EXHIBITION GAME
UC Irvine vs. Vanguard University
Saturday, November 3, 2012 – 7:00 p.m.
Bren Events Center (5,000) – Irvine, Calif.
Radio: KUCI/88.9 FM (Mark Roberts, 19th Season)
Click here to listen
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UC IRVINE BEGINS 2012-13 SCHEDULE WITH EXHIBITION GAME AGAINST VANGUARD: UC Irvine, under the direction of third-year head coach Russell Turner, opens its 2012-13 schedule Saturday night at 7:00 hosting Vanguard University in an exhibition game at the Bren Center.
The teams met in the regular season last Dec. 10 with UCI using some big plays down the stretch to pull out a 75-73 victory. Michael Wilder and Daman Starring scored 16 points each for the 'Eaters.
The Lions, coached by former UCI assistant Rhett Soliday, won their season opener, 81-59, over Menlo College Oct. 25. Senior Ennis Whatley Jr. and junior Preston Wynne scored 20 points each for Vanguard.
This is the only exhibition contest for the 'Eaters, who open the regular season hosting Nevada Nov. 10 at 7:00 p.m.
UCI returns five starters and a total of 10 players from last season, when the 'Eaters were 12-20 overall and tied for sixth in the Big West Conference with a 6-10 mark. The 'Eaters defeated No. 2 seed Cal State Fullerton, 65-59, in the quarterfinals of last March's Big West Tournament before falling to eventual champion Long Beach State, 68-57, in the semifinals.
'EATERS WITH HIGHEST SPOT IN NINE YEARS IN BIG WEST PRESEASON POLL: UC Irvine has been selected third in the Big West Conference preseason media poll, the highest for the program since being picked third in the poll entering the 2003-04 season.
Defending league champion Long Beach State was chosen first and Cal State Fullerton second, with new conference member Hawai'i fourth.
FROM YOUTH TO EXPERIENCE: UCI, which was regarded as one of the nation's youngest teams with no seniors last season, is now one of the more experienced groups in the Big West Conference, returning all five starters and a total of 10 players who saw game action last year.
Of the 338 schools playing NCAA Division I basketball, only nine teams did not have a senior on its roster last season, when the Anteaters were 12-20 overall and 6-10 in the Big West to tie for sixth place. UCI was seeded seventh in the conference tournament and knocked off No. 2 seed Cal State Fullerton in the quarterfinals before losing to eventual champion Long Beach State in the semifinals.
UCI led the Big West and ranked 22nd in the nation in assists at 15.41 per game last season.
"I'm excited to have as many returning players as we have, and not just because we have returnees, but we have guys I believe in," head coach Russell Turner said. "I believe in their character, I believe in their commitment, and I think that was evident with the way we finished our season last year. It was a tough season, being as young as we were and really struggling early to find an identity, but I think we found that.
"We are a deep team now, and that's the thing that excites me the most as there will be an opportunity for competition every day. That's a part of college basketball that is fun when the level of competition every day is high," Turner added.
Michael Wilder, a 6-2 senior, was named to the All-Big West preseason team by the media. He was an All-Big West second team selection last season after averaging a team-leading 11.5 points and knocking down 78 threes. He ranks sixth at UCI with 152 career threes.
Senior Daman Starring, a 6-3 guard, was selected to the 2012 All-Big West honorable mention squad after averaging 11.4 points. He led the team with 35 steals and was second with 100 assists.
Senior center Adam Folker ranked first in the Big West Conference in field-goal percentage at .569 in league games and he received the Big West "Hustle" Award last season. Folker, at 6-9, led the 'Eaters in rebounding at 6.7 boards per game and shot 56.3 percent from the field.
Senior point guard Derick Flowers ranked first in the Big West Conference in assists at 4.13 per league game. He led the 'Eaters with 103 assists on the season.
Junior guard Chris McNealy was named to the All-Big West Tournament team after averaging 17.5 points in UCI's two tourney games. He scored a career-high 24 points in the 65-59, quarterfinal win over Cal State Fullerton.
Will Davis II set the UCI single-game record as a freshman last season with eight blocked shots in the Feb. 25 win over Cal State Northridge and established a new UCI single-season record with 55 blocked shots.
Redshirt freshman guard Aaron Wright averaged 6.9 points in nine games last season before sustaining a injury, sophomore center Mike Best averaged 4.0 points, sophomore guard Collin Woods averaged 3.3 points and sophomore guard Travis Souza averaged 2.3 points.
Two players who were part of the UCI program last season but did not play are 6-10 redshirt sophomore center John Ryan, who sat out after transferring from Fresno State, and 6-5 forward Reed McConnell, who is a redshirt freshman this season.
Freshmen include Ege Mala, a 6-7 forward from Turkey, Conor Clifford, a 7-0 center who played locally at Ocean View High, and Alex Young, a 6-1 guard from Phoenix, Oregon, and 2011 Oregon 4A Player of the Year.
Also new to the 'Eaters program is 6-3 sophomore guard Dominique Dunning, who must sit out this season after transferring from New Mexico. He was a first team all-state player at Centennial High in Corona and a finalist for Mr. Basketball in California in 2011.
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