UCSD VITALS
National Rank: 22 (NABC)/13 (D2SIDA)
Overall: 5-0
CCAA: 0-0
CCAA Standing: n/a
Home: 3-0
Away: 1-0
Neutral: 1-0
Streak: won 5

THE SCHEDULE
Game 6
at Sonoma State (5-1, 0-0 CCAA)
Wednesday, Dec. 2 • 7:30 p.m.
The Wolves' Den • Rohnert Park, Calif.
Live Stats • Live Video • Tickets

Game 7
vs. Cal State Monterey Bay (1-4, 0-0 CCAA)
Friday, Dec. 4 • 7:30 p.m.
RIMAC Arena • La Jolla, Calif.
Live Stats • Live Video • Tickets

PROBABLE TRITON STARTERS
G - #2 Grant Jackson (So., 6-1/175): 7.0 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 2.4 apg, 25.0 mpg
G - #13 Adam Klie (Jr., 6-4/200): 14.4 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 3.0 apg, 27.2 mpg
G - #1 Aleks Lipovic (Jr., 6-4/196): 9.2 ppg, 1.2 rpg, .600 3fg% (12-20), 19.4 mpg
F - #14 Drew Dyer (Sr., 6-6/215): 14.0 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 14 3fgm, 27.6 mpg
C - #33 Zach McMillan (Sr., 6-7/215): 7.6 ppg, 4.8 rpg, .714 fg% (15-21), 7 blk, 19.6 mpg

ROSTER BREAKDOWN
• Starters Returning (7): George Buaku (G), Drew Dyer (F), Grant Jackson (G), Adam Klie (G), Aleks Lipovic (G), Zach McMillan (F/C), Hunter Walker (G/F)
• Starters Lost (0)
• Other Letterwinners Returning (3): Kenny Fraser (F), Brett Oosdyke (F), Jeff Van Dyke (G)
• Other Letterwinners Lost (3): Jordan Flannery (G/F), Treavon Francis (G/F), Chase Ogden (F)
• Newcomers (5): Anthony Ballestero (G), Koree Cox (G), Chris Hansen (C), Eric Patton (F), Ben Rico (G)

ALL-CONFERENCE RETURNERS
Three of the Tritons' returning starters - senior forward Drew Dyer, junior guard Adam Klie and senior guard/forward Hunter Walker - were named All-California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Second Team performers last season. Walker led UCSD in scoring at 12.3 points/game with Klie just behind at 12.2. Walker totaled a team-high 54 assists and Klie led all Tritons with 28 steals. Dyer averaged 11.4 points and held an .857 free throw percentage.

WEEKLY REWIND
UC San Diego improved to 5-0 with three victories last week. At RIMAC Arena in La Jolla, the Tritons upset No. 4 California Baptist (76-67). Playing in Notre Dame de Namur's Thanksgiving Classic, they defeated Holy Names (74-50) and host NDNU (76-36).
UCSD/CBU Recap/Box Score
UCSD/HNU Recap/Box Score
UCSD/NDNU Recap/Box Score

IN ADDITION TO SOME GREAT BASKETBALL
Students attending Friday's games (women at 5:30 p.m. with men to follow) will receive a free pair of sunglasses courtesy of Toyota (while supplies last). In addition, there will be a student tailgate and BBQ, sponsored by Tritons Rising, between the games. For complete info, click here.

START ME UP
UC San Diego's 5-0 start is the team's best since joining the NCAA Division II ranks prior to the 2000-01 season. The Tritons had never kicked off a season with more than two consecutive victories. As a Division III squad in 1998-99, UCSD went 11-0, its best start in program history.

FOUR ON THE FLOOR
UCSD defeated fourth-ranked California Baptist, 76-67, on Nov. 24 in La Jolla. The last time the Tritons beat a higher nationally-ranked team was back in 2006 when they downed No. 2 Montevallo, 61-60, in Las Vegas. 

NO ERROR IN THIS MARGIN
The Tritons' 40-point (76-36) victory at Notre Dame de Namur on Nov. 28 was the team's largest winning margin since defeating UC Merced by 59 (92-33) in December of 2013.

THROUGH FIVE GAMES, UCSD ...
Is shooting .512 and holding opponents to .359...Has 39 three-pointers to 14 for opponents...Is out-shooting opponents .415 to .215 from three-point range...Is out-rebounding opponents 38.0-31.2...Holds a 71-37 advantage in assists...Is out-scoring opponents by 20.4 points (77.8-57.4) on average...Is out-scoring opponents by 51 points overall in both the first and second halves.

UCSD IN THE NCAA STAT RANKINGS
Team (in the top 50)
2. Scoring Defense (57.4)
2. Three-Point Field Goal Percentage Defense (21.5)
3. Field Goal Percentage Defense (35.9)
12. Scoring Margin (20.4)
18. Turnovers/Game (10.8)
21. Field Goal Percentage (51.2)
35. Fewest Turnovers (54)
43. Three-Point Field Goal Percentage (41.5)
47. Rebound Margin (6.8)

Individual (in the top 100)
45. Drew Dyer; Three-Point Field Goal Percentage (50.0)
89. Chris Hansen; Offensive Rebounds/Game (3.0)
99. Drew Dyer; Three-Pointers/Game (2.8)

DYER 1K
Senior forward Drew Dyer is rapidly closing in on 1,000 career points. Heading into this week, he has amassed 909 points over 81 career games, good for 11.2 points/game. Dyer will be the 13th Triton all-time and the fourth in the program's DII history to hit the mark. The last player to do so was James McCann, who totaled 1,339 points between 2010 and 2014.

POLL POSITION
In the most recent NABC national poll (12/1), UCSD made its debut at No. 22. The Tritons were receiving votes in the previous poll. It is the first time as an NCAA Division II team (since the 2000-01 season) that UC San Diego has been nationally-ranked. West Liberty owns the top spot and is followed by Southern Connecticut State and Augustana. Also from the CCAA, Cal Poly Pomona is ranked fifth and Chico State is 23rd.

POLL POSITION II
The D2SIDA national media poll was released on Dec. 1 as well, with the Tritons coming in at No. 13. West Liberty is No. 1, Minnesota State-Moorehead is No. 2 and Midwestern State is third. Cal Poly Pomona ranks sixth, while Chico State is receiving votes.

DYER NAMED CCAA PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Drew Dyer was named the CCAA Player of the Week on Nov. 24. He shot 55 percent (12-22) from the field and drained eight of 13 three-pointers to lead UCSD to a pair of victories the week prior. In an 86-74 win against No. 10 Colorado School of Mines, Dyer finished with 19 points and nine rebounds, both game-highs. He was 4-for-6 from behind the arc. He then had 16 points and netted four treys as the Tritons defeated Winona State, 77-60. For the week, Dyer led UCSD in points (35), points/game (17.5), field goal percentage and three-pointers made and was tied for the team lead in rebounds (10) and rebounds/game (5.0).

WHAT DO THE COACHES THINK?
2015-16 CCAA Preseason Coaches Poll
1. Chico State, 137 points (8 first-place votes)
2. Cal Poly Pomona, 124 (1)
3. UC San Diego, 121 (2)
4. Cal State San Bernardino, 116 (2)
5. Cal State San Marcos, 81
6. SF State, 80
7. Humboldt State, 74
8. Cal State L.A., 73
9. Cal State Monterey Bay, 63
10. Stanislaus State, 48
11. Cal State East Bay, 44
12. Sonoma State, 34
13. Cal State Dominguez Hills, 19

2014-15 AT A GLANCE
UCSD went 16-11 overall and 14-8 in the CCAA, placing fifth and earning a berth in the conference tournament. The 14 league victories were the most since the Tritons joined the CCAA for the 2000-01 season. In addition, the team's 16 wins were the most since its 2008-09 campaign. A six-game win streak in January equaled UCSD's longest since becoming an NCAA Division II team for the 2000-01 season.

UCSDefense
Over the 2014-15 season, UC San Diego held opponents to 61.5 points/game, the sixth-best scoring defense in the country.

GET A GRIP
The Tritons kept a tight grip on the basketball last season. They turned the ball over just 291 times, the fourth-fewest giveaways in the country. At 10.8 turnovers/game, UCSD ranked 14th nationally.

MEET THE TREYTONS
UCSD knocked down 210 three-pointers during the 2014-15 season, second among all CCAA teams. The Tritons' 7.8 threes/game average ranked 84th nationally, while their three-point defense (.319) ranked 20th in the country. Drew Dyer's .395 (47-199) three-point shooting percentage was the third-best in the CCAA. Aleks Lipovic drilled 55 treys, while Jeff Van Dyke finished with an even 50.

HEAD COACH ERIC OLEN
Eric Olen is in his third season in charge of the UCSD men's basketball team. He holds a 31-22 (.585) overall record and a 25-19 (.568) CCAA mark through his first two campaigns. Olen had previously served nine seasons as a Triton assistant before being named the program's 12th head coach on Oct. 1, 2013. He joined the Tritons as a second assistant for the 2004-05 season and was promoted to first assistant the next year. Olen was on the bench during the 2007-08 campaign when UCSD won its first CCAA tournament title and earned its first berth in the NCAA Division II Championship. As a player at Spring Hill College in Mobile, Ala., Olen helped the Badgers to three straight appearances in the NAIA National Tournament, including trips to the NAIA Elite Eight in 2000 and 2001.

ABOUT SONOMA STATE
The Seawolves bring a 5-1 (3-0 at home) record into Wednesday's game, the CCAA opener for both squads. They are coming off a 76-59 win against Simon Fraser. Two players are averaging double figures in points - James Davis (15.8) and David Ahern (10.0). Luke Cochran and Andy Mitchell are both averaging 5.0 rebounds/game. SSU is coming off of a 12-14 season in which it finished in a tie for seventh place in the CCAA with a 9-13 mark. The Seawolves hold an 18-11 advantage in the all-time series against the Tritons and won both matchups last season.

ABOUT CAL STATE MONTEREY BAY
The Otters, who host Notre Dame de Namur Tuesday night, are currently 1-4 overall with Friday's game serving as their CCAA opener. They are coming off of their lone win, defeating Simon Fraser, 96-67, this past Sunday. Three players are averaging over 10 points/game including Ryan Nitz (17.8), Evan Zeller (15.5) and Alex Fertig (12.0). Nitz is the team's leading rebounder as well, pulling down 5.4 boards/game. Last season, CSUMB went 13-15 overall and tied for seventh in the CCAA at 9-13. With an 84-61 win at home last year, UCSD took a 12-11 lead in the all-time series against Monterey Bay. The Otters earned a 64-62 victory vs. the Tritons on their home court during the 2014-15 season.

GEAR UP
For the latest in Triton athletic gear, make sure to visit ucsdtritonsgear.com. Run by UCSD Athletics' online partner Advanced-Online, the site provides an on-demand option for Triton Athletic apparel and merchandise. Fans have access to over 600 products which can be produced and shipped in 24 hours.

FOR THE YOUNGER CROWD
Got some young Triton fans in your family? If they are eighth grade or under, check out the Junior Triton Club. Membership includes a free t-shirt, admission to over 100 UCSD home athletic events and much more!

SOCIAL MEDIA - #TritonsRising
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Head Coach Eric Olen on Twitter (CoachEricOlen)
Associate Head Coach Clint Allard on Twitter (CoachAllard)
UCSD Men's Basketball on Facebook (UCSD-Mens-Basketball)

UP NEXT
Following Friday's game, UCSD is off until Dec. 14 when it hosts non-conference opponent Western Oregon (7 p.m.). The Wolves are ranked fourth in this week's NABC national poll.

#TritonsRising