Cal Poly men’s basketball saw three of its players recognized with All-Big West honors on March 10, marking the program’s best all-conference showing in 19 years.
Hamad Mousa was named to the All-Big West first team, becoming Cal Poly’s first player to earn this distinction since Chris Eversley in the 2012-13 season. Mousa led the Big West in scoring with an average of 20.4 points per game and became only the second Mustang in program history to score more than 600 points in a single season. He is currently ranked 26th among NCAA Division I players for points per game, and also holds national rankings for total free throws and three-pointers made.
Cayden Ward and Peter Bandelj received honorable mention selections. This marks Cal Poly’s highest number of All-Big West honorees since four Mustangs were recognized during the team’s runner-up finish in the 2006-07 Big West Championship season. Ward has scored double digits in 25 games this year, averaging 14.6 points per game—good for tenth among Big West players—and is tied as Cal Poly’s leading rebounder with an average of 6.3 rebounds per game.
Bandelj is Cal Poly’s third-leading scorer at 13.2 points per game and ranks fifth among conference players with an 86.5 percent free throw rate. He has scored double digits in 21 games this season and set a program record by making nine three-pointers during his career-high, 37-point performance against Cal State Fullerton on December 4.
The eighth-seeded Mustangs have won five of their last seven games to close out the regular season and are set to face No. 5 UC San Diego in the opening round of the Big West Championship on Wednesday, March 11 at 6 p.m., with coverage available on ESPN+.
