# 2023–24 Cal Poly Mustangs men's basketball team

The 2023–24 Cal Poly Mustangs men's basketball team represented California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo in the 2023–24 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. They were led by fifth-year head coach John Smith and played their games at the Mott Athletics Center as members of the Big West Conference.
On March 1, the Mustangs announced they would part ways with Smith following the season, after Cal Poly was eliminated from Big West tournament contention.

## Previous season

The Mustangs finished the season 8–25, 1–18 in conference play to finish in eleventh place. In the Big West tournament, the team won their first round game against Long Beach State before losing in the quarterfinals to UC Santa Barbara to end their season.

## Schedule and Results

| Date time, TV | Opponent$^#$ | Result | Record | High points | High rebounds | High assists | Site (attendance) city, state |
| Exhibition |||||||||
| November 2, 2023* 7:00 p.m. | Cal State Los Angeles | L 44–59 | | 10 – Page | 6 – Tied | 2 – Hyder | Mott Athletics Center (-) San Luis Obispo, CA |
| Regular season |||||||||
| November 6, 2023* 7:00 p.m., ESPN+ | La Verne | W 80–62 | 1–0 | 21 – Armotrading | 8 – Armotrading | 4 – Jones | Mott Athletics Center (1,126) San Luis Obispo, CA |
| November 9, 2023* 6:00 p.m. | at Denver | L 76–97 | 1–1 | 18 – Sanders | 7 – Price Jr. | 5 – Hyder | Magness Arena (818) Denver, CO |
| November 11, 2023* 6:00 p.m. | at Wyoming | L 66–80 | 1–2 | 25 – Hyder | 5 – Hyder | 1 – Tied | Arena-Auditorium (3,826) Laramie, WY |
| November 17, 2023* 4:30 p.m. | vs. St. Thomas (MN) The Lancer Joust | W 61–60 | 2–2 | 17 – Jones | 6 – Tied | 2 – Tied | Fowler Events Center (141) Riverside, CA |
| November 18, 2023* 2:30 p.m. | vs. Portland State The Lancer Joust | L 57–73 | 2–3 | 20 – Sanders | 7 – Armotrading | 5 – Hyder | Fowler Events Center (197) Riverside, CA |
| November 19, 2023* 5:00 p.m., ESPN+ | at California Baptist The Lancer Joust | L 58–67 | 2–4 | 17 – Sanders | 7 – Tied | 3 – Tied | Fowler Events Center (2,009) Riverside, CA |
| November 29, 2023* 7:00 p.m., ESPN+ | San Jose State | W 81–77 $^{OT}$ | 3–4 | 22 – Sanders | 8 – Bizimana | 4 – Tied | Mott Athletics Center (1,352) San Luis Obispo, CA |
| December 2, 2023* 7:00 p.m. | at Idaho | L 70–85 | 3–5 | 20 – Sanders | 8 – Armotrading | 3 – Tied | Idaho Central Credit Union Arena (1,898) Moscow, ID |
| December 4, 2023* 7:00 p.m. | at Oregon State | L 63–70 $^{2OT}$ | 3–6 | 21 – Jones | 9 – Armotrading | 2 – Tied | Gill Coliseum (2,568) Corvallis, OR |
| December 9, 2023* 6:00 p.m. | at Weber State | L 50–78 | 3–7 | 16 – Sanders | 7 – Jones | 2 – Tied | Dee Events Center (3,636) Ogden, UT |
| December 18, 2023* 7:00 p.m., ESPN+ | Eastern Washington | L 53–62 | 3–8 | 17 – Sanders | 9 – Jaakkola | 2 – Jones | Mott Athletics Center (1,387) San Luis Obispo, CA |
| December 21, 2023* 7:00 p.m., ESPN+ | Omaha | W 66–53 | 4–8 | 30 – Sanders | 9 – Jaakkola | 4 – Hyder | Mott Athletics Center (1,381) San Luis Obispo, CA |
| Big West regular season |||||||||
| December 28, 2023 7:00 p.m., ESPN+ | Cal State Northridge | L 73–83 | 4–9 (0–1) | 33 – Sanders | 5 – Armotrading | 5 – Sanders | Mott Athletics Center (1,428) San Luis Obispo, CA |
| December 30, 2023 2:00 p.m., ESPN+ | at UC Davis | L 46–71 | 4–10 (0–2) | 13 – Hyder | 4 – Tied | 1 – Tied | University Credit Union Center (1,186) Davis, CA |
| January 4, 2024 7:00 p.m., ESPN+ | Long Beach State | L 82–89 | 4–11 (0–3) | 22 – Jones | 7 – Bizimana | 9 – Sanders | Mott Athletics Center (1,482) San Luis Obispo, CA |
| January 6, 2024 7:00 p.m., ESPN+ | UC Santa Barbara | L 52–61 | 4–12 (0–4) | 22 – Sanders | 5 – Tied | 9 – Sanders | Mott Athletics Center (2,687) San Luis Obispo, CA |
| January 11, 2024 7:00 p.m., ESPN+ | at UC Riverside | L 56–71 | 4–13 (0–5) | 15 – Jaakkola | 6 – Jones | 4 – Jory | SRC Arena (512) Riverside, CA |
| January 13, 2024 7:00 p.m., ESPN+ | UC San Diego | L 61–86 | 4–14 (0–6) | 12 – Tied | 5 – Jory | 3 – Jones | Mott Athletics Center (2,757) San Luis Obispo, CA |
| January 20, 2024 7:00 p.m., ESPN+ | at Cal State Bakersfield | L 53–65 | 4–15 (0–7) | 16 – Jones | 6 – Bizimana | 2 – Tied | Icardo Center (1,974) Bakersfield, CA |
| January 25, 2024 7:00 p.m., ESPN+ | Cal State Fullerton | L 51–54 | 4–16 (0–8) | 14 – Sanders | 8 – Jaakkola | 7 – Sanders | Mott Athletics Center (1,228) San Luis Obispo, CA |
| January 27, 2024 5:00 p.m., ESPN+ | at Hawai'i | L 73–83 | 4–17 (0–9) | 32 – Sanders | 10 – Sanders | 4 – Tied | Stan Sheriff Center (4,921) Honolulu, HI |
| February 1, 2024 7:00 p.m., ESPN+ | UC Irvine | L 59–73 | 4–18 (0–10) | 23 – Sanders | 8 – Bizimana | 4 – Sanders | Mott Athletic Center (1,097) San Luis Obispo, CA |
| February 3, 2024 3:00 p.m., ESPN+ | UC Davis | L 52–59 | 4–19 (0–11) | 14 – Sanders | 13 – Armotrading | 4 – Sanders | Mott Athletic Center (2,087) San Luis Obispo, CA |
| February 8, 2024 7:00 p.m., ESPN+ | at Cal State Northridge | L 65–78 | 4–20 (0–12) | 12 – Jaakkola | 6 – Jaakkola | 8 – Sanders | Premier America Credit Union Arena (390) Northridge, CA |
| February 10, 2024 4:00 p.m., ESPN+ | at Long Beach State | L 68–77 | 4–21 (0–13) | 21 – Hyder | 6 – Tied | 6 – Sanders | Walter Pyramid (2,082) Long Beach, CA |
| February 15, 2024 7:00 p.m., ESPN+ | Hawai'i | L 51–80 | 4–22 (0–14) | 11 – Jones | 10 – Jones | 2 – Jaakkola | Mott Athletic Center (1,122) San Luis Obispo, CA |
| February 22, 2024 7:00 p.m., ESPN+ | at Cal State Fullerton | L 50–68 | 4–23 (0–15) | 14 – Jones | 8 – Jaakkola | 3 – Hyder | Titan Gym (525) Fullerton, CA |
| February 24, 2024 7:00 p.m., ESPN+ | UC Riverside | L 78–84 | 4–24 (0–16) | 35 – Sanders | 3 – Tied | 3 – Sanders | Mott Athletics Center (1,428) San Luis Obispo, CA |
| February 29, 2024 7:00 p.m., ESPN+ | at UC Santa Barbara | L 75–83 | 4–25 (0–17) | 31 – Sanders | 7 – Hyder | 3 – Tied | The Thunderdome (4,000) Santa Barbara, CA |
| March 2, 2024 7:00 p.m., ESPN+ | Cal State Bakersfield | L 56–68 | 4–26 (0–18) | 24 – Sanders | 6 – Sanders | 1 – Tied | Mott Athletics Center (1,428) San Luis Obispo, CA |
| March 7, 2024 7:00 p.m., ESPN+ | at UC Irvine | L 68–82 | 4–27 (0–19) | 22 – Sanders | 9 – Jones | 3 – Hyder | Bren Events Center (2,785) Irvine, CA |
| March 9, 2024 4:00 p.m., ESPN+ | at UC San Diego | L 87–92 | 4–28 (0–20) | 30 – Sanders | 8 – Armotrading | 8 – Sanders | LionTree Arena (1,454) La Jolla, CA |
| *Non-conference game. $^#$Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses. All times are in Pacific Time. |||||||||
Source