The bouncing of orange rubber balls on the hardwood at RIMAC Arena will be nothing more than a memory for three members of the UCSD men’s basketball team.
Sam Higgins, Mike Martin and Cole Miller are calling it a career after the three graduate in June.
Higgins, a local boy who went to Torrey Pines High School, brought playing experience to a young bunch.
“”His experience was a great thing to have,”” said men’s basketball assistant coach Dave Dillon. “”He played very comparable competition.””
Higgins was dangerous from all over the court. He lead the team in scoring, averaging 12.3 points a game. He also lead the team in rebounds, averaging 4.7 boards a game.
“”He could score from inside and outside,”” Dillon said of the 6-6 star forward.
Higgins, whose father Steve once donned the blue and gold, was well-respected.
“”The younger players looked up to him,”” Dillon said.
Martin brought all kinds of skills to the floor.
“”He has a good feeling for the game,”” Dillon said. “”He was a tough player.””
Martin could mix it up all over the court. His shooting touch was sweet, making over 38 percent from three point range and 85 percent of his foul shots.
“”He did a good job offensively,”” Dillon said of the 5-11 guard from Mill Valley, Calif. “”He was [also] a pesky defender.””
Miller was a team leader who kept UCSD in a lot of games. He was second on the team in scoring, behind Higgins, averaging 10.6 points a game. He also averaged 3.8 rebounds a game, led the team in blocks and shot 37 percent from three-point land.
“”He was a great shooter,”” Dillon said. “”He played with a tremendous amount of passion. He worked hard the last season.””
Miller, a 6-5 forward from Auburn, Calif., was a pleasant surprise.
“”Cole ended up here,”” Dillon said. “”We did not know he was coming.””
Higgins, Martin and Miller showed what they were made of during the move to Division II this year.
“”It was certainly a difficult adjustment,”” Dillon said. “”They did a good job.””
The three seniors also showed what special Tritons they had become.
“”They did a good job rising to the challenge,”” Dillon said.
