IRVINE, Calif. – With the start of the regular season just three weeks away, The Big West has announced its preseason men's basketball coaches' poll and preseason team, as voted on by the league's 11 head coaches. UC San Diego senior guard/forward
Aniwaniwa Tait-Jones was named to the preseason coaches' team. The Tritons were selected to finish third in the conference in the preseason survey of head coaches.
The Big West's Newcomer of the Year in 2023-24, Tait-Jones was tenth in the conference in scoring at 15.2 points per game against Big West foes. The New Zealand native was remarkably efficient, connecting on 59% of his shot attempts over 20 Big West games. Tait-Jones became the first Triton to be named the conference's Newcomer of the Year and was also named Honorable Mention All-Big West last season. Tait-Jones is the second Triton to earn preseason recognition, joining
Bryce Pope who was recognized prior to last season.
Last season, the Tritons led The Big West in three-pointers per game, fewest turnovers per game, and assist-turnover ratio, among other statistics. Entering this year, the head coaches in The Big West have picked the Tritons to finish third in the 11-team conference. UC Irvine (92 points) was picked to finish first by the league's coaches, receiving eight of ten possible first place votes, with UC Santa Barbara (85 points) selected second and the Tritons tabbed third (77 points).
In their final year of an NCAA-mandated four-year reclassification to Division I, the Tritons posted 20 wins in 2023-24, finishing second in The Big West and earning the second seed in the Ro College Basketball Invitational. Beginning this year, UC San Diego is eligible to compete in both The Hercules Tire Big West Men's Basketball Championship as well as the NCAA tournament.
The full 2024-25 Big West Men's Basketball Preseason Coaches' Poll and Preseason Coaches' Team run below.
2024-25 BIG WEST MEN'S BASKETBALL PRESEASON COACHES' POLL
| No. |
School |
Pts. (First Place) |
| 1. |
UC Irvine |
92 (8) |
| 2. |
UC Santa Barbara |
85 (2) |
| 3. |
UC San Diego |
77 |
| 4. |
UC Riverside |
75 (1) |
| 5. |
UC Davis |
67 |
| 6. |
CSUN |
57 |
| 7. |
Hawai'i |
46 |
| 8. |
Long Beach State |
39 |
| 9. |
Cal State Bakersfield |
28 |
| 10. |
Cal State Fullerton |
22 |
| 11. |
Cal Poly |
11 |
2024-25 BIG WEST MEN'S BASKETBALL PRESEASON COACHES' TEAM
| Player |
School |
Yr. |
Pos. |
| Barrington Hargress |
UC Riverside |
So. |
G |
| Justin Hohn |
UC Irvine |
Gr. |
G |
| TY Johnson |
UC Davis |
Sr. |
G |
| Keonte Jones |
CSUN |
Sr. |
F |
| Stephan Swenson |
UC Santa Barbara |
Gr. |
G |
| Aniwaniwa Tait-Jones |
UC San Diego |
Sr. |
G/F |
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 begins a new era in 2020 as a member of The Big West 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 91 percent, one of the highest rates among institutions at all divisions. For more information on the Tritons, visit UCSDtritons.com or follow UC San Diego Athletics on social media @UCSDtritons.
