Anteaters’ schedule softened

All five men’s basketball opponents on the UC Irvine preconference home schedule had losing records and the Anteaters are scheduled to play just one nonconference game against an opponent that made the NCAA Tournament in 2009.

Among those early 2009-2010 season nonconference home games are dates with NAIA representative Vanguard University and La Verne, a Division III school.

In addition, the ’Eaters, who were 12-19 last season, play a home exhibition game against Concordia of Irvine, an NAIA school.

The marquee game on the schedule, announced Monday, is a Nov. 15 road date at Texas, which lost in the second round of the NCAA Tournament last season to finish 23-12.

UCI plays at Seattle (21-8 last season) and is entered in a four-team tournament at Eastern Kentucky that includes the host school (18-13 a year ago), Texas San-Antonio (19-13) and Fairleigh Dickinson (7-23). The tournament schedule is not yet available.

Coach Pat Douglass’ squad also has home dates with Hawaii (13-17 last season), San Jose State (13-17) and Pepperdine (9-23).

Add in a Nov. 18 road clash at Loyola Marymount (3-28), an additional road game at San Jose State, and a home-and-home pairing with Cal State Bakersfield (8-21) and it would appear Douglass, entering his 13th season at UCI — his final campaign under his existing contract — has created an opportunity to reverse a trend that has produced a combined 88-96 record the last six seasons.

The recent sub-mediocrity follows a three-season stretch in which Douglass guided UCI to a 66-25 mark in three seasons, from 2000 to 2003, including Big West Conference regular-season championships in 2002 and 2003.

UCI opens Big West play at home against UC Santa Barbara on Jan. 2.

Defending Big West champion Cal State Northridge, the only other team on the schedule to play in the NCAA Tournament last season, is the Anteaters’ first conference road game, Jan. 7.

UCI will play an ESPNU BracketBuster game at home on Feb. 20, before concluding its home regular season a week later against Northridge.

The Anteaters are expected to be led by 6-foot-5 sophomore Eric Wise, a second-team all-conference performer last season, when he averaged 14 points and 6.0 rebounds per game.

Michael Hunter, who will be a senior guard, is also among the returners. He averaged 11.9 points and 2.5 assists per game as the ’Eaters finished 8-8 in the Big West and lost in the first round of the conference tournament.

— Barry Faulkner

2009-2010 schedule

Nov. 9 – Concordia (exhibition), home

Nov. 13 – La Verne (home)

Nov. 15 – at Texas, TBA

Nov. 18 – at Loyola Marymount, TBA

Nov. 23-25 – Eastern Kentucky tournament, TBA

Dec. 1 – Hawaii (home)

Dec. 12 – Vanguard (home)

Dec. 15 – at Seattle, TBA

Dec. 18 – San Jose State (home)

Dec. 21 – Pepperdine (home)

Dec. 28 – at San Jose State, TBA

Jan. 2 – UC Santa Barbara* (home)

Jan. 5 – Cal Poly SLO* (home)

Jan. 7 – at Cal State Northridge*

Jan. 9 – at Long Beach State*, TBA

Jan. 14 – at UC Davis*

Jan. 16 – at Pacific*

Jan. 21 – Long Beach State* (home)

Jan. 23 – UC Riverside* (home)

Jan, 28 – Pacific* (home)

Jan. 20 – at Cal State Fullerton*, TBA

Feb. 3 – at Cal State Bakersfield, TBA

Feb. 6 – CS Bakersfield (home)

Feb. 10 – Cal State Fullerton* (home)

Feb. 13 – UC Davis* (home)

Feb. 17 – at UC Riverside*

Feb. 20 – ESPNU BracketBuster (home), TBA

Feb. 27 – Cal State Northridge* (home)

March 3 – at UC Santa Barbara*

March 6 – at Cal Poly SLO*, TBA

March 10-13 – Big West Tournament (at Anaheim Convention Center)