LA JOLLA, Calif. – Coming off a 3-0 week that began with a win over top 25 Point Loma followed by a pair of CCAA victories, the fourth-ranked University of California San Diego men's basketball team steps out of conference play for the final time this season, when the Tritons travel to the Bay Area to face Holy Names and Notre Dame de Namur this weekend in Belmont.
 
DETAILS
Game 7, NDNU Thanksgiving Classic
vs. Holy Names (1-3, 0-0 PacWest)
Friday, November 29
5 p.m.
Walter Gleason Gym, Belmont
Watch
Series Record: UC San Diego leads, 3-1
 
Game 8, NDNU Thanksgiving Classic
at Notre Dame de Namur (0-4, 0-0 PacWest)
Saturday, November 30
7 p.m.
Walter Gleason Gym, Belmont
Watch
Series Record: UC San Diego leads, 3-0
 
ABOUT NO. 4 UC SAN DIEGO
Roster | Schedule | Stats
Overall: 6-0
CCAA: 2-0
Home: 2-0
Away: 3-0
Neutral: 1-0
vs. Ranked Opponents: 1-0
Wearing Blue Uniforms: 4-0
Wearing White Uniforms: 2-0
When Leading at Half: 5-0
When Tied at Half: 1-0
When Trailing at Half: 0-0
Streak: W6
NABC Ranking: 4
D2SIDA Ranking: 5
 
ABOUT HOLY NAMES
Roster | Schedule | Stats
Overall: 1-3
PacWest: 0-0
Home: 1-2
Away: 0-1
Neutral: 0-0
vs. Ranked Opponents: 0-0
Streak: W1
NABC Ranking: NR
D2SIDA Ranking: NR
 
ABOUT NOTRE DAME DE NAMUR
Roster | Schedule | Stats
Overall: 0-4
PacWest: 0-0
Home: 0-0
Away: 0-1
Neutral: 0-3
vs. Ranked Opponents: 0-0
Streak: L4
NABC Ranking: NR
D2SIDA Ranking: NR
 
HOT START
UC San Diego is a perfect 6-0 this season, marking the program's best start to a season since the 2015-16 squad began 7-0.
 
OSHITA GARNERS CCAA RECOGNITION
Redshirt senior forward Christian Oshita was named the CCAA Men's Basketball Player of the Week on Nov. 26. Oshita averaged 21 points and 8.3 rebounds as the fourth-ranked Tritons went 3-0, with wins over No. 24 Point Loma and a pair of CCAA foes. He scored 23 points and matched his career high with 15 boards in the win over No. 24 Point Loma. At Cal State San Bernardino, Oshita scored 34 points -- one shy of his career high -- on 10-15 shooting and 6-9 from long range.
 
GOING POLLING
The Tritons are ranked fourth in the latest National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) poll (Nov. 26). Defending champion Northwest Missouri State is ranked first.
 
BIG EXPECTATIONS FOR HANSEN
NCAA.com named Chris Hansen a preseason Player of the Year candidate. Hansen was last year's CCAA Player of the Year and named CCAA Male Athlete of the Year in 2018-19.
 
HANSEN GRABS TRITONS REBOUNDING RECORD
In the November 9 win at Western Washington, Chris Hansen became UC San Diego's all-time leading rebounder at the Division II level. Hansen enters Friday's game vs. Holy Names with 657 career boards.
 
UC San Diego Career Rebounds (Division II)

Chris Hansen	2015-present	657
Adam Klie	2013-2017	625
Justin Brue	2009-2013	564
Drew Dyer	2012-2016	563
Shane Poppen	2005-2009	544
Christian Hatch	2008-2012	523
Casey Ryan	2007-2011	511
Christian Oshita	2016-present	464

 
RECORD WATCH
Hansen enters the week in pursuit of more UC San Diego career records:

• Hansen has scored 1330 career points, good for fifth in UC San Diego's Division II history. Hansen needs just ten points to move into third place on the list. Adam Klie also holds that top spot, with 1524 career points.
• Hansen has blocked 80 shots, good for second on the Tritons' Division II list. Justin Brue holds the record (90 blocks, 2009-2013).

 
HANSEN EARNS OPENING WEEK CCAA HONORS
Hansen was named the CCAA Player of the Week on November 12, after earning Tournament MVP honors in the CCAA/GNAC Challenge. For the week, Hansen averaged 23 points, 11 rebounds, and four assists during the tournament. Hansen shot 51.5% (17-33) including 42.1% (8-19) from beyond the free throw arc. He was a perfect 4-4 from the free throw line.
 
HEAD COACH ERIC OLEN
Head coach Eric Olen is in his seventh season as the Tritons' head coach. Olen has posted a 135-55 record and a .711 winning percentage as UC San Diego's head coach. He has led the Tritons to first place conference finishes twice in the last three seasons, and was the CCAA Coach of the Year in 2016-17.
 
SHARING THE ROCK
Junior guard Mikey Howell leads the CCAA with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 4.1 through the Tritons' first six contests. Howell has 232 career assists, good for sixth place in UC San Diego's Division II record book. He posted a career-high 12 assists in the win over No. 24 Point Loma (11/19).
 
PRESEASON FAVORITES
UC San Diego has once again been picked first in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Preseason Coaches Poll. UC San Diego received 143 total points and 11 of 13 first-place votes from the league's head coaches. This marks the second consecutive season in which the Tritons have been selected first in the survey. Last season, the Tritons posted a 26-8 record and captured the CCAA tournament title, ultimately making a run to the NCAA Division II West Regional semifinals.
 
EXPERIENCED SQUAD RETURNS IN 2019-20
This year's squad returns four starters including redshirt senior All-American Chris Hansen. Last year's CCAA Player of the Year, Hansen averaged 14.6 points and 8.1 rebounds per game. In addition to Hansen, guards Tyrell Roberts and Mikey Howell, and forward Scott Everman return. Roberts was last year's CCAA Newcomer of the Year, averaging better than 14 points per game. Howell led the Tritons in assists, finishing third in the conference in assist/turnover ratio at 2.3. Everman contributed 9.5 points while finishing second on the team in blocked shots behind Hansen. Also returning to the floor for UC San Diego is redshirt senior Christian Oshita, who was leading the team in scoring at 19.5 points per game before he was sidelined with a season-ending shoulder injury.
 
WHAT'S NEXT
The Tritons return to RIMAC Arena to host Chico State in a CCAA match-up on Thursday, December 5. Tip-off is set for 8 p.m., and the game will be broadcast live on ESPN3.
 
UC SAN DIEGO PARTNERS WITH ESPN NETWORKS
All UC San Diego home men's and women's basketball games and men's and women's volleyball matches will be broadcast live on ESPN3, making the Tritons one of just three NCAA Division II programs to have all of its home basketball games air live on ESPN Networks.
 
GET SOCIAL WITH UC SAN DIEGO HOOPS
Keep up with the Tritons all season long on social media through Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. The team's handle is @ucsdmbb.
 
BIG WEST BOUND
UC San Diego is in its 20th and final year playing as an NCAA Division II team. In July of 2020, the entire athletics program will begin a four-year transition to NCAA Division I, culminating in full DI status as a member of the Big West Conference for the 2024-25 academic year. At that time, all sports will be eligible for conference and NCAA postseason play.
 
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!
 
GEAR
For the latest Triton apparel and accessories, visit the official team store of the Tritons here.
 
About UC San Diego Athletics
With 30 national team championships, nearly 150 individual titles and the top student-athlete graduation rate among Division II institutions in the United States, the UC San Diego intercollegiate athletics program annually ranks as one of the most successful in the country.  The Tritons sponsor 23 intercollegiate sport programs that compete on the NCAA Division I and II levels and, in summer 2020, will transition into full Division I status as a member of the Big West Conference.  UC San Diego student-athletes exemplify the academic ideals of one of the world's preeminent institutions, graduating at an average rate of 91 percent.  A total of 82 Tritons have earned Academic All-America honors, while 37 have earned prestigious NCAA Post Graduate Scholarships.  In competition, more than 1,300 UC San Diego student-athletes have earned All-America honors.
 
Follow The Tritons
For complete coverage and information regarding UC San Diego Athletics, follow the Tritons online at UCSDtritons.com and through social media on Twitter (@ucsdtritons), Instagram (@ucsdtritons) and Facebook (ucsdtritons).