BIG WEST TOURNAMENT
March 8-10 - Honda Center - Anaheim, Calif.
Tournament Info | Tickets | Student Info

Tournament Notes

Big West Quarterfinal
UC Irvine Anteaters
vs. Hawai'i Rainbow Warriors
Thursday, Mar. 8 | 6pm
Honda Center - Anaheim, Calif.
FOX Sports Prime Ticket | KUCI 88.9 FM | Live Stats

Series Information: Record: 12-8 - Last Meeting: W, 66-57 Feb. 24, 2018 at Hawai'i

Big West Semifinal
Friday, Mar. 9 | 6:30 PM or 9:00 PM
Honda Center - Anaheim, Calif.
ESPNU | KUCI 88.9 FM | Live Stats

Big West Final
Saturday, Mar. 10 | 9:00 PM
Honda Center - Anaheim, Calif.
ESPN2 | KUCI 88.9 FM | Live Stats

Radio: Live broadcasts will be available on KUCI 88.9 FM, kuci.org, and ucirvinesports.com with play-by-play from Trent Rush.

TV: Links to video streams/broadcasts can be found on via ucirvinesports.com. Big West Tournament will be televised by FOX Sports Prime Ticket (Thursday), ESPNU (Friday), and ESPN2 (Saturday)

2-0 - Honda Center is home to the NHL's Anaheim Ducks. UCI has fared well when playing in arenas with a hockey rink going 2-0 after winning in non-conference at Denver and on a neutral site in Boise against Idaho
#3 - The Anteaters are the #3 seed in the Big West Tournament this week for only the second time ever in their 36 appearances. The other year was 2015 when the 'Eatersearned their only Big West Tournament championship

2nd - The 'Eaters stand 2nd in the NCAA in rebounds with 1,326. UCI also ranks 3rd in defensive rebounds per game, 4th in rebounds per game, 8th in rebounding margin, and 42nd in offensive rebounds per game

38.9 - The Anteaters are 4th in the nation (behind Michigan State, Cincinnati, and Virginia) allowing opponents to shoot 38.9% from the field on the year. UCI opponents in Big West play have shot 37.8% overall including under 36% in 9 of 18 contests 

UC Irvine finished in a tie for second place in the Big West Conference missing out on a fourth title in five seasons in a double overtime loss in the season finale. UC Irvine enters the Big West Tournament as the No. 3 seed for the second time in its 36 tournament appearances joining the 2015 squad which took home the program's only tournament title and trip to the NCAA Tournament.

Jonathan Galloway was named the Big West's Best Defensive Player for the second year in a row, only the second instance of that in the conference (Joe Ford, Pacific - 2009 & 2010). Three of his teammates were named All-Big West, a first for each, headed by sophomore Tommy Rutherford on the First Team, sophomore Evan Leonard Second Team, and sophomore Eyassu Worku Honorable Mention. UC Irvine was the only Big West school in 2017-18 to not earn a Big West Player of the Week honor.

The Big West Tournament begins Thursday, March 8 and will include UC Irvine for the 36th time in the 43rd year of the tournament. The 'Eaters have made the semifinals in six straight tournament and the finals in three of the last five. UCI has reached the finals six times in history winning once in 2015 posting an overall record of 30-34 and 10-6 since the tournament moved in the Honda Center.

The 'Eaters will open play against Hawai'i in Thursday's Quarterfinal. UCI and Hawai'i split the regular season series each winning on the other's home court. The teams have met twice on a neutral court, both Big West Tournament games, first in 2013 in a 71-60 Quarterfinal victory for the Anteaters, and the most recent in 2015 where UCI went through UH in the final to win the tournament, 67-58.

ANT-ALYTICS

UC Irvine's non-conference schedule ranks as the sixth-toughest in the NCAA equipped with 12 games away from home and six tournament teams from a year ago. The trek covered 11,715 miles with the Anteaters playing games in 10 different states.

CoachStats.net recently came out with the top 25 rankings of coach behind today's best defenses from all three NCAA Divisions, and Russell Turner is ranked No. 1. The list names coaches whose careers go from defensive stops taking into consideration defensive rebounds, fewest fouls, FG% defense, forced turnovers, scoring defense, total blocks and steals, and 3pt FG defense. The team's defense has ascended to the top of the Big West and 49th in the country allowing 66.7 points per game.

Anteater rebounding averages 41.5 per game, 4th in the nation, and has grabbed 1,286 total rebounds, most in the NCAA. UCI's 29.1 defensive rebounds per game is fifth-best in the nation, offensive rebounds stand at 12.4 per game, 34th-best, and ninth-best rebound margin at +8.0.

Jonathan Galloway joined the Anteater 600-rebound club, the 14th all-time in program history. He's currently at 658 career rebounds, now 10th in the program's all-time records approaching Anteater greats Ben McDonald (670) in ninth and Kevin Magee (690) in eighth.

UC Irvine is allowing opponents to shoot just 38.9% on the season, 4th-lowest in the nation trailing schools Michigan State, Cincinnati, and Virginia. UCI is 1 of 11 programs holding its opponents under 40% shooting. UC Irvine's defensive field goal percentage ranked sixth in the nation in 2016-17.

In conference this season, the 'Eaters led the Big West rebounds per game (41.3), defensive rebounds per game (29.9), rebound margin (+9.4), scoring margin (+8.2), scoring defense (61.9), FG% defense (37.8%), and 3pt defense (28.6%). They're also among the top three in offensive rebounds per game (2nd - 11.4).

Anteater leaders through conference games include:

Evan Leonard now sixth with 15.9 points per game. He's also top 10 in steals (T4th - 1.6 SPG), 3pt makes (2nd - 2.3 3PG), FG percentage (10th - 48.6 %), and 3pt FG percentage (5th - 43.0%).

Eyassu Worku also shows up in steals per game (9th - 1.3), assists per game (7th - 3.7), and assist-to-turnover ratio (7th - +1.4), and also is the 'Eaters' leader in minutes in Big West play ranking 21st with 30.7 minutes per game

Jonathan Galloway ranks top 100 nationally in rebounds (96th - 246). In conference play, he's top 10 in rebounding (2nd - 8.1 RPG), blocks per game (T10th - 0.8), defensive rebounds per game (4th - 5.4), and offensive rebounds per game (2nd - 2.6).

Tommy Rutherford's conference play has earned him a top 10 spot in rebounding (7th - 6.0 RPG), defensive rebounds per game (T7th - 4.5), blocks (T6th - 0.9 per game), and FG% (4th - 57.0%). His overall field goal percentage of 59.4% on the season leads the Big West Conference.

Elston Jones leapt into the rankings as well after his stellar performance vs. CSUN now T8th in blocks per game (0.8) as well as rebounds per game (12th - 5.5), and offensive rebounds per game (5th - 2.1)

RECENT GAME RUNDOWN

Eyassu Worku put in 42 minutes of work in Saturday's double overtime loss to UC Davis, the most minutes played in a game by an Anteater since 2012, also on March 3, when Derick Flowers played 44 minutes in a single overtime road loss at UC Riverside, 72-69. Worku was 1 of 4 Anteaters to set career highs in minutes including Jonathan Galloway, John Edgar, Jr., and Evan Leonard with 37 each

UC Irvine and UC Davis were tied 13 times in Saturday's double overtime contest nearly doubling the previous high on the season (7 vs. Idaho). The 14 lead changes were just the second instance of 10 or more this year tying the season high set in the Saint Mary's matchup

UC Santa Barbara was held to 19 points at the half in its loss at UC Irvine March 22 tied for the lowest half UCI has surrendered (UC Riverside) and the first time a team had held UCSB under 20 points in a half all year eclipsing the previous low of 21 points allowed when UC Riverside did it

Three of the 'Eaters' four largest halftime leads came against Big West competition behind the pair of 20-point leads it had against LBSU and UC Riverside and an 18-point lead against UC Santa Barbara. UCI was 14-5 when leading at the half, and held a halftime lead in 13 of the 16 Big West games

The Gauchos were held to a season-low 49 points in the contest, only the second time even being held under 60 points joining UC Davis the game prior keeping UCSB to 54 points

Evan Leonard was named Big West Player of the Week according to College Sports Madness on February 26 following wins against UC Santa Barbara at home and Hawai'i on the road

The 'Eaters held 6 of its 7 opponents to under 60 points in the month of February and all seven shot under 36% from the field. The 'Eaters' loss to UC Davis Saturday was the first in a game in which UCI shot 50% or better from the field.

Career highs at Cal Poly came in the form of 33 minutes played and 21 points for John Edgar Jr. as he made 9 of 14 shots from the field. Eyassu Worku dished out a career high eight assists, a season high for the team, and gave him 100 for the season marking the eighth consecutive season an Anteater has recorded at least 100 assists.

Evan Leonard recorded five steals at UC Riverside, a new career high, and the most since Alex Young's five he posted in a win at Long Beach State, Jan. 14, 2016.

Elston Jones set a team high this season with six blocks against CSUN eclipsing Brad Greene's total of five vs. Chapman. Jones' previous career high was three set at Utah State. He's also snagged at least five rebounds in 11 of his last 13 contests

UCI allowed CSF to shoot 32.8%, third-lowest percentage given up to a Division I opponent (24.6% to UC Riverside, 29.8% to South Dakota State). The percentage was also CSF's second-lowest in a game and fourth time held under 40% shooting from the field

The win at the Pyramid gave UC Irvine an 11-7 advantage in the Black and Blue Rivalry Series, after nine meetings between the schools over six different sports. Women's basketball posted its first 100-point game since 1979 in a win over LBSU Saturday to boost UCI's lead in the series to 14-7

NEWS & NOTES

Brandon Smith was named to the Continental Tire Las Vegas Invitational All-Tournament Team scoring 18 points, dishing out four assists, and adding a pair of steals over an average of 21.5 minutes in the split against Rider and Northern Arizona.

Under head coach Russell Turner, UCI has won 114 games over the last five years, advancing to the postseason each of those years (2013 CIT, 2014 NIT, 2015 NCAA, 2016 CIT and 2017 NIT).

Coach Turner scored his 150th career victory at Cal State Fullerton on Feb. 3 making him the third Anteater head coach in men's basketball to win at least 150 games.

The 'Eaters were 12-4 in Big West play in 2017, winning those 12 by an average of 18.0 points. The 2018 Anteaters won their 11 Big West games by an average of 15.0 points.

UCI has recorded five consecutive 20-win seasons posting a 114-66 overall record. UCI has won a conference-best 71 Big West games over the last six seasons (71-27, .724) and won outright, or shared, the Big West regular-season title three of the last five years.

The Anteaters were picked to finish first in the Big West Preseason Poll garnering 14 of the 26 first-place votes, however, no 'Eaters were represented on media Preseason All-Big West squad.

The 'Eaters have won 82 of their last 87 games when holding the opposition to 60 points or less.

Entering the season, UCI was 84-14 in its last 98 games when limiting the opposition to under 40-percent shooting from the field.

College Sports Madness named three Anteaters to its Preseason All-Conference squad including Tommy Rutherford, Eyassu Worku, and Jonathan Galloway. Russell Turner was also mentioned as Preseason Coach of the Year for the publication.

The Anteaters ranked sixth in the nation last season in field-goal percentage defense at .383. The Anteaters were 17^th in rebound margin (6.7) and 29^th in scoring defense (64.8).