UC SAN DIEGO VITALS
National Rank: 14 (NABC)/13 (D2SIDA)
Overall: 12-2
CCAA: 7-1
CCAA Standing: T-1st (Cal Poly Pomona)
Home: 6-2
Away: 5-0
Neutral: 1-0
Streak: won 3

THE SCHEDULE
Game 15
at Cal State East Bay (6-8, 2-5 CCAA)
Friday, Jan. 15 • 7:30 p.m.
Pioneer Gymnasium • Hayward
Live Stats • Live Video • Tickets

Game 16
at Cal State Monterey Bay (5-8, 3-4 CCAA)
Saturday, Jan. 16 • 7:30 p.m.
The Kelp Bed • Seaside
Live Stats • Live Video

UC SAN DIEGO, VIASAT LAUNCH ONLINE STREAMING PARTNERSHIP
UC San Diego Athletics has partnered with local broadband services and technology giant ViaSat to create UCSDtritons.tv, an online streaming platform. Initially, the channel will carry all Triton home basketball, volleyball and water polo games, a majority of baseball and softball contests, and a selection of home events featuring virtually all of UCSD's 23 intercollegiate sports. All broadcasts will be live, in high definition, and can be viewed for the first time from smartphones and tablets alongside desktop and laptop computers. All broadcasts through Jan. 21, 2016 will be FREE of charge. Starting Jan. 22, viewing is subscription-based. A comprehensive package that gives viewers access to all streamed events through the end of the current academic year is available for $29.99. It is estimated that this will include between 50 and 75 contests. A single-match pay-per-view option can be purchased for $5.99.

MORE COVERAGE
In addition to all home games once again featuring live online video at our new streaming portal, UCSDtritons.tv, all contests - home and away - will be covered by live stats. A majority of road games also have video. Fans can access live coverage from the Schedule/Results page, or by clicking on the links above. Follow @UCSDtritons for in-game Twitter updates throughout the season.

MIGHTY FINE INTERVIEWS
Mighty 1090 AM talent Jordan Carruth is conducting flavorful interviews with UC San Diego student-athletes and coaches on a weekly basis, and they are definitely worth a listen. The station recently launched a page dedicated to UCSD athletics, where you can find all of the archived interviews. Here are the links to men's basketball interviews:
• Adam Klie (1/13/16)
• Eric Olen (12/30/15)
• Eric Olen (11/24/15)
• Eric Olen (11/11/15)

PROBABLE TRITON STARTERS
G - #2 Grant Jackson (So., 6-1/175): 5.7 ppg, 3.4 rpg, .821 ft%, 0.6 spg, 24.1 mpg
G - #13 Adam Klie (Jr., 6-4/200): 14.3 ppg, 5.4 rpg, .528 fg%, 3.6 apg, 0.7 spg, 27.7 mpg
G - #1 Aleks Lipovic (Jr., 6-4/196): 10.6 ppg, 3.0 rpg, .476 3fg%, 1.6 apg, 26.5 mpg 
F - #14 Drew Dyer (Sr., 6-6/215): 15.6 ppg, 5.7 rpg, .529 fg%, .513 3fg%, .842 ft%, 31.0 mpg
C - #44 Chris Hansen (Fr., 6-7/265): 10.1 ppg, 4.7 rpg, .619 fg%, 0.5 bpg, 17.6 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 swept its conference games on the road last week, defeating San Francisco State (73-48) and Cal State L.A. (78-64). The victories put the Tritons at 5-0 on the road this season.
UCSD/SFSU Recap
UCSD/CSULA Recap

NUMBER ONE AGAINST THE THREE
UCSD is holding opponents to a .255 (54-212) three-point field goal percentage, the best defense against the long ball in the nation. In contrast, the Tritons are shooting .396 (112-283) from behind the arc, which ranks 39th in the country. UCSD ranks fifth in overall field goal percentage defense, keeping its opponents at .380 (294-773). Its own .488 (375-768) percentage ranks 37th.

HOW MANY (OR FEW) THREES WILL WE SEE?
Friday's game features a match-up of the top-two three-point field goal defenses in the CCAA. UC San Diego is first as its opponents are only making 26 percent (34-131) of their threes. Cal State East Bay is second, keeping its foes to 27 percent (24-89). Interestingly enough, the Tritons lead the conference in three-point field goal percentage (.391), while the Pioneers are last (.303).

U-C-S-DEFENSE
Through 14 contests, UC San Diego is giving up just 61.4 points/game, the second-ranked scoring defense among all NCAA Division II teams. Cal Poly Pomona is first at 59.0.

NOT HALF BAD
The Tritons are draining just under half of their shots, coming in with a .488 (375-768) field goal percentage, which ranks 37th nationally. They have shot north of .500 in 10 of 14 games, including a season-best .542 (26-48) at San Francisco State last week.

DYER 1k
Senior forward Drew Dyer scored 14 points against Humboldt State on Jan. 1 to put him over 1,000 points for his career. He is 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.

FOUR ON THE FLOOR
In one of the most unique victories in college basketball history, UC San Diego defeated league rival Cal State San Marcos, 69-65, with just four players on the floor for the final 14 seconds of the game on Dec. 20. When Drew Dyer became the fourth Triton to foul out of the game, UCSD did not have an available substitute due to various injuries and redshirts. The Cougars couldn't capitalize on their power play, missing four free throws down the stretch.

POLL POSITION
In the most recent NABC national poll (1/12), UC San Diego moved up three spots to No. 14. West Liberty and Augustana stayed at No. 1 and No. 2, respectively, while Fairmont State jumped from fifth to third. Cal Poly Pomona is fifth (up two) and Chico State is 25th (down 5). Humboldt State is receiving votes. Prior to this season, the Tritons had never been nationally-ranked as an NCAA Division II team.

POLL POSITION II
The Tritons also improved their standing in the Jan. 12 D2SIDA national media poll, taking over the 13th position after sitting in 14th last week. West Liberty is No. 1 and is followed by Midwestern State and Augustana. Cal Poly Pomona is ninth, while Chico State and Humboldt State are receiving votes.

AGAINST THE RANKED
UC San Diego is 3-1 against national top-25 teams so far this season.
• UCSD 86, No. 10 Colorado School of Mines 74 (11/22)
• UCSD 76, No. 4 California Baptist 67 (11/24)
• No. 3 Western Oregon 67, No. 14 UCSD 63 (12/14)
• No. 13 UCSD 72, No. 5 Cal Poly Pomona 69 (1/2)

TAKING DOWN NUMBER FOUR
UC San Diego 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.

QUICK STATS

CCAA STANDINGS
(through 1/14)
1. Cal Poly Pomona, 7-1
1. UC San Diego, 7-1
T-3. Cal State San Marcos, 6-2
T-3. Chico State, 6-2
T-3. Humboldt State, 6-2
6. Stanislaus State, 4-4
T-7. Cal State Monterey Bay, 3-4
T-7. Sonoma State, 3-4
T-9. Cal State East Bay, 2-5
T-9. San Francisco State, 2-5
T-11. Cal State Dominuez Hills, 1-6
T-11. Cal State L.A., 1-6
13. Cal State San Bernardino, 1-7

UC SAN DIEGO IN THE NCAA STAT RANKINGS
(through 1/13)
Team (all games, in top 50)
1. Three-Point Field Goal Defense (25.5)
2. Scoring Defense (61.4)
5. Field Goal Percentage Defense (38.0)
26. Scoring Margin (12.9)
37. Field Goal Percentage (48.8)
39. Three-Point Field Goal Percentage (39.6)
40. Rebound Margin (5.7)
42. Turnovers/Game (11.6)
26. Defensive Rebounds/Game (27.8)

Individual (all games, in top 100)
7. Drew Dyer, Three-Point Field Goal Percentage (51.3)
22. Aleks Lipovic, Three-Point Field Goal Percentage (47.6)
62. Drew Dyer, Three-Point Field Goals/Game (2.93)
65. Drew Dyer, Three-Point Field Goals Made (41)
70. Aleks Lipovic, Three-Point Field Goals/Game (2.86)
74. Aleks Lipovic, Three-Point Field Goals Made (40)

UC SAN DIEGO IN THE CCAA STAT RANKINGS
(through 1/14)
Team (league games, in top 3)
1. Field Goal Percentage (.476)
1. Three-Point Field Goal Percentage (.391)
1. Three-Point Field Goal Percentage Defense (.260)
1. Defensive Rebounds/Game (28.9)
2. Scoring Margin (10.3)
2. Field Goal Percentage Defense (.388)
2. Three-Point Field Goals/Game (8.3)
2. Rebounds/Game (37.8)
2. Rebound Margin (6.1)
3. Points/Game (73.4)
3. Scoring Defense (63.1)
3. Rebound Defense (31.6)

Individual (league games, in top 5)
1. Drew Dyer, Three-Point Field Goal Percentage (.523)
1. Aleks Lipovic, Three-Point Field Goals Made (25)
1. Adam Klie, Assists (32)
T-1. Aleks Lipovic, Three-Point Field Goals/Game (3.1)
T-1. Adam Klie, Assists/Game (4.0)
2. Drew Dyer, Field Goal Percentage (.547)
2. Drew Dyer, Three-Point Field Goals Made (23)
3. Aleks Lipovic, Three-Point Field Goal Percentage (.446)
3. Drew Dyer, Three-Point Field Goals/Game (2.9)
4. Drew Dyer, Points Scored (130)
5. Adam Klie, Field Goal Percentage (.506)

DYER A DECEMBER STAR
The San Diego Hall of Champions recently named Drew Dyer a Star of the Month for December. He averaged team-high 16.6 points over five games, helping the Tritons to a 4-1 record and a No. 11 national ranking. The senior forward shot .510 (26-51) overall, .500 (14-28) from behind the three-point line and a team-best .850 (17-20) from the charity stripe. Dyer also pulled down 5.0 rebounds per game. He totaled 19 points against third-ranked Western Oregon and again versus CCAA rival Cal State San Marcos.

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 UC San Diego 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).

TRITONS SIGN 6-7 FORWARD SCOTT EVERMAN
The UC San Diego men's basketball team received a commitment from six-foot-seven forward Scott Everman to play for the Tritons next season during the NCAA's early signing period. Currently a senior at San Marcos High School in Santa Barbara, Everman was named First Team All-Channel League and First Team All-City as a junior. He averaged 15 points and seven rebounds, leading the Royals to a 21-10 record. Everman earned MVP honors at the 2014 Jim Bashore Holiday Cage Classic.

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
UC San Diego 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. UC San Diego held opponents to 61.5 points/game, the sixth-best scoring defense in the country. The Tritons kept a tight grip on the basketball, turning it over just 291 times, the fourth-fewest giveaways in the country. At 10.8 turnovers/game, UCSD ranked 14th nationally.

HEAD COACH ERIC OLEN
Eric Olen is in his third season in charge of the UC San Diego 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 CAL STATE EAST BAY
The Pioneers come into Friday's game at 6-8 overall and 2-5 in the CCAA, tied for ninth place. They are coming off a 46-37 win at Cal State L.A., which snapped a three-game losing skid. Jalen Richard is the reigning CCAA Player of the Week after averaging 23.0 points and 8.0 rebounds while shooting 52 percent over two games. This season, Richard is averaging a team-high 16.0 points/game. Jack Pasquini leads CSUEB in rebounding (6.0). The Pioneers are last in the league with a 59.7 scoring average.

THE SERIES
UC San Diego is 10-4 all-time against Cal State East Bay. The Tritons have won the last four match-ups. Friday's game will be the only meeting between the two squads during this regular season.

ABOUT CAL STATE MONTEREY BAY
The Otters, who host Cal State San Bernardino Friday, are currently 5-8 overall and 3-4 in the CCAA, tied for seventh place. They split last week's games, winning at Cal State Dominguez Hills (89-82) before losing at Cal State San Marcos (66-69). Ryan Nitz is averaging 18.2 points/game overall and 18.3 in conference tilts, which is second among all CCAA players. Evan Zeller is netting 14.7 points/game and Alex Fertig is at 10.1. CSUMB leads the league in blocks/game (5.1).

THE SERIES
UC San Diego holds a 13-11 edge in the series against Cal State Monterey Bay. That includes an 81-62 victory earlier this season (12/4) at RIMAC Arena. UCSD shot .532 (33-62) in the game. Chris Hansen led the Tritons with 17 points, going 8-for-11 from the floor. Drew Dyer (15), Adam Klie (13) and George Buaku (12) all posted double-figure point totals as well. Aleks Lipovic hauled in a game-high 10 boards. Ryan Nitz had a game-best 22 points for the Otters. Mateo Jones finished with 10 points and Gregg Polosky led the team on the glass with eight rebounds.

GEAR UP
For the latest in Triton athletic gear, make sure to visit UCSDtritonsgear.com. Run by UC San Diego 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 UC San Diego 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
After two straight weeks on the road to start the new year, the Tritons return home to host a pair of CCAA games. On Friday, Jan. 22, Cal State Dominguez Hills will be in the house for Spirit Night at RIMAC Arena. On Saturday, Jan. 23, UC San Diego entertains Cal State L.A. Both games tip at 7:30 p.m.

#TritonsRising