CSUMB men's basketball

 Obviously this isn't the start the Otters envisioned.
 And there is no guarantee that it's going to get any better for CSUMB, who has never opened a year 0-9 since going to Division II in 2004.
 The rebuilding process was not a secret.
 Yet, this is where second year head coach Isaac Williams has to be doing his best coaching, perhaps more from a mental standpoint.
 Williams has a plan. It takes patience. Buying into what he's preaching clearly is being tested by the winless start.
 However, by all accounts, this youthful group is playing hard for Williams.
 It's not like the Otters haven't been competitive in most of their games. Two losses have been by two points. Another by four. And another by six.
 That's two baskets. Reverse that and 4-5 doesn't look so bad for a program in transition.
 CSUMB gave nationally ranked UC San Diego all it could handle before falling by nine.
 Jahvon Johnson has been a bright spot, averaging over 14 points a game for the Otters, while Charlie Tooley and Joseph Bosetti are both dropping in over 11 points a night.
 All three are juniors. In fact, just one senior makes up this roster.
 Tooley has buried 19 3-point goals while sophomore Koen Sapwell has come off the bench to knock down nine shots beyond the 3-point arc.
 Freshman Jared Williams is gaining confidence on the floor, having sank 50 percent of his attempts from beyond the arc.
 Defense is a work in progress. But it's not as gloomy as it looks. Clearly this is a test of adversity.