NCAA Basketball: 4 under-the-radar games on opening night of 2020-21

UC-Irvine Anteaters vs. Pepperdine Waves

One team has won 16 games the last two seasons after winning just six in 2017-18 and is looking to break into the top three of the West Coast Conference. The other is will be looking for its 5th Big West title in the last six seasons, the two teams will clash in Malibu when the Pepperdine Waves play host to the UC-Irvine Anteaters.

In head coach Lorenzo Romar’s first two seasons, the Waves have won 16 games but struggled in conference play, having to play Gonzaga, Saint Mary’s, and BYU twice has a tendency to do that to teams, finishing no better than .500 in the WCC. Pepperdine does lose two key pieces from last season but returns one of the best players in the conference, senior guard Colbey Ross who averaged 20.5 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 7.2 assists last season.

To complement Ross, junior forward Kessler Edwards returns and guards Jade’ Smith and Sedrick Altman have a chance to shine out in increased roles after combining to average 12 points and six rebounds last season. To add even more experience to the roster, the Waves welcome in graduate transfer Kene Chukwuka, the 6’9 forward started 17 games two seasons ago at Pittsburgh.

Russell Turner’s Anteaters have been the class of the Big West Conference for nearly a decade, but this year’s team will look a little different. The Anteaters have one senior, center Brad Greene and one junior Collin Welp who led the team in scoring with 13 points last season. Aside from that, the entire roster is made up of freshmen and sophomores.

Sophomores Isaiah Lee and Austin Johnson are the top returning point producers outside of Welp averaging 3.3 and 4.2 points respectively. While there is not a lot of experience on the roster, there is plenty of opportunities and with Turner at the helm, the Anteaters are still considered one of the favorites in the Big West.

This is an important game for both teams, not because it will make or break their season, but both teams have something to prove. Pepperdine wants to build on their last two seasons and UC-Irvine is out to show they are still the class of their conference, and they can do it with such a young roster.