It will not be until the UCSD men’s basketball team steps onto the hardwood for the first time ever as a California Collegiate Athletic Association Division II competitor that coach Greg Lanthier and his squad will fully know what to expect this season.
“”This year will be a year of assessment, and we will not really know what we need to do to succeed and make strides until we actually play a few games,”” Lanthier said. “”We will be adjusting to a whole new game, one that is more physical and more athletic, with bigger, faster players. We are going to go out and play and recognize our weaknesses and look to improve on them. But we will not know what they are until we play.””
The CCAA Ranking Committee, composed of league coaches, appears to recognize quite a few weaknesses in the Triton team, ranking them dead last (tied with San Francisco State), for 11th out of the 12 CCAA teams. The Golden Eagles from Cal State Los Angeles, who tied last year for second place in the CCAA, received six first-place votes to garner the No. 1 pre-season seed.
Defending CCAA champions, Cal State San Bernadino was ranked second, with traditionally solid Cal State Bakersfield third and six-time NCAA post-season participant UC Davis ranked fourth.
The team that went 5-20 last season in Division III play has a chance to outplay that ranking this season, though, and its ability to do so will probably hinge on the play and progression of its key freshman players.
The 15-member Triton team is composed of ten freshmen — four true freshmen and six red shirts. Ryan Swed, a true freshman out of Tempe, Ariz., will definitely be looked to by Lanthier to make a contribution, as will Roger Curtis and Ryan Rikansrud. Out of the six red shirts, Cameron Jackson, the 6-foot-1-inch guard out of Tustin High, will be an impact player for the Tritons this year.
“”Cameron is the top of the class among the freshman guys, he is an exceptional player, and will start for us and get a lot of playing time,”” Lanthier said.
Erik Ramp, the 6-foot-1-inch, 200 pound guard, whom Lanthier describes as a very big, very physical and very athletic player, will also get a lot of looks if he can come back from his recent knee surgery. Mike Roberts and C.J. Duffaut will also challenge for time for the Tritons this year.
Of the returning players, the Tritons will once again look to 6-foot-6-inch forward Sam Higgins, the three-year starter, who averaged 15.4 points per game and 4.8 rebounds per game last year, while compiling 61 three-pointers over the duration of the season. Joining him on the floor will be the team’s sole junior, Nick Christenson, a 6-foot-2-inch guard, who averaged 9.2 points and 3.0 assists per game last season, and 5-foot-11-inch senior guard Michael Martin, who averaged 9.9 points and 2.6 assists per game. Sophomore center Clark Goolsby, who at 6 feet 7 inches, 220 pounds is the Tritons’ biggest player, will also be a key element in the Tritons’ success this season.
These returning players will be looked to for leadership on and off the court this season by the young Triton team, as leadership will be very important to a team that not only lacks experience, but is also making the jump to Division II play. That is why this season will be a period of adjustment for the blue and gold.
“”This season will be a season of development for us, as we know we need to get bigger, faster and stronger, but there will also be many other things that will need to be done for us to be competitive and succeed at the D-II level,”” Lanthier said. “”We will have to adjust to the more physical style of play and make other adjustments as the season goes on.””
The adjustment made by the freshman players will be especially important to the Tritons’ chances on the court.
“”We have a lot of freshman players this year, but they are all quality players and have the ability to make big strides this season,”” Lanthier said. “”We call it the ‘freshman factor,’ which is the ability of these guys, who will be given opportunities to mature and play, to make an impact.””
The Tritons open their season with a throwdown versus cross-town rival San Diego State. The Aztecs are one of three Division I teams that UCSD will face this season in light of its jump to Division II. “”Playing the Division I teams will make this advancement all the more easier,”” Lanthier said.
“”Out of our five non-CCAA games, three will be against Division I teams, which I think will help us out in our move to Division II,”” he said. “”Playing these very good teams will not only make us better as a team but will also make it easier to face the Division II teams with the added experience of playing some of the top competition around.””
Nor are the benefits of facing off against SDSU lost on Lanthier.
“”Playing San Diego State is really a no-lose situation for us,”” he said. “”Even if we don’t win the game, it’s great for the community and for us to be able to get some valuable experience in a nice atmosphere.””
The Tritons will begin their quest for experience Saturday night at 7 p.m. at San Diego State’s Cox Arena. Make your way down Interstate 5 to Interstate 8 and check out UCSD as it looks to put the smack down on those rascally Aztecs and prepare for its inaugural Division II season.
