SAN BERNARDINO – Cal State San Bernardino opens the 2023-24 men's basketball season Friday and Saturday, hosting the CCAA-GNAC Challenge Tournament against regional opponents Western Oregon and Central Washington.
            
The Yotes will play Western Oregon of the Great Northwest Athletic Conference at 3 p.m. on Friday and then take on GNAC member Central Washington at l p.m. on Saturday.
            
In the other matchups, CCAA member Cal State Monterey Bay will play Central Washington at 1 p.m. on Friday and Western Oregon at 11 a.m. on Saturday.
            
The Yotes are returning only one starter from its record setting 31-4 team that won the CCAA regular season (20-2), conference tournament, NCAA West Regional and reached the NCAA Div. II national championship semifinals for the second time in program history.
            
Robby Robinson was a key factor last season, averaging 8.3 points and 7.8 rebounds for the high-scoring Yotes who set a team record for points in a season.
            
The coaching staff is all new for this season. First-year head Coach Gus Argenal, a star guard for UC Davis when the Aggies were a CCAA member, is assisted by newcomers Markus Black, Jim Bross and Micah Dykes.
            
They are taking over for Andy Newman, now the Head Coach at Division I Cal State Northridge, who led his Yotes teams to a 55-8 record the past two seasons and 91-30 in his tenure at CSUSB.
            
In all, there are 10 newcomers to the CSUSB roster. Despite the changes and loss of veteran talent, the Yotes are ranked No. 13 in the NCAA Division II pre-season poll and are picked to finish second in the CCAA behind Chico State.
            
The Yotes open conference play at Chico State on Nov. 30.
            
CSUSB had always played well at home and were unbeaten at home in 2022-23 (11-0) and 33-7 since the 2019-20 season.
            
Western Oregon comes in picked for eighth place among 10 teams in the GNAC pre-season poll. The Wolves were 12-14 overall and 9-9 in conference play in 2022-23. Their top player is Cameron Benzel, a 6-foot-7-inch forward who average 11.5 points and 6.1 rebounds in 2022-23. His field goal percentage of 62 percent ranked No. 2 in the conference. CSUSB and WOU have met only twice and the Yotes are 2-0.
            
Central Washington's history with the Yotes goes back to Jan. 2, 1998 when the Wildcats won the first matchup. CSUSB then upset the Wildcats in the 1999 NCAA West Regional in route to the Yotes' first-ever appearance in the Division II Elite Eight.
            
CWU won the next meeting, also at the West Regional, in 2000 but the Yotes returned the favor in the 2001 West Regional before losing to host Western Washington in the regional title game. The Yotes have won the last five meetings between the two teams and lead the all-time series 9-4.
            
The Wildcats are picked to finish third in the GNAC this coming season with the help of two returning starters Samaad Hector and Cameron McNeil. The 6-foot, 6-inch Hector scored 11.1 points, grabbed 6.1 rebounds with made 31 blocks last season. McNeil was the team's leading scorer in 2022-23, averaging 15.6 points per game while sinking 59 three-pointers, assisting on 44 baskets and making 26 steals.
 
COMING UP: The Yotes will begin their 2023-24 home schedule on Nov. 16 at 7 p.m. against Biola University of the Pacific West Conference. Biola was 18-12 last season, 12-8 in conference play. CSUSB will then host La Sierra University of Riverside, a NAIA (National Assn. of Intercollegiate Athletics) member, at 3 p.m. on Nov. 22.  
 
FOLLOW THE YOTES – Watch the Yotes in action on live streaming at the CCAA network, or follow the stats at csusbathletics.com.