NCAA Basketball: Top 25 mid-majors through non-conference play

NCAA Basketball: Top 25 mid-major teams through non-conference play

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - NOVEMBER 23: Head coach Eric Musselman of the Nevada Wolf Pack gestures to his team during the championship game of the 2018 Continental Tire Las Vegas Holiday Invitational basketball tournament against the Massachusetts Minutemen at the Orleans Arena on November 23, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Nevada defeated Massachusetts 110-87. (Photo by Sam Wasson/Getty Images) /

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LAS VEGAS, NV – NOVEMBER 24: Evan Leonard /

18. UC-Irvine Anteaters (11-3)

Bringing back basically everyone from last season’s 18-win team nearly ensured a better campaign this time around for UC-Irvine. It’s been done on the defensive end, with the team giving up 62.4 ppg.

The Anteaters can score when they need to, including putting up 80 points in a win over Saint Mary’s on the road. They also have very impressive wins over Texas A&M and Big Sky favorite Montana.

On paper, UC-Irvine has a bizarre team in terms of production. Their leading scorer is junior Max Hazzard at just 10.1 ppg. There are five other players who average between 7.9-8.4 ppg, with another three scoring around 5.6 ppg. There have been different leading scorers every different game for the Anteaters, which is both impressive in the present and yet a bit concerning for the future.

Even with all the returning players for UC-Irvine, one newcomer still managed to crack the rotation. 6’9 freshman forward Collin Welp is the team’s second-leading scorer off the bench with 8.1 ppg in 17 mpg. That translates to 19.1 ppg and 9.7 rpg per 40 minutes. He’ll have a more prominent role on next year’s team once a few teammates graduate.

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