He thought the Aggies would have problems adjusting to him as the replacement for Bob Williams, who left for UC Santa Barbara after guiding UCD to the NCAA Division II national championship last season, and would have difficulty in the California Collegiate Athletic Association.

That was before the season.

But now?

"I'm pleasantly surprised," said Fogel, whose team will play CCAA home games tonight against Stanislaus State (4-9, 1-5) and Saturday night against Cal State Bakersfield (5-5, 2-4).

"I'm real pleased with our team right now."

Fogel is excited because the Aggies own a 9-2 overall record and are tied with Sonoma State and Cal Poly Pomona for first place in the CCAA at 5-1.

The rookie coach is also delighted about the Aggies' No. 4 ranking in the latest NABC/Division II Bulletin Men's Top 25 poll.

"Without question," he said. "I didn't expect this."

The Aggies have emerged as one of the top teams in Division II behind the play of junior forward Jason Cox, senior guard J.C. Timmons and senior point guard Dante Ross. Each is averaging 10 points or more per game and provides veteran leadership for an otherwise young team.

UCD has done a solid job on defense. The Aggies have allowed 56.3 points per game and held opponents to 34.4 percent shooting from the field. Both figures are tops in the 12-team CCAA.

"We've adjusted to the defensive system well," Fogel said. "We're pressing, contesting shots and rotating out of our traps extremely well."

While Fogel is surprised by the team's success, Ross is not.

"The reason people don't understand why we win is because they don't see the little things we do, like playing good defense and hustling," he said.

"People don't think we look like a basketball team. Guys think we're a bunch of scrubs because we have a short team and some guys have long hair. We may not have the physical appearance of a basketball team, but when teams face us, they discover something different."

Stanislaus shares the CCAA basement with Chico State. Bakersfield is tied for eighth with San Francisco State and Cal State Dominguez Hills.

Bakersfield started the season ranked in the top 25 but has struggled because of inconsistent play and a few players having off-court problems.

Still, Fogel said the Roadrunners can be dangerous.

"They've had some problems, but they're still capable of winning 14 in a row," Fogel said. "They are still a very talented team."