It was an up-and-down season last year for UC San Diego’s men’s basketball team under first-year head coach Clint Allard.
The squad won seven straight games to start the season and also had three- and five-game win streaks later in the year. However, the team alternated between wins and losses during the middle of the season and at one point dropped three in a row.
That inconsistency culminated in a loss against Cal State Fullerton in the quarterfinals of the Big West Conference tournament, ending their season with a 23-11 record (12-8 Big West), a sizable step back from the 30-5 (18-2 Big West) finish the previous year – which culminated in a trip to the NCAA Tournament – under former head coach Eric Olen.
But now, with Allard’s first year as a head coach under his belt and experience gained and lessons learned, the upcoming season could be less of a rollercoaster for the coach and his team.
Allard, who had been UCSD’s associate head coach for 11 years, was promoted to the head role in March 2025 after Olen headed to the University of New Mexico. Allard’s a UCSD basketball alum and was a four-year starter and three-time captain for the team from 2004-2008.
So, what can supporters and observers expect from his Tritons during the upcoming season?
New and returning Players
UCSD brings back nine players from the previous season, while also adding seven freshmen and transfers.
“Our coaching staff did an outstanding job identifying and recruiting this group,” Allard said in June of the newcomers. “This is a very balanced class with players who complement one another. They are exceptional competitors, high-character people and we’re excited to welcome them to our program.”
One new player to keep an eye on is Trey Eaglestaff, a 6-foot-6 transfer and fifth-year guard from West Virginia. When playing in his first preseason game as a Triton against USC on Oct. 17, Eaglestaff scored a game-high 29 points – including five three-pointers on eight attempts – and pulled down seven rebounds.
Although one preseason performance isn’t necessarily indicative of what to expect in the regular season, it’s worth noting that last year, Eaglestaff had five games with 20 or more points for West Virginia.
For the season, he averaged 9.8 points and 4.6 rebounds while starting all 35 games for the Mountaineers.
“He brings versatility and experience, as well as the ability to be a threat on and off the ball,” Allard said of Eaglestaff when he joined the team in August. “Just as importantly, his competitiveness and team-first approach fit well with the culture that has been built here.”
Among the returning players is Leo Beath, a 6-foot-8 senior forward who led the team in scoring with 12.2 ppg last season during 32 starts in 33 games. Also returning is Tom Beattie, a six-five senior guard whose 3.4 assists per game led the team last season.
The Tritons did lose two noteworthy players: last year’s leading rebounder, sophomore guard Hudson Mayes (5.7 rpg), who transferred to New Mexico, and Emanuel Prospere II, tops in steals (1.7 per game), who graduated.
However, Beath averaged 5.1 rebounds last season and incoming junior guard Jordan Johnson averaged 5.7 rebounds at Calhoun Community College in Alabama. He pulled down 5.3 rebounds per game the year before at Georgia Highland College.
While there isn’t a direct correlation between rebounds at the community college and upper levels, Johnson does have good size for a Division I guard at 6-foot-3 and 205 lbs.
“Jordan is a strong, physical guard who impacts every part of the game,” Allard said when Johnson joined the team in June. “He can shoot, pass, drive and rebound at a high level.”
Eaglestaff’s aforementioned 4.7 rebounds per game should also help, if he can replicate that success with his new team.
Season outlook
In a preseason poll of all 12 Big West head coaches, they picked UC Irvine to win the conference, with UC San Diego polling second and UC Santa Barbara third.
Irvine went 23-12 last season and won the conference’s regular-season crown with a 15-5 record against Big West teams. The team made it to the title game of the 2026 Big West Championship, but lost to No. 2 seed Hawai’i (which has since departed for the Mountain West Conference).
UCSD begins its regular season with a Monday home matchup against Whittier and ends it with a March 6 game at conference rival Cal State Northridge. In addition to playing the other Big West teams twice, the Tritons face 10 non-conference foes (including three San Diego State rivals, Fresno State, Utah State and San Jose State).
“The goal of our non-conference schedule is to prepare us for the 22-game gauntlet that is Big West Conference play, and I feel confident we’ve accomplished that with challenging home, road and neutral-site opportunities against quality programs from great conferences,” Allard said in September.
Of note: This is UCSD’s final Big West campaign, after joining the conference in 2020; effective July 1, the school becomes part of the West Coast Conference, which currently includes the University of San Diego.
But before the move, the Tritons hope to end their Big West tenure with a conference championship and a run in the NCAA Tournament.
“We’re excited to get underway,” Allard said. “Triton fans have a lot of exciting basketball to look forward to this season.”
