GAME 16 (W, 62-54)
UC DAVIS (8-7, 1-2 BIG WEST) AT CSUN MATADORS (3-12, 0-4 BIG WEST)
WEDNESDAY, JAN. 11 | 7 P.M. | PREMIER AMERICA CREDIT UNION ARENA | NORTHRIDGE, CALIF.
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GAME 17
UC DAVIS (9-7, 2-2 BIG WEST) VS. CAL STATE FULLERTON (9-8, 3-2 BIG WEST)
SATURDAY, JAN. 14 | 2 P.M. | UNIVERSITY CREDIT UNION CENTER | DAVIS, CALIF.
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Davis, Calif. — After picking up their first Big West win, and first win of 2023 this past Saturday, the UC Davis Men's Basketball Team (8-7, 1-2) will travel to Northridge as they take on the CSUN Matadors (3-12, 0-4) Wednesday night. Following the matchup with the Matadors, Aggies will wrap up the weekend with return to the University Credit Union Center for a Saturday date with Cal State Fullerton (9-7, 3-1).
 

THE TIP-OFF

• Looking to get back-to-back wins for the first time since November, the Aggies are hoping to carry their momentum into their second road conference game of the year. After defeating CSU Bakersfield 67-48, UC Davis is hoping that their defensive pressure from last game can continue providing the offense with quality looks on the other end. 
• Kane Milling and Christian Anigwe stood out against CSU Bakersfield with Milling pouring in a career-high 19 points and nine rebounds, while Anigwe scored 16 on a 5-11 showing from the field.
• The win over CSU Bakersfield was the first time the Aggies had held an opponent to under 50 points.
• After the Aggies picked up their first Big West victory of the year, UC Davis finds themselves in sixth place among its fellow conference members. 

ABOUT THE MATADORS

• Sitting at the bottom of the Big West, CSUN is led by Head Coach, Trent Johnson who is in his second year at the helm.
• Three Matadors are averaging double digits with Atin Wright being the focal point. 
• Wright is averaging 14.7 points per game while also leading the team in steals. 
• CSUN last time out suffered a 68-45 loss to UC Riverside. 
• The Matadors have used their 78th ranked field goal percentage defense to carry them to their three victories on the year. 

SERIES INFO

• The Aggies lead the all-time series against CSUN 27-21.
• Last matchup between the two programs on Feb. 26, 2022 resulted in a 68-49 win for UC Davis.
• UC Davis is winner of the past three matchups against the Matadors.
   

ABOUT THE TITANS

• Led by Dedrique Taylor who is in his 10th season at the helm for the Titans, Cal State Fullerton is 9-7 through 16 games.
• Taking advantage of their home court, the Titans are 7-1 at home this year while being 2-6 away from Titan Gym.
• The Titans are paced by Nov. 21 Big West Player of the Week Latrell Wrightsell Jr. who is averaging a team-high 16.3 points per game. 
• Cal State Fullerton enters the weekend riding a three-game win streak and has will play UC Irvine on the road Wednesday before traveling to Davis. 
• The Titans have utilized the three-point line to help them secure victories the entire season. They are efficient on both sides of the ball as they connect on 36.9% of their attempts, good for 58th in the country, and limit their opponents to just 30.2% which ranks out as 55th in the country.

SERIES INFO

• UC Davis trails the all-time series against Cal State Fullerton 18-26.
• The last Aggie victory against the Titans occurred on Feb. 20, 2020 with UC Davis winning 87-81.
• Cal State Fullerton is winners of three straight matchups heading into the weekend.

UP NEXT

• Following the two game week, UC Davis will have a quick turnaround and travel to UC San Diego for a game on Monday, Jan. 16. Tip-off for that game is scheduled for 3 P.M. PT and will be the first of three games the Aggies will play next week.

1000 POINT MILESTONE 

• Elijah Pepper scored 17 points against Milwaukee and eclipsed the 1,000 career points scored mark.
• He became the 25th Aggie in history to reach the spectacular feat and just the 10th in the Division 1 Era for Aggie Basketball.
• Elijah surpassed former Aggie, Dominic Calegari and now holds sole possession as the 8th highest scoring Aggie in the Division 1 Era.
• He enters the contest against CSUN with 1,167 points and is four points away from becoming the 16th most prolific scorer in UC Davis Men's Basketball history. 

SCORING IN BUNCHES

• As it currently stands, the Aggies are the No. 2 scoring offense in the Big West, averaging a staggering 76.9 points per game.
• Possessing the third leading conference scorer Elijah Pepper, the Aggies are also paced by transfer, Ty Johnson.
• Johnson is averaging 16 points per game, good for sixth in the Big West.
• Pepper and Johnson's career high's this year of 32 points are first among individual Big West game highs
• The Aggies have three different members among the top-25 scorers in the conference.
• Pace has been harped on all year, and a huge reason for the ability to generate points at such an elite rate (Aggies rank 32nd in Pace per CBB Ref).
• While an incredibly difficult number to maintain, the Aggies have never averaged 75 or more points in the Division 1 era.

LONE SENIOR

• While people from the outside looking in are focused on how the new Aggies will perform this season, lost in it all is lone senior, Christian Anigwe. While Pepper may serve as the main scorer on most nights, Anigwe is set to be a huge part of the Aggie rotation. After battling all of last season with nagging injuries, his leadership and presence on the floor could be a big factor for UC Davis this season. Coach Les praised Anigwe's toughness for being able to play through pain all of the 2021-22 season and the hope is that fully healthy, he can prove he is a force to be reckoned with and unlock another level of play with his ability to step outside and create mismatches. Christian is averaging 12.5 points per game while hauling in 5.3 rebounds per game.

DEPTH AND SIZE

• The addition of seven new players is a major storyline for UC Davis basketball, addressing depth and possessing players with the ability to play both inside and out is what Coach Les looks to build on this season. After only having three players 6'7 or taller last season, UC Davis now rosters seven players who carry this distinction. In an always competitive Big West Conference that at times relies on running traditional lineups featuring two bigs, Les prioritized bringing in new faces that will allow the Aggies to throw out lineups that can maintain the pressure and pace they want to play at, while also being able to target mismatches on a nightly basis.

GUARD PLAY

• While the focus of the offseason was to get more versatile on the perimeter by adding length, the guards for the upcoming season and the depth at this position also is something Coach Les has raved about. With returners Elijah Pepper, Ade Adebayo, Leo DeBruhl, Kane Milling, and Sione Losé, there is plenty of skill and versatility among the crop to play in three and even four-guard sets with confidence. The additions of Robby Beasley III who has proven himself as a scorer and floor spacer and Ty Johnson with his defensive prowess and NCAA Tournament experience also provides UC Davis with plug and play guys who will be ready to make an impact right away.

EUROPE TRIP AT THE RIGHT TIME

• The Aggies took a 10-day trip overseas and got to experience the trip of a lifetime while also being able to pick up 10 very important, extra practices that the Aggies are hoping will translate to more wins throughout the course of the season for team with 7 new faces.
• The Aggies have been preparing for the last four years and had planned to take the trip two years ago before the COVID-19 pandemic forced it to be postponed. 
• From a basketball perspective, the trip couldn't come at a better time for Les' Aggies. UC Davis features eight returners and will be integrating seven newcomers.
• "There isn't a better time in my opinion," Les said. "Not only will it be great team and culture building off the floor but also a great opportunity to get a jump start on the season this summer with basically a brand new team."

AN INTERNATIONAL GAME

• Another season, and another year with multiple international members being Aggies
• Competing for UC Davis men's basketball this season are five international players:

            - Junior forward Sam Manu (Taiwan)

            - Junior guard Kane Milling (Nantes, France)

            - Junior guard Ade Adebayo (London, England)

            - Sophomore forward Francesco Borra (Moncalieri, Italy)

            - Sophomore forward Niko Rocak (Geneva, Switzerland)

THREE AGGIES IN THE NBA

• We take pride in building a culture not only from a player's perspective but also having a support system full of people that promote what it takes to be an Aggie. This summer three former members of UC Davis Basketball  and people who have made a huge impact on the program have found themselves in the NBA. The list includes:

            - Chima Moneke (Kings - Player)

            - Ryan Oliver (Spurs - Basketball Operations)

            - Hunter Eisenhower (Kings - Strength Coach)

TRUE UNIVERSITY AMBASSADORS

• Excelling on the field and in the classroom, UC Davis student-athletes compete in 25 intercollegiate sports (16 women's and nine men's).
• Ranked No. 5 among all public schools in the nation by the Wall Street Journal and Times Higher Education, UC Davis offers nearly 100 graduate programs and more than 100 undergraduate majors across four colleges and six professional schools, including the world's top-ranked veterinary science and agriculture programs.
• UC Davis student-athletes perform academically at a level of achievement that is equivalent to the undergraduate student body
• UC Davis' teams lead their conferences in many academic metrics, including Academic Progress Rate (APR) and Graduation Success Rate (GSR).
• UC Davis Athletics also sets the national standard in preparing student-athletes to launch successfully into jobs and graduate school opportunities through its innovative Aggie EVO System.