One of the more quiet but dominant mid-major programs, Russell Turner and Co. look to lead UC Irvine basketball back to the tournament
The tradition continues! CBB Review is again ranking the top 100 teams heading into the new college basketball season. Each day, we will reveal the next team until we reach the team slotted at number one. Up next: UC Irvine basketball.
The Big West tends not to get a lot of media coverage due to its low major status, but UC Irvine deserves its flowers. Since 2012-2013, Russell Turner’s third year with the program, UC Irvine basketball has finished over .500 and top 150 in KenPom every season.
This includes last season, when they went 24-8 overall and 17-3 in conference play, earning the top spot. Unfortunately, they couldn’t make it to the big dance, but they’re back for more this year and want not only the regular season title but to win the conference tournament.
Unfortunately, they lose Pierre Cockrell II, who made the Big West first team last season, but Justin Hohn, who made the second team last season is back to lead the charge.
The Big West is theirs to lose again, but with UC Irvine basketball’s defensive presence and leadership, they can replicate their 2018-2019 season and win a tournament game.
Head coach:Â Russell Turner (15th season at UC Irvine and overall)
2023-24 record: 24-10 (17-3)
2024 postseason finish:Â Lost to Utah (84-75) in first round of NIT
Notable departures:Â
- Pierre Cockrell (8.0 PPG, 1.8 RPG, 6.4 APG)
- Derin Saran (10.1 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 1.6 APG)
- Carter Welling (7.0 PPG, 3.6 RPG, 0.5 APG)
- Dean Keeler (5.9 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 0.4 APG)
Notable non-conference games:Â
- N/A
Projected Rotation
PG: Justin Hohn (6-2, 185, Gr.-Sr)
2023-2024 stats: 12.6 PPG, 2.9 RPG, 1.5 APG, 37.7 3P%
SG: Andre Henry (6-4, 185, Gr.-Sr.)
2023-2024 stats: 10.3 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 0.9 APG, 42.1 3P%
SF: Devin Tillis (6-6, 215, Sr.)
2023-2024 stats: 9.7 PPG, 6.1 RPG, 1.9 APG, 55.8 FG%
PF: Kyle Evans (6-10, 215, Jr.)
2023-2024 stats: 2.0 PPG, 1.3 RPG, 0.4 APG (Colorado State)
C: Bent Leuchten (7-1, 265, Sr.)
2023-2024 stats: 9.0 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 0.7 APG, 1.1 BPG
6: Myles Che (6-2, 190, So.)
2023-2024 stats: 7.5 PPG, 2.4 RPG, 1.9 APG, 52.7 FG% (Chattanooga)
7: Ofure Ujadughele (6-4, 215, Gr.-Sr.)
2023-2024 stats: 1.9 PPG, 2.8 RPG, 0.9 APG
8: Langston Redfield (6-4, 185, Jr.)
2023-2024 stats: 1.4 PPG, 1.1 RPG, 0.8 APG
UC Irvine Basketball Team MVP: Justin Hohn
As we mentioned, Hohn was an all-conference player last season and the team’s leading scorer. He is expected to be the team’s leader once again. He shoots the ball well from all areas of the court and has a high basketball IQ. He’s an okay defender, but in Coach Turner’s system he is far from a liability.
As the point guard, they’ll need him to take Cockrell’s role and become more of a distributor. They’re not expecting the 6.4 assists per game Cockrell delivered every night, but if Hahn can up his total from 1.5 to 4 a game, then not only will it make his teammates better, but it will allow his own game to improve as defenses put less pressure on him. As a graduate senior, they are expecting him to be a leader on and off the court, and he will be just that for this UC Irvine basketball team.
UC Irvine Basketball make-or-break player: Myles Che
Despite being just a freshman last year at Chattanooga, Che showed many flashes of potential. Against Louisville in just his second-ever college game, he scored 22 points on 7-12 shooting and led them to the win. Against a Samford team that won the conference and nearly beat Kansas in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, Che scored 15 points on 5-8 shooting.
There were some growing pains, as Che didn’t score 10 points in a game for over a month, but that comes with inexperience. With Hohn having to take a small step back to become more of a distributor, that should mean more opportunities for Che. If he takes advantage of that opportunity, it adds another level of danger for the opponents. Plus, Che is from Los Angeles, a short drive away, so he will certainly have extra support out there.
Key analytic: Opponent Three-point percentage per game
Three-point shooting has become such a focal point of the college game, and with the volume of threes increasing every year, making sure that the opponent isn’t making that has become more important than ever. UC Irvine did a great job of preventing that, holding opponents to 41.3% from three, 32nd best in the country. The top 4 teams were Houston, Auburn, Tennessee, and UConn.
So, having a good three-point defense leads to success more often than not. UC Irvine was 56th in KenPom’s defensive efficiency overall last season, and they want to prove that defense wins championships, which starts by guarding the perimeter.
UC Irvine Basketball 2024-25 projections
Projected conference finish: 1st in Big West
Projected postseason ceiling: NCAA Tournament Round of 64