Anteaters Open 2026–27 Season Against Chapman

IRVINE, Calif. – UC Irvine men's basketball opens the 2026–27 season Tuesday, Nov. 3, hosting Chapman at 7 p.m. at the Bren Events Center.

The Anteaters begin their 17th season under head coach Russell Turner after finishing 23–12 overall and 15–5 in Big West play last season. UCI captured the conference regular-season championship, advanced to the Big West Championship game and earned an NIT berth.

Tuesday's contest begins a three-game homestand, with San Jose State visiting Nov. 7 and Lincoln following Nov. 11.

SETTING THE STAGE
UC Irvine enters the season as the Big West preseason favorite with an experienced returning group and several newcomers who contributed during the team's preseason preparations.

Returners include Harrison Carrington, Tama Isaac, Jovan Jester Jr., Torian Lee, Elijah Chol, Ben Egbo, Langston Redfield and Nes Emeneke. Transfers Nils Cooper and Olivier Rioux join a freshman class that includes Josiah Johnson, Parker Spees and Dom Bentho.

The Anteaters gained experience together during a 7–1 showing at the William Jones Cup in Taiwan in August before recording exhibition victories over UQAM and CSULA in October.

EXHIBITION REWIND
UCI defeated UQAM, 101–70, in Montreal on Oct. 10 before returning to the Bren Events Center for a 94–58 victory over CSULA on Oct. 27.

The Anteaters placed five players in double figures in each exhibition, shot at least 50.0 percent in both games and held a combined 107–57 rebounding advantage.

Jester Jr. led UCI against CSULA with 17 points on 7–10 shooting. Rioux added 13 points, eight rebounds and two blocks, while Bryce Goldman contributed 11 points and seven rebounds. Johnson and Mason Hodges finished with ten points apiece.

UCI shot 50.0 percent from the floor, scored 52 points in the paint and held CSULA to 31.7 percent shooting. Emeneke led the defensive effort at the rim with four blocks to go with six points and six rebounds.

NEWCOMERS MAKE AN IMPACT
Johnson and Rioux scored in double figures in both exhibitions, each totaling 23 points.

Johnson led the Anteaters with 13 points and six assists against UQAM before recording ten points and three assists against CSULA. The freshman guard also led UCI at the Jones Cup, averaging 14.4 points across five appearances.

Rioux recorded a double-double in Montreal with ten points and 11 rebounds. The 7-foot-9 center followed with 13 points and eight rebounds against CSULA, shooting 5–6 from the field.

Cooper contributed eight points, five rebounds and three assists against CSULA. The senior guard arrives from UC Davis, where he averaged 12.3 points and 4.6 rebounds last season.

EXPERIENCE IN THE BACKCOURT
Isaac returns after starting all 35 games as a freshman and leading the Anteaters with 134 assists in 2025–26.

The sophomore continued to facilitate the offense during the exhibitions, distributing eight assists against UQAM and seven against CSULA.

Jester Jr. also appeared in all 35 games last season, averaging 6.5 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.3 assists while leading UCI with 52 steals.

Carrington returns after averaging 8.5 points and 3.8 rebounds while shooting 58.3 percent from the floor. He scored in double figures 16 times during his first season with the Anteaters.

DEFENSE AND REBOUNDING
UCI's defensive identity carried into its exhibition appearances, with both opponents shooting below 35.0 percent from the field.

The Anteaters totaled 22 steals and 13 blocks across the two games while collecting 35 offensive rebounds.

Last season, UCI held opponents to 38.8 percent shooting and averaged 5.8 blocks per game. The Anteaters also ranked 1st nationally with 7.22 kills per game, according to CBB Analytics. A kill consists of three consecutive defensive stops without allowing a point.

NEXT UP
UC Irvine hosts San Jose State on Saturday, Nov. 7 at the Bren Events Center.

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Dom Bentho

Harrison Carrington

Elijah Chol

Nils Cooper

Ben Egbo

Nes Emeneke

Bryce Goldman

Mason Hodges

Tama Isaac

Jovan Jester Jr.

Josiah Johnson

Torian Lee

Langston Redfield

Olivier Rioux

Parker Spees

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