The college basketball offseason is here, and we decided to have some fun over the next few months, ranking ALL 364 teams in D1. Number 341 is UC Riverside basketball.
Before you say we’re crazy – or that all of this is up for debate, let’s go over the very intricate process of how we came to this conclusion. We took a very statistical approach – with the help of Chat GPT – taking into consideration everything from March Madness wins and finishes, to AP Poll appearances, to conference players of the year. And then, a good friend of ours, Scott Blanchard, took our approach to the MAX.
Click here to visit the FIRST article, which explains how the formula works!
Here’s the breakdown of UC Riverside basketball!
NCAA Tournament Success
- Championships: 0
- Finals appearances: 0
- Final Fours: 0
- Elite Eights: 0
- Sweet 16s: 0
- NCAA wins: 0
- Bids: 0
Consistency Over Time
- Wins per season: 11.9
- Bids per season: 0
- AP Polls: 0
Player Quality & Talent
- All-Americans: 0
- NBA players drafted & played: 1
- Conference Players of the Year: 0
Conference & Other Success
- Conference regular season titles: 0
- Conference tournament titles: 0
- NIT titles: 0
- Other tournament titles: 0
Overall scoop on UC Riverside basketball
A quarter of a century has passed, and the Highlanders are another team searching for their first NCAA Tournament bid. They are getting closer, going 22-12 in 2023 and 21-13 the next year. But they couldn’t win the Big West Tournament either time.
Still, it’s a program that has had a bit of a higher ceiling. 7 winning seasons coming in the last 18 years isn’t too shabby compared to the programs we’ve already gone over.
The Highlanders also had an NBA Draft pick in Sam Cash. He only lasted seven games in the ABA, but it’s still something to brag about.
This past season, the Highlanders had to replace former head coach Mike Magpayo, who went to Fordham. Gus Argenal is the new man in charge, but he only led UC Riverside basketball to a 10-22 record, a big step down from the previous few seasons. After enjoying some sustained success, we’ll see how long of a chance Argenal gets to bring back some winning hoops.