CALIFORNIA STATE POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY, POMONA
Bronco Sports News
For Immediate Release
Tuesday, Feb. 8, 2005
Contact: Paul Helms
(909) 869-2812
MEN’S BASKETBALL
MEDIA NOTES
2004-05 CPP Record: 14-5. CCAA Record: 9-3
2004-05 Regional
Ranking: 7
Broncos Get Back On Track With Road Sweep: Cal Poly
Pomona’s men’s basketball team, which swept a pair of key California Collegiate
Athletic Association games on the road last week, will try to keep the momentum
going in a pair of conference games in Kellogg Gym this weekend. The Broncos
have won 13 of their last 15 games and are currently alone in second place in
the CCAA, one game back of first-place Cal State San Bernardino. Cal Poly
Pomona will face Cal State Bakersfield on Friday on “Bring Back The Pack Night.” All Cal Poly Pomona students, faculty and
staff will be admitted free and a free tailgate party will also be held for Cal
Poly Pomona students, faculty and staff beginning at 4:30 p.m. There will be free pizza, a live disc jockey and
drinks. There will be free giveaways during the games and live performances by
the Cal Poly Pomona cheer squad and Bronco Pep Band as well as dance
performances during the halftimes. The Broncos will then host Cal State L.A. on
Saturday night. The games will have big regional ranking ramifications as well.
The Broncos were ranked seventh in the most recent NCAA Division II West Region
rankings, while Cal State Bakersfield was sixth. The Broncos won two road games
last week, while the Roadrunners dropped two home games to fall one game behind
Cal Poly Pomona in the conference race. The Broncos are coming off another
successful season. Cal Poly Pomona, which has made the NCAA Division II
playoffs in consecutive years for the first time in the program’s history, went
21-7 last season and notched its second straight 20-win season for the first
time ever. The Broncos were 17-5 in the California Collegiate Athletic
Association last year and set a new program standard for most conference wins
in a season. The Broncos had a successful follow-up to their 2002-03 season,
which ranks as one of the best in the program’s history. Cal Poly Pomona won the 2003 West Regional and
advanced to the national quarterfinals for only the second time in the
program’s history and the first since the 1964. The 23 wins tied the program
mark for most victories, also set by the 1964 squad. Cal Poly Pomona returns three
starters and seven players overall from last year’s squad, including preseason
All-American Jeff Bonds (Sr., Compton, Mayfair HS) and
All-CCAA and All-West Region selection David Sybesma
(Sr., Corona, Corona Centennial
HS).
About Last Week:
The Broncos bounced back from their upset loss to Cal
State Monterey Bay
by sweeping past San Francisco State
and Sonoma State.
The games ended a stretch of eight road games in 10 contests for Cal Poly
Pomona. The Broncos started the week with a 78-66 victory over San
Francisco State on
Friday. Cal Poly Pomona shot a sizzling 72.7 percent in the first half and 65.9
percent for the game and rolled to the win. Jeff Bonds (Sr., Compton, Mayfair HS) led the way with 23 points, four assists and
three blocks. He made nine of his 11 field-goal attempts. David Sybesma (Sr., Corona,
Corona Centennial HS) had 20 points and four assists
and made seven of his nine field-goal attempts. Hervey
Malone II (Jr., Pittsburg, Pittsburg HS) had 11 points and six rebounds, while Kaelen Daniels (Fr., Compton, Mayfair HS) had 10 points and
three rebounds. The Broncos had a 38-31 halftime lead and held advantages
ranging from six to 14 points in the second half. The Broncos then turned in
one of their best defensive efforts of the season and beat Sonoma State, 66-45.
The win avenged an early-season loss to the Seawolves
in Kellogg Gym. The 45 points are a
season low for a Cal Poly Pomona opponent. Bonds led five Broncos in double
figures with 13 points and nine rebounds. Malone II and Jonathan Boyd (Jr., Fontana,
Etiwanda HS) had 12 points each, while Dion Cook (So., Canoga
Park, Chaminade
HS) and Sybesma had 11 points each. The Broncos shot
47.9 percent for the game and hit 60 percent of their shots in the second half.
The Broncos trailed early, 13-8, but held the Seawolves
to just 14 points over the final 15 minutes of the first half to take a 32-27
halftime lead. Cal Poly Pomona took a double-digit lead for the first time on a
Malone 3-pointer that gave the Broncos a 45-35 edge. The Broncos built leads as
large as 22 points and had a double-digit advantage the rest of the way.
Bonds Named CCAA
Player of the Week For Third Time: Jeff Bonds
(Sr., Compton, Mayfair HS) has been named the Wilson California Collegiate
Athletic Association Men’s Basketball Player of the Week for the week of Jan.
31 – Feb. 6. He had 23 points, four assists, three blocked shots and two
rebounds in a 78-66 win at San Francisco State on Friday and he had 13 points,
nine rebounds, four assists, two blocked shots and two steals to lead the
Broncos past Sonoma State, 66-45, on Saturday. For the week, Bonds averaged
18.0 points, 5.5 rebounds and 4.0 assists. This is the third weekly honor of
the season for Bonds and the fourth overall for the Broncos. David Sybesma (Sr., Corona,
Corona Centennial HS) earned the weekly award for the
week of Jan. 17-23.
Head to Head: Cal
Poly Pomona is 21-48 all-time
against Cal State Bakersfield and lost a heartbreaker to the Roadrunners, 73-71,
on Jan. 8 in Centennial Garden.
The Broncos trailed by 11 points, 70-59, with 2:47
left, but cut the deficit to one point, 72-71, and had the ball with four
seconds left underneath the Bakersfield
basket. Cal Poly Pomona could not control an inbounds pass, though, giving the
Roadrunners possession. A free throw with one second left accounted for the
final margin. David Sybesma (Sr., Corona,
Corona Centennial HS) had a huge game, pouring in 27
points, including 22 in the second half. The Broncos had won four of the past
five meetings with the Roadrunners before that loss. Cal Poly Pomona is 40-37
all-time against Cal State L.A. and beat the Golden Eagles, 76-51, on Jan. 7 in
Los Angeles. Jeff Bonds (Sr.,
Compton, Mayfair HS) had 18 points and Sybesma had 16 for the Broncos. The Broncos have won the
last 10 meetings with the Golden Eagles.
Where We Stand:
Cal Poly Pomona finds itself at the
top or near the top of several key California Collegiate Athletic Association
statistics. The Broncos lead the conference in scoring margin (+10.4) and field-goal
shooting percentage (47.9 percent) and are second in assist-turnover ratio
(1.14). The team is fifth in scoring (71.3 per game) and first in defense (60.9
per game). The Broncos are fifth in the nation in defense. Jeff Bonds (Sr.,
Compton, Mayfair HS) is second in the conference in scoring (17.1 points per
game), while David Sybesma (Sr., Corona,
Corona Centennial HS) is third (16.7 points per game). Sybesma
is second in the conference in scoring for conference games only (17.6 per
game). Bonds is second in the conference in blocked shots
(1.32 per game) and fourth in steals (2.05 per game). Hervey
Malone II (Jr., Pittsburg, Pittsburg HS) is second in the conference in 3-point field
goal percentage (.470). Billy Hofman (So., Sierra
Madre, La Canada HS) is sixth in assist/turnover ratio
(1.72).
The Defense Never
Rests: Cal Poly Pomona’s defense has taken the NCAA Division II by storm.
The Broncos have allowed only 60.9 points per game and have the No. 5 defense
in the country. Since unleashing the “White Cell” defense against Grand
Canyon on Dec. 18, the Broncos have allowed only 57.3 points per
game and limited opponents to 61 points or less in nine of the last 13 games.
The Bronco coaching staff – Head Coach Greg Kamansky and assistant coaches Steve Wachs,
Damion Hill and Bill Bannon
– are noted science buffs and came up with the name during serious
deliberations. White cells, the coaches point out, are
the body’s way of fighting off infections and diseases. In basketball terms,
the “White Cell” has been a hybrid of zone and man-to-man defenses. In any
event, the defense has been good enough to top the California Collegiate
Athletic Association and jump to fifth in the country.
The Kamansky File: Cal Poly
Pomona Head Coach Greg Kamansky is beginning his
fifth season as the leader of the Broncos. Kamansky
has guided the Broncos to a 93-38 overall record. His winning percentage of
.710 is the best in the program’s history. He led the Broncos to a 21-7 record
last season and into the NCAA Division II playoffs for the second straight
season. That was a successful follow-up to the sensational season in 2002-03
when he guided the Broncos to the West Region championship and the program’s
first appearance in the national quarterfinals in 39 years. In the 2001-02 season, Kamansky guided the
Broncos to an 18-9 overall record and a 15-7 mark in the CCAA, which was good
enough for third place in the conference. As the interim coach four years ago, Kamansky guided a team picked to finish ninth in the CCAA
to a 17-10 record and the brink of an NCAA playoff berth. The 17-10 record was
the best-ever for a first-year coach in the program’s history. Kamansky was an assistant coach at Cal Poly Pomona for two
seasons before succeeding Tim Rapp.
The Name Is Bonds; Jeff Bonds: Cal Poly Pomona’s Jeff
Bonds is well on his way to
becoming one of the best players in the history of the program. Bonds
(Sr., Compton, Mayfair HS) became the program’s all-time
leading scorer during a 26-point performance against Western
Washington on Nov. 27. Bonds surpassed the old
mark of 1,302 held by Lucas LeCour and now has
1,573 points in his Cal Poly Pomona career. He is currently second in the California
Collegiate Athletic Association in scoring with 17.1 points per game. He also
leads the Broncos in rebounding, steals and blocks. He has been named CCAA
Player of the Week three times this season. Bonds led the Broncos in scoring for
a second straight year last season with a 17.3 point per game average. He
earned first-team All-CCAA honors for the second straight season and also
earned first-team NABC All-West Region honors as well. He was at his best once
again in the postseason, pouring in a team-high 26 points in the Broncos’
first-round loss to Humboldt State.
In 2003, Bonds averaged 19.5 points per game in the Broncos’ four playoff
contests. The highlight was a career-high 31-point outburst that helped the
Broncos upend Cal State San Bernardino, 91-84, in
double overtime in the regional championship game. He also scored 20 points in
a semi-final victory over Cal State Bakersfield. He was named the West Regional
Most Outstanding Player after averaging 19.7 points and 5.8 rebounds in the
three regional contests. Bonds led the team in scoring (14.4 points) and
rebounding (5.8 per game) for the season and was named to the All-CCAA first
team. He was the only CCAA player to receive honorable mention All-America
honors this season by Street & Smith’s, the second year he has been honored
by the publication.
Fired Up About Sybesmania: Cal Poly Pomona forward David Sybesma (Sr., Corona,
Corona Centennial HS) returns for his fourth season
with the program and he, too, will go down as one of the best players in the
program’s history. He is currently second on the team in scoring with a 16.7 points per game average and he is second in the
California Collegiate Athletic Association in scoring in only conference games
at 17.6 points per game. Sybesma was named the CCAA
Player of the Week for the week of Jan. 17-23 for his performances against Cal
State San Bernardino and UC San Diego. He hit a tiebreaking 3-pointer with 38
seconds left to lead the Broncos past the Coyotes and he had a game-high 18
points the following night against the Tritons. He has climbed to fourth on the
all-time scoring list with 1,204 points in his career. Sybesma
earned first-team All-CCAA honors last season after finishing second on the
team with a 14.0 points per game average. He was also
second on the team in rebounding with 5.6 boards per game. He also continued
his knack of hitting big-time shots for the Broncos, sinking a 3-pointer in the
final seconds to send a critical home game against Cal State Stanislaus into
overtime. In 2003, he made one of the biggest shots in the program’s history. Sybesma hit a 14-foot leaner in the lane to beat the buzzer
and send the West Regional championship game against Cal State San Bernardino
into overtime. Cal Poly Pomona eventually won the game in double overtime to
advance to the Elite Eight. He was the only player to start all of the Broncos’
first 30 games, only to miss the Elite Eight game against Kentucky Wesleyan
because of a severely infected toe. Sybesma was second
on the team in scoring that year with a 10.7 points
per game average and was another player who stepped up his production in the
playoffs. He averaged 16.3 points per game and led the Broncos with 7.3
rebounds per game. Sybesma was named to the All-CCAA
second team in 2003.
Look Who’s
New: The Broncos are welcoming five players to their program this season
and four of the five are freshman. The lone upperclassmen is
Matt Nelsen, a 6-foot-4 senior guard from New Mexico Highlands. The Broncos are
also excited about first-year players Kevin Neveu
(Fr., San Leandro,
St. Joseph Notre Dame HS), Bill Forelli (Fr., Gig
Harbor, WA, Gig Harbor HS),
Ryan Chisholm (Fr., Richmond, Marin
Catholic HS) and Kyle Kraus (Fr., Wasco, Wasco HS). In addition, Kaelen Daniels (Fr., Compton, Artesia HS), who redshirted last year, is expected to make major contributions
this year in his first season on the active roster.
Where We Left Off: Cal Poly
Pomona’s men’s basketball team finished the 2003-04 season with a 21-7 record
and advanced to the NCAA Division II playoffs for the second straight season.
The Broncos, the No. 6 seed, lost a heartbreaking 86-83 decision to eventual
regional champion Humboldt State.
Jeff Bonds (Sr., Compton, Mayfair HS) had a
sensational game, pouring in 26 points and leading four Broncos in double
figures. Jonathan Boyd (Jr., Fontana,
Etiwanda HS) had a career-high 17 points and knocked
down five 3-pointers, while David Sybemsa (Sr., Corona,
Corona Centennial HS) and Jonathan Williams had 16 points each. Sybemsa also had a career-high nine assists. Humboldt
State hit an amazing 15 of its 20
attempts from behind the 3-point arc. The Broncos set a new program standard by
winning 17 California Collegiate Athletic Association games while finishing
third in the conference with a 17-5 mark. The Broncos also notched their second
straight 20-win season for the first time ever.
PLAYER NOTES:
10 BILLY HOFMAN (G, So., Sierra Madre, La
Canada HS)
Last Week: Had six points, one assist, and two rebounds against San
Francisco State on
Friday; went scoreless with three assists and two steals against Sonoma
State on Saturday.
2004-05: Averaging 4.3 points, 1.8 rebounds and 3.3 assists per
game. Currently is second on the team in assists and leads in 3-point field-goal
shooting percentage (.531).
Season Highs: Points –
12 at Grand Canyon (12-18-04); Rebounds
– 6 vs. BYU-Hawaii (1-3-05);
Assists – 6 at Cal
State Stanislaus (1-15-05), vs. Seattle
University (12-14-04).
Career Highs: Points –
12 at Grand Canyon (12-18-04); Rebounds
– 6 vs. BYU-Hawaii (1-3-05);
Assists – 6 at Cal
State Stanislaus (1-15-05), vs. Seattle
University (12-14-04).
11 JONATHAN
BOYD (G, Jr., Fontana, Etiwanda HS)
Last Week: Had 12 points, three rebounds, one assist and one steal
against Sonoma State
on Saturday; had two points, four rebounds, two assists and three steals against
San Francisco State
on Friday.
2004-05: Averaging 6.9 points, 2.4 rebounds and 1.4 assists per
game. Is fifth on the team in scoring and is second on the team in 3-point
field goals made (24).
Season Highs: Points –
15 at Grand Canyon (12-18-04); Rebounds
– 5 vs. Sonoma State
(12-3-04); Assists – 3 at Western
Washington (11-27-04),
vs. Saint Martin’s (11-26-04).
Career Highs: Points – 17
vs. Humboldt State (3-12-04); Rebounds
– 5 vs. San Francisco State (12-4-04), vs. Chico State (1-2-04), vs. Western
Washington (12-17-03), vs. North Dakota State (11-28-03), at San Francisco
State (2-28-03); Assists – 4 at UC
San Diego (1-9-04).
20 HERVEY MALONE II (G, Jr., Pittsburg, Pittsburg HS)
Last Week: Had 12 points, three rebounds, and one assist against Sonoma
State on Saturday; had 11 points, six rebounds, three assists, and two steals against
San Francisco State on Friday.
2004-05: Averaging 8.7 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.3 assists per
game. Is third on the team in scoring, first in 3-point field
goals made (31) and second in 3-point field goal percentage (.470). Is second in the conference in 3-point shooing percentage.
Season Highs: Points – 22
vs. BYU-Hawaii (1-3-05); Rebounds – 7 vs. Saint
Martin’s (11-26-04);
Assists – 3 at San
Francisco State (2-04-05), at Western
Washington (11-27-04).
Career Highs: Points –
22 vs. BYU-Hawaii (1-3-05); Rebounds – 7 vs. Saint
Martin’s (11-26-04),
vs. Sonoma State
(2-21-04), vs. Cal State
Stanislaus (2-6-04); Assists – 5 at Hope International (11-22-03), vs. Alaska Fairbanks (3-14-03).
22 DION COOK (G, So., Canoga Park, Chaminade HS)
Last Week: Had 11 points, three rebounds, two assists, and one
steal against Sonoma State
on Saturday; had two points, seven rebounds with one assist against San
Francisco State on
Friday.
2004-05: Averaging 8.5 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.9 assists per
game. Is fourth on the team in scoring and third in 3-pointers
made (21).
Season Highs: Points – 16
vs. UC San Diego (1-22-05); Rebounds
– 7 at San Francisco State (2-04-05), at Cal State Dominguez Hills (1-26-05); Assists – 4 at Cal State Bakersfield (1-08-05),
vs. San Francisco State
(12-4-04), at Western
Washington (11-27-04).
Career Highs: Points – 16
vs. UC San Diego (1-22-05); Rebounds
– 7 at San Francisco State (2-04-05), at Cal State Dominguez Hills (1-26-05); Assists – 4 at Cal State Bakersfield
(1-08-05), vs. San Francisco State (12-4-04), at Western Washington (11-27-04),
at UC Davis (2-27-04).
23 MATT NELSEN (G, Sr., Santa Clarita, New Mexico Highlands)
Last Week: DNP-CD against San Francisco
State on Friday and against Sonoma
State on Saturday.
2004-05: Averaging 2.1 points, 1.4 rebounds and 0.6 assists per
game.
Season Highs: Points – 7
at Cal State L.A.
(1-07-05); Rebounds – 4 at Cal
State L.A. (1-07-05); Assists
– 4 vs. San Francisco State
(12-4-04).
Career Highs: First year with Broncos.
32 JEFF BONDS (F, Sr., Compton, Mayfair HS)
Last Week: Had 23 points, two rebounds, four assists, and three
blocked shots against San Francisco State on Friday; had 13 points, nine
rebounds, four assists, two blocked shots, and two steals against Sonoma State on
Saturday. Was named the CCAA Player of the Week.
2004-05: Averaging 17.1 points, 6.1 rebounds and 2.8 assists per
game. Is second in the California Collegiate Athletic Association
in scoring. Leads the team in scoring, rebounding, blocks and steals. Has been named CCAA Player of the Week three times this season.
Season Highs: Points –
26 at Western Washington (11-27-04); Rebounds
– 14 vs. Saint Martin’s (11-26-04); Assists
– 10 at Cal State Dominguez Hills (1-26-05).
Career Highs: Points –
31 vs. Cal State San Bernardino (3-17-03);
Rebounds – 14 vs. Saint
Martin’s (11-26-04);
Assists – 10 at Cal State Dominguez
Hills (1-26-05).
33 DAVID SYBESMA (F, Sr., Corona, Corona Centennial HS)
Last Week: Had 20 points, five rebounds, four assists and three
blocked shots against San Francisco State
on Friday; had 11 points, four rebounds, three assists and one steal against Sonoma
State on Saturday.
2004-05: Averaging 16.7 points, 5.9 rebounds and 3.6 assists per
game. Is second in the California Collegiate Athletic
Association in conference-games only scoring (17.6 points per game). Is second on the team in overall scoring and rebounding. Leads
the team in assists and is also second in steals.
Season Highs: Points – 27
at Cal State Bakersfield (1-08-05);
Rebounds – 12 at Cal State
Stanislaus (1-15-05), vs. Dominican
University (12-29-04); Assists
– 6 vs. Dominican University
(12-29-04), vs. Saint
Martin’s (11-26-04),
vs. Vanguard (11-23-04).
Career Highs: Points –
27 at Cal State
Bakersfield (1-08-05), at Cal
State Stanislaus (1-31-04); Rebounds – 12 vs. Dominican
University (12-29-04); Assists
– 9 vs. Humboldt State
(3-12-04).
34 KAELEN DANIELS (C, Fr., Compton, Artesia
HS)
Last Week: Had a season-high 10 points, three rebounds, one blocked
shot, and one steal against San Francisco State on Friday; had three points, seven
rebounds, one blocked shot and one steal against Sonoma State on Saturday.
2004-05: Averaging 4.6
points, 3.9 rebounds and 0.6 assists per game.
Season Highs: Points – 10
at San Francisco State
(2-04-05); Rebounds – 7 at Sonoma
State (2-05-05), vs. Sonoma
State (12-3-04); Assists
– 3 vs. Sonoma State
(12-3-04).
Career Highs: First year with Broncos.
44 KEVIN NEVEU (F, Fr., San Leandro, St. Joseph Notre Dame HS)
Last Week: Had four points, four rebounds, and one assist against Sonoma
State on Saturday; had four points,
one rebound, and one assist San Francisco
State on Friday.
2004-05: Averaging 3.6
points, 1.8 rebounds and 0.3 assists per game.
Season Highs: Points – 9
at Cal State L.A.
(1-07-05); Rebounds – 5 at Cal State Dominguez
Hills (1-26-05); Assists – 2 vs. Dominican
University (12-29-04).
Career Highs: First year with Broncos.