Pay attention to Titan basketball

Remember the Titans? No, I'm not talking about Denzel Washington or our nationally recognized baseball team; it's your Cal State Fullerton basketball team.

Well, I haven't been keeping track of their first three games, but after last Thursday, I will be paying more attention to them.

I turned the channel to Fox Sports and I came across the CSUF and University of Arizona game.

To be honest, the score wasn't pretty. The Titans put forth the effort, but Arizona was easily their toughest opponent this season.

Hall of fame Head Coach Lute Olson has built a great program in Tucson, with five Final Four appearances and one national title.

The Wildcats have two future NBA lottery picks in Jerryd Bayless and Chase Budinger. So that being said, the game against U of A was like David vs. Goliath.

The most positive aspect I saw out of the whole game was that CSUF played strong defense and forced 18 turnovers.

Throughout the game, I noticed the Titans were undersized in the front court. So guard play this season is even more crucial.

I didn't get to the see the game against Montana but I saw the box score and the Titans used all of their weapons in that match.

The zone is what CSUF needs to control because hoisting three's makes the offense vulnerable. More up-tempo play would definitely benefit the team.

Junior Josh Akognon is going to have to carry the Titans on his back this season. So far he is the go-to scorer, averaging 24 points a game. Coming from Washington State, he has some big-game experience.

I was happy to the see the return of Scott Cutley. He is a throwback player and just plays hard every possession.

The Titans need his inside presence to be successful. There is a reason why he led the Big West last season at 9.5 rebounds a game.

Senior Marcus Morgan is a bruiser on the block. He almost had a double-double against the Wildcats. He, along with Cutley, anchors the frontcourt for CSUF.

All the critics said Charles Barkley was too small to play in the frontcourt. He sure proved them all wrong by becoming one of the best rebounding forwards the game has ever seen. That's what Morgan and Cutley can do for the Titans.

Marcus Crenshaw made seven three's in the last two games; he will be a good long-range threat for the Titans. Guard Frank Robinson had a career-high 30 points against Montana.

One thing the Titans should do more is baseline cutting. With a big man at the high-post passing to a cutting player, they can get to the line more often to put more pressure on opponents. With so many quick, athletic guards on the team, it can be accomplished.

In the preseason Big West Coaches Poll, the coaches predicted that CSUF would end up at the three spot. I think they have a good chance of winning the Big West with all the veterans on the team. The toughest team standing in their way will be the Gauchos from UC Santa Barbara.

Cutley and Akognon make a great inside-outside duo that is probably the best in the league. Remember these Titans.