LA JOLLA, Calif. – UC San Diego forward
Francis Nwaokorie has been named the top freshman in the Big West by the web site HoopsHD.com. In addition, senior
Toni Rocak was recognized as one of the conference's best players by that same site.
In his first season at UC San Diego, Nwaokorie made quite an impact. He started 24 games, averaging 11.8 points and 5.8 boards per contest. In a win over then-first place Cal State Fullerton on Feb. 26, he scored a career-high 23 points while grabbing nine rebounds.
On Monday, Rocak was recognized as Honorable Mention All-Big West. He finished the season averaging 16.1 points per game and 6.2 rebounds per game over 18 contests vs. Big West foes. Although the Big West elected not to include UC San Diego in its conference statistics, Rocak's 16.1 points per game in Big West play ranks third. in the Tritons' overtime win over defending conference champ UC Santa Barbara on Dec. 30. Rocak's 34-point effort was the most points scored by a Big West player in any game this season.
The Tritons recently concluded their season with a record of 13-16 overall and 7-11 vs. Big West opponents. In their final home game, the Tritons downed then-first place Cal State Fullerton, 81-76. 2021-22 marked the second year of the NCAA-mandated four-year transition to Division I for UC San Diego.
About UC San Diego Athletics
After two decades as one of the most successful programs in NCAA Division II, the UC San Diego intercollegiate athletics program has begun a new era as a member of the Big West Conference in NCAA Division I. The 23-sport Tritons earned 30 team and nearly 150 individual national championships during its time in Divisions II and III and helped guide 1,400 scholar-athletes to All-America honors. A total of 83 Tritons have earned Academic All-America honors, while 38 have garnered prestigious NCAA Post Graduate Scholarships. UC San Diego scholar-athletes exemplify the academic ideals of one of the world's preeminent institutions, graduating at an average rate of 90 percent, the highest rate among public institutions in Division I or II. For more information on the Tritons, visit UCSDtritons.com or follow UC San Diego Athletics on social media @UCSDtritons.
