UC Irvine at No. 24/24 San Diego State
Tuesday, Nov. 29 | 7:00 p.m. PT
Viejas Arena | San Diego, Calif.
AM 830 | Live Stats | Watch (Mountain West Network) | Tickets | Notes

Fresno State vs. UC Irvine
Saturday, Dec. 3 | 6:00 p.m. PT
Bren Events Center | Irvine, Calif.
AM 830 | Live Stats | Watch (ESPN+) | Tickets | Notes

UC Irvine has a week of Mountain West contests, first trekking to No. 24/24 San Diego State on Tuesday Nov. 29 before hosting Fresno State on Saturday Dec. 3 at the Bren Events Center.

VIVA LAS VEGAS
UC Irvine was crowned the champions of the Las Vegas Holiday Classic Invite after defeating both Nicholls State and New Mexico State by double-digits. Pierre Crockrell II was named to the All Tournament team and DJ Davis was named the MVP.
 
OLD CONFERENCE FOE'S
UCI and No. 24 San Diego State used to compete against each other in the PCAA (before it was renamed the Big West) from 1975-1978 before the Aztecs left the conference. SDSU holds the 2-0 record over the Anteaters in league play.
 
BATTLE OFF THE BENCHES
UC Irvine is ranked 15th nationally in bench points with a 34.75 average in seven games played. Similarly, No. 24 San Diego State is ranked 16th in the national for points off the bench averaging 34.71 in six games played.
 
MOVIN' ON UP
The Anteaters entered the Las Vegas MTE ranked 114 in KenPom. After two 80-point wins and their third straight double-digit victory, UCI shot up to 87th.
 
IT'S RAINING 3'S
UC Irvine registered a season high 14 three-pointers in the neutral site contest against New Mexico State, scoring 11 in the first half of action. The 'Eaters other double-digit three-point game was in the win at then No. 21 Oregon.
 
3J DAVIS
Over the last three games, DJ Davis has shot 10-18 (0.556) from beyond the arc, but most impressively 5-7 (0.714) in the win over New Mexico State. Davis is 22-47 (0.468) so far this season from three-point range. DJ is a national leader in three-point field goals made (20th), three-pointers per game (39th), and three-point field goal percentage (45th).
 
I'D BE HAPPY TO ASSIST YOU
Pierre Crockrell II has led the Anteaters in assists in all seven games this season. The senior set a season high 9 assists in the win over Nicholls State, just one shy of tying his career high. Crockrell II is a national leader in total assists (23rd) and assists per game (32nd). Out of 2297 eligible players, Pierre is ranked 13th in KenPom for assist rate.
 
HOHN'S SHARP SHOOTING
Over the last two contests, Justin Hohn has not missed a three-point attempt (6-6) going 2-2 against Nicholls State and a career high 4-4 versus New Mexico State. Hohn shot 6-8 (0.750) over three games last week.

LEADING THE BIG WEST
Several Anteaters sit in the top ten of the Big West individual statistical rankings: scoring (9th--Davis), rebounding (8th-Leuchten), field goal percentage (6th-Baker), free throw percentage (8th-Baker) three-point field goal percentage (2nd–Davis), three-point field goals per game (1st—Davis), assists (2nd– Crockrell II), assist-TO ratio (5th–Crockrell II), and blocks (7th—Keeler).
 
NATIONAL STATISTICS 11.28.22
UC Irvine is ranked top-50 nationally in the following categories: scoring offense (32), scoring defense (27), scoring margin (10) rebounds per game (2), rebound margin (1), assists per game (18), assist-turnover ratio (38), field-goal percentage defense (10), three-point field goal percentage (8), and three-point field goal percentage defense (10).

ABOUT NO. 24/24 SAN DIEGO STATE
> No. 24/24 San Diego State has started their season 4-2
> The Aztecs losses have come to top opponents (then No. 14 Arizona and then No. 9 Arkansas)
> This will be the 18th meeting in program history
> No. 24/24 San Diego State finished first in the Mountain West with an overall record of 23-9
> The Aztecs earned a postseason berth to the NCAA March Madness tournament, falling to Creighton in the first round
> Senior Darrein Trammell leads San Diego State on the offensive end, averaging 14.2 points a game on 28-34 shooting
> Nathan Mensah is averaging 6.3 rebounds in 21.7 minutes a game
> No. 24/24 San Diego State was picked to win the Mountain West crown for the 2022-23 season
> Trammell and Matt Bradley earned MW Preseason honors
> Bradley was also named to the watch list for the Jerry West Award
 
ABOUT FRESNO STATE
> Fresno State has started the season 1-5, dropping five straight contests
> UC Irvine is the second of four Big West teams that the Bulldogs will face in the non-conference
> Fresno State finished sixth in the Mountain West with an overall record of 23-13
> The Bulldogs earned a postseason berth to The Basketball Classic and defeated Coastal Carolina in the title game
> Isaih Moore is Fresno State's scoring leader, recording 12.7 points a game on 30-54 shooting
> Moore also leads the team in rebounds with an average of 8.7 over the Bulldogs six games
> Fresno State was picked to finish seventh in the Mountain West preseason media poll
> Joseph Hunter was selected as the Mountain West Preseason Freshman of the Year