GAME 19
UC DAVIS (11-7, 4-2 BIG WEST) VS. UC RIVERSIDE (13-6, 6-1 BIG WEST)
THURSDAY, JAN. 19 | 5 P.M. | UNIVERSITY CREDIT UNION CENTER | DAVIS, CALIF.
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GAME 20
UC DAVIS (11-7, 4-2 BIG WEST) VS. CAL POLY (7-11, 1-5 BIG WEST)
SATURDAY, JAN. 21 | 3 P.M. | UNIVERSITY CREDIT UNION CENTER | DAVIS, CALIF.
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Davis, Calif. — Extending their winning streak to a season-high four games after a 78-70 road victory against UC San Diego, the Aggies are set to host a pair of Big West Opponents with first place UC Riverside in town on Thursday, and Cal Poly to follow on Saturday. 

Posting their best five-game stretch since November, the Aggies have been using physicality on both sides of the ball to elevate them over their opponents. The two most recent games between UC San Diego and Cal State Fullerton saw the Aggies capitalize on second chance points and crash the offensive glass during key possessions. These extra possessions have allowed Jim Les' team to constantly attack the paint and put pressure on opposing defenses. This was most apparent in the game against the Tritons, with the Aggies pulling down 15 offensive rebounds, highlighting the ability and willingness to be physical on the glass, even from the guard position. 

The win streak also has seen the Aggie defense rise up when called upon to get stops. Forcing 17 turnovers against UC San Diego on Monday and limiting Fullerton to just one three pointer during the second half of that game, UC Davis has shown to be resilient, despite the 0-2 start at the beginning of Big West play.

TIP-OFF

• 5 P.M. PT is scheduled for tip-off against the visiting UC Riverside Highlanders.
• 4-2 in the Big West, the Ags find themselves in fifth place among their fellow conference members.
• The win over Cal State Fullerton was the first win of the year for UC Davis in which the Aggies had been out-rebounded. 
• UC Davis is 4-1 in January after going 1-4 in the month of December.
• Elijah Pepper has recorded three steals in three consecutive games for UC Davis.
• Turning up the defense during the winning streak, the Ags rank 56th in turnovers forced per game, forcing 15.28. 
• UC Davis ranks 11th in the NCAA in free throw attempts per game while being 13th in the nation in free throw attempt rate per @CBBAnalytics.

The teams with the highest Free Throw Attempt Rate:

*Power 6 + KenPom Top 50 (left) and all Division-I (right) pic.twitter.com/wj3u2Q3E6k

— CBB Analytics (@CBBAnalytics) January 17, 2023

ABOUT THE HIGHLANDERS

• Led by third year head coach, Mike Magpayo, the Highlanders with a record of 6-1 in Big West play find themselves in first place entering the contest against UC Davis.
• Picking up a huge, one-point victory on the road against UC Santa Barbara and overcoming an 18-point deficit against UC San Diego, the Highlanders, just like the Aggies, are riding a four-game win streak.
• A gritty and physical team, the Highlanders are one of the most balanced teams in the Big West.
• This balance is displayed when you take into account that UC Riverside has already had three different players pick up Big West Player of the Week honors.
• Zyon Pullin is the focal point for Coach Magpayo as Pullin currently leads the Big West in points per game and he is doing so at an ultra-efficient rate.
• Pullin is shooting above 50% from both the field and beyond the arc, while being second on the team in total assists.

SERIES INFO

• The Aggies lead the all-time series against the Highlanders 38-35.
• Last matchup took place on Feb. 1, 2022 with the Aggies winning 65-60.
• UC Davis is 6-4 against the Highlanders in the last 10 matchups.

ABOUT THE MUSTANGS

• The Mustangs are led by fourth-year Head Coach John Smith.
• Cal Poly will play UC San Diego on Thursday before heading to Davis and enter the week with a five-game losing streak.
• Mustangs have two scorers among the top-25 in Big West leaders with Alimamy Koroma and Trevon Taylor.
• Being a tough defensive team, the Mustangs rank 74th in scoring defense, allowing just 65.1 points per game. 
• While not known for being the most offensive team, Cal Poly knocks down their limited free throw attempts at an elite rate, ranking 35th in the country as they make 75.4% of their shots from the charity stripe. 

SERIES INFO

• UC Davis trails the all-time series record against Cal Poly, 30-36.
• Last game between the two schools was on Mar. 8, 2022 when the Ags defeated the Mustangs, 63-53.
• UC Davis is 9-1 against Cal Poly in the last 10 matchups.

UP NEXT

• After these two games, UC Davis Men's Basketball will be on the road for all of next week as they travel to CSU Bakersfield and Long Beach State. 

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, Brynton Lamar and now holds sole possession as the 7th highest scoring Aggie in the Division 1 Era.
• He enters the contest against UC Riverside with 1,236 points and overtook Fowzi Abdelsamad as the 15th 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 76.4 points per game.
• Possessing the second leading conference scorer Elijah Pepper, the Aggies are also paced by transfer, Ty Johnson.
• Johnson is averaging 15.2 points per game, good for seventh 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 four 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 42nd 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.

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 - Former Player, Current AS Monaco)

            - 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.