Cal State Fullerton Titans
2018-2019 Overall Rank: #110
Conference Rank: #1 Big West
Last season most expected Cal State Fullerton to be one year away from big things. And for much of the season that seemed true. The Titans finished fourth in the Big West with a 10-6 record, but knocked off Long Beach State, regular season champions UC Davis and finally UC Irvine to reach the NCAA Tournament. Once there the Titans were no match for Purdue, but with four starters back and most of their depth, Cal State Fullerton is poised to have their best year ever under Coach Dedrique Taylor.
2017-18 Record: 20-12, 10-6
2017-18 Postseason: NCAA
Coach: Dedrique Taylor
Coach Record: 67-89 at Cal State Fullerton, 67-89 overall
Key Departed Players:
Arkim Robertson, Forward, 5.2 ppg
Dwight Ramos, Guard, 2.1 ppg
Key Returning Players:
Kyle Allman Jr, Senior, Guard, 19.5 ppg
Khalil Ahmad, Senior, Guard, 15.1 ppg
Jackson Rowe, Junior, Forward, 12.1 ppg
Jamal Smith, Junior, Guard, 3.9 ppg
Austen Awosika, Junior, Guard, 7.2 ppg
Davon Clare, Junior, Forward, 3.3 ppg
Dominik Heinzl, Senior, Forward, 2.4 ppg
Daniel Venzant, Sophomore, Guard, 1.7 ppg
Key New Players:
Wayne Arnold, Freshman, Guard
Amel Kuljuhovic, Junior, Forward, JC Transfer
Gaber Ozegovic, RS Freshman, Forward
Projection:
Kyle Allman and Khalil Ahmad are two of the best backcourt scorers in the Big West. Allman led the team with 19.5 points per game and connected on an amazing 42.9 percent of his attempts from long range. Allman is not a pure shooter though and does most of his scoring damage by attacking the basket. Few players in the country can attack the basket and at least get to the charity stripe as effectively as Allman. Ahmad added 15.1 points per game and made a team high 57 three-pointers. Add in Jamal Smith and Austen Awoskia, who can both handle the ball, and Fullerton is loaded with options on the perimeter. The star of the frontcourt this year will be Jackson Rowe. The 6-7 junior averaged 12.1 points and a team high 6.7 rebounds. He can also stretch out the defense with his consistent outside shooting. Davon Clare played well in limited action last season and should see an increased role this year. He may not develop into a consistent scoring threat, but he is a tough 6-5 forward who can help out on the glass. In an effort to add depth to the frontcourt, Coach Taylor brought in 6-10 junior college transfer Amel Kuljuhovic. That size will help on the defensive end of the floor and Allman, Ahmad and Rowe will take care of business on offense.
Projected Postseason Tournament: NCAA
By the Numbers:
Scoring Offense: 72.4 (211th in nation, 3rd in conference)
Scoring Defense: 70.2 (111, 6)
Field-Goal Percentage: 46.7 (66, 1)
Field-Goal Defense: 41.3 (36, 2)
Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 5.2 (342, 9)
Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 33.4 (260, 7)
Free-Throw Percentage: 72.9 (114, 2)
Rebound Margin: 1.5 (130, 4)
Assists Per Game: 12.6 (253, 4)
Turnovers Per Game: 14.2 (295, 8)
