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2022 Big West Conference Men’s Basketball Tournament Basics

Dates

Tuesday, March 8 (first round); Thursday, March 10 (quarterfinals); Friday, March 11 (semifinals); Saturday, March 12 (championship)

Format

Traditional bracket

Site

After a long run in Anaheim that stretched back to 2001, in 2021 the Big West Tournament made the somewhat unusual move of relocating to the Las Vegas metro area (UNLV left the conference in 1996 for the disaster that was the 16-team WAC). While last year’s event was played at the Arena at Mandalay Bay in Vegas, this time around, it moves to its new home, the Dollar Loan Center, which will be the new home arena for the AHL’s Henderson Silver Knights.

TV/Streaming Info

ESPNU will air Friday’s second semifinal, while ESPN2 will carry Saturday’s title game live. The first semifinal appears live on ESPN+, then repeated on ESPNU via delay after semi two’s conclusion. Otherwise, ESPN+ will stream both the first round and the quarterfinals.

Participants

All 10 eligible Big West members will participate. UC San Diego (13-16, no official Big West record), currently in year two of a four-year reclassification process from Division II to Division I, will not.

Downloadable Bracket

Schedule

Note: Game numbering includes women’s tournament.

First Round (Tues., March 8)

Game 3: (9) Cal State Bakersfield 58, (8) CSUN (7-23, 3-13) 45
Game 4: (10) Cal Poly (7-21, 2-12) 53, (7) UC Davis 63

Quarterfinals (Thurs., March 10)

Game 9: (9) Cal State Bakersfield (8-19, 2-12) 61, (1) Long Beach State 72
Game 10: (5) UC Santa Barbara 78, (4) UC Irvine (15-10, 9-5) 69
Game 11: (7) UC Davis (13-11, 5-6) 55, (2) Cal State Fullerton 73
Game 12: (6) UC Riverside (16-12, 9-6) 67, (3) Hawai’i 68

Semifinals (Fri., March 11)

Game 15: (5) UC Santa Barbara (17-11, 8-5) 64, (1) Long Beach State 67
Game 16: (3) Hawai’i (17-11, 10-5) 46, (2) Cal State Fullerton 58

Championship (Sat., March 12)

Game 18: (2) CAL STATE FULLERTON (21-10, 11-4) 72, (1) Long Beach State (20-12, 12-3) 71

Mayhem Potential

Data originally posted by Bob Vetrone Jr. on Twitter in 2020 with my own additions for 2021 and 2022.

Over the past 10 seasons, one of the Big West’s top two seeds has won the automatic bid six times, with the No. 1 winning the last two completed tournaments. Note that only the No. 6 and 8 seeds failed to record a title during the period when only the top eight teams qualified.

• 1 seed (4): 2012, 2016, 2019, 2021
• 2 seed (2): 2013, 2017
• 3 seed (1): 2015
• 4 seed (1): 2018
• 5 seed (1): 2011
• 7 seed (1): 2015

NCAA Seeding Record Since 2011

Years with an NCAA win are in bold.

• 12 seed (2): 2012, 2021
• 13 seed (3): 2015, 2016, 2019
• 15 seed (3): 2011, 2013, 2018
• 16 seed (2): 2014 (First Four), 2017 (First Four)

In most cases, if the Big West’s 1 or 2 seed wins the auto bid, it ends up faring better seed-wise than lower-seeded champs. The exceptions: the UC Davis team that won as a 2 in 2017 and the now-departed Pacific squad that also won as a 2 in 2013.

Last season, UCSB narrowly missed claiming an NCAA win as a 12 when it fell to Creighton by a single point. This season, the Gauchos or any other Big West rep isn’t likely to get such a high seeding or favorable matchup.

Last NCAA Tournament Appearances

UC Santa Barbara: 2021 (12 seed, 1st Round)
UC Irvine: 2019 (13 seed, 2nd Round)
Cal State Fullerton: 2018 (15 seed, 1st Round)
UC Davis: 2017 (16 seed, 1st Round)
Hawai’i: 2016 (13 seed, 2nd Round)
Cal State Bakersfield: 2016 (15 seed, 1st Round, WAC member)
Cal Poly: 2014 (16 seed, Round of 64)
Long Beach State: 2012 (12 seed, Round of 64)
CSUN: 2009 (15 seed, 1st Round)

UC Riverside is the lone current eligible Big West member that has yet to make the NCAAs. UC San Diego will have to wait until 2025 to qualify for the field, given its D1 transition.