The Highlanders men’s team has never gotten to the Division I postseason, and this could be their best shot
As a son of the Inland Empire, and as not only the longest-serving player on the UC Riverside men's basketball roster, but the program's all-time leader in sports played, Dominic Piquet understands the possibilities. .
UCR has never qualified for the men's edition of March Madness™, and in fact, has never come close as a full Division I participant in over two decades. Now, with more than the chance of a puncture in the most unexpected Big West tournament field in years, the Highlanders captain is perhaps the most qualified to answer the question: What will this mean for the program, the university, and its surrounding community, after all. To break that wall?
"I think, in a simple word, everything," he said during a Zoom session earlier this week. "Just based on where the program came from and where it's going, all the history behind it and what not, will it mean everything to the community that we've been able to gather over the years to support us? are capable.
“Coach Mike (Magpayo) and the staff are here trying to steer this thing in the right direction. And I think we're in a good position and we know what we're playing for, what's at stake. So being able to do that would be very special. ,
a parade? city key? A caravan wherever the first round will take place? Mind boggles because this has never been a realistic possibility before.
The quest to make the event's history begins Thursday night at the Dollar Loan Center in Henderson, Nevada, the new home of the Big West's 10-team postseason tournament. The Highlanders (16–11 overall, 9–6 in the Conference), who are seeded sixth but were just two points – or perhaps a questionable officials' call – from being the No. 3 seed, faced Hawaii in the late quarterfinals 8. at: 30 p.m.
They defeated the Rainbow Warriors in their lone meeting, on February 64-59 at UCR. The teams' scheduled meeting in Honolulu on New Year's Night was canceled during the two-week COVID-19 disruption, and all Highlanders lost five. Games for COVID (three in conference).
On the final day of the season, UCR lost 73–72 in overtime to Long Beach State, which ensured a regular-season title for Long Beach. Magpay disputed a wrong call on Flynn Cameron with four-tenths of a second left in the OT, when Piquet's 3-pointer raised the UCR by one with 26 seconds to play, and he said that For missing the "league officials apologized to me in advance" call this week.
If UCR wins that game, it is the No. 3 seed and draws UC Santa Barbara, which it lost in two overtimes at home last week. But did we say this is league mayhem? The Highlanders beat Hawaii, second-placed Cal State Fullerton twice, lost two close games to Long Beach, lost at home to UC Davis, and were screwed twice in the second half by UC Irvine, the only team that actually scored. UCR had made its way.
How unpredictable the men's field can be: Ken Pomeroy, whose kenpom.com computer ranking ranks UCR at 171st nationally, crunched the numbers and concluded that the fourth-seeded UCI had a tournament win at 19.4%. is most likely. UCR is in sixth place, matching its seeding, at 11.1%. In other words, nothing is close to a certain thing.
Big West pic.twitter.com/SKPftumupx
— Ken Pomeroy (@kenpomeroy) March 6, 2022
"Who knows what's going to happen?" Magpayo said. "There are actually seven teams that have beaten each other. And matchups matter... but be careful what you want, for someone to go, 'Oh, we have the perfect matchup.' You can't do that. Anyone can beat anyone on any given night and this league has proved that.
The Highlanders enter the tournament with four players averaging double digits in points: junior guard Zion Pullin, a second team All-Big West selection, at 14.0, followed by Piquet (winner of the conference's Hustle Award for the second straight year). ) on 11.5. , 7-foot-1 center Callum McRae on 11.0 (and 8.0 rebounds per game), and Cameron on 10.3.
Another double-figure scorer, graduate transfer JP Moorman II (11.1 PPG in 12 games), left the team in mid-January, but 6-7 sophomore Will Tattersall pulled down the stretch with an average of 13.5 PPG in the final 13 games. done. 22-point night against Cal State Northridge, 20 against Cal State Bakersfield and 15 and 17 in the final two games against Fullerton and Long Beach.
"Teams are having to adjust to us" in the latter part of the season, Magpayo said, and the short-ball lineup helped UCR average 78.8 points in the last six games, compared to 63.0 in the first 21. But UCR's emphasis has been on the defense and dating back to when David Patrick took over the event in 2018. This year's Highlanders are 19th nationally and first in defensive rebounding at the Big West (28 per game) and 15th nationally and second in 3-point defense at Irvine's Conference. .294).
The UCR program has matured. Through its first 20 Division I seasons, it had one winning season: 17–13 in 2008–09. But over the past three years, the Highlanders are 17-15, 14-8 and 16-11 and have beaten Nebraska, Fresno State, Washington, Arizona State and UTEP on the road, in addition to taking on the elite eight-bound USC team. For doing overtime at the Gallen Center last season.
They don't scare. After last season's threat of extinction of the athletic program, they have survived. And he has made a mark. The increasing attendance at the RE Centre, especially on the student side of the building, suggests that people on campus are starting to respond.
"There's a small community behind us that believes in what we're doing every day, and wants the best for us and wants us to win at the end of the day," Pullin said. "I think it has played a big part in the season, especially bringing back fans (post-COVID audience limits)."
So how will his campus and his city react to the Highlanders as part of March Madness™? This may be his best chance to find out so far.