high basketball IQ. He understands how he impacts the game, and he also understands how his teammates impact the game. What we’re seeing is something that’s always been there. But now he’s gotten an opportunity to display it.”
Wrightsell and Jalen Harris, who scored 24 against UH last month, have identical ratios of 56 assists to 47 turnovers.
Harris, who was the league’s top sixth man last season, has started all 25 games this season. “He’s playing an even bigger role for us because he’s one of our main scorers,” Taylor said of Harris, who is averaging 13.1 points.
Max Jones, a transfer who averaged 22.1 points for Tampa last season, has hit 40.6% of his 3s.
The Titans are 13-12 overall and 7-6 in the Big West, having won three of the past four. Five of their league losses have been by five points or fewer, including two one-possession setbacks.
“We’re trying to learn from those experiences of being in a game of about one or two possessions doing the right thing and and one or two possessions not doing the right thing,” Taylor said. “We’re just learning how we can continue to make things happen positively for our ballclub.”
On Thursday, the ’Bows needed an improved defensive effort in the second half to hold off UC San Diego. Noel Coleman regained his two-sided efficiency, scoring 19 points while limiting UCSD’s Bryce Pope to 4-for-15 shooting.
“We tab Noel as one of our best perimeter defenders,” Montgomery said. “(Thursday) night he showed what he’s capable of.”
Coleman is likely to match up against Wrightsell.
UH center Bernardo da Silva denied UCSD’s drives when he attacked ball screens, then dropped to cover the post.
“That’s a good basketball team,” Taylor said of the ’Bows. “We’ll have our work cut out for us defending those guys.”
—
BIG WEST BASKETBALL
Who: Cal State Fullerton (13-12, 7-6 Big West) at Hawaii (18-7, 9-4 Big West)
When: 7:05 tonight
Where: SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center
Television: Spectrum Sports
Radio: 1420-AM
