Big West Basketball: Ranking of 25 best players from last decade (2013-23)

9. Collin Welp

Over the last decade, UC Irvine has been the best program in the Big West and Welp is one of the players who has insured it’s stayed that way. A 6’9 forward originally from Seattle, he came down to Irvine back in 2018 and was a part of four winning teams while in the Big West. He mostly came off the bench as an underclassman but developed into the league’s best frontcourt piece by the end of his time in school.

Welp’s production early was still impressive despite coming off the bench, averaging 13.0 points and 5.9 rebounds in that role as a sophomore. He had 23 points in Big West Tournament final in 2019 and played a role in the Anteaters’ upset over Kansas State a week later. After the pandemic, he had an even more impactful role, averaging 15.1 points and 7.6 rebounds as a full-time starter during his junior season. Welp put up similar numbers as a senior, but would never get a second shot at the Big Dance.

In each of his final three seasons, Welp was named First Team All-Big West. He had a major impact in multiple conference tournaments, was the league’s top rebounder during his junior season, and led the Big West in free throw shooting percentage in his senior year. His impact was clear and plain across the board, ranking as one of the league’s best offensive and defensive players at times as an upperclassman. Welp helped keep UC Irvine in contention and among the Big West’s best.