UCI men stumble into the Big West

UCI men’s hoops conference preAnteaters will need quick fix to return to upper echelon of eight-team conference.Entering this season, UC Irvine men’s basketball coach Pat Douglass said the Anteaters had enough experience to “take another step.”

He was referring to a return to the upper echelon of the Big West Conference, a position the Anteaters became accustomed to while winning or sharing the title in 2001 and 2002 and finishing second in 2003.

But after a 4-8 start, including four straight losses, seven in their last eight games -- two to Division II programs -- Douglass’ squad might have trouble stepping up to last year’s 8-10 conference record.

The Anteaters were picked to finish fifth (coaches) and sixth (media) in preseason polls and will need to pull things together quickly to better those forecasts.

UCI opens conference by visiting Cal Poly San Luis Obispo today at 4 p.m. The Anteaters then visit UC Santa Barbara Monday at 7 p.m. The ‘Eaters will then play host to conference foes Cal State Northridge (Friday) and University of the Pacific (Jan. 15).

Pacific, which has won back-to-back Big West crowns, enters conference play 9-4 and is led by Big West Player of the Year candidate Christian Maraker. The 6-foot-9 senior forward is averaging 17.2 points and 8.8 rebounds per game.

Cal State Fullerton, picked atop the preseason conference poll after winning two games in the NIT last season, is suddenly struggling. The Titans are 7-4, 1-1 in conference play, and suffered a startling 83-70 conference-opening loss to visiting Cal Poly on Monday.

The Titans are led by junior guard Bobby Brown (19.5 ppg) and senior Jamaal Brown (17.5 ppg).

Cal State Northridge (5-5, 0-0) and UC Santa Barbara (5-7, 0-2) are also expected to finish in the upper division. But UCSB stumbled in its conference opener Monday against previously winless UC Riverside, before falling to Cal State Fullerton Wednesday.

Northridge is led by junior UCI transfer Mike Efevberha, whose 20.5 points per game are tops among Big West scorers this season.

UCSB has been led by senior Cecil Brown (13.8 ppg), but he is expected to be out against UCI with a sprained a knee ligament.

Long Beach State improved to 5-6 with a 77-48 win over UC Davis Monday and has the kind of athleticism that typically gives UCI match-up problems.

Most believe Cal Poly (4-8, 2-0) and UC Riverside (1-11, 1-1) are the conference’s two worst teams. But after both posted upset wins Monday, the gap between those projected at the top and bottom of the standings might be less tangible than previously thought.

UCI is led by senior guard Ross Schraeder, who is averaging 16.1 points. He is shooting 47% from three-point range and his 198 career three-pointers are just three shy of tying the school career record held by Jeff Herdman (1987-91).

Senior point guard Aaron Fitzgerald is also a key for UCI. He is averaging 11.8 points and a conference-best 5.9 assists.

Junior Nic Campbell (11.9 ppg) and sophomore Darren Fells (10.8 points and 7.5 rebounds per contest) have also been productive for the Anteaters.