UC Irvine has been the golden standard in the Big West since head coach Russell Turner took the helm.
The program has won seven conference regular-season and two tournament championships since Turner’s hiring. Can the team carry success into next season?
Mid-Major Basketball is previewing all Big West teams for the 2024-25 season. Up next is the Anteaters.
Last season
UC Irvine won its seventh Big West regular season title in the 2023-24 season. The team finished the season with a record of 24-10 and went 17-3 in conference play.
The Anteaters had a bye until the conference tournament semifinals, where they faced Long Beach State. The rest did not help the team, as they lost against the Beach, 79-83.
UC Irvine played in the National Invitation Tournament after missing out on the NCAA Tournament. In the first round of the NIT, UC Irvine played Utah, losing 75-84.
Players
Returning to the Anteaters squad is grad student Justin Hohn. The guard averaged 12.6 points and 2.9 rebounds per game. Hohn was selected to the preseason All-Big West team.
Guard Andre Henry is back for his graduate season with the program. Henry was the team’s second-leading scorer, averaging 10.5 points per game last season.
UC Irvine added transfer guard Myles Che from UT Chattanooga to this season’s roster. Che averaged 7.5 points and 1.9 assists per game in the Southern Conference last season.
Schedule
UC Irvine will face its first Division I opponent on Nov. 8, when the school travels to Los Angeles to face Loyola Marymount.
The Anteaters will face Atlantic 10 Conference Tournament winners Duquesne Dukes on Dec. 21. The Dukes beat BYU in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, adding to the strength of the schedule.
Turner and his squad will host UC Santa Barbara on Feb. 13. UCSB has been selected as the second-ranked team in the conference heading into the season.
Irvine will host Long Beach State on March 1 in a rematch of the 2024 Big West Semifinals.
The Big West Tournament will take place from March 12-15. UC Irvine will try to compete in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2019.
Prediction
UC Irvine has shown time and time again why it continues to be on top of the Big West.
The team has shown no signs of slowing down from previous seasons and looks to continue to win the conference. Irvine’s next step is to win the conference tournament and play in March Madness.
The Anteaters were selected to finish first in the conference in the 2024 preseason coaches poll.
