Cal Poly appointed Division II head coach Mike DeGeorge to run the men’s basketball program for the foreseeable future.
DeGeorge succeeded at his previous programs at the D-II and D-III levels, winning multiple conference championships, including at his last coaching job with Colorado Mesa.
Mid-Major Basketball is previewing all Big West teams for the 2024-25 season. Up next is the Mustangs.
Last season
The Cal Poly basketball team had a season to forget in 2023-24.
The team finished last in the Big West, going 4-28 and winless in the conference season. The Mustangs haven’t had a winning season since the 2012-13 season.
Cal Poly’s previous best record was the 2013-14 season, when the team won the Big West Tournament and its First Four matchup against Texas Southern, 81-69.
Players
The Mustangs’ second-leading scorer from last season is back this season. Guard Jarred Hyder returns to San Luis Obispo, California, after averaging 10.3 points per game in 2023-24.
DeGeorge brought over two seniors and two graduate students from Colorado Mesa to Cal Poly. The additions allow the team to have some familiarity and chemistry before the start of the season.
One transfer is 6-foot-5 guard Owen Koonce, who averaged 13.2 points per game last season at the D-II level. Koonce was an All-Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference second-team member last season.
Schedule
Cal Poly will start the season on the road, facing WCC’s San Francisco Dons on Nov. 5. The team will go up against ACC foe California two days later.
Continuing the schedule against another Bay Area school, the Cal Poly squad will face the WCC season and tournament champions Saint Mary’s on Nov. 23.
Conference play kicks off in early December with the addition of Bold Week. Cal Poly will start the conference season on the road at UC Davis on Dec. 5 before hosting CSUN two days later.
Cal Poly will close the season on the road against Long Beach State on March 8. The Mustangs will play the Big West postseason on March 12-15 for the opportunity to play in the NCAA Tournament.
Prediction
In the preseason coaches poll for the 2024-25 season, Cal Poly was put in last place for the new season.
With a first-year head coach and much to prove, the Mustangs must show out early to silence the doubters.
This season, Cal Poly has the potential to sneak into the Big West tournament as the eighth seed and use the momentum going forward.
