FOLLOW THE ANTEATERS
UC Irvine (0-0) vs. Pepperdine (0-0)
Wednesday, Nov. 25 |3:30 p.m.
Viejas Arena | San Diego, Calif.
AM 830 / KUCI Radio | Live Stats

UC Irvine (0-0) at San Diego State (0-0, plays UCLA on Nov. 25)
Friday, Nov. 27 |4:00 p.m.
Viejas Arena | San Diego, Calif.
AM 830 / KUCI Radio | Live Stats 

UC Irvine (0-0) vs. Bethesda (Calif.) (0-0)
Saturday, Nov. 28 | 8:00 p.m.
Bren Events Center | Irvine, Calif.
KUCI Radio | Live Stats | Watch: BigWest.tv

Game Notes
 
NON-CONFERENCE GAME ADDED
UC Irvine continues to add to its non-conference schedule and announced its official home opener against Bethesda Saturday, Nov. 28^th at 8 p.m. in the Bren Events Center. The rest of UCI's non-conference schedule will be announced shortly.

Per the direction of the Big West Board of Directors, all teams will begin the season without spectators in attendance. The issue of fan attendance will be revisited as the season progresses.

UC Irvine begins its 2020-21 regular season campaign at the San Diego State multi-team event on Nov. 25 and Nov. 27. The Anteaters will open the season in a neutral site game against Pepperdine Wednesday at 3:30 p.m. UCI will then return on Friday to play a road game against San Diego State at 4:00 p.m.

UCI will open the season at home on Saturday, Nov. 28^th at 8 p.m. against Bethesda.

OPENING TIPS
> The Anteaters are coming off their a 21-11 season (.656), marking their eighth-straight winning season and second-straight Big West regular season title after a 13-3 conference mark.

> Last season, the Anteaters won their fifth Big West regular season title in seven seasons and eighth in program history. It was also the first time in history UCI won back-to-back outright titles. The 'Eaters did so with a 13-3 conference record, winning three more games than second place UCSB.

> UCI was the No. 1 seed and favorite to win the 2019 Big West Tournament before its cancelation. The 'Eaters were looking to make their second-straight NCAA Tournament appearance after winning their first-ever NCAA Tournament game against Kansas State in 2019.

> Last season head coach Russell Turner became the winningest coach in school history in his 10th year at the helm. He now sits second in the Big West in active career wins with 209. UCI has made two NCAA appearances in the last five years, won five Big West regular season titles and two tournament titles under Turner. He has averaged over 20 wins a season.

> The 2020-21 Anteaters have the second youngest team (Navy is first with 19 underclassman) in the NCAA with 13 underclassman and just two upperclassman. UCI is also tied with Auburn for the least number of upperclassman on the roster (2). However, UCI returns two All-Conference players in junior Collin Welp and senior Brad Greene. Last season, Welp came off the bench and led UCI in scoring (13.0 ppg) and was second in rebounding (5.9), averaging 23.4 minutes per game. Welp was named on the All-Big West first team and was the Sixth Man of the Year. Greene led the Big West in rebounding (7.7) and had nine double-doubles and was named a Big West Honorable Mention selection.

> UCI will open the season with a neutral state game for the first time since 2006 when the 'Eaters opened at the Basketball Travelers Classic against South Alabama.

> Senior Brad Greene has amassed 490 career rebounds and sits 10 boards away from joining UCI's 500 career rebounds club. He will be the 24^th Anteater in history to reach that mark

> UCI is ranked No. 23 in the Collegeinsider.com mid-major weekly poll.

ABOUT THE WAVES
> UCI and Pepperdine will meet for the 24^th time with the Waves leading the all-time series, 13-10. The two teams met last season as UCI dropped a heartbreaker, 77-73. Brad Greene had 10 points and six rebounds while Austin Johnson finished with eight points.
> UCI has dropped four-straight contests with Pepperdine, its last win came in 2009 (74-61)
> Lorenzo Romar is in his thir-straight season with the Waves, and sixth season overall over two stints. Pepperdine returns seven of its top nine scorers from a season ago and 11 total scoring returners.
> The Waves were picked fourth in the WCC preseason coaches' poll. Pepperdine finished the 2019-20 season with a 16-16 overall record.
> Pepperdine returns Colby Ross, who was named to the Naismith and Cousy preseason watch lists. He is the NCAA active assists leader and averaged 20.5 ppg last season
 
ABOUT THE AZTECS
> UCI and SDSU have met 17 times with the Aztecs holding a 10-7 advantage in the all-time series. The Anteaters will play on SDSU's home court for the first time since the 1996-97 season and meet for the first time since Dec. 1997 when the Aztecs won a 66-69 decision at the Bren.
> Brian Dutcher returns for his fourth season at the helm and boasts a 73-26 career record
> SDSU finished the 2019-20 season with a 30-2 overall record and a No. 6 national ranking. The Aztecs were the Mountain West regular season champions.
> The Aztecs welcome back three starters, Matt Mitchell, Jordan Schakel and Nathan Mensah.
> UCI will see a familiar face on the court for the Aztecs in CSUN grad transfer Terrell Gomez

ABOUT THE FLAMES
> Bethesda plays in the NCCAA for the PCAC
> The Flames will open with games against Sacramento St. (Nov. 25) and Cal Poly (Nov. 27) before making the trip to Irvine
> Leo Balayon is the head coach of the Flames

With a win Wednesday … UCI would win its season opener for the third-straight year … First win against Pepperdine since 2009
With a win Friday … UCI would win its first game at San Diego State since 1983 when sophomore Isaiah Lee's dad (Jerome) was on the team for the Anteaters

DEFENSIVE DOMINANCE
Under head coach Russ Turner, UCI has been a dominant defensive team, consistently ranking among the top defensive teams in the nation. For eight years straight, UCI has finished nationally as a top 30 team in field goal percentage defense, finishing as high as third in 2013-14 and 2015-16 and 4^th in 2018-19 and 2017-18. For four years straight, UCI has finished in the top 15 nationally in total rebounds. For three years straight, UCI has finished in the top 10 nationally in rebound margin (3^rd in 2019-20, 9^th in 2018-19, 10^th in 2017-18)

NEWS AND NOTES
> Head coach Russell Turner returns for his 11th season at the helm. Turner upped his career win total to 209 becoming the winningest coach in program history and only UCI coach to reach 200 wins. He was named the Big West Coach of the Year for the fourth time in 2019 and led UCI to its fifth Big West regular season title.

> The Big West announced a modified conference schedule for the 2020-21 season. All 11 member institutions will play 20 conference games under a modified format that will reduce travel and emphasize the health and safety of student-athletes, coaches and staff. The traditional home-and-home round-robin schedule has been altered so that teams will play the same opponent on consecutive days at one site, with the majority of games taking place on Friday and Saturday. Each team will contest the schedule over an 11-week period with one bye week built in. Games will not be rescheduled should a team need to quarantine during the season.

> For the fourth-straight season, the Anteaters were picked to finish first in the Big West Preseason Poll with 270 points. UCI earned 18 first-place votes while the second place Gauchos earned nine.

> Collin Welp was selected to the six-member preseason all-conference team

> UCI returns one starter, Brad Greene, from last year's championship team. The roster features only two upperclassman (Greene and Collin Welp) and 13 underclassman including five freshman.

> The Anteaters have amassed a 87-21 record at home over the last eight years 

> Last season, UCI ranked 12th nationally in field goal percentage defense (.388), 11th in total rebounds (1,269) and 22nd in rebound average (39.66) 

> The Anteaters also ranked third nationally in rebound margin (9.4) and 18th in defensive rebounds (28.16)

> UCI returns 53 percent of its scoring offense and two All-Conference players (Welp and Greene)
 
> The Anteaters held opposing teams under 60 points eight times last season, including five times in conference play

> Brad Greene set a Bren Events Center record last season against Hawai'i (Jan. 11) when he pulled down 21 rebounds. It was the ninth time in UCI history and Anteater grabbed 20+ boards. Greene led the 'Eaters in rebounding a team-best 15 times and had 10 games with 10+ rebounds. He led the Big West in rebounds per game (7.7), total rebounds (246) and was second in blocks per game (1.4).

> Welp returns as the team's leading scorer averaging 13.0 ppg last season. He was named the 2019 Big West Sixth Man of the Year and was also a first team all-conference selection. He came off the bench and averaged just 23.4 minutes per game. Welp also ranked second in the Big West in three-point field goal percentage (.442) and averaged 5.9 rebounds per game

> Austin Johnson will add to UCI's formidable front court. As a freshman, he averaged 3.3 rebounds per game and 4.2 points per game. He also was second on the team with 30 blocks (.94 bpg)

> JC Butler will return to the court after using a redshirt year in 2019-20. In 2018-19, Butler played in both NCAA Tournament games and averaged 8.7 mpg, 1.4 ppg and 1.3 rpg.

> Sophomore guards Isaiah Lee and Jeron Artest each played in all 32 games as freshman last season. Lee was second on the team in assists per game (2.25) and averaged 3.2 ppg. Artest averaged 2.8 ppg in 14.0 mpg.

> UCI added five newcomers to the roster and will see redshirts JC Butler, Ofure Ujadughele, Emmanuel Tshimanga and Justin Hohn in action.

> The Anteaters welcome freshman Andre Henry, DJ Davis, Hunter Ruck, Jayce Catchings and Dawson Baker.