A few things have proven to be certain since Greg Kamansky stepped into the role as Cal Poly Pomona men's head basketball coach in 2000.

-         The Broncos have been among the most successful teams in the California Collegiate Athletic Association

-         The Broncos' sixth man – Kellogg Gym – is among the more difficult venues for opposing teams

-         Postseason play is a reality

            As the Broncos begin the 2008-2009 campaign Nov. 18 against NAIA Vanguard, there is little doubt that each of those three categories will come into play this season.  The Broncos, led by preseason All-American Larry Gordon, are certain to have a say in the CCAA race and look to continue the success that has been a fixture in Kamansky's eight years at the helm.

           "We have an outstanding group of young men who have as solid a work ethic as I've had,'' said Kamansky, who is the Broncos' all-time leading coach in winning percentage at .674. He owns a 153-74 overall mark and is 116-54 in league games. "They're a hungry group who are ready to step up and play.''

           The 2008-2009 Broncos feature Gordon and a solid cast. The 6-foot-5 inch senior from Pomona looks to build upon a fantastic 2007-08 season in which he scored in double figures in each of the Broncos' 28 games.  The list of honors he earned is nothing short of remarkable. He earned National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Division II all-West District first-team honors and picked up his third All-CCAA selection in his career. He also was an all-CCAA Tournament selection and a Daktronics West Region first-team choice.

Gordon finished second in both scoring and rebounding in the CCAA, averaging 17.7 points and 9.1 rebounds and led the conference in double-doubles with 13. He was the only player in the CCAA to rank in the top 10 in scoring, rebounding, field goal percentage, free throw percentage, steals and blocked shots.

"Larry is such a hard worker and that impacts everyone else on our team,'' Kamansky said. "He simply out-works people and that shows in his game. He performs that way in practice, in games. No question about it, we look to Larry to give us leadership. He can shoot, defend, rebound and has an incredible amount of will power.''

The challenge that awaits this year's Bronco team is one of depth. True freshman Kevin Ryan (El Segundo) will not play redshirt due to a knee injury and 2006 CCAA Freshman of the Year Donnelle Booker (San Bernardino) sustained a knee injury during preseason and the junior may be out for the season. That leaves a team of 10 players – and only two others, senior Kyle Krause (Wasco) and sophomore Tobias Jahn (Babenhausen, Germany) who played any amount of sustained minutes for the Broncos, who finished one game shy of returning to the NCAA Tournament by virtue of their runner-up finish at the CCAA Tournament.

"It's going to be a challenge,'' said Kamansky of his team's 10-man roster. "It wasn't the plan, but we have no choice. It's going to give our guys plenty of opportunity and hopefully in January , we come out better because of it.''

Jahn averaged 13.5 minutes last season and appeared in all 28 games for the Broncos. He'll be counted on to improve his averages of 2.3 points and 2 rebounds a game. Krause saw action in 23 of the 28 games and averaged just less than nine minutes a contest.

Junior Austin Swift (Santa Cruz) looks to step in and give the team substance at the guard position. A transfer from Montana, Swift played in just two games last season before going down with an ankle injury and was granted a medical redshirt.

The only other Bronco who has seen time on the court is crowd-favorite Jimmy Miyasaka (Honolulu, Hawaii), who began his career as a student manager, and looks to finish out his Bronco career. He saw action in just nine games in a limited role.

The Broncos feature senior Walter Thompson (Venice), who began his college career at two-year Williston (N.D.) State College, transferred to Division I Portland, where he spent three seasons including a redshirt season with the Pilots. He looks to give the Broncos an outside threat with one year of eligibility remaining.

Junior college transfers Dahir Nasser (Phoenix, Ariz.) and Robert Summers (Los Angeles) are a pair of tested veterans who should bolster the Bronco lineup.

The Broncos also include freshman Matthew Rosser (Temecula) and Dwayne Fells (Fullerton) who have shown promise in fall camp.

The Broncos open the season with a pair of home games against Southern California NAIA schools Vanguard and Westmont. They begin CCAA play with road games at Cal State Dominguez Hills and Cal State Los Angeles, who according to Kamansky are among the top teams in the CCAA.

"Cal State San Bernardino should be the favorite,'' he said.  "They're a cut above the rest Cal State Dominguez Hills and Cal State L.A. will be right there, and you can't count out Humboldt State. Chico turned its roster over and UC San Diego did some nice things last year with people who return. Every game out will be test because this league provides tough environments everywhere you go. There are no easy games.''

          

2008-09 Men's Basketball Quick Facts
Institution: Cal Poly Pomona
Location: 3801 W. Temple Avenue, Pomona, CA, 91768
Nickname: Broncos
Colors: Green and Gold
Affiliation: NCAA Division II
Head Coach: Greg Kamansky (9th season, UC San Diego '88)
Record at CPP: 153-74
Overall College Record: 153-74
Basketball Office Phone: (909) 869-2833
E-mail: glkamansky@csupomona.edu
Associate Head Coach: Bill Bannon (7th season, Fordham '95)
Assistant Head Coach: Damion Hill (7th season, Cal Poly Pomona '02)
2007-08 Overall Record: 13-15
2007-08 CCAA Record: 10-10 (8th place)
NCAA Appearances: 6 (1962, 1964, 1976, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007)
First Year of Basketball: 1947
Overall CPP Record: 845-786 (.518)
Basketball Facility: Kellogg Gym (5,000)