TOP SPORTING EVENTS: JANUARY 21-FEBRUARY 1

Five of the six players named to the Big West preseason all-conference basketball team will be on the floor at the Thunderdome on tonight (Sat., Jan. 21) when the Long Beach State 49ers visit the UCSB Gauchos. The game will be televised live on ESPNU at 8 p.m.

Long Beach is led by point guard Casper Ware and forwards Larry Anderson and T.J. Robinson. UCSB features the rangy guard combo of Orlando Johnson, the leading scorer in the Big West (20.4 points per game), and James Nunnally. Johnson is among final 25 players who are under consideration for the 2012 John R. Wooden Award.

All those players are seniors who have scores to settle in their last go-around against each other. Last year, the 49ers swept both regular-season games against UCSB, but the Gauchos knocked them off in the Big West Tournament championship game for the second straight year. The UCSB record book shows the schools have played each other 111 times, with Long Beach holding a 56-55 edge.

Long Beach maintained its perfect record in the Big West (6-0) on Thursday night, coming from behind to defeat Cal Poly 78-69 at San Luis Obispo. Ware scored 30 points, 22 in the second half. Johnson scored 21 points in UCSB’s 69-61 victory over visiting Cal State Northridge. The Gauchos are 4-1 in the conference.

Today is be a busy day on the university campus. Nevada-Las Vegas comes to the Campus Pool for UCSB’s first home swimming meet of 2012, and the fourth-ranked Stanford men’s volleyball team plays the Gauchos at 5 p.m. at Rob Gym.

SBCC plays a basketball double-header against Cuesta. Westmont’s nationally ranked teams will be on the road for their next two games and will return home on January 28.

Saturday, January 21

College swimming and diving – UNLV at UCSB, 11 a.m.

High school boys basketball – Oakwood at Laguna Blanca, 12 p.m.

High school boys soccer – Dunn at Laguna Blanca, 2 p.m.

High school girls soccer – Vasquez at Cate, 2:30 p.m.

High school girls basketball – Thacher at Cate, 4 p.m.

College men’s volleyball – Stanford at UCSB, Robertson Gym, 5 p.m.

College women’s basketball – UCSB at Cal State Northridge, 4 p.m.; Cuesta at SBCC, 5 p.m.; Westmont at Concordia, 5:30 p.m.

College men’s basketball – Cuesta at SBCC, 7 p.m.; Westmont at Concordia, 7:30 p.m.; Long Beach State at UCSB, 8 p.m.

Monday, January 23

Santa Barbara Athletic Round Table press luncheon, Harry’s Plaza Café, 12 p.m.

High school boys soccer – Santa Paula at Carpinteria, 5 p.m.

Tuesday, January 24

High school girls water polo – Ventura at Santa Barbara, 3:15 p.m.

High school girls soccer – Dos Pueblos at San Marcos, 6 p.m.

College women’s basketball – Westmont at Fresno Pacific, 5:30 p.m.

High school girls basketball – Laguna Blanca at San Marcos, 6 p.m.; Grace Brethren at Carpinteria, 7 p.m.

College men’s basketball – Westmont at Fresno Pacific, 7:30 p.m.

Wednesday, January 25

High school boys basketball – Laguna Blanca at Cate, 4:30 p.m.; San Marcos at Santa Barbara, 7 p.m.; Ventura at Dos Pueblos, 7 p.m.; Grace Brethren at Bishop Diego, 7 p.m.

Thursday, January 26

High school girls soccer – Carpinteria at Bishop Diego, 3:15 p.m.

High school girls water polo – Santa Barbara at Dos Pueblos 3:15 p.m.

High school boys soccer – San Marcos at Dos Pueblos, 5 p.m.

College men’s basketball – UCSB at UC Davis, 7 p.m.

College women’s basketball – UC Davis at UCSB, 7 p.m.

High school girls basketball – Dos Pueblos at San Marcos, 7 p.m.

High school wrestling – San Marcos at Santa Barbara, 7 p.m.

Friday, January 27

High school boys soccer – Santa Ynez at San Marcos, 3:30 p.m.

High school boys basketball – Buena at Dos Pueblos, 7 p.m.

Saturday, January 28

High school boys basketball – Laguna Blanca vs. Providence Hall at Westmont College, 9 a.m.

High school girls basketball – Laguna Blanca vs. Providence Hall at Westmont College, 10:30 a.m.

College men’s tennis – Westmont at UCSB, 1 p.m.

High school boys soccer – Midland at Laguna Blanca, 3 p.m.

College women’s basketball – Pacific at UCSB, 2 p.m.; Point Loma Nazarene at Westmont, 5:30 p.m.

College men’s basketball – UCSB at Pacific, 7 p.m.; Point Loma Nazarene at Westmont, 7:30 p.m.

Monday, January 30

Santa Barbara Athletic Round Table press luncheon, Harry’s Plaza Café, 12 p.m.

High school boys soccer – Santa Clara at Carpinteria, 5 p.m.

High school boys basketball – Ventura at San Marcos, 7 p.m.

Tuesday, January 31

High school girls water polo – Ventura at San Marcos, 3:15 p.m.

High school boys soccer – Cate at Laguna Blanca, 3:45 p.m.

High school girls soccer – Ventura at San Marcos, 5 p.m.

College women’s basketball – Vanguard at Westmont, 5:30 p.m.; UCSB at USC, 7 p.m.

High school wrestling – Ventura at San Marcos, 7 p.m.

College men’s basketball – Vanguard at Westmont, 7:30 p.m.

Wednesday, February 1

High school boys soccer – Ojai Valley at Cate, 3 p.m.

High school girls soccer – Cate at Laguna Blanca, 3:15 p.m.

High school girls basketball – Thacher at Laguna Blanca, 3:30 p.m.; Providence Hall at Cate, 4:30 p.m.

High school boys basketball – San Marcos at Dos Pueblos, 7 p.m.; Grace Brethren at Carpinteria, 7 p.m.

CHARITY EVENT

Friday-Saturday, January 27-28 – UCSB-Santa Barbara Foresters baseball fundraising dinner (Saturday) at Earl Warren Showgrounds and golf tournament (Saturday) at Glen Annie Golf Course. ucsbgauchos.com.

RUNNING, WALKING, CYCLING

Sunday, February 5 – Super Bowl 4 Miler, Stow Grove Park, 9 a.m. sbactionpro.com.

Sunday, February 19 – Carpinteria Kiwanis Winter Warm Up 5K, Viola Field, 8 a.m. active.com.

Sunday, February 26 – Roses en la Playa 5K, Leadbetter Beach, 9 a.m. sbactionpro.com.

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