CALIFORNIA STATE POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY, POMONA

Bronco Sports News

For Immediate Release

Thursday, March 17, 2005

Contact: Paul Helms

(909) 869-2812

 

 

MEN’S BASKETBALL

MEDIA NOTES

 

2004-05 CPP Record: 24-6. CCAA Record: 16-4

2004-05 CCAA Co-Champions

2004-05 NCAA Division II West Region Champions

 

Broncos Head To North Dakota Hoping For An Elite Experience: Cal Poly Pomona’s men’s basketball team, which captured its second NCAA Division II West Region championship in the past three years, is headed to North Dakota for the Elite Eight. The Broncos won the West Region championship by defeating Alaska Fairbanks, 65-58, Monday night at Western Washington. Jeff Bonds (Sr., Compton, Mayfair HS) was named the West Regional Tournament Most Outstanding Player for the second time and was joined on the five-player All-Tournament team by David Sybesma (Sr., Corona, Corona Centennial HS) and Jonathan Boyd (Jr., Fontana, Etiwanda HS). The Broncos are making their sixth NCAA Division II playoff appearance and third straight. Cal Poly Pomona is making its third appearance in a national quarterfinal game and is seeking its first trip to the national semi-finals. Cal Poly Pomona will face South Central Region champion Tarleton State on Wednesday, March 23, at 12:30 p.m. The game will be webcast at www.csupomona.edu/~athletic. The Broncos were conference champions for the first time since 1981 when Cal Poly Pomona shared the title with Cal State Dominguez Hills and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. The Broncos enter the Elite Eight with 12 wins in their last 13 games. They have also won 23 of their last 26 games after starting the season with a 1-3 record. Cal Poly Pomona has clinched its 11th consecutive winning season and third straight 20-win campaign.

 

Only The Elite Teams Remain: Cal Poly Pomona is one of eight teams remaining in the quest for the 2004-05 NCAA Division II national championship. Northeast Region champion Bryant (23-8), East Region champion Mount Olive (29-4), South Central champion Tarleton State (24-8), South Region champion Lynn (28-5), Great Lakes Region champion Findlay (30-3), North Central Region champion Metro State (29-3) and South Atlantic Region champion Virginia Union (27-4) join Cal Poly Pomona (24-6) in the Elite Eight.

 

 

Getting It All Started: Cal Poly Pomona and Tarleton State will meet in the second of four quarterfinal games on Wednesday, March 23. The Broncos and Texans will meet at 12:30 p.m. PST. Opening the tourney are Bryant vs. Mount Olive at 10 a.m. PST. Lynn will meet Montevallo at 4 p.m. PST and Metro State faces Virginia Union at 6:30 p.m. PST. The winner of the Broncos-Texans game will meet the winner of the Bryant vs. Mount Olive matchup on Thursday, March 24 at 4 p.m. PST. That game will be carried live on CSTV and will be available on Direct TV. The national championship game will be televised on CBS at 10 a.m.

 

Head To Head: Cal Poly Pomona has only faced one of the other Elite Eight teams before. The Broncos are 0-1 against Metro State, falling to the Roadrunners, 96-74, on Dec. 22, 1990 at the Regis Fieldhouse in Denver, CO. Terry Ross had 20 points to lead the Broncos.

 

How The West Was Won: Cal Poly Pomona entered the NCAA Division II West Regional seeded third and won three straight games to take the title. The Broncos opened the playoffs with an 82-77 win over Seattle Pacific. Cal Poly Pomona trailed early, 7-3, but took the lead for good, 12-9, on a 3-pointer by Hervey Malone II (Jr., Pittsburg, Pittsburg HS). Cal Poly Pomona took a 12-point halftime lead, 41-29, behind four first-half 3-pointers by Malone and led by as many as 20 points in the second half. Seattle Pacific trimmed the deficit to five points with 1:57 remaining, but couldn’t get any closer. Jeff Bonds (Sr., Compton, Mayfair HS) led the Broncos with 24 points and nine rebounds, while David Sybesma (Sr., Corona, Corona Centennial HS) added 18 points, four rebounds and four assists. Malone II had 14 points, four rebounds and three assists. Cal Poly Pomona was 21-of-23 from the free-throw line and shot 58.7 percent from the floor. The Broncos then got a career night from Jonathan Boyd (Jr., Fontana, Etiwanda HS) and beat No. 2 seed Hawaii Hilo, 73-62. Boyd knocked down six 3-pointers and hit all 10 of his free-throw attempts and poured in 28 points to lead Cal Poly Pomona. Bonds had a double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds, while Sybesma had eight points and eight rebounds and Malone had eight points and a team-high four assists. The Broncos led by as many as nine points in the first half before settling for a 32-26 halftime lead. Cal Poly Pomona built leads as large as 17 points in the second half and held off a late Hawaii Hilo rally that sliced the advantage to five points with just more than one minute left. Cal Poly Pomona then shut down No. 5 seed Alaska Fairbanks in the title game, 65-58. The Nanooks had rung up 88 points in a semi-final win over No. 1 seed Western Washington. Cal Poly Pomona held the Nanooks to just eight first-half baskets while building a 36-25 halftime lead. The Broncos closed the first half with a 9-0 run. Cal Poly Pomona led by 13 points, 43-30, with 16:20 to go, but the Nanooks rallied and got to within 53-52 with 3:45 remaining. Two free throws each by Sybesma and Bonds and one free throw from Daniels boosted the lead to 57-52. After Alaska Fairbanks got to within three points with 1:00 left, the Broncos made seven of eight free throws to preserve the win. Sybesma had a game-high 21 points, while Bonds added 16 points and seven rebounds. Boyd had 11 points and three steals. Bonds was named the West Regional Most Outstanding Player, while Sybesma and Boyd joined him on the five-player All-Tournament team.

 

 

Broncos Are Glad To Be Back: Cal Poly Pomona is making its third straight appearance in the NCAA Division II playoffs for the first time in the program’s history. Prior to 2003, the Broncos hadn’t been to the NCAA playoffs since 1976. After the lengthy break, the Broncos qualified for the 2003 playoffs as the No. 4 seed in the West Region and proceeded to knock off No. 5 Alaska Fairbanks, No. 8 Cal State Bakersfield and No. 2 Cal State San Bernardino to win the regional title in Laie, HI and advance to the Elite Eight. It marked the Broncos’ first trip to the national quarterfinals since 1964. In 2004, the Broncos drew the No. 6 seed and lost to eventual regional champion No. 3 Humboldt State in a first-round shootout, 86-83, in San Bernardino. This is the Broncos’ sixth NCAA playoff appearance. Cal Poly Pomona is 10-5 overall in its playoff history entering the Elite Eight. The Broncos are 0-2 in two previous national quarterfinal games, losing in 1964 to Evansville College, 95-73 and in 2003 to Kentucky Wesleyan, 85-60.

 

Pomona Is Title Town: Cal Poly Pomona basketball teams have won regional championships in four of the past five seasons. The Bronco men captured the 2003 and 2005 NCAA Division II West Region titles, while the Bronco women won regional titles in 2001 and 2002 on their way to NCAA Division II championships. No other basketball program in the West Region can match that success. Both teams qualified for the NCAA playoffs for the second straight season.

 

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 (+11.2), field-goal shooting percentage (48.6 percent) and assist-turnover ratio (1.18). The team is fourth in scoring (72.7 per game) and first in defense (61.6 per game). The Broncos are seventh in the nation in defense. Jeff Bonds (Sr., Compton, Mayfair HS) leads the conference in scoring (17.5 points per game), while David Sybesma (Sr., Corona, Corona Centennial HS) is fourth (16.2 points per game). Sybesma finished second in the conference in scoring for conference games only (16.6 per game) and was third in field-goal percentage (56.2 percent). Bonds is second in the conference in blocked shots (1.30 per game) and fifth in steals (1.77 per game). Hervey Malone II (Jr., Pittsburg, Pittsburg HS) is second in the conference in 3-point field goal percentage (.431). Billy Hofman (So., Sierra Madre, La Canada HS) is fifth in assist/turnover ratio (1.81).

 

The Defense Never Rests: Cal Poly Pomona’s defense has taken the NCAA Division II by storm. The Broncos have allowed only 61.6 points per game and have the No. 7 defense in the country. Since unleashing the “White Cell” defense against Grand Canyon on Dec. 18, the Broncos have allowed only 59.8 points per game and limited opponents to 62 points or less in 15 of the last 24 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 seventh in the country.

 

The Kamansky File: Cal Poly Pomona Head Coach Greg Kamansky is in his fifth season as the leader of the Broncos. He was just named the California Collegiate Athletic Association Coach of the Year for the first time in his career. Kamansky has guided the Broncos to a 103-39 overall record. He picked up the 100th win of his Cal Poly Pomona head coaching career when the Broncos beat Cal State Monterey Bay, 79-66, in the regular-season finale. His winning percentage of .725 is the best in the program’s history. He has guided the Broncos to a 24-6 record and into the Elite Eight for the second time in three years. He led the Broncos to a 21-7 record last season and into the NCAA Division II playoffs for a  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 1,772 points in his Cal Poly Pomona career. He led the California Collegiate Athletic Association in scoring with 17.3 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 and earned first-team All-CCAA honors for the third straight year, becoming the first player in the program’s history to accomplish that feat. He has also earned Daktronics All-West Region first-team honors already this postseason and was named the West Regional Most Outstanding Player for the second time in three years. 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) is enjoying his best season with the Broncos and was named the California Collegiate Athletic Association Player of the Year. He becomes only the second player in the program’s history to earn CCAA Player of the Year honors, joining Terry Ross, who won the award in 1991. He has also earned Daktronics West Region second-team honors. Sybesma will also go down as one of the best players in the program’s history. He is currently second on the team and fourth overall in the conference in scoring with a 16.2 points per game average. 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 second on the all-time scoring list with 1,325 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.

 

The Honors List: Cal Poly Pomona has reaped the rewards of an outstanding season. Head Coach Greg Kamansky was named the CCAA Coach of the Year, becoming the first men’s basketball coach since Dave Bollwinkel in 1991 to earn the honor. David Sybesma (Sr., Corona, Corona Centennial HS) was named the CCAA Player of the Year, becoming the first Bronco to earn that award since Terry Ross in 1991. Jeff Bonds (Sr., Compton, Mayfair HS) earned first-team All-CCAA honors for the third year in a row, becoming the first player in Bronco history to accomplish that feat. Hervey Malone II (Jr., Pittsburg, Pittsburg HS) earned second-team all-conference honors. Bonds has been named to the Daktronics All-West Region first team, while Sybesma earned second-team honors.

 

PLAYER NOTES:

 

10        BILLY HOFMAN (G, So., Sierra Madre, La Canada HS)

Last Week: Had eight points, eight assists and two steals against Seattle Pacific on Friday; had three points, three rebounds and three assists against Hawaii-Hilo on Saturday; went scoreless with two steals and two assists in the championship game against Alaska Fairbanks on Monday.

2004-05: Averaging 4.2 points, 2.0 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game. Currently is first on the team in assists and first in 3-point field-goal shooting percentage (.442).

Season Highs: Points – 12 at Grand Canyon (12-18-04); Rebounds – 6 vs. BYU-Hawaii (1-3-05); Assists – 8 vs. Seattle Pacific (3-11-05).

Career Highs: Points – 12 at Grand Canyon (12-18-04); Rebounds – 6 vs. BYU-Hawaii (1-3-05); Assists – 8 vs. Seattle Pacific (3-11-05).

 

11        JONATHAN BOYD (G, Jr., Fontana, Etiwanda HS)

Last Week: Had a remarkable career-high 28 points, six rebounds and two assists against Hawaii-Hilo on Saturday; had 11 points, three rebounds, one assist and three steals in the championship game against Alaska Fairbanks on Monday; had three points, two assists and one steal against Seattle Pacific on Friday. Boyd also received West Regional All-Tournament honors.

2004-05: Averaging 8.5 points, 2.4 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game. Is fourth on the team in scoring and first in 3-point field goals made (51).

Season Highs: Points – 28 vs. Hawaii-Hilo (3-12-05); Rebounds – 6 vs. Hawaii-Hilo (3-12-05); Assists – 4 vs. Cal State Stanislaus (2-18-05).

Career Highs: Points – 28 vs. Hawaii-Hilo (3-12-05); Rebounds – 6 vs. Hawaii-Hilo (3-12-05); Assists – 4 vs. Cal State Stanislaus (2-18-05), at UC San Diego (1-9-04).

 

20        HERVEY MALONE II (G, Jr., Pittsburg, Pittsburg HS)

Last Week: Had 14 points, four rebounds, three assists and two steals against Seattle Pacific on Friday; had eight points, two rebounds, four assists and two steals against Hawaii-Hilo on Saturday; had four points, two rebounds and one steal in the championship game against Alaska Fairbanks on Monday.

2004-05: Averaging 8.8 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game. Is third on the team in scoring, second in 3-point field goals made (47) and second in 3-point field goal percentage (.431). Is second in the conference in 3-point shooing percentage.

Season Highs: Points – 22 vs. BYU-Hawaii (1-3-05); Rebounds – 9 vs. Chico State (2-19-05); Assists – 4 vs. Hawaii-Hilo (3-12-05).

Career Highs: Points – 22 vs. BYU-Hawaii (1-3-05); Rebounds – 9 vs. Chico State (2-19-05); 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 nine points, four rebounds and one assist against Seattle Pacific on Friday; had six points, one assist and one steal against Hawaii-Hilo on Saturday; had three points, three rebounds, three assists and one steal in the championship game against Alaska Fairbanks on Monday.

2004-05: Averaging 8.3 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game. Is fifth on the team in scoring and fourth in 3-pointers made (31).

Season Highs: Points – 17 vs. Cal State Stanislaus (2-18-05); Rebounds – 7 at San Francisco State (2-04-05), at Cal State Dominguez Hills (1-26-05); Assists – 4 vs. Cal State Bakersfield (2-11-05), at Cal State Bakersfield (1-08-05), vs. San Francisco State (12-4-04), at Western Washington (11-27-04).

Career Highs: Points – 17 vs. Cal State Stanislaus (2-18-05); Rebounds – 7 at San Francisco State (2-04-05), at Cal State Dominguez Hills (1-26-05); Assists – 4 vs. Cal State Bakersfield (2-11-05), 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 Seattle Pacific on Friday, Hawaii-Hilo on Saturday, and Alaska Fairbanks on Monday.

2004-05: Averaging 1.8 points, 1.3 rebounds and 0.5 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 24 points, nine rebounds, one assist, three steals and two blocked shots against Seattle Pacific on Friday; had 16 points, 10 rebounds and two assists against Hawaii-Hilo on Saturday; had 16 points, 7 rebounds, two assists and two steals in the championship game against Alaska Fairbanks on Monday. Bonds also received the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player award for the second time in three years.

2004-05: Averaging 17.5 points, 6.6 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game. Leads 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 vs. Cal State Stanislaus (2-18-05), 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 21 points, three rebounds, four assists, one blocked shot and one steal in the championship game against Alaska Fairbanks on Monday; had 18 points, four rebounds, four assists and two steals against Seattle Pacific on Friday; had eight points, eight rebounds, three assists and one blocked shot against Hawaii-Hilo on Saturday. Sybesma also received All-Tournament honors.

2004-05: Averaging 16.2 points, 5.6 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game. Is third in the CCAA in field-goal percentage (56.2 percent) and is fourth in the conference in scoring. 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 – 8 vs. Chico State (2-19-05).

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 six points and six rebounds in the championship game against Alaska Fairbanks on Monday; had six points and two rebounds against Seattle Pacific on Friday; had four points, one rebound, and two assists against Hawaii-Hilo on Saturday.

2004-05: Averaging 4.8 points, 3.3 rebounds and 0.5 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 and one steal in the championship game against Alaska Fairbanks on Monday; had one rebound in limited action against Seattle Pacific on Friday; DNP-CD against Hawaii-Hilo on Saturday.

2004-05:  Averaging 3.8 points, 2.1 rebounds and 0.5 assists per game.

Season Highs: Points – 10 at UC San Diego (2-25-05); Rebounds – 7 vs. Chico State (2-19-05); Assists – 3 vs. Cal State L.A. (2-12-05).

Career Highs: First year with Broncos.