Game of the Week: UC Irvine vs. UC San Diego

UC San Diego will host UC Irvine in a marquee matchup between two of the nation’s premier mid-major programs on Saturday. Both teams are off to perfect starts in Big West Conference play, entering the week with 3-0 records.  

Before Saturday’s showdown, both teams face Thursday matchups that could set the stage for their high-stakes clash. The top two teams in the Big West will square off at 10 p.m. ET (7 p.m. PT) Saturday, with the game airing live on ESPNU.

UC Irvine

UC Irvine, ranked No. 15 in the latest Mid-Major Basketball Top 25 Poll, has won the Big West regular-season title in each of the last two years. This season, the Anteaters entered as the preseason favorites to capture the regular-season crown again.

The Anteaters (13-2) suffered road losses to Oregon State and Duquesne this season. They are riding a three-game winning streak since their surprising 16-point loss to Duquesne on Dec. 21. 

This season, the Anteaters boast one of the nation’s top defenses, allowing 64.4 points per game on 39.1% shooting. Both rank 33rd-best in the country. Four players are averaging double figures in scoring, with 7-foot-1 senior center Bent Leuchten serving as the team’s go-to option.

Leuchten is averaging 15.1 points per game on 53.9% shooting. He also is grabbing a team-high 8.4 rebounds per contest.

The Anteaters are at CSUN on Thursday before Saturday’s must-watch matchup.

UC San Diego

UC San Diego entered the year ranked third in the Big West Conference preseason poll. However, the Tritons, ranked 12th in the latest Mid-Major Basketball Top 25 Poll, have exceeded those expectations early this season. 

The Tritons (13-2) are riding an 11-game, with quality victories over UC Santa Barbara and Utah State. It’s a significant achievement, particularly considering their transition to Division I in 2020. This season marks the program’s first eligibility for the Division I NCAA Tournament.

The Tritons are a highly balanced team, averaging 81.1 points per game (62nd in the country) while allowing just 61.8 points per game (13th in the country). They have four players averaging double figures in scoring. 

The dynamic senior guard duo of Tyler McGhie and Aniwaniwa Tait-Jones leads the Tritons’ offense. McGhie paces the Tritons with 18.7 points per game on 46.4% shooting. He’s the team’s go-to option on the perimeter, making 62 of 142 3-point attempts for 44.3% this season. Tait-Jones adds 17.6 points and a team-high 5.3 rebounds per game.

UC San Diego hosts Cal Poly on Thursday before facing UC Irvine on its home court.