After reaching as high as No. 7 in the Mid-Major Top 25 college basketball rankings in early January, the UC San Diego men’s basketball team is back at No. 7 following an 11-point win at Hawaii Thursday.
UC San Diego is 18-4 overall and 8-2 in Big West play. UC Irvine is the only Big West school, at No. 3, ranked above the Tritons on the mid-major list, which was released Monday.
The Tritons currently sit atop the conference in points allowed, surrendering only 62.5 points per game. UC San Diego ranks second in offensive points per game, behind only CSUN, with 79.8 points per game.
UC San Diego’s next contest will have big implications on the Big West standings, as the Tritons welcome UC Riverside on Thursday. The Tritons and Highlanders rank second and third in the conference, respectively.
The second and third leading scorers in the conference also hail from the Tritons and Highlanders. The Highlanders’ Barrington Hargress scores 20 points per contest, while the Tritons’ Aniwaniwa Tait-Jones scores 19.5 points per game.
UC Riverside handed UC San Diego its most recent loss, an 85-81 defeat on Jan. 18. The Tritons will look to hold steady in the conference standings Thursday, when the game tips off at 7 p.m. PST. It will be broadcast on ESPN+.
