Leo Beath says he sees himself as “an interchangeable part.”
Which makes him the perfect player in the UC San Diego system.
“We don’t do a lot of scripted stuff here, offensively or defensively,” Beath said of the 10-1 Tritons, who take on future West Coast Conference rival University of San Diego (4-6) on Friday night at LionTree Arena.
“Listed positions disappear in our system. Versatility rules. That’s the style. All parts are interchangeable. I can play any of the parts. And that’s what I want to do … be an interchangeable part.”
A big part. The 6-foot-8 junior transfer from Lynn University has numbers that speak volumes.
And it’s not just his team-leading 18.7 points a game, or the fact he’s hitting 54.3% of all his shots from the floor and half his shots (24-for-48) from 3-point range. It’s the numbers across the board – 5.1 rebounds a game, 17 steals, five blocks and only 19 turnovers in 337 minutes.
Already this season, Beath has been named the National Mid-Major Player of the Week two weeks ago for leading UC San Diego to a division title of the ESPN Events Invitational in Kissimmee, Fla. He has also earned Big West Player of the Week honors twice already this season.
“We can use him in a lot of spots,” said UCSD coach Clint Allard. “He’s a matchup problem. We can use him in a lot of spots with his ability to go inside and outside.”
UC San Diego’s Leo Beath drives to the basket during a Nov. 8 win over Houston Christian at LionTree Arena. (Derrick Tuskan, UCSD athletics)
Which is exactly the type of player Leo — pronounced LAY-oh in honor of his mother’s Brazilian heritage — has strived to be.
“During my high school and college careers, I’ve played all five positions on the floor,” said Beath. “My game is more being a combination of those five positions than any one spot.”
Which means shooting, rebounding, passing, running and playing defense. Particularly defense.
“What I like most is getting a steal,” said Beath. “Getting a stop is big. Taking off in transition is great.”
Which goes to the heart of Tritons basketball.
“We don’t have a lot of set plays,” said Beath. “You react to what you see and what your teammates are doing. The way we play only works if you have trust in your teammates and know they have your back on defense as well as offense.
“Every time you drive, you’re trusting that everyone else is moving and they are. That creates openings and opportunities. On defense, we’re trapping and going for turnovers and steals. A lot of teams call it gambles and risks. It’s not gambling. It’s being aggressive. We’re always moving.”
Leo Beath puts up a one-handed floater during the Tritons’ Nov. 8 win over Houston Christian at LionTree Arena. (Derrick Tuskan, UCSD athletics)
Beath has been moving his entire athletic life, both on and off the court. He sees it all playing into his versatility.
“I was a 5-foot-9 point guard my freshman year in high school,” said Beath. “I was 6-foot-8 when I graduated and had played every position.”
Beath then went from California’s Oak Park High School near Malibu to Florida Atlantic University, which reached the NCAA Final Four when Beath was redshirting as a freshman. Two years later, he moved across Boca Raton to Lynn University, then came to UCSD this year through the transfer portal.
“I had one Zoom call with the UCSD staff and saw a tape of how they played,” said Beath. “Their style was my style. I fit in here right away. And I love every second of it. This is where I belong.”
But Beath’s game was molded even before his high school growth spurt.
Andrew Beath, who played football, basketball and lacrosse at Duke University, was Leo’s “main trainer.”
“He worked closely with me,” said Leo. “I don’t remember a time when I wasn’t playing basketball. My dad forced me to shoot a certain way from above my forehead. People think it’s unusual, but it’s the form I’ve been using since I was a kid, although I wasn’t strong enough to shoot 3s from that position until I was in high school.”
It’s a quick-release style. And Beath has developed it into a strong weapon.
“I love how my game fits the UCSD system,” said Beath. “I’m not surprised we are doing this well. Our coaches are amazing. We have a lot of ball handlers on the floor. At any given time, we have five players on the floor who can bring it up court and shoot. We invite pressure defenses. They bring out our best.
“Our strength is getting the ball downhill and getting a good shot. I’m absolutely having a blast. I love this team, love San Diego. Our style is a lot of work, a lot of running … play as hard as you can every play.”
UC San Diego vs. USD
When: 7 p.m. Friday
Where: LionTree Arena
On the air: ESPN+
Records: USD is 4-6; UCSD is 10-1.
Last time out: Four Tritons, led by Leo Beath’s 15 points, scored in double figures Tuesday night as UCSD scored a 67-57 victory at Loyola Marymount. Tom Beattie scored 12 points, freshman guard Hudson Mayes had 11 and Emanuel Prospere II had 10 points. Guard Aidan Burke had seven points and a game-high nine rebounds. The Tritons were only 4-for-17 from 3-point range. … USD defeated Northern Arizona 78-69 on Saturday to snap a five-game losing streak. Guards Ty-Laur Johnson, Toneari Lane, Adrian McIntyre and Brandon Benjamin led the Toreros with 23, 15, 10 and 7 points, respectively. USD shot 50% from the floor (25-for-50) and was 10-for-23 from 2-point range.
Series history: USD leads the all-time series, 20-3. The Toreros had won 19 straight against the Tritons before UCSD won each of the past two seasons.
Tritons update: This will be UCSD’s first home game in 34 days. The Tritons have started the same lineup of five juniors in all 11 games – forwards Beath and Bol Dengdit, swingman Prospere and guards Beattie and Burke. Seven Tritons are averaging at least 7.5 points a game: Beath (18.7), Beattie (12.3), Burke (10.8), Prospere (9.5), G Alex Chaikin (8.5), Dengdit (8.4) and Mayes (7.5). The Tritons are shooting 50% from the floor (325-for-650) while turning the ball over only 10.6 times a game.
Toreros update: Coach Steve Lavin says he has seen improvement in the Toreros’ rotations and defense. Guards Johnson (12.4 ppg), Lane (10.6), Juanse Gorosito (10.0) and McIntrye (8.1) pace the Toreros in scoring. USD is shooting 44.1% from the floor, but is pulling down only 31.2 rebounds a game. Twelve different players have started a game for USD, with freshmen Benjamin, D’Arrae Goodwin, Alejandro Aviles and Gavin Ripp recently playing larger roles.
Next up: UCSD hosts Stanton on Dec. 28. USD plays at Washington on Monday.
— BILL CENTER