UCI men’s basketball team seeks encore
The UC Irvine men’s basketball team made history last season by making the NCAA Tournament for the first time. Heading into the 2015-16 season, Coach Russell Turner’s Anteaters are now focused on making progress.
“Well, we did it, and to that point, we hadn’t so there’s something that’s real there,” Turner said of winning the Big West Conference Tournament and leading Louisville in the final minute, before being eliminated in the second round of the Big Dance, 57-55.
“We were disappointed to have lost and to have come that close and not finish the [Louisville] game. But I know there was also pride within every guy for the fact that we performed well in that arena, because I’m sure there were many who doubted we would. It’s a tough pill for these guys returning to hear everybody mention that Louisville game to us, and we realize that in many ways we are defined by a close loss. But I think all of us in this program now view ourselves as champions and we’re very motivated to continue to build on the reputation we’ve established. It’s still our goal to leave a greater mark here.”
That reputation includes the preseason bull’s eye as Big West Conference favorite, as well as some greater recognition and expectations from national media. And despite losing starter Will Davis and Travis Souza, as well as John Ryan, who filled in when 7-foot-6 center Mamadou Ndiaye missed 19 games with injuries, those expectations are well-founded.
“We’ve got the chance to be pretty good,” said Turner, who enters his sixth season with a substantial raise after being courted by James Madison and Arizona State following last season’s breakthrough success. “We have a lot of veterans which is a nice thing to have at this time of the year. We’re trying to build off things that we know were successful with the majority of this group last year. That may be an advantage for us.”
Also working to UCI’s advantage is the seasoned backcourt duo of senior Alex Young and Luke Nelson, as well as the monolithic Ndiaye, who will likely entice NBA scouts if he continues to develop on the arc he has displayed in his first two seasons.
Ndiaye and Nelson both averaged 10.5 points per game last season, trailing only Davis (12.9), who was a first-team all-conference performer. Ndiaye, the Big West Defensive Player of the Year as a freshman, has 131 blocked shots and a combined .678 field-goal percentage his first two seasons.
“When he plays, everything is different,” Turner said of Ndiaye, a preseason all-conference honoree who is also among 20 on the watch list for the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year award. “It’s a different game when that dude is on the court.”
Nelson’s game also earned him preseason all-conference recognition, while Young, a fourth-year starter at point guard, averaged 9.4 points and 3.5 assists as a junior, when both he and Nelson received honorable mention in the All-Big West voting.
“I think Alex is the leading presence on the team,” Turner said of one of his tri-captains, along with Nelson and senior Dominique Dunning. “As a fourth-year point guard who has a chance to be the winningest player in program history, he has earned that designation.”
Senior Aaron Wright, junior Jaron Martin and sophomore Haroldas Saprykinas add to what is among the deepest collections of guards in school history.
The frontcourt will include 7-2 junior Ioannis Dimakopoulos, 6-10 senior Mike Best and 6-10 redshirt freshman Jonathan Galloway, as well as the versatile and dynamic Dunning.
Martin, who started nine games last season, averaged 6.6 points per game and is among four of the top six scorers back from last year’s 21-13 campaign, during which the ‘Eaters won 14 of their final 19 games.
Best, a talented scorer and shot blocker who averaged 3.4 points and 2.2 rebounds last season, is expected to start in Saturday’s exhibition game at home against Vanguard, as will the 6-4 Dunning (4.2 ppg and 4.2 rpg as a junior).
Dimakopoulos (3.8 ppg and 1.6 rpg last season) and Galloway are expected to contribute heavily, while Turner said 6-5 freshman Brandon Smith will get a significant opportunity to impress.
“I’m excited with the improvement that I see from our returners,” Turner said. “All of them are improved in some way and several of them are improved in multiple ways. I’m thrilled with the way Mamadou and Best have improved and fit together. And I think we also have a couple of good combinations [down low] because I think Ioannis and Galloway work together well, too.”
Turner believes the biggest opponent, particularly early — notable nonconference road games include Oregon on Dec. 15, Kansas Dec. 29, as well as potential Wooden Legacy foes Michigan State and Arizona in late November — may be overconfidence.
“I know we’ve had a lot of people say nice things about us and slap us on the back and I know that can create complacency, and in some extreme cases entitlement,” Turner said. “I hope that’s not the case for our squad and it better not be, because if it is, we’ll pay the price.
“There is going to be a lot of competition for playing time and we have a team that is deep enough that we can go to a lot of players. I don’t think anybody is going to average a lot of minutes for us, though Alex and Luke will probably see the most.
“My focus is to make sure we’re physically, mentally and emotionally tougher. That’s what we should be as a veteran team.”
UCI opens the regular season on Nov. 13 against UC San Diego. Its Big West opener is Jan. 7 at home against defending regular-season champion UC Davis.
