Typically, tournaments mark the start of a second season for college basketball teams.
For UC San Diego, however, the Tritons’ first campaign under head coach Clint Allard has already had three acts.
• There was the beginning, during which UCSD went 10-1, travelled across country to defeat Temple and Bradley en route to the ESPN Big Events Tournament title and had transfer forward Leo Beath honored as the National Mid-Major Player of the Week.
• There was the middle of the season, when UCSD went 7-8, dealt with a series of injuries and illnesses and adjusted the starting lineup and rotation.
• And finally, the end of the regular season. The Tritons finished with five wins in their last six games to climb into the No. 5 seed as defending champs of the Big West Tournament, where they begin play Wednesday at 6 p.m. against Cal Poly at the Lee’s Family Forum in Henderson, Nev.
“We’re capable of beating anyone in our conference,” Allard said Tuesday afternoon following UCSD’s final pre-tournament practice.
And the Tritons are. Because they’ve done it already.
UCSD beat regular-season champion UC Irvine 71-69 in Irvine on Feb. 21 as freshman standout Hudson Mayes hit back-to-back shots in the final 90 seconds. They earlier lost by two to the Anteaters at home during the Tritons’ only three-game losing streak in more than three seasons.
UCSD also defeated Big West runner-up Hawaii by 10 at home before losing to the Rainbow Warriors by five in Hawaii.
But the Tritons also split the season series against the 14-18, eighth-seeded Cal Poly team they face tonight. UCSD also searched at times for the right combinations.
”At one point in the season, we struggled with sickness,” said Allard. “We went into a game against Long Beach where I didn’t know who was going to be well enough to play. And there were injuries, including losing (starting forward) Emanuel Prospere II for almost a month with a bone bruise in his knee.
“Plus, teams adjusted to what we were doing. We started the season very strong offensively, probably got off to a faster start than expected given that we had 10 new players. That cooled. But we finished strong, which is what you want. We go into the tournament coming off strong games against strong teams.”
The Tritons’ strong stretch run was fueled by the emergence of freshmen Mayes and Jaden Vance, the return of Prospere and the season-long dependable play of 6-foot-11 forward Bol Dengdit and guard Tom Beattie.
Beath, Dengdit and Mayes on Tuesday were named honorable mention selections to the All-Big West team.
Beath led the Tritons in scoring, averaging 12.4 points a game for the season, although he averaged only 7.1 points a game over UCSD’s last 11 games. Dengdit averaged 11.1 points and 5.3 rebounds and was one of two Tritons to start every game. He was the Tritons’ leading scorer (12.4) in Big West play.
Mayes averaged 10.5 points and a team-leading 5.7 rebounds on the season. Guard Alex Chaikin, who like Mayes became a starter midway through the season, averaged 10.0 points a game. Beattie averaged 9.9 points and 5.3 rebounds and led UCSD in assists.
To repeat as Big West champions and reach the NCAA Tournament a second straight year, UCSD would have to win four games in four days. They won last year as the No. 1 seed, meaning the Tritons had a double bye into the semifinals.
“We’re set up for this challenge,” said Allard. “One area where we got stronger this season was our bench with the return of a healthy Prospere, the late-season development of Vance and Dimitrije Vukicevic.”
Big West Tournament, first round: UC San Diego vs. Cal Poly
When: 6 p.m. Wednesday
Where: Lee’s Family Forum, Henderson, Nev.
Streaming: ESPN+
Radio: 97.3 FM