DAVIS, Calif. - For the third time since joining the Big West before the start of the 2007-08 season, UC Davis will face CSUN in its first league game of the season. Unlike their first two meetings in 2009 and 2014 that took place inside the Matadome, this year's inaugural conference contest will take place inside the Pavilion as part of the Aggies' season-long three-game homestand.

Even though UC Davis trails in the all-time series, the Aggies have won four of the last five head-to-head matchups against the Matadors.

After Wednesday night's meeting, CSUN will head to Hawai'i while the Aggies prep for Saturday's ESPNU home game against Long Beach State.

Series Record: CSUN leads 19-12

Last UC Davis Win: 90-86 (OT); 2/16/14 in Davis

Last CSUN Win: 89-77; 1/9/14 in Northridge

Series Streak: UC Davis +1

For the third straight season, ESPN and its family of networks will televise a UC Davis men's basketball game from the Pavilion. ESPNU will carry the team's Jan. 10 Big West contest vs. Long Beach State and begin its broadcast at 8 p.m.

John Brickley and Tim Welsh are your play-by-play announcer and analyst for Saturday's Big West contest.

This is the second time in the last three seasons that ESPN televised the Aggies' home game against the 49ers. UC Davis' inaugural home appearance on national television also took place inside the Pavilion, against Long Beach State, when ESPN2 visited campus during the 2012-13 season. Due to the energy and enthusiasm displayed by that night's sellout crowd, ESPN2 returned to campus last year to televise men's basketball's home finale against UC Santa Barbara.

Saturday's game marks the second time UC Davis and Long Beach State squared off on ESPNU; the network aired that game, from the Walter Pyramid in Long Beach, Calif., on Jan. 12, 2011.

Series Record: Long Beach State leads 20-2

Last UC Davis Win: 82-76; 2/5/09 in Long Beach

Last Long Beach Win: 79-57; 2/20/14 in Davis

Series Streak: Long Beach State +11

WE'RE NUMBER ONE! WE'RE NUMBER ONE!

Thanks to a barrage of three-point baskets recorded throughout their last three games, the Aggies are now the top Division I team in the country (out of 345 Div. I teams) from three. Through games played on Jan. 5, UC Davis sports a .432 percentage from the behind the arc.

BATTLE FOR THE BIG WEST TITLE BEGINS

For the second time in as many seasons, UC Davis will open Big West play against the CSUN Matadors. Even though the Aggies have lost their last three league openers, men's basketball captured wins in both of their home openers in 2008, and 2010, when men's hoops defeated UC Riverside and Cal State Fullerton.

As a Big West member school, UC Davis is 3-4 overall in its seven league openers; 2-0 at home and 1-4 on the road.

LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION

UC Davis hosts Long Beach State on Saturday in a game that will be televised nationally by ESPNU. The Aggie faithful has flocked in droves to represent the campus in front of the ESPN cameras, drawing 5,227 fans for last year's game against UC Santa Barbara and 5,670 for the Mar. 7, 2013, tilt versus Long Beach State. Both games were aired on ESPN2.

THE FIRST OF MANY

UC Davis will enter Wednesday's Big West opener at the Pavilion, against CSUN, with a 10-3 record. The Aggies' 10 wins, prior to the start of league play, are a new Division-I high, and twice as many compared to last year's pre-Big West slate.

Until Jan. 3, the 2008-09 roster set the previous D-I program high by winning six games before facing its first league opponent.

CLIMBING THE MID-MAJOR LADDER

On Nov. 24, UC Davis made its inaugural Division I appearance on CollegeInsider.com's Mid-Major Top 25 poll when the Aggies received one vote.

Five weeks later, UC Davis earned its first-ever, D-I national ranking when the media outlet listed the Aggies as the No. 25 mid-major team in the nation - and the only Big West team - in its Dec. 22 and 29 polls.

UC Davis enters league play receiving votes in this week's poll.

IMAGINE IF HE PLAYED ALL FOUR YEARS IN DAVIS

Currently in his third, and final season at UC Davis, Corey Hawkins continues to stamp his name throughout the team's records book. The senior guard will enter Saturday's game against Cal Maritime ranked No. 8 in school history with 1,352 points scored - six shy of seventh place which is currently held by Ryan Moore (2001-05) and his 1,358-point total.

BETTER THAN 50/50 ODDS? I'LL TAKE THAT

UC Davis is ranked No. 10 in the nation, and No. 1 in the Big West, with its .504 field goal percentage. The No. 2 ranked league team, UC Irvine, is shooting at a .478 clip.

PICK YOUR POISON

Corey Hawkins is averaging 20.3 points per game - the 12th-highest average in the nation. The senior guard is also No. 12 in the country with his .486 three-point field goal percentage and No. 72 with a .516 field goal percentage.

LISTEN LIVE TO UC DAVIS MEN'S BASKETBALL

For the fourth season, UC Davis men's basketball games will air on KSAC (105.5 FM) and online at ucdavisaggies.com. Scott Marsh (@ScottMarsh1140) will provide the play-by-play and begin his broadcast 30 minutes before tip-off with his pregame show.

CRUNCH NUMBERS HERE

Find out what is happening during every UC Davis men's basketball game via live stats. Links for every men's basketball home game are available by visiting UCDavisLiveStats.com. When the Aggies are on the road, check the men's basketball homepage at ucdavisaggies.comto find appropriate live stats links.

IT'S OK TO BE A FOLLOWER

Hoops fans can follow their favorite team, and all other Aggie intercollegiate athletics programs on Twitter at the handle @UCDavisAggies. In-game updates are also available on the department's secondary Twitter handle, @UCDavisInGame.

IF YOU CAN'T MAKE IT THERE, CLICK HERE

By accessing the link entitled "Live Stream Provided by BigWest.TV" on the sidebar of the men's basketball homepage onucdavisaggies.com, fans can access a free video stream of every Big West Conference game involving UC Davis men's basketball this season.

GIVE HIM AN INCH, YOU'RE GIVING HIS TEAM THREE POINTS

Even with opposing teams designing game plans to contain him, Corey Hawkins still finds ways to create solid looks from three. The senior guard has connected on 35 of 72 shots from distance and is ranked No. 12 in the nation (through games played on Jan. 5) with his .486 percentage.

A FIVE-TOOL PLAYER IN BASKETBALL?

As the numbers indicate, that's the best way to describe Corey Hawkins since the senior guard can defend, score, protect the ball, create open looks for teammates and force turnovers. Hawkins' NCAA and Big West rankings include (NCAA through games played on Jan. 5, Big West through Jan. 4):

NCAA

Three-point percentage: 12th/.486

Points per game: 12th/20.3

Three-point field goals per game: 35th/2.92

Total three-point FGM: 69th/35

Total points: 62nd/244

Field goal percentage: 72nd/.516

Big West Conference

Points per game: 1st/20.3

Rebounding: 13th/4.9

Field goal percentage: 3rd/.516

Assists: 7th/3.58 per game

Free throw percentage: 6th/.810

Steals: 2nd/1.83 per game

Three-point percentage: 2nd/.486

Three-point field goals per game: 2nd/2.92

Assist to turnover ratio: 8th/1.65

HEY NOW, YOU'RE AN ALL-STAR, GET YOUR GAME ON, GO PLAY

In his first season with French club team, Champagne Châlons-Reims Basket, League Nationale de Basket officials selected the former Aggie as one of 24 players worthy of competing in the league's All-Star Game.

An all-star team of foreign players, one that includes Payne on its roster, faced another squad comprised entirely of native French basketball players on Jan. 3, 2015, at the Zenith de Paris. That evening, the former Aggie scored 11 points on 5 of 6 shooting, nailed his only attempt from three and recorded two rebounds throughout his 13 minutes played.

As Champagne Châlons-Reims Basket's starting shooting guard, Payne is averaging 14.7 points, 5.8 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game.

AGGIES' D IS THE KEY IN FINAL BIG WEST TUNE-UP

A three-point field goal from Cal Maritime's Blaine Shively with 11 seconds remaining prevented the Aggies from holding an opponent under 40 points for the first time as a Division I program. Instead, the Keelhaulers became the second opponent the Aggies held to a Div. I program-low 41 points.

On Dec. 30, 2008, Dartmouth was held to 41 points in a game that also took place inside the Pavilion.

ELEVEN SECONDS FROM HISTORY

Since joining the Big West Conference prior to the 2007 season, UC Davis allowed less than 50 points to its opponents on four occasions. Coincidentally, each one of those defensive performances took place inside the Pavilion. Besides Cal Maritime and Dartmouth, who scored only 41 points each, UC Riverside only posted 43 when the Highlanders visited campus on Feb. 28, 2010. When UC Santa Cruz visited Davis, the Banana Slugs only scored 49 points.

No opposing team has ever scored less than 40 points during the Aggies' Division-I tenure.

HOW LOW DID THEY GO?

In addition to allowing a D-I, program-low 41 points in their final league tune-up against Cal Maritime, the Aggies also held the Keelhaulers to a season-low .240 field goal percentage (12-for-50).

ONE PERFECT PERFORMANCE BEGETS ANOTHER

Senior swingman Josh Ritchart is the second Aggie to post a flawless shooting performance this season after nailing all four attempts, including three from three, versus Cal Maritime (1/3). Ritchart is the second player this season to accomplish this feat.

Against the Washington State Cougars (12/28), senior guard Avery Johnson connected on all four shots taken, including both attempts from three, and drilled both free throws to finish with a season-high 12 points.

EFFECTIVE AND EFFICIENT - ALL IN ONE NIGHT

Josh Ritchart also recorded his 200th career three-point field goal made and 100th career assist in the Aggies' final regular season, non-conference game of the year against Cal Maritime.

LET'S PLAY TWO!

When the men hosted Utah State (11/26) and Utah Valley (11/29), women's basketball faced Utah Valley and Pacific in respective matinée matchups. On both occasions, the Aggies recorded a doubleheader sweep.

The final UC Davis basketball doubleheader took place on Jan. 3, 2015, when the women host Menlo College before the men tip that evening against Cal Maritime. As was the case in the previous two occasions, both Aggie basketball teams left the Pavilion with a win.

HE'S THEIR TOP DEFENDER, AND HE CAN SHOOT FROM THREE?

Known for stifling opponents' top players each and every game, Avery Johnson has developed a new part of his game by knocking down threes on a regular, and consistent basis. In his last three games, the senior guard has scored a collective seven treys. Throughout the entire 2013-14 campaign, his first at UC Davis, Johnson scored 18 baskets from three.

THIS LAST TOOK PLACE BEFORE TWO WORLD WARS, THE FIRST TRANSATLANTIC FLIGHT AND THE INVENTION OF TELEVISION

With its win against San José State on Dec. 3, UC Davis sported its first 6-0 start in 102 years and the first time as a NCAA-recognized athletics program.

During the 1912-13 season, the last time the Aggies enjoyed this successful a start to their season, the school was known a University Farm and competed against local high school and club teams.

THAT'S TOUGH TO TOP

By winning its first six games, UC Davis posted its strongest start in 102 seasons. However, that win streak fell short of the Big West record 34-game winning streak set by UNLV during the 1990-91 season. That year, the Runnin' Rebels won every contest but one - the national championship game against Duke.

DREAM BIG, WIN BIG ON THE BIG WEST TOUR

The Big West Tour, sponsored by ampm and Fox PrimeTicket, returns for 2015, running January 8 through February 26th. Over the course of the tour, Big West representatives will make stops at the eight Big West campuses in California, giving fans opportunities to win prize packs from the Big West spin wheel, receive ampm scratcher cards and enter for a chance to win an iPad air at EACH campus courtesy of ampm.

The Tour will visit UC Davis' Memorial Union on Jan. 29, from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. before relocating to the Pavilion for that night's UC Santa Barbara at UC Davis 7 p.m. league contest.

The Big West Tour will also feature an ampm show us your "too much good stuff" social media contest where fans can pose for photos and tag or share their photos for a chance to win a $250 amazon gift card from ampm.

Returning for the fifth year as a sponsor of The Big West Tour, ampm will provide prizes at each tour stop, and will also distribute scratcher cards available on each of the tour campuses throughout the conference season.

Scratcher prizes include free ampm products, Big West Tournament tickets, bookstore gift cards, high definition action camera and a grand prize of a $1,000 electronics shopping spree. ampm has been a proud partner of the Big West Tour since 2010. For official rules regarding the ampm scratchers and drawing visit www.ampm.com/bigwest.

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