Game of the Week
1/16: College Men’s Basketball: UC Irvine at UCSB Notorious for having started “the tallest lineup in college basketball history,” UC Irvine comes to town Saturday afternoon without any such gimmicks in mind. The Anteaters are favored to repeat as Big West Conference champions, and UCSB is the second choice on the coaches’ preseason poll. The 7’6” shot swatter Mamadou Ndiaye will be the center of attention, but the Gauchos will also have to look out for the Anteaters’ 6’3” sharpshooter Luke Nelson, who scored 29 points in their last game. Among the UCI reserves is 7’2” Ioannis Dimakopoulos, who started in the “tallest” December game against Chapman. UCSB’s 6’5” senior guard Michael Bryson leads the Big West in scoring (19.5 points per game), and sophomore guard Gabe Vincent is averaging 15.8 in his last four games. Next Wednesday, January 20, the Gauchos will host Long Beach State, another title contender. 4pm. The Thunderdome. $11-$14. Call 893-UCSB (8272) or visit ucsbgauchos.com.
