https://plumprush.com/dCmnF.z_dFGFNnv-Z/GjUe/ee-m/9qutZjU/lykAPDT/Yn3PNiTlUk0tNEzegptKNNjdcD1fNITaQ/3/OnQu
By Nick Bartlett, SuperWest Sports
UC Irvine is in first place at 11-4 after defeating Long Beach State yesterday.
Hawaii and Cal State Northridge have 10-5 conference records after Thursday’s losses to Cal Poly and UC Santa Barbara, respectively.
The Anteaters and Rainbow Warriors have the best overall records and still have big games on their schedules, so we take a look at those two teams here.
Players from Hawai’i and UC Irvine have easy access to the beach, but they find themselves in different basketball situations.
Hawaii (10-5, 18-7)
tThe Rainbows rely on an unchanged man-to-man defense when necessary, but to a limited extent.
A lot of teams change everything in this era, and it’s probably smart in power conferences, but UH is keeping it to a minimum.
Here’s a nerdy breakdown of why it works.
Hawaii’s big men play a drop action in the pick-and-roll. This means that the big man does not defend the guard, but rather provides just enough presence to be annoying.
If the ball carrier warms up from 15 feet, a post player jumps up to make some threes, or if there is a vertical threat, he can be beaten.
Since the Big West lacks elite athletics, this defense is effective.
The other guiding principle, and the main one, is unassisted defense. This forces the opponent to win one-on-one matchups, which is difficult for most college players.
The rationale for this defense is that it helps hinder the movement of the ball.
The Bows rank first in the nation and have only allowed 9.0 assists per game this year. UH also ranked in the Top 25 in this same category a season ago.
Hawai’i also ranks sixth in the country in defensive rating and 35th in points allowed per game.
Offensively, the Rainbow Warriors are decent, ranking 104th in points scored per game.
They have four different players averaging 10 or more points per game, led by center Isaac Johnson, who averages 13.4.
Head coach Eran Ganot is on pace to lead Hawaii to its third 20-win season in the last four years, and has recorded just one losing season in his 11 years as coach at UH.
University of California, Irvine (11-4, 18-9)
YouC Irvine is like that reliable worker who always gets overlooked. Last year, if not for a missed point-blank layup, they would have won the NIT.
Almost no mid-major program will make the Big Dance every season like Gonzaga, but the Anteaters will be back at the top of the Big West standings in 2026.
Offensively, the ‘Eaters are led by Jurian Dixon, who averages 15.5 points per game.
Dixon has proven to be a bit inconsistent at times, but he can also dominate a game, as was the case with his 26-point explosion against CSU Bakersfield.
The 2024-25 Big West Freshman of the Year decided to stay after a rough end to his freshman season, helped by a group of players transferring, meaning he would have more shots.
Irvine has two other players who average over 10 points per game, and Kyle Evans is one of those guys.
But Evans isn’t known for his offense; He is a defensive threat and leads the NCAA in blocked shots, averaging 3.35 blocks per game.
He has 87 total rejections on the year, 15 more than the second-place blocker.
Evans’ defensive presence helps anchor a team that ranks seventh in defensive rating and 43rd in points allowed per game. He also averages 8.5 rebounds per game.
The third player averaging more than ten points per game is Derin Saran, who also averages 3.5 assists and 1.4 steals per game.
Russell Turner has done a wonderful job at UC Irvine. Most of their players impact the game in multiple facets, a staple of a winning program.
Not surprisingly, he is the winningest coach in Eaters history.
He writes about football and basketball as a senior writer and hosts “The Nick Bartlett Show” for SuperWest Sports.
