Richie Schueler on UCI vs UCSB

 

🏀𝙎𝙘𝙝𝙪𝙚𝙡𝙚𝙧 𝙛𝙤𝙧 2⃣@RichieSchueler highlights a major matchup between @UCImbb and @UCSBbasketball and the potential for a historic @UCRMBB season in this week's edition of Schueler for 2! #OnlyTheBold pic.twitter.com/fcGkT38hf5

— The Big West (@BigWestSports) February 15, 2023

UCI vs UCSB Game Preview, by gauchodan

Game 25 (BW Game 14)

UC Irvine at UCSB
Wednesday, February 15, 2023, 7:00 pm PST
Santa Barbara, Calif.
 
Quick Bite
The Gauchos (20-4, 11-2) are off to a good start in running "The Gauntlet".  UCSB executed in clutch time to win at Long Beach and then came home to out-class UC Davis.  The Davis victory was bittersweet, as Koat Keat Tong limped off the court never to return and Andre Kelly earned a one-game suspension for a garbage-time scrum with Ty Johnson.  Kelly's status for this game is certain, but KKT's is not.  Regardless, the Gauchos lost the best player from the first matchup between the two perennial contenders.  Kelly ran roughshod over Irvine's injury-depleted front court a month ago, and it's hard to imagine anyone else in that role with UCI looking a lot healthier with Bent Leuchten back on the floor.  Expect a radical game plan from Joe Pasternack.

The Anteaters (17-8, 10-3) have rediscovered their mo-jo.  UC Irvine is coming off an 83-64 stomping of UC Riverside that wasn't that close.  The 'Eaters have won 4 of their last 5 and largely resemble the November iteration that was receiving top 25 votes after a double-digit road win at Oregon and a heartbreaking loss at San Diego State.  Russell Turner will have his squad fired up, seeking revenge for last month's surprising loss to a flu-riddled Gaucho squad sans Josh Pierre-Louis.  Turner gets nearly all of his bench into every game, and lots of offensive weapons to draw from: Dawson Baker is a poor man's Elijah Pepper, DJ Davis can shoot from way beyond the perimeter, Devin Tillis is coming into his own, Akiva McBirney-Griffin is another developing big man and Pierre Crockrell II is dropping dimes on everyone.  This team is built to do damage in the NCAA Tournament, and we're standing in their way of a Big West regular-season title.

Last meeting
UC Santa Barbara 73, UC Irvine 65
IRVINE, Calif. -- Andre Kelly and Miles Norris recorded double doubles as the short-handed Gauchos rebounded from their first loss since November with their first win over the Anteaters in Irvine since 2016.  Kelly scored 22 points on 11-of-14 shooting from the field and grabbed 11 boards, while Norris scored 14 of his 16 points after halftime and pulled down 12 rebounds.  UCSB was playing without Josh Pierre-Louis due to illness.  A crowd of 3,123 watched the lead change 11 times.  Dawson Baker tallied 17 points for Irvine.

Last UCSB game
Feb. 11: UC Santa Barbara 84, UC Davis 74
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. -- Ajay Mitchell scored 24 points on 9-of-13 shooting to lead the Gauchos over the Aggies.  Josh Pierre-Louis added 18 points, 7 rebounds and 8 assists for Santa Barbara, which reached 20 wins for the 5th time in Joe Pasternack's six seasons at the school.  UCSB shot 61% from the field.  Elijah Pepper scored 30 points for UC Davis, the 5th straight game in which he has scored at least 28.

Last UC Irvine game
Feb. 11: UC Irvine 83, UC Riverside 64
IRVINE, Calif. -- Dawson Baker scored 23 points on 9-of-14 shooting and grabbed 5 rebounds and the Anteaters led by as many as 28 points in stomping the Highlanders.  Pierre Crockrell III dished out 11 assists as UC Irvine shot 57% from the field.  Lachlan Olbrich scored 22 for UC Riverside, which has lost 4 of its last 6.

The Arena
The Thunderdome
Capacity: 5,000
What do you want to bet some kind of "buyer, beware" statement will be read to Thunder Row?

UC Irvine Roster
Dawson Baker #1, JR G, 6-3 180, Coto de Caza, CA -- 15.1 Pts, 3.5 Reb, 1.0 Ast
DJ Davis #22 JR G, 5-6, 170, Moreno Valley, CA -- 14.1 Pts, 2.1 Reb, 1.4 Ast
Justin Hohn #2 JR G, 6-1 180, Sioux Falls, SD -- 7.5 Pts, 2.1 Reb, 2.0 Ast
Devin Tillis #11 JR F, 6-6 215, Los Angeles, CA -- 7.5 Pts, 6.0 Reb, 1.3 Ast
Bent Leuchten #15 SO C, 7-0 258, Karlsfeld, Germany -- 10.3 Pts, 6.1 Reb, 0.9 Ast
Pierre Crockrell II #3 SR G, 6-0 175, Tacoma, WA -- 4.8 Pts, 1.7 Reb, 5.2 Ast
Dean Keeler #31 SR F, 6-9 210, Westminster, CA -- 4.5 Pts, 3.0 Reb, 0.5 Ast
Andre Henry #4 JR G, 6-4 175, La Canada-Flintridge, CA -- 4.1 Pts, 2.3 Reb, 1.0 Ast
JC Butler #00 SR F, 6-5 200, Racine, WI -- 3.8 Pts, 1.4 Reb, 0.5 Ast
Akiva McBirney-Griffin #43 SO F, 6-9 220, Hamilton, Canada -- 2.8 Pts, 1.9 Reb, 0.5 Ast
Chazz Hutchison #5 JR F, 6-9 215, Mission Viejo, CA -- 2.7 Pts, 2.9 Reb, 0.2 Ast
Ofure Ujadughele #10 JR G, 6-3 210, Long Beach, CA -- 2.0 Pts, 2.5 Reb, 0.9 Ast
Emilis Butkus #23 FR G, 6-5 215, Vilnius, Lithuania -- 1.9 Pts, 1.0 Reb, 0.2 Ast
Hayden Welling #13 FR F, 6-8 210, Draper, UT -- 1.1 Pts, 0.9 Reb, 0.0 Ast
Eli Chol #33 FR C, 6-11 175, Cumming, GA -- 0.6 Pts, 1.0 Reb, 0.2 Ast

UCSB Roster
Ajay Mitchell #13 SO G, 6-4 180, Sainte Marie Namur (Belgium) -- 15.9 Pts, 2.6 Reb, 4.8 Ast
Miles Norris #5 SR F, 6-10 220, San Diego, CA -- 13.8 Pts, 6.3 Reb, 1.4 Ast
Andre Kelly #2 SR F, 6-8 255, Stockton, CA -- 9.2 Pts, 6.5 Reb, 1.0 Ast
Josh Pierre-Louis #1 SR G, 6-4 185, Plainfield, NJ -- 9.8 Pts, 4.1 Reb, 2.3 Ast
Cole Anderson #4 SO G, 6-4 185, Fresno, CA -- 6.8 Pts, 1.1 Reb, 0.7 Ast
Ajare Sanni #3 SR G, 6-3 170, Houston, TX -- 6.6 Pts, 2.0 Reb, 1.0 Ast
Calvin Wishart #10 SR G, 6-1 180, Delano, MN -- 6.3 Pts, 2.8 Reb, 2.6 Ast
Koat Keat Tong #00 FR F, 6-9 215, Bentiu, South Sudan -- 1.9 Pts, 3.9 Reb, 0.3 Ast
Jakov Kukic #14 JR F, 6-10 230, Split, Croatia -- 1.5 Pts, 2.2 Reb, 0.1 Ast
Evans Kipruto #12 JR F, 6-8 250, Nairobi, Kenya -- 0.8 Pts, 0.6 Reb, 0.0 Ast
Matija Belic #32 FR G, 6-7 205, Belgrade, Serbia -- 0.5 Pts, 0.8 Reb, 0.3 Ast
David Pickles #40 SO F, 6-10 235, Seattle, WA -- 1.5 Pts, 0.5 Reb, 0.0 Ast
Gage Gomez #50 JR G, 6-3 190, Arroyo Grande, CA -- 0.3 Pts, 0.3 Reb, 0.3 Ast
Ariel Bland #23 SO F, 6-7 215, Eden Prairie, MN -- 0.0 Pts, 1.5 Reb, 0.0 Ast
Henry Hartwell #51 FR G, 6-5 180, Oceanside, CA -- 0.0 Pts, 0.5 Reb, 0.0 Ast
Max Sheldon #53 SO G, 5-11 180, Santa Barbara, CA -- 0.0 Pts, 0.0 Reb, 0.0 Ast
 
UC Irvine National Ranking Outliers
Team

• Assist/Turnover ratio: 71 (1.23)
• Assists per game: 65 (15.0)
• Bench points per game: 28 (26.28)
• Effective FG percentage: 59 (.536)
• Fastbreak Points: 53 (12.36)
• Field Goal percentage: 38 (.476)
• Field Goal percentage Defense: 16 (.397)
• Fouls per game: 326 (19.3)
• Rebound Margin: 71 (+3.7)
• Rebounds (Defensive) per game: 32 (27.28)
• Rebounds per game: 70 (37.04)
• Scoring Margin: 33 (+10.0)
• Scoring Offense: 66 (76.5)
• Three Point Attempts per game: 291 (18.8)
• Three-Point percentage: 14 (.385)
• Three-Point percentage Defense: 58 (.315)
• Winning percentage: 73 (.680)

Players

• Pierre Crockrell II -- Assist/Turnover ratio: 30 (2.69), Assists: 36 (129), Assists per game: 36 (5.2)
• Dean Keeler -- Blocks: 321 (20), Blocks per game: 336 (0.80)
• Devin Tillis -- Double Doubles: 324 (2), Rebounds: 332 (149), Rebounds (Defensive) per game: 342 (4.28), Rebounds per game: 326 (6.0)
• Dawson Baker -- Field Goal Attempts: 303 (280), Field Goal percentage: 136 (.482), Field Goals: 217 (135), Free Throw percentage: 168 (.806), Free Throws: 282 (75), Points: 246 (378), Points per game: 236 (15.1)
• DJ Davis -- Field Goal Attempts: 313 (278), Free Throw percentage: 33 (.873), Points: 329 (353), Points per game: 330 (14.1), Three Point attempts: 180 (150), Three Pointers per game: 131 (2.40), Three Pointers: 124 (60)

UCSB National Ranking Outliers
Team

• Effective FG percentage: 37 (.544)
• Field Goal percentage: 8 (.493)
• Rebound Margin: 52 (+4.3)
• Scoring Defense: 29 (63.3)
• Scoring Margin: 66 (+7.9)
• Three Point Attempts per game: 343 (16.0)
• Three Pointers per game: 332 (5.4)
• Winning percentage: 10 (.833)

Players

• Ajay Mitchell -- Assist/Turnover ratio: 91 (2.05), Assists: 69 (115), Assists per game: 60 (4.8), Double Doubles: 324 (2), Field Goal percentage: 94 (.510), Field Goals: 235 (133), Free Throw Attempts: 102 (128), Free Throw percentage: 195 (.797), Free Throws: 76 (102), Minutes per game: 267 (32:42), Points: 228 (382), Points per game: 171 (15.9), Steals: 213 (36), Steals per game: 190 (1.50)
• Miles Norris -- Blocks: 215 (24), Blocks per game: 205 (1.00), Double Doubles: 222 (3), Field Goal percentage: 109 (.498), Minutes per game: 261 (32:46), Rebounds: 309 (152), Rebounds (Offensive) per game: 260 (2.08), Rebounds per game: 253 (6.3)
• Andre Kelly -- Blocks: 295 (21), Blocks per game: 286 (0.88), Double Doubles: 119 (5), Rebounds: 277 (155), Rebounds (Defensive) per game: 150 (5.08), Rebounds per game: 235 (6.5)
• Josh Pierre-Louis -- Steals: 236 (35), Steals per game: 156 (1.59)

Prediction
You never know how losing a key player will affect a team.  Recall UC Riverside punking us without Zyon Pullin.  Or us beating UCI without the dynamic JPL.  How many of you watched Patrick Mahomes hop off the field near the end of the 1st half and jumped off the Kansas City bandwagon?  Championship teams find a way.  If the Gauchos are going to win a Big West championship, they very well may need this game in the win column.  This team has risen to the occasion more than once.  I'm likely in the minority, but what do any of us have to lose?  UCSB 68, UC Irvine 64.

Official Site:  https://ucirvinesports.com/sports/mens-basketball
Hey Guys!:  https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/bigwest ... etball-f7/
How to Watch:  https://www.espn.com/watch/player/_/id/ ... daf8699b1a
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UCSB vs UCI Game Preview, by gauchodan

Game 17 (BW Game 5)
UCSB at UC Irvine
Monday, January 16, 2023, 6:00 pm PST
Irvine, Calif.
 
Quick Bite
Well, that sucked.  Clever writing aside, the Gauchos (13-3, 4-1) cheated the Devil one too many times.  Lots of bugaboos reared up at the wrong time vs. UC Riverside.  Poor perimeter defense.  Ugly three-point shooting.  Little bench production. 

The Anteaters (12-5, 5-0) are not the antidote for a return to success.  UC Irvine was knocking on the door of the Top 25 in November but inexplicably went into a 1-4 funk after Thanksgiving.  Dawson Baker has stepped up in conference play to help right the ship, and DJ Davis is starting to get going again.  Pierre Crockrell II leads the conference in assists.  Unfortunately for the 'Eaters, their best big man Bent Leuchten just went under the knife and is out for this game.  More than any other team in the conference, Irvine employs the next-man-up mentality as Russell Turner does not hesitate to hockey-line change his lineup when he sees fit.

UCSB-UC Irvine History
UCSB leads the series 55-45.
Recent games
March 10, 2022: W 78-69 at BWT, Henderson, NV
February 3, 2022: L 52-53 at Santa Barbara
March 13, 2021: W 79-63 at BWT, Anaheim, CA (Gauchos win BWT Championship)
December 28, 2020: L 69-73 at Irvine
December 27, 2020: L 56-75 at Irvine
February 29, 2020: L 58-69 at Irvine
February 8, 2020: W 64-61 at Santa Barbara
February 16, 2019: L 70-83 at Irvine
January 31, 2019: L 62-66 (OT) Santa Barbara
March 9, 2018: L 58-61 at BWT, Anaheim, CA
February 22, 2018: L 49-69 at Irvine
January 6, 2018: W 70-58 at Santa Barbara 

The Arena
Bren Events Center
Capacity: 5,608
Gaucho pre-game is at Eureka! Irvine, 4143 Campus Drive, Irvine, CA 92612.  Be forewarned.  The jinx plans to attend.

Head Coach
Russell Turner
overall/UC Irvine: 254-163 (.609)
Turner is in his 13th season at UCI.  He has 10 consecutive winning seasons, 7 seasons of 20+ wins, five regular-season conference titles and two NCAA appearances.  His 2018-19 squad went 31-6 and advanced to the 2nd round of the Tournament.  Turner is the leading scorer in D3 Hampden-Sydney (Va.) history.

UC Irvine Roster
Dawson Baker #1, JR G, 6-3 180, Coto de Caza, CA -- 14.1 Pts, 2.9 Reb, 0.7 Ast
DJ Davis #22 JR G, 5-6, 170, Moreno Valley, CA -- 13.9 Pts, 2.1 Reb, 1.4 Ast
Bent Leuchten #15 SO C, 7-0 258, Karlsfeld, Germany -- 10.4 Pts, 6.1 Reb, 1.0 Ast
Justin Hohn #2 JR G, 6-1 180, Sioux Falls, SD -- 8.4 Pts, 2.1 Reb, 2.6 Ast
Devin Tillis #11 JR F, 6-6 215, Los Angeles, CA -- 6.8 Pts, 6.1 Reb, 1.3 Ast
Andre Henry #4 JR G, 6-4 175, La Canada-Flintridge, CA -- 4.9 Pts, 2.5 Reb, 1.0 Ast
Pierre Crockrell II #3 SR G, 6-0 175, Tacoma, WA -- 4.9 Pts, 1.8 Reb, 4.9 Ast
JC Butler #00 SR F, 6-5 200, Racine, WI -- 4.5 Pts, 1.5 Reb, 0.5 Ast
Dean Keeler #31 SR F, 6-9 210, Westminster, CA -- 4.0 Pts, 3.2 Reb, 0.5 Ast
Chazz Hutchison #5 JR F, 6-9 215, Mission Viejo, CA -- 2.8 Pts, 2.8 Reb, 0.2 Ast
Ofure Ujadughele #10 JR G, 6-3 210, Long Beach, CA -- 2.1 Pts, 2.2 Reb, 0.9 Ast
Akiva McBirney-Griffin #43 SO F, 6-9 220, Hamilton, Canada -- 1.3 Pts, 0.8 Reb, 0.2 Ast
Emilis Butkus #23 FR G, 6-5 215, Vilnius, Lithuania -- 1.8 Pts, 1.0 Reb, 0.3 Ast
Hayden Welling #13 FR F, 6-8 210, Draper, UT -- 0.9 Pts, 0.6 Reb, 0.0 Ast
Eli Chol #33 FR C, 6-11 175, Cumming, GA -- 0.8 Pts, 1.0 Reb, 0.3 Ast

UCSB Roster
Ajay Mitchell #13 SO G, 6-4 180, Sainte Marie Namur (Belgium) -- 15.9 Pts, 2.9 Reb, 4.5 Ast
Miles Norris #5 SR F, 6-10 220, San Diego, CA -- 12.9 Pts, 6.1 Reb, 1.6 Ast
Josh Pierre-Louis #1 SR G, 6-4 185, Plainfield, NJ -- 10.1 Pts, 3.7 Reb, 2.2 Ast
Andre Kelly #2 SR F, 6-8 255, Stockton, CA -- 8.9 Pts, 6.4 Reb, 0.9 Ast
Calvin Wishart #10 SR G, 6-1 180, Delano, MN -- 6.7 Pts, 2.9 Reb, 2.6 Ast
Ajare Sanni #3 SR G, 6-3 170, Houston, TX -- 7.0 Pts, 2.6 Reb, 1.1 Ast
Cole Anderson #4 SO G, 6-4 185, Fresno, CA -- 6.3 Pts, 1.3 Reb, 0.9 Ast
Koat Keat Tong #00 FR F, 6-9 215, Bentiu, South Sudan -- 1.5 Pts, 3.5 Reb, 0.3 Ast
Jakov Kukic #14 JR F, 6-10 230, Split, Croatia -- 1.8 Pts, 2.6 Reb, 0.1 Ast
Matija Belic #32 FR G, 6-7 205, Belgrade, Serbia -- 0.4 Pts, 0.8 Reb, 0.1 Ast
Evans Kipruto #12 JR F, 6-8 250, Nairobi, Kenya -- 0.8 Pts, 1.2 Reb, 0.0 Ast
Gage Gomez #50 JR G, 6-3 190, Arroyo Grande, CA -- 0.7 Pts, 0.0 Reb, 0.7 Ast
David Pickles #40 SO F, 6-10 235, Seattle, WA -- 1.0 Pts, 1.0 Reb, 0.0 Ast
Ariel Bland #23 SO F, 6-7 215, Eden Prairie, MN -- 0.0 Pts, 1.5 Reb, 0.0 Ast
Henry Hartwell #51 FR G, 6-5 180, Oceanside, CA -- 0.0 Pts, 0.5 Reb, 0.0 Ast
Max Sheldon #53 SO G, 5-11 180, Santa Barbara, CA -- 0.0 Pts, 0.0 Reb, 0.0 Ast
 
UC Irvine National Ranking Outliers
Team

• Assists per game: 60 (15.3)
• Bench points per game: 20 (28.94)
• Effective FG percentage: 46 (.544)
• Fastbreak Points: 39 (13.53)
• Field Goal percentage: 34 (.481)
• Field Goal percentage Defense: 48 (.403)
• Fouls per game: 321 (19.3)
• Rebound Margin: 30 (+6.0)
• Rebounds (Defensive) per game: 52 (27.35)
• Rebounds per game: 66 (38.12)
• Scoring Margin: 33 (11.4)
• Scoring Offense: 50 (78.1)
• Three-Point percentage: 4 (.405)
• Winning percentage: 64 (.706)

Players

• Pierre Crockrell II -- Assist/Turnover ratio: 68 (2.21), Assists: 55 (84), Assists per game: 41 (4.9)
• Dean Keeler -- Blocks: 268 (15), Blocks per game: 281 (0.88)
• Bent Leuchten -- Blocks per game: 346 (0.80), Rebounds (Offensive) per game: 337 (1.93), Rebounds per game: 300 (6.1)
• Devin Tillis -- Double Doubles: 228 (2), Rebounds: 331 (104), Rebounds (Defensive) per game: 304 (4.41), Rebounds per game: 303 (6.1)
• Dawson Baker -- Field Goal percentage: 159 (.471), Field Goals: 302 (89), Points per game: 323 (14.1)
• DJ Davis -- Free Throw percentage: 67 (.855), Points per game: 345 (13.9), Three Point attempts: 253 (97), Three Pointers per game: 131 (2.41), Three Pointers: 147 (41)

UCSB National Ranking Outliers
Team

• Bench Points per game: 289 (15.69)
• Field Goal percentage: 24 (.484)
• Rebound Margin: 56 (+4.9)
• Scoring Defense: 29 (62.5)
• Three Point Attempts per game: 345 (15.5)
• Three Pointers per game: 336 (5.2)
• Winning percentage: 21 (.812)

Players

• Ajay Mitchell -- Assist/Turnover ratio: 143 (1.85), Assists: 131 (72), Assists per game: 85 (4.5), Field Goal percentage: 102 (.506), Field Goals: 345 (86), Free Throw attempts: 146 (83), Free Throw percentage: 90 (.843), Free Throws: 89 (70), Minutes per game: 274 (32:15), Points: 286 (254), Points per game: 164 (15.9), Steals: 160 (28), Steals per game: 109 (1.75)
• Andre Kelly -- Blocks: 268 (15), Blocks per game: 256 (0.94), Double Doubles: 228 (2), Rebounds: 343 (103), Rebounds (Defensive) per game: 176 (5.00), Rebounds per game: 247 (6.4)
• Miles Norris -- Blocks: 268 (15), Blocks per game: 256 (0.94), Double Doubles: 228 (2), Minutes per game: 275 (32:14), Rebounds (Offensive) per game: 240 (2.12), Rebounds per game: 315 (6.1)
• Josh Pierre-Louis -- Steals: 259 (25), Steals per game: 139 (1.67)

Prediction
UCSB has lost 6 straight games at the Bren, with its last win coming in Bob Williams' penultimate season.  Many of those losses have been convincing, but the Gauchos are at full strength and may have gotten a wakeup call with Saturday night's loss.  However, even without Leuchten the Anteaters are a load to handle.  Also, this Irvine team plays at a fast pace and can bring waves of players into the game.  It would be a moral victory to keep the game close and low-scoring.  UC Irvine 66, UCSB 63.

Official Site:  https://ucirvinesports.com/sports/mens-basketball
Hey Guys!:  https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/bigwest ... etball-f7/
How to Watch:  https://www.espn.com/watch/player/_/id/ ... 51aa76eb75
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UCSB tops UCI for Big West title, NCAA Tournament berth

Here's another game summary, but this one includes five good photos.

https://lompocrecord.com/sports/basketball/ucsb-tops-uci-for-big-west-title-ncaa-tournament-berth/article_b7d888ef-803e-5348-8968-f4cf612fb828.html

Men's Basketball UCI vs UCSB POSTGAME

 

UCI vs. UCSB Men's Basketball Game Preview, by GauchoDan

You knew it was going to come down to this. Rocky had his Apollo Creed, Superman had his Kryptonite, Daniel had his Johnny (wax on, wax off), Joe Exotic had his Carole Baskin, etc. Like it or not, UC Irvine has been the team to beat for going on 7-8 years. This is Irvine's 4th consecutive Big West Tournament finals appearance and its 6th since 2013. UC Irvine is 2-6 all-time in BWT championship games, and are the defending tournament champions (2019).

This will be UCSB's 5th time playing for all the marbles, but the first time that Joe Pasternack has led them to the brink. The Gauchos won it back in 2002 (vs. Utah State) in Bob Williams' 4th season as head coach, and then returned for 3 straight appearances in 2010, 2011 and 2012 (all vs. Long Beach State). UCSB is 3-1 all-time in the title game. In all previous instances, the Gauchos had to defeat the perceived best other team in the conference to advance.

And so the Big West Conference gets its marquee matchup. The conference, in its infinite wisdom, decided to match the consensus co-favorites in the first weekend of the season down in Irvine. UCSB had looked good coming into the 2-game set, having taken 2 out of 3 from WCC contenders LMU/Pepperdine. Meanwhile, UCI looked like it was struggling connecting a young group of guards with a veteran group of forwards. The series, coming near the height of the pandemic breakout in Southern California, ended up being the only Big West series played that weekend. 

We all know what happened next. UC Irvine reverted to form and stomped UC Santa Barbara. The final score of 75-56 didn't even do the disparity in play justice. No Gaucho starter broke double digits, and the team shot 12% from the three-point line. Meanwhile, Brad Greene was 6-for-8 from the field and grabbed 12 rebounds and Irvine shot 53% and outrebounded Santa Barbara 39-29. Anyone who watched the entire thing is simply a glutton for punishment.

The Gauchos, to their credit, didn't hang their heads. They returned the next night and played a game that would have beaten most teams. UCSB led 58-49 with 7:49 remaining, but UCI went on a 13-0 run and held on for a 73-69 victory. UCSB still got trashed on the boards (37-26), but otherwise stood toe-to-toe with the Anteaters.

Again to their credit, the Gauchos turned that early 0-2 deficit into a regular-season conference championship and the #1 seed in this tournament. UC Irvine stumbled during conference play, losing one each to Hawai'i, UC Riverside, CSU Bakersfield and Cal State Fullerton...at which time I ate my hat. UCI even struggled to dispose of 10th-seeded Cal Poly in the BWT Quarterfinals, winning by just 6 points. But Irvine's semifinal dismantling of UC Riverside was a tour de force. The Highlanders struggled to run anything inside on the Anteaters, and Riverside ended up shooting just 34% from the field. As usual, Irvine won the rebounding war 32-26. Collin Welp missed 11 shots but made 11-of-13 FT's for 17 points, while Dawson Baker was 5-of-6 from the floor for 17 points. Greene blocked 3 shots and Austin Johnson blocked two. Head coach Russell Turner said, "I thought we really came out and executed well on both offense and defense. It might have been our best game of the year and it came at a critical moment, when it's not easy to play well."

A treatise on UC Irvine always starts with the big men. The offense runs through Welp, a 6'9" junior forward who can step out and hit the three and requires a double-team when he is in the post. The two-time, first-team All-Big West player is an adept passer who seems to have eyes in the back of his head. He led the conference in rebounding (7.7 per game) and had six double-doubles during the regular season. He's made 35% of his 3-point attempts this season.

Greene is the conference's Defensive Player of the Year. He came to UCI tipping the scales north of 300 pounds, but is reportedly around 270 now. The 6'11" redshirt senior, also named the the All-Big West second team, led the conference in total blocks (44). He swatted a career-high 9 shots vs. Cal State Fullerton. He's 3rd in the conference in rebounds per game (7.5 rpg) and 1st in offensive boards (2.6 per game). He struggles at times to finish, especially when he is tired.

Baker was named the Big West's Freshman of the Year after an impressive campaign. He ranked 2nd on the team in scoring at 10.8 ppg and has a surprisingly good field goal percentage (.495) for a guard. Frankly, his play reminds me of Max Heidegger...although Max was more fearless and creative in close quarters. But Baker can drive it, hit mid-range pullups and is excellent from the perimeter (40%). 

Johnson will spell Welp or Greene. He has hops, and can throw down with the best of them. He averages 3.8 rebounds per game. JC Butler is a 6'5" guard/forward who starts and can make shots (48.6% from the field), make threes (34.5%) and grab some boards (2.4 pg). He's a 4th option when he's on the floor. Isaiah Lee started 25 games this season and takes more than half of his shots from three (.396). DJ Davis, Jeron Artest, Andre Henry, Justin Hohn also rotate in as guards. Watch for the immovable Emmanuel Tshimanga (7'0", 300 pounds) and Ofure Ujadughele in brief stints inside. No Irvine player averages more than 26 minutes per game.

The Gauchos looked pretty good last night. Amadou Sow scored 23 points, JaQuori McLaughlin added 17 and Ajare Sanni had 16 as UCSB cruised past UC Davis 71-55. "This was a great test for our guys," said Pasternack. "Davis is a good team, but we have played with a great deal of purpose and that showed tonight." 

In short, UCSB is going to need every player to have their best game. This is what the whole season has been building towards. This one game. 40 minutes. It's time to overcome the bully of the Big West. It's championship time. Leave it all on the floor.

UCSB vs UCI Men's Basketball Game Preview, by GauchoFreg

Both games are at 4pm.
UCSB (2-1) @ UCI (1-4)
 
Like most Turner teams, this edition of the Anteaters goes deep on the bench with no starter going more than 22 mpg.  Are very young in the back court and suffered three double digit losses to D1 teams to start the year, including by 35 at USC.  Have rebounded by playing LMU close, losing by 3 and walloping USD by 32 in their last outing.
 
Probable Starters
Guard Dawson Baker #1  6’3” 190 lbs, Freshman. 12.1 ppg, 22 mpg.  Leading scorer, 47% fro deep, 85% from the line.  2:1 ATO, most consistent player on the team, not playing like a freshman.
Guard Isiah Lee #5 6’2”, 195 lb, Sophomore, 3.6 ppg, 3.2 apg 20 mpg.  Leads team in assists, shoots 39% from deep.  Went 3 of 4 from three with 6 assists in last game vs. USD.  From Australia.
Wing JC Butler, #0  6’5”, 200 lb, RS Sophomore  5.9 ppg, 2.7 rpg  14 mpg.  3-6 from deep. 
Forward Collin Welp  #40    6’9”, 225 lb  Junior 11.4 ppg, 6.9 rpb. 22 mpg.  Had a poor start to the season but coming back into form.
Center Brad Greene #55  6’11”, 270 lb, Senior.  10.3 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 19 mpg, 10 blocked shots
Probable Key Reserves
Forward Austin Johnson . #13   6’9”, 223 lb, Sophomore, 7.6 ppg, 6.7 rpg, 18 mpg.  Teams second leading rebounder.
Guard DJ Davis #22 6’0”, 160 lb, Freshman  7.4 ppg, 2 apg, 19 mpg.   Most 3 point attempts but shooting only 23% from deep.
Guard Andre Henry #4 6’4”, 175 lb, Freshman  5.6 ppg, 2.3 apg, 17 mpg.  Second on team in assists, 3:1 AT0.  Leads team in steals (9)
Guard Jeron Artest #15 6’3”, 175 lb, Sophomore  5.1 ppg, 2.3 apg, 20 mpg.  Has started 5 games. 
Guard Justin Hohn #15 6’1”, 180 lb, RS Sophomore  5 ppg, 19 mpg. 
Center Emmanuel Tshimanga #25  7’0”, 300 lb, RS Freshman  4.6 ppg, 4.7 rpg. 13 mpg Because Turner needs at least one 7 footer on the roster.

I expect two good games, I think our backcourt is just too good for UCI and our bigs are slowly coming back into form.  They will have to bust it to keep Welp, Greene and Johnson off the boards.  The matchup of  Norris on Welp is going to be the one to watch.  Ability for Norris, Sow & Idehen to stay out of foul trouble also key.  Predicting a split. 

UCI vs. UCSB Men's Basketball Game Preview, by Gaucho Dan

UC Irvine at UCSB
Saturday, February 8, 2020, 7 pm PST, ESPU
 
Quick Bite
The pre-season Big West favorites meet for the first time, with UCI storming out to a 3-game lead on struggling Santa Barbara. Realistically, the Gauchos need to sweep Irvine for any chance to win the regular-season title. Conversely, Irvine enters a stretch of play where they could salt away the championship. Biggest game of the season so far, at least from the Gauchos' perspective.

By the Numbers
note, the per-game stats for UCSB are not updated

	UC Irvine	UC Santa Barbara
Record	15-9	15-8
Away/Home/Neutral (D1)	4-7 (A)	7-3 (H)
Big West Conference	7-1	4-4
Record vs. Quadrant	vs. Q4: 8-4	vs. Q2: 1-2
Composite (NET, kpi, sor, bpi, pom, sag)	124	178
DCI	102	178
DC2	108	166
RPI	137	199
NET	111	168
SOS (NET)	208	335
KPom Offensive Efficiency	128	86
KPom Defensive Efficiency	118	251
KPom Tempo	177	334
Points per game (overall/BWC)	74.8 (89th) / 75.1 (2nd)	72.2 (153rd) / 67.4 (8th)
FG% (overall/BWC)	46.8% (35th) / 48.0% (2nd)	46.8% (39th) / 45.2% (3rd)
2-pt FG% (overall/BWC)	52.6% (74th) / 54.2% (1st)	53.5% (49th) / 50.2% (4th)
3-pt FG% (overall/BWC)	33.3% (183rd) / 33.3% (9th)	34.4% (123rd) / 36.8% (4th)
FT% (overall/BWC)	74.0% (78th) / 70.4% (5th)	75.9% (37th) / 77.1% (2nd)
Points allowed per game (overall/BWC)	65.7 (88th) / 62.8 (1st)	66.9 (112th) / 65.3 (2nd)
FG% allowed (overall/BWC)	37.6% (9th) / 37.3% (1st)	45.1% (289th) / 46.9% (8th)
2-pt FG% allowed (overall/BWC)	39.0% (1st) / 39.2% (1st)	50.3% (235th) / 52.3% (8th)
3-pt FG% allowed (overall/BWC)	35.1% (289th) / 33.1% (1st)	36.0% (316th) / 36.3% (6th)
Off. rebounds per game (overall/BWC)	11.8 (31st) / 12.4 (1st)	10.3 (175th) / 8.4 (7th)
Def. rebounds allowed per game (overall/BWC)	21.4 (55th) / 21.6 (3rd)	21.3 (10th) / 21.6 (1st)
Off. rebounds allowed per game (overall/BWC)	9.3 (177th) / 9.5 (6th)	7.6 (12th) / 6.9 (2nd)
Def. rebounds per game (overall/BWC)	28.9 (7th) / 28.4 (1st)	24.5 (277th) / 22.7 (8th)
Rebounds per game (overall/BWC)	40.7 (4th) / 40.8 (1st)	34.8 (250th) / 31.1 (8th)
Rebounds allowed per game (overall/BWC)	30.6 (76th) / 31.1 (4th)	28.9 (6th) / 28.4 (2nd)
Assists per game (overall/BWC)	10.2 (58th) / 7.9 (2nd)	11.8 (98th) / 12.3 (3rd)
Steals per game (overall/BWC)	5.5 (105th) / 4.6 (3rd)	4.5 (6th) / 3.4 (1st)
Blocks per game (overall/BWC)	2.7 (106th) / 2.8 (3rd)	2.4 (21st) / 2.3 (2nd)
Best win (NET)	@ Boise State (91)	@ UT Arlington (126)
Worst loss (NET)	@ Long Beach State (307)	Long Beach State (307)
Trend	won 4 straight, 7 of 8	won 2 straight, 3 of 4

UCSB - UC Irvine History
UCSB and UC Irvine have played 93 times with the Gauchos holding a 52-41 all-time advantage. The Anteaters swept the season series a year ago, winning 83-70 in Orange County and 66-62 in overtime at the Thunderdome. Dating back to the 2017-18 season, UCI has won the last four meetings between the schools, including a 61-58 decision in the 2017-18 Big West Tournament.

Head Coach
Russell Turner was named UC Irvine's head coach April 9, 2010, after serving the previous six seasons as an assistant coach for the Golden State Warriors of the National Basketball Association following positions at Stanford University and Wake Forest University. Turner is now in his 10th season as head coach, having guided the Anteaters to 203 wins and postseason appearances in 6 of 9 complete seasons (2013 CIT, 2014 NIT, 2015 NCAA, 2016 CIT, 2017 NIT and 2019 NCAA). Turner is now the winningest head coach in UCI history.

He led UCI to a record-breaking 2018-19 season as the Anteaters broke school records in overall wins (31), longest winning steak (17 games) and tied a program best 15-1 mark in Big West play. Turner guided the Anteaters to their second Big West Conference Tournament title and second NCAA Tournament appearance. UCI won its first-ever NCAA Tournament game defeating fourth-seeded Kansas State 70-64.

Known as a big man guru, he helped Jonathan Galloway become the Big West's first-ever three time Defensive Player of the Year recipient. He also coached the 7'6" Mamadou N'Diaye, who was the tallest man in college basketball during his playing years. He currently has three solid big men (Rutherford, Greene and Welp) that are significant contributors.

Turner also served as a coach for the Warriors' summer-league entry in Las Vegas for five seasons. He has been an active participant in the NBA's international outreach camps, including Basketball without Borders, representing the league in Turkey, China and Lithuania. BWB is a program that uses basketball to create positive social change in education, health and wellness.

Turner was a member of Mike Montgomery's Stanford University staff from 2000-04 when the Cardinal had a combined overall record of 105-24 (.814), including 59-13 (.819) in Pac-10 play. Prior to Stanford, Turned worked under Dave Odom as an assistant at Wake Forest University from 1994-2000. The Demon Deacons won 161 games in those six seasons, advancing to the NCAA tournament three times, including the Midwest Regional final in 1996. Tim Duncan was a three-time All-American during Turner's tenure at Wake Forest. He is a native of Roanoke, Va.

He has long been rumored to be in line for a Pac-12 or ACC head coaching position, but comments perceived as homophobic that surfaced after last season's NCAA Tournament loss may have scared some schools off. In what may have been the worst post-game press conference in tournament history, Turner bragged about calling an opposing player “Queen”, creating a significant media storm.  To his credit, Turner owned the mistake and worked hard to reach out to the Irvine community afterwards. 

He is one of the more demonstrative Big West coaches along the sidelines, and notoriously strutted like a rooster as the Anteaters wrapped up an overtime victory at the Thunderdome last season.

Roster
Probable Starters

• Brad Greene (55) SR, C, 6-10, 320, Lone Pine, CA, Lone Pine HS, 8.8 Pts, 7.2 Reb, 0.8 Ast. Overweight earlier in his career, he has transformed his large frame into a formidable force. Is 15-of-23 in his last two games for 35 points. Has a decent hook shot. Shooting 59% from two, 56.5% from FT line. Leads team with 29 blocks. Grabs a team-best 20.3 rebounds per 100 possessions. Pulled down 21 rebounds vs. Hawai'i. Has six double-doubles this season. Is prone to foul trouble (8.5 fouls per 100 possessions and 6 per 40 minutes).
• Tommy Rutherford (42) SR, F, 6-8, 220, El Cajon, CA, Grossmont HS, 10.1 Pts, 4.2 Reb, 0.7 Ast. A 2-time all-conference selection. UCI's active games-played leader at 132 consecutive games. Makes 66.4% of his shots from two, and has good hands (just 3.6 turnovers per 100 possessions). Has 30 points in last two games. Not nearly the rebounder or blocker that Greene is. Is the 30th Anteaters to score 1,000 points. Is 2nd active in Big West in career rebounds (643). Averages 6.9 fouls per 100 possessions and 4.9 per 40 minutes.
• Evan Leonard (14) SR, G, 6-1, 190, Cerritos, CA, Cerritos HS, 11.6 Pts, 3.7 Reb, 2.1 Ast. Averaging 13.9 ppg in conference after averaging 9.9 ppg in non-con. Takes the most threes on the team (5.4) but hits just 26.5% of them. This after shooting 3's at a .405 clip the last two seasons. 51-of-61 from FT line (.836). 
• John Edgar Jr. (11) SR, F, 6-5, 217, Chino Hills, CA, Ayala HS, 6.6 Pts, 4.7 Reb, 1.7 Ast. Fourth or fifth option on offense, but tends to play within himself. Usage is just 17.7%.
• Eyassu Worku (24) SR, G, 6-2, 170, Artesia, CA, Los Alamitos HS, 11.9 Pts, 2.5 Reb, 4.0 Ast. Ranked 48th nationally in assist/turnover ratio at 2.29. Is the 29th Anteater to reach 1,000 career points. Is the 10th Anteater to reach 300 assists. 42.1% overall from 2 overall, but 57.1% in conference. Hitting 41.1% from three (3.8 attempts per game). 74.1% from FT line. Leads team with 8.1 assists per 100 possessions. Plays a team-high 28 minutes per game.

Key Reserves

• Collin Welp (40) SO, F, 6-9, 235, Seattle, WA, Seattle Prep, 13.8 Pts, 6.3 Reb, 2.0 Ast. Leads team in scoring. Had a career-high 18 rebounds against Detroit Mercy and has posted five double-doubles on the season. He finished with a career-high 31 points and 7 three's made against Eastern Michigan (Nov. 30). Is an excellent passer (16.8% assist percentage, 4.6 assists per 100 possessions). High usage when he is in game (26.6%). Dangerous from three (43.3%). Son of the late Christian Welp (U-Dub's all-time leading scorer).
• Jeron Artest (15) FR, G, 6-3, 184, Scottsdale, AZ, Bella Vista Prep, 3.0 Pts, 1.1 Reb, 0.8 Ast. One of two sons of Metta World Peace playing in the Big West this season. Makes just 40.7% of his twos, 30.8% of threes and 42.9% of FT's. Will come in to spell Edgar at the 3, which has been a flawed position in the Irvine offense. Usage is just 15.7%.
• Isaiah Lee (5) FR, G, 6-2, 190, 3.2 Pts, 2.2 Reb, 2.6 Ast. Takes 2/3rds of his shots from 3 on low volume (2 attempts per game), making 35%. Makes just 33% from elsewhere, but is a good 80% from FT line (15 attempts). Averages 7.5 assists per 100 possessions. Prone to turnovers (a horrid 37.3 per 100 possessions).
• Austin Johnson (13) FR, F, 6-9, 223, Marietta, GA, Wheeler HS, 4.7 Pts, 3.4 Reb, 0.2 Ast. Very good inside player (.638 from two). Can't stay on floor (12.9 minutes per game) with high foul rate (team-high 7.2 fouls per 40 minutes, 10.3 fouls per 100 possessions). Also turns the ball over a lot (26.3 per 100 possessions).

Match-up overview:
The Anteaters are firmly in control of the Big West race at the halfway point of the season, and look to be figuring out how to play without Max Hazzard...who decided to transfer as a graduate to Arizona and ride the pine. This could have been a borderline top-25 team had Hazzard stuck around. As it is, they seem to be gathering steam as they lay waste to the conference. They now enter probably the toughest stretch of their season. After its road trip to UCSB, it travels to UCR, Hawai'i and CSUN while hosting Long Beach State (its only loss). They lead the nation in rebound margin at 10.1. They have struggled to put together 40-minute performances...in more than a few non-conference losses the Anteaters fell way behind before rallying to make it respectable, and in their last game vs. Davis they nearly blew a 20-point lead and needed to make their FT's to post the victory.

UCSB enters the second half of conference play also rounding into form. Amadou Sow shrugged off early foul trouble and a tweaked ankle to score 30 points on 12-of-13 shooting, including 2-for-2 from three. Sow's best play, however, may have been a pass to a cutting-up-the-key Matt Freeman out of a double team. He has a history of success vs. Hawai'i, but it may be a different story vs. Irvine's big men. Sow did shoot 10-of-17 last season vs. Irvine, scoring 25 points. But he managed just 9 rebounds in 58 minutes of play while picking up 8 fouls. His quickness was too much for the UH 7-footers. JaQuori McLaughlin seemed to be more active in the Hawai'i game as he continues to recover from a groin injury. He took all nine of his shots from inside the perimeter, but he didn't get to the foul line. In fairness, the refs seemed to be swallowing their whistles on any guards driving into traffic (Max Heidegger may have an opinion on this). Well, Matt Freeman didn't hit 6 threes. He was just 2-of-9 from the field. Freeman seemed frantic in the UCSB offense vs. Hawai'i. He could have been called for a moving screen almost every time down the floor, and he eventually fouled out on a forced attempt to get the ball to the red-hot Sow. But he garnered 6 rebounds, had a blocked shot and a steal. Robinson Idehen hit all 4 of his shots and 3-of-4 from the FT line for 11 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists in just 16 minutes. He helped keep UCSB ahead while Sow sat. The Gauchos shot 56% from the field in an efficient offensive performance.

Keys to the game for the Gauchos 

• Sow vs. Irvine's bigs. Can Sow's quickness be an asset, or will he be small to get his shots off. On defense, can he guard them without getting into foul trouble. Will Irvine double him? If so, will the Gauchos help him by cutting to the basket/open spot?
• We know Heidegger will go right at Irvine's bigs. Will he get the calls to get them into foul trouble? Can he finish amongst the trees? Will he draw a lot of attention on the perimeter?
• Activate McLaughlin. J-Roq was playing his best when Heidegger was sitting out with his concussion and before his own injury. Since his return, he has shied away from the drives that opened up his offensive game. If Heidegger or Sow draws double teams, can McLaughlin take advantage?
• Freeman, et al, hits 3's. UCSB has won 11 straight games in which Freeman has hit 40% or better from 3. If the trees prevent our guards from driving, we're going to need to hit these outside shots to stay connected.
• Who guards Welp? Is this a game where Idehen starts, and UCSB trys to stay big? Or does he stay with Freeman, whose defense is not his strong suit? Can Freeman guard a Welp or Rutherford, or does Sow need to take that matchup leaving Greene for Freeman? This is where Irvine kills you, and we probably don't have a really good answer here.
• Bench play. Pasternack has tightened up the rotation, with the starters getting 30+ minutes unless they are in foul trouble. Idehen is a proven contributor off the bench, Can a Nagle, or Cyrus or Toure have a breakout performance?
• Rebounding. Hey, we're not that bad ourselves at 32nd in the nation in rebounding margin. Irvine gets a strong 35.5% of all rebounds when it's on offense, while we are a very good 76.3% defending against offensive rebounds. When UCSB is on offense, it gets 32.6% of all rebounds while Irvine grabs 75.7% of its defensive rebounds. It's strength on strength, but you have to give the edge to UCI here based on strength of schedule.

Prediction
DC2 trends: UCSB's 5-game trend has perked up to a 43.67, while Irvine is a solid 55.79 in the last 5 and an outstanding 61.45 in its last 10. Irvine is a veteran squad that travels well, and won't be intimidated in the Thunderdome or on national TV. The Anteaters have more depth, more size and more balance. Sow and Heidegger will need help if the Gauchos are going to trip up the Big West leaders. My prediction? It's close, but Irvine prevails 65-63.

Official Site:  https://ucirvinesports.com/sports/mens-basketball
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How to Watch:  https://www.espn.com/watch/player?id=4a ... 0ed917a740