California Irvine Athletics

IRVINE, Calif. -- As the Anteaters advance onto the NIT semifinals in Indianapolis next week with an April 1st meeting with North Texas, here is what you need to know about UC Irvine.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT UC IRVINE MEN'S BASKETBALL

• UC Irvine is 31-6 overall, tying the school record for most wins in a season with the 2018-19 team who went 31-6
• UCI's 31 wins are tied for fourth most in the country this year
• The Anteaters lead the nation with 14 true wins away from home for a 14-3 road record (0.824)
• This is the farthest a Big West team has gone in the postseason since UNLV had four wins on their way to playing Duke in the 1991 NCAA Championship game
• UCI has nine NIT appearances, the most of any Big West school (1982, 86, 2001, 02, 14, 17, 23, 24, 25), owning a 5-8 record. Former member Fresno State won the tournament in 1983 while in the conference
• UCI has been the premier team in the Big West, claiming seven regular-season titles in the last 12 years. The Anteaters won Big West Championship crowns in 2015 and 2019, advancing to the NCAA second round with a win over Kansas State in 2019
• UCI started the year with nine consecutive wins, matching the program's best start since the 1981-82 season. The Anteater rose to the top of the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Poll and received votes in both the Associated Press (AP) and USA Today Coaches polls
• Head coach Russell Turner is in his 15th season, the winningest coach in UCI history with a 320-186 record. He is the third winningest coach in Big West history.
• Nationally, the Anteaters are ranked third in free throw percentage with an 80.3 percent mark, fifth in defensive rebounds per game (28.84), and 10th in field goal percentage defense (39.6)
• With 15 made free throws in Wednesday's quarterfinal win, the team broke the school record for free throws made in a season with 617 over 37 contests. The previous standard was held by the 1971-72 team who made 616 of their 873 attempts in 28 games
• Center Bent Leuchten is ranked sixth in the country in double-doubles with 19, including 10 games with 20 or more points
• Leuchten is sixth in free throws made (200), ninth in free throw attempts (243) and 13th in rebounds (334) nationally
• Leuchten set the UCI single season free throw record with 200 and counting, passing UCI great Jerry Green's old mark of 196 in 2000-01 
• Forward Devin Tillis has averaged 16.7 points and 9.0 rebounds over the three NIT games, shooting .528 (19-36) from the floor, including six three-pointers
• UCI has three 1,000-point career scorers – Justin Hohn (11th--1,351), Leuchten (26th--1,151), and Tillis (34th--1,044)
• The entire starting lineup was honored by the Big West. Guard Jurian Dixon was named the Big West Freshman of the Year while Leuchten was selected to the first team, Tillis on the second team and Hohn and Myles Che as honorable mention
• Leuchten is a Lou Henson Award finalist and Tillis is a Nolan Richardson Award finalist. Leuchten and Tillis were also honored by the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) with Leuchten named to the Pacific District First Team while Tillis placed on the Second Team

GENERAL CAMPUS AND ATHLETICS NOTES

• UC Irvine is located in Orange County, California. It is centrally located in between Los Angeles and San Diego. If you are really motivated, you can ski and surf all in the same day
• The University is ranked among the nation's top 10 public universities by U.S. News & World Report. The campus has produced five Nobel laureates and is known for its academic achievement, premier research and innovation
• Currently four Anteater teams are nationally ranked - Baseball (17), Men's Volleyball (5), Women's Water Polo (8), Men's Tennis (45)
• Athletics has a highly successful past, claiming 28 national championships, including four by men's volleyball (2007, 2009, 2012, 2013)
• Last year 7 Anteater teams made NCAA appearances. UCI ended the year ranked fourth in the NCAA Division I-AAA (non-football) LEARFIELD Directors' Cup, ranking the most successful programs in country