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Seen as future champions Basketball websites picking Gauchos to win Big WestConference By MARK PATTON NEWS-PRESS SENIOR WRITER
In a year that a pandemic has rendered unpredictable, UCSB is getting picked to win the Big West Conference men’s basketball championship. Two of three college basketball websites have chosen the Gauchos to finish first while another picked them second behind defending champion UC Irvine. UCSB opens its season in three weeks, on Nov. 27, when Florida Gulf Coast visits the Thunderdome for the Santa Barbara Slam. Florida A&M will also play the Gauchos in the round-robin event on Nov. 29. Spectators won’t be allowed for at least the first part of the season because of the COVID19 pandemic. “The predictions, that’s all for the fans and the media and the boosters,” UCSB coach Joe Pasternack said. “We’re totally process-oriented. That’s all we can control and be worried about. “We’ve had a lot of guys banged up, but they’ve gotten through it. Our guys are really competing in practice on a daily basis, and that’s all I can ask.” It is a highly competitive environment with three returning starters among their seven lettermen. They include a pair of All-Big West honorees: 6-foot-9 junior Amadou Sow and 6-4 senior JaQuori McLaughlin. Sow averaged 14.1 points and 7.0 rebounds as a sophomore to receive second-team recognition for the second straight season. McLaughlin received honorable mention after averaging 13.4 points and 4.1 assists as a junior. Senior Devearl Ramsey (8.3 points and 2.5 assists) is also back for his third season as the starting point guard. Although Three-Man Weave picked Irvine to repeat as league champion, it did select Sow as the Big West’s Preseason Player of the Year, describing him as “a savvy, low-post scorer and freakish leaper.” Both Sow and McLaughlin were first-team picks on the Preseason All-Big West Teams of all three web sites. Miles Norris — a 6-10, former Oregon recruit who won California JC Player of the Year honors last year for CC of San Francisco — was chosen as Newcomer of the Year by College Basketball Central. Last Word on Sports tabbed the Gauchos as Big West favorites and Sow as its Player of the Year while noting that he is still developing his game: “It is scary to think about the fact that those numbers will improve. Simply put, Sow is the best player on arguably the best team in the league heading into 2020-21.” College Basketball Central picked UCSB over Irvine but tabbed Anteater forward Collin Welp as its Preseason Player of the Year. Welp and center Brad Greene are the top returning players on an Anteater team that must replace its entire backcourt. “This feels like the season where UCSB finally breaks through,” Last Word On Sports wrote. “The Gauchos have been chasing UC
Local Republicans, Democrats remain optimistic Members of both parties believe their candidate can win By JOSH GREGA NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
Both the local Republican and Democrat chairwomen see a possible path to victory for President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden, respectively. While votes in several key swing states are still being counted, President Trump’s campaign has demanded a recount in Wisconsin and filed lawsuits in Pennsylvania and Michigan. In an interview with the News-Press, Santa Barbara County Democratic Party chairwoman Gail Teton-Landis said that Mr. Biden can win the presidency if he can retain his leads in Arizona, Nevada, Michigan, and Wisconsin. The chairwoman took exception to
By ANNELISE HANSHAW NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
KENNETH SONG/NEWS-PRESS
Robinson Idehen, left, has been impressive in workouts, according to coach Joe Pasternack, while fellow big man Amadou Sow, right, has been picked as Preseason Player of the Year in the Big West Conference by two different websites.
Irvine for the last two seasons, but they seem to have the upper edge heading into 2020-21. “Sow and McLaughlin are a dynamic duo… Furthermore, the addition of junior college transfer and former Oregon recruit Norris will provide a huge boost in the paint.” But two Gauchos getting little mention — 6-10 senior Robinson Idehen and 6-3 sophomore transfer Ajare Sanni — have been impressive in early workouts. Idehen, who has served as Sow’s backup at center the last two
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years, missed the first week-anda-half of practice with an ankle injury but has been making up for lost time. “He’s just the epitome of what we want in a UCSB basketball player,” Pasternack said. “He does what he’s supposed to on and off the court and is just a great representative of our program, of himself and his family. “He plays so hard, every single play, and it’s unconditional. It’s not about how many minutes he gets or how things are going for him personally. He’s an every-
Please see election on A8
possession guy and just a joy to coach.” Sanni, who averaged 8.6 points on 38.7% shooting from threepoint range as a freshman at Pacific, practiced with the Gauchos as a redshirt last season. “His dad played at Arizona and Rice, and also played professional basketball, so he has really good genes,” Pasternack said. “He has a great family and was raised the right way. “He’s a really, really good Please see predictions on A7
Measure L2020, a $7.8 million bond measure in the Cold Spring School District, sits on the precipice of passing. Semiofficial election night results show a little over 52% of voters in favor of the measure, but it needs 55% to pass. Dr. Amy Alzina, superintendent and principal of the elementary school district, said Wednesday morning she feels “cautiously optimistic.” She said the results are comparable to past Cold Spring bond measures. She added that it’s especially hard to garner support during a pandemic. “To be so close is a good thing,” she said. In 2008, Cold Spring passed a $2.44 million bond measure. It funded auditorium and library
renovations and retrofitted three classrooms. Dr. Alzina said the district could’ve used more money, but only small bond measures would pass. She doesn’t have a backup plan currently in place because of COVID-19’s demands. “I don’t know how many superintendents have pulled off a five-days-a-week reopening during a bond measure,” she said. She said there are few grants available to provide funds. “The challenge for us is protecting the educational program,” she said. “You have to spend the money that usually goes to educational programs to fix it. So those are going to be some tough decisions if it doesn’t pass.” Please see races on A6
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President’s Trump’s remarks that his campaign had already won Tuesday’s election. “Every vote needs to be counted and it’s not up to Donald Trump to say that the election is over. That’s not how it works in this country,” she said. As of Wednesday afternoon, The Associated Press’ election results showed Mr. Biden at 264 electoral votes while President Trump is at 214. While AP has called Michigan and Wisconsin for Mr. Biden, President Trump’s campaign announced it will ask for a recount in the latter and has filed a lawsuit against the former. A statement from the president’s campaign manager Bill Stepien said the lawsuit
School measures, board races remain tight
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President Donald Trump
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