UCI men’s basketball schedule released
The UC Irvine men’s basketball team’s 2016-17 schedule includes 11 opponents that competed in the postseason in 2015-16, including NCAA Tournament entries Arizona, Cal, Hawaii and South Dakota State.
Also on the slate are games against NIT participants Akron, Long Beach State, New Mexico State and Saint Mary’s, as well as minor postseason tournament teams Nevada (CBI), East Tennessee State and UC Santa Barbara (Vegas 16).
The Anteaters open the regular season with three of their first four games at home against Utah State (Nov. 11), South Dakota State (Nov. 14) and Pacific (Nov. 19).
UCI competes in the Sanford Pentagon Showcase at Sioux Falls, S.D., Nov. 25-27, facing South Dakota State, Milwaukee and East Tennessee State.
The ‘Eaters return to El Paso, Texas, Dec. 21-22, looking to successfully defend their title in the Don Haskins Sun Bowl Invitational. UCI opens with Akron Dec. 21 and will meet either UTEP or Maryland Eastern Shore the following day.
Big West Conference action begins with three of the first four contests at home as UCI hosts Long Beach State (Jan. 4), Hawaii (Jan. 7) and Cal State Fullerton (Jan. 14).
The Homecoming game is Feb. 25 against Cal State Northridge. UCI has won 47 of its last 57 home games and was 11-2 in the Bren Events Center last season.
The Big West Tournament returns to the Honda Center in Anaheim on March 9-11.
This season will feature a blend of veterans and newcomers as four starters have departed due to graduation/professional careers.
Returning for UCI are six players who saw action during last season’s school-record 28-win campaign, along with two others who were redshirts. The program welcomes eight new players this season, including seven freshmen.
Senior guard Luke Nelson heads the list of returning players after earning first-team All-Big West Conference honors last season when he led UCI in scoring (13.7 per game). He ranks No. 4 in Anteater history with 204 career three-pointers, fifth with 361 assists, eighth with 115 steals and 17th with 1,226 points.
“We feel that Luke can be one of the best players, if not the best player, in the conference this season,” Turner said.
“I always feel that the team’s success is dictated by the seniors and how they both perform and set the tone within the team,” Turner said.
Senior guard Jaron Martin has hit 106 threes in the past two seasons and 7-2 senior center Ioannis Dimakopoulos averaged 5.2 points last season and has blocked 57 shots over the last two years.
Sophomore forward Jonathan Galloway had at least five rebounds in 11 games last season, including a career-high 13 at Louisiana.
The incoming freshmen class includes 6-5 John Edgar (Ayala High), 6-10 Brad Greene (Lone Pine), 6-1 Evan Leonard (Cerritos), 6-10 Adam Liberman (Valley Torah), 6-8 Tommy Rutherford (Grossmont), 6-4 Justin Wertner (St. George’s, Tenn., Independent School) and 6-2 Eyassu Worku (Los Alamitos).
Elston Jones, a 6-9 junior forward, has transferred to UCI from Utah State, where he averaged 4.2 points last season and played in 59 games over the past two years. Per NCAA transfer rules, he must sit out this season. Jones is a graduate of Millennium High in Goodyear, Ariz.
“Guys are really going to compete for roles in this program,” Turner said. “There are a lot of different guys who will have the potential to emerge.
“I do think that we are talented,” Turner, entering his seventh season, said. “I believe that we will have a unified team that plays unselfishly and competes on the defensive end.”
UCI was 28-10 last season, including 13-3 in the Big West to earn a share of the regular-season title, the program’s second in the last three seasons. The ‘Eaters have competed in postseason tournaments each of the last four years including the program’s first NCAA Tournament in 2014.
Last season, UCI advanced to the championship game of the CollegeInsider.com Tournament, advancing to the final, which it lost at Columbia.
The ‘Eaters also set school records last season for nonconference victories (15) and road wins (13). UCI ranked third in the nation in field-goal percentage defense at .383, 20th in blocked shots per game (5.2) and 43rd in scoring defense (66.1).
— From staff reports
— From staff reports