As Usual, Coaches, Media Pick UNLV as the Best in Big West

Despite losing five starters from last season’s 34-1 team, Nevada Las Vegas was a near-unanimous choice among coaches and media to win its 10th consecutive Big West Conference regular-season championship.

The Rebels collected nine of 10 first-place votes in the coaches’ poll and 46 of 51 first-place votes in the media poll at Wednesday’s conference media day. New Mexico State, which lost four starters from last season’s 23-6 team, was picked to finish second in both polls.

Cal State Fullerton was picked eighth in both polls, and UC Irvine, under first-year Coach Rod Baker, was picked ninth in both polls.

The UNLV women’s team was a slight favorite over Cal State Long Beach in the coaches poll, and Fullerton, which reached the second round of last season’s NCAA tournament, was picked fourth. UC Irvine was picked to finish last.

The men’s media poll, with first-place votes in parentheses:

Pos. School Points 1. Nevada Las Vegas (46) 503 2. New Mexico State (1) 413 3. Fresno State (2) 357 4. UC Santa Barbara 337 5. Cal State Long Beach (2) 298 6. Pacific 272 7. Utah State 247 8. Cal State Fullerton 193 9. UC Irvine 105 10. San Jose State 80

The men’s coaches poll:

Pos. School Points 1. Nevada Las Vegas (9) 98 2. New Mexico State 79 3. Cal State Long Beach 72 4. Fresno State (1) 67 5. UC Santa Barbara 64 6. Pacific 54 7. Utah State 42 8. Cal State Fullerton 41 9. UC Irvine 21 10. San Jose State 12

The women’s coaches poll:

Pos. School Points 1. Nevada Las Vegas (5) 95 2. Cal State Long Beach (4) 91 3. UC Santa Barbara (1) 81 4. Cal State Fullerton 59 5. Hawaii 57 6. New Mexico State 53 7. Pacific 49 8. Fresno State 26 9. San Jose State 22 10. UC Irvine 13