After a rough start, the Triton recruitment train is picking up steam.
The late March departure of head coach Eric Olen led to a flurry of transfer portal exits, with junior guard Chris Howell, junior forward Nordin Kapic, and senior guard Hayden Gray entering the transfer portal, among others. Two more Tritons — junior guard Camden McCormick and senior guard Tyler McGhie — also entered the portal in the ensuing weeks. Both Gray and McGhie are out of college eligibility and plan to appeal for another year.
The departing Tritons quickly found new homes. Senior forward Milos Vicentic, who played only one game in a UC San Diego uniform before being ruled out for the season, joined Olen and Howell in New Mexico. On April 25, Kapic committed to South Carolina, which went 2-16 in the Southeastern Conference this season.
The first addition for head coach Clint Allard’s new-look Triton team is three-star high school guard Hudson Mayes. The Redondo Union High School star was the Bay League’s MVP this year. He had initially committed to Central Michigan University, but decommitted after Chippewa head coach Tony Barbee was fired. On April 13, he committed to UCSD. Days later, three-star recruit Jaden Vance, a 6-foot-6-inch forward from Chandler, Arizona, became the second high school recruit to join the Tritons.
It took a while, but when the new transfers were finally announced, it was well worth the wait. On April 23, senior guard Tyson Dunn committed from the University of Buffalo. Dunn averaged 12.4 points and 5.3 assists per game last season. He also averaged 3.9 turnovers a game, the third-highest in the country, which could clash with a Triton offense that averaged the fifth fewest turnovers in the nation last season.
On April 27, freshman guard Trap Johnson committed from Montana State. Johnson redshirted his 2024-25 season and has yet to play a game of college basketball. He was a three-star recruit coming out of Belton High School in Belton, Texas.
With the departures of Kapic, Vicentic, and Milovich, a main priority this offseason was to bring in new big men. Redshirt sophomore forward Bol Dengdit committed from the University of Portland. A quintessential Triton forward, Dengdit is quick in the paint, can stretch the floor, and has the ability to shoot from deep. He averaged 6.8 points and 4.3 rebounds per game as a Pilot. Junior forward Leo Beath committed from Division-II Lynn University shortly afterward. Beath averaged 17.8 points and 9.6 rebounds per game last season. This is the second year in a row that the Tritons turned to Lynn to find a new forward, following Kapic’s transfer a year prior.
On May 2, freshman guard Alex Chaikin — a member of last season’s Patriot League All-Rookie team — committed from Lafayette College. In 2024-25, he averaged 13.9 points per game and shot 47.9% from beyond the arc, the second highest 3-point percentage in the nation. He should be the perfect fit for a Triton team that shot nearly 30 threes per game.
Now that the dust has settled, the future of UCSD men’s basketball looks a lot more clear. Despite losing all of their starters, the Tritons have stocked up on mid major talent and look ready to defend their Big West title.
