IRVINE, Calif. – UC Irvine men's basketball garners national recognition from several media outlets on Monday.
 
The Anteaters, who are 8-0 on the year, moved up to two spots in the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Poll to become the new No. 1 ranked team. UCI collected 19 first-place votes which was followed by Gonzaga (7-1) with 11 points and Saint Mary's (7-1) with one. It is the first time in program history that UC Irvine has ever sat atop the rankings.
 
Over in the national ranking, UC Irvine received votes in both the AP and USA Today Coaches polls. The Anteaters earned two votes in the AP publication and one vote in USA Today's ballot.
 
Additionally, the first NCAA NET Rankings were revealed this morning where UC Irvine placed in the top 25 at No. 24. It is the highest rank in program history and tops a five-team top 100 ranking Big West. The Anteaters are second-best in the ranks both in California behind UCLA (16) and among all true mid-majors.
 
The Anteaters, who are just one of 17 teams that remain undefeated, are off to their best start since the 1980-81 season where they won nine straight to open the season.

UC Irvine returns to the Bren Events Center on Thursday, December 5 as they kick off Big West action against Cal State Bakersfield with a 7:00 p.m. start.