LA JOLLA, Calif. – The UC San Diego men's basketball team opens its 2026-27 season at LionTree Arena when the Tritons host Whittier Monday night. Last season, the Tritons posted a 23-win season under first year head coach Clint Allard '08. UC San Diego has notched three consecutive 20-win seasons.
 
Monday's game will be marked as an exhibition contest for the Poets, who finished with a 15-10 record a season ago. The Tritons and Poets last met in 1998 when UC San Diego competed in NCAA Division III. The Tritons were an 89-76 winner that night at Whittier.
 
Monday's game tips at 7 p.m. in La Jolla, with tickets available through the Triton Box Office. The game can be seen on ESPN+ and heard on 97.3 The Fan in San Diego, with live stats on UCSDtritons.com.
 
DETAILS

Game 1: UC San Diego (0-0) vs. Whittier (0-0)

Monday, Nov. 2 | 7 p.m.

LionTree Arena (4,000) | La Jolla

ESPN+ | 97.3 The Fan | Live Stats

Series Record: UC San Diego leads, 13-3

Last Meeting: Tritons 89 at Whittier 76 (Dec. 19, 1998)

 

ABOUT THE POETS
Roster | Schedule | Stats
Overall: 0-0
SCIAC: 0-0
Home: 0-0
Away: 0-0
Neutral: 0-0
vs. Ranked Opponents: 0-0
Streak: --
 
WHAT'S NEXT
UC San Diego welcomes Pac-12 foe Fresno State to LionTree Arena on Saturday night as part of Homecoming Weekend. Action gets underway at 7 p.m. and limited tickets remain through the Triton Box Office.
 
TREYSEN TAKES CHARGE
Playing in his first game as a Triton, fifth year guard Treysen Eaglestaff stuffed the stat sheet for UC San Diego. Eaglestaff scored a game-high 29 points, sinking five three-pointers in an exhibition against USC. Eaglestaff added seven rebounds, two assists, two blocks and a steal over 29 minutes.
 
2025-26 REWIND
In his first season at the helm, head coach Clint Allard '08 led the Tritons to a 23-11 record. The 23 victories are the second-most by the Tritons in the program's Division I era.
 
FINAL BIG WEST POLL
UC San Diego has been selected to finish second in The Big West as the conference unveiled its preseason men's basketball coaches' poll and preseason team. In addition, Triton senior Leo Beath was named to the preseason coaches' team. The preseason poll and preseason team are voted on by the league's 12 head coaches.
 
BLUE (AND GOLD) RIBBON
A pair of UC San Diego men's basketball scholar-athletes have been highlighted in this year's Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook. Senior Leo Beath has been named to the Preseason All-Big West Team and first year Triton Rahmir Barno (Florida Gulf Coast) was selected as the conference's Newcomer of the Year by the annual publication.
 
Leo Beath is set to enter his second season in La Jolla following a breakout campaign in 2025-26. Beath was named Honorable Mention All-Big West by the league's head coaches and was crowned Tournament MVP of the Adventure Bracket at the Terry's Chocolate ESPN Events Invitational after averaging 23.6 points in three UC San Diego victories, leading the Tritons to the championship title. Last season, Beath was UC San Diego's leading scorer at 12.2 points per game. Other accolades from a season ago include being selected by the USBWA as Oscar Robertson National Player of the Week and Lou Henson National Player of the Week in December.

A Philadelphia native, Rahmir Barno joins UC San Diego after spending three seasons at Florida Gulf Coast University. He registered the second most assists and assists per game in the ASUN conference as a junior, ranking 38th nationally. Barno notched three point-assist double-doubles, averaging 11.5 points and 31.5 minutes per game.
 
NEW-LOOK TRITONS
UC San Diego men's basketball head coach Clint Allard has announced the addition of seven newcomers who will join the Tritons' roster for the 2026-27 season: six transfers and one first-year scholar-athlete. Rahmir Barno (Florida Gulf Coast), Kayde Dotson (Loyola Chicago), Treysen Eaglestaff (West Virginia), Jordan Johnson (Calhoun CC Ala.), Olavi Suutela (Oregon State), and Camp Wagner (Indiana State) transferred to UC San Diego. Jake Holmes (Christchurch, New Zealand) joins the roster as a freshman.

"Our coaching staff did an outstanding job identifying and recruiting this group," said Allard. "They worked tirelessly to find young men who fit UC San Diego both on and off the court. This is a very balanced class with players who complement one another and embody what it means to be a Triton. They are exceptional competitors, high-character people, and we're excited to welcome them to our program."
 
CHALLENGING SLATE AWAITS
The Tritons will face another tough non-conference schedule in the run-up to Big West action. UC San Diego will play four regular season non-conference games on campus in LionTree Arena, including Nov. 7 against Fresno State to highlight UC San Diego's Homecoming Weekend. Also in November, the Tritons welcome Texas Southern (Nov. 16) and host LMU (Nov. 28). UC San Diego's final non-conference home contest will be against Stanton (Dec. 12).
 
The Tritons will face a challenging slate away from home in 2026, visiting Utah State on Nov. 13 before taking part in the previously announced Acrisure Series prior to Thanksgiving in Palm Desert. UC San Diego squares off against Seattle U in the opener (Nov. 22) and will take on either Loyola Chicago or San José State the following night. Other non-conference road games include matchups at St. Thomas (Dec. 15) and San José State (Dec. 22).
 
NO PLACE LIKE HOME
UC San Diego has excelled inside LionTree Arena, posting a 37-9 record in La Jolla over the past three seasons.
 
BIG FINALE ON THE WEST COAST
UC San Diego is set to enter its final season competing in The Big West. The men's basketball program – and most Triton teams – will transition to the West Coast Conference in July.
 
GRAY SIGNS WITH CELTICS
Former UC San Diego standout point guard Hayden Gray has signed a pro contract with the NBA's Boston Celtics. Gray, the 2025 Big West Defensive Player of the Year, became the first Triton to play in an NBA game in April.
 
Gray suited up for the Utah Jazz on April 12, scoring six points with an assist, steal and block against the Lakers in Los Angeles. After graduating from UC San Diego, he spent most of the 2025-26 season with the Maine Celtics in the NBA G League. The San Diego native appeared in 48 games (23 starts) for the Celtics, averaging 9.9 points, 5.8 assists, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.1 steals in 27.9 minutes per game. He recorded eight double-doubles and posted four 20-point performances.

In his final year as a Triton, Hayden Gray garnered recognition as The Big West's top defensive player and was a finalist for the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year. Gray led the nation in steals in 2024-25 with 110.
 
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 in NCAA Division I. The 24-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 84 Tritons have earned Academic All-America honors, while 39 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 NCAA Division I or II. For more information on the Tritons, visit UCSDtritons.com or follow UC San Diego Athletics on social media @UCSDtritons.