The Broncos, who have won two NCAA Division II West Region titles in the last five years, return two starters from last year’s team that went 20-8 overall and finished with a 16-6 third-place record in the always-tough California Collegiate Athletic Association.

            In all, the Broncos have seven players returning from last year’s squad that earned a third-seed in the West Region before dropping an opening-round contest to Seattle University.

            “Our starters return in the front court, and I think we may have one of the top front lines in the CCAA,’’ Kamansky said. “We lost our three starting guards from a year ago, but with the addition of our recruits, I’m excited about what they add to our team.

            “How quickly they gel together will be a key as to how well we play this season.’’

            Leading the way for the Broncos is junior forward Larry Gordon. The 6-foot-5 Montclair native was the CCAA’s Freshman of the Year in 2005-06, and backed it up with a first-team, all-CCAA effort last season. Gordon averaged 12.1 points and 7.4 rebounds last year. He finished fourth in the CCAA in rebounding and appeared in all 28 games with 28 starts. He scored in double figures 19 times and led the Broncos in scoring eight times and 18 times in rebounds.

            He figures to be one of the top players in the CCAA.

            “Larry definitely will be a player that our opponents will focus upon,’’ Kamansky said. “He’s improved his inside and outside game. He’s improved his rebounding as well. We’re counting on him to build his basketball IQ.’’

            The other returning starter for the Broncos is senior center Kaelen Daniels. The 6-6 Compton native averaged 11.2 points and  4.7 rebounds a contest. He is a highly skilled big man who can handle the ball and should be a presence in the post.

            “Kaelen brings a great deal of experience,’’ Kamansky said. “He’s a senior and has experienced the success we’ve been fortunate to have over the past few years. We’re counting on him to have a solid season.’’

            Sophomore Donnelle Booker gave the Broncos their second straight CCAA Freshman of the Year award a season ago. Kamansky calls Booker the team’s “defensive player’’ and the San Bernardino native has improved his game a great deal from a year ago.

            “Donnelle got his feet wet last year, and I’m sure, he’ll be guarded a lot better this season,’’ Kamansky said. “Donnelle’s improved his strength. He needs to show that confidence on the court and he can play with a lot of passion. He’s an offensive threat, but he also should be our best defensive player.’’

            Those three players and the other returnees—senior Kevin Neveu, junior forward Bill Forelli, junior guard Jimmy Miyasaka, and junior center Kyle Krause—join redshirt freshman Tobias Jahn and five newcomers on this year’s squad.

            Neveu is a hard worker who has a good feel for the game. He has played in 84 games in his career at Cal Poly Pomona and led last year’s squad in field-goal percentage (58-for-108 53.7 percent) and was second on team in blocks.

            Forelli adds scoring punch for the Broncos and is known for his sound team play. He contributed off the bench last season and led the Broncos in 3-point percentage at 42.6 percent (23-of-54)

            Miyasaka figures to see increased playing time and owns a solid work ethic, along with Krause, who earned the start against Seattle in the West Regional game against Seattle.

            Jahn is the tallest player on the roster and figures to give the Broncos strength off the glass. He increased his strength over the offseason and should be a key defender.

            The five newcomers on the Broncos squad include two Division I transfers in Angelo Tsagarakis (Oregon State) and Austin Swift (Montana), junior college transfer Rich Collins (Barstow College) and two freshmen – C.J. Harris and Isaac Waters.

            Tsagarakis has one year of eligibility remaining and should give the Broncos an outside scoring threat. At Oregon State, he set the 3-point record for freshmen and appeared in 82 games for the Beavers.

            Swift, who has two years of eligibility remaining, has shown his strength in the preseason with a versatile game. He can rebound, shoot, defend and handle the ball.

            The Bronco coaches like Collins’ high basketball IQ. He earned all Foothill Conference honors for the Vikings last season and is a good decision maker who is skilled at handling the ball.

            Harris, who played at Corona Santiago HS, is one of the strongest players on the team and brings a lot of energy to the court. He averaged nearly 16 points a game last season and has the potential to be a solid defender.

            Waters led his Norco Centennial HS team to a CIF title a year ago. He averaged 17.6 points a contest, along with seven assists a game.

            The CCAA preseason coaches poll selected the Broncos to finish second. Defending champion Humboldt State got the nod.

            “I think the conference sizes up as well as any in my time at Cal Poly Pomona,’’ Kamansky said. “Every program has improved. There’s a lot of influx of Division I transfers, and I don’t think there is any question that the region, as a whole, is much improved.’’

            The Broncos open the season at Big West favorite UC Santa Barbara. Preseason games include a trip to Las Vegas where the Broncos will take on GNAC teams Western Washington and Central Washington in mid-December. The Broncos begin CCAA play at home Nov. 30 and Dec. 1 with games against San Francisco State and Cal State Monterey Bay. The CCAA debuts its postseason conference tournament to be held March 4 with on-campus games, then moves to Cal State San Bernardino on March 7-8.

            “We open our league real early, then head to Las Vegas with a pair of difficult games,’’ Kamansky said. “We’ll find out real early where we stand.’’