UC San Diego
Mustangs Visit UC San Diego Thursday, Host UCSB Saturday Afternoon
1/6/2025 1:15:00 PM | Men's Basketball
SAN LUIS OBISPO – Resuming action with a Thursday, Jan. 9 matchup at UC San Diego, the Cal Poly men’s basketball program seeks its first Big West victory of the season when squaring off with the conference co-leading Tritons at 7 p.m. The Mustangs then host UC Santa Barbara Saturday, Jan. 11 at 5 p.m. Both matchups stream live on ESPN+ for Cal Poly (6-10, 0-4), which saw its winless run extended to three straight with a 68-55 Saturday setback at Hawai’i. Ranked 46th among 355 NCAA Division I programs with a Big West best 82.4 points per game, Cal Poly – under first-year head coach Mike DeGeorge – is averaging 17.8 more points per game than at the same stage last season. The Mustangs have scored 90-plus points in a game five times already this year after hitting the mark just twice during the previous four years combined. Fueling the scoring surge is Cal Poly’s three-point prowess as the Mustangs rank sixth nationally with 31.6 three-pointers attempted per game and 19th with 10.7 three-pointers made per game. Having ascended to the top of the Big West standings after winning its initial three conference games by 22.7 points per matchup, UC San Diego (13-2, 3-0) takes an 11-game winning streak into Thursday’s matchup with Cal Poly. The Tritons rank third among Big West programs with 81.1 points per game, but concede a conference low 61.8 per night. UC Santa Barbara (9-5, 1-2), meanwhile, leads the Big West with a 48.0 percent field goal mark with the Gauchos first hosting Cal State Bakersfield Thursday before visiting Cal Poly.
CAL POLY VERSUS UC SAN DIEGO: After Cal Poly won the initial two matchups against UC San Diego as a Big West opponent, the Tritons have prevailed in the previous three, including closing last season with a 92-87 home victory against the Mustangs. Cal Poly leads the all-time series (9-4) dating to the first matchup between the two sides on Dec. 20, 1969 and the Division I series (4-3).
CAL POLY VERSUS UC SANTA BARBARA: The most frequent opponent in Cal Poly’s history, UC Santa Barbara takes a 14-game series winning streak into Saturday’s 120th all-time matchup. With Cal Poly’s last series win an 80-79 home victory on Jan. 4, 2018, UC Santa Barbara leads both the all-time (84-35) and Division I (50-14) series.
KOONCE MAINTAINS THE SCORING LEAD: A double-digit scorer in all but two games – and those two were nine-point outings – graduate guard Owen Koonce, following a career high 32-point effort at San Jose State (Dec. 14) and 30-point night in Cal Poly’s Nov. 30 victory at Stanford, enters Thursday’s matchup at UC San Diego leading the Mustangs and ranked second among Big West players with a 89.1 (49-for-55) percent free throw mark, fourth with 17.9 points per game and sixth with a 53.6 (103-for-192) percent field goal figure. The Dec. 2 Big West Player of the Week selection, Koonce – averaging 21.0 points per Cal Poly’s last six games – also tops the Mustangs with 5.4 rebounds per outing. One of only two Mustangs to start all 16 games, Koonce has also scored 21 points against Denver (Dec. 17), 20 at Omaha (Dec. 21), 19 at Eastern Washington (Nov. 17) and UC Davis (Dec. 5) and 18 in his Mustang debut at San Francisco (Nov. 5).
Mustangs return to play Thursday, Jan. 9 at UC San Diego (7 p.m.) before hosting Blue-Green rival UC Santa Barbara Saturday, Jan. 11 at 5 p.m. Both matchups live on ESPN+.#RideHigh pic.twitter.com/zJI67Jyu1d
— Cal Poly Men’s Basketball (@calpolymbb) January 6, 2025
THE GRADUATE: Five years after establishing his initial collegiate scoring high while a freshman at Fresno State, guard Jarred Hyder has twice smashed the mark during his graduate season with a 29-point effort against Denver (Dec. 17) arriving after a 27-point performance at Arizona State (Nov. 20). Hyder, who matched a Cal Poly single game program record with eight three-pointers versus Denver after hitting seven at Arizona State, ranks 41st among NCAA Division I players with 3.1 three-pointers per game and 38th with 44 total threes. Ninth among Big West performers with 15.1 points per game, Hyder has also scored 22 points at Omaha (Dec. 21) and 19 against both San Francisco (Nov. 5) and Menlo College (Nov. 10) among 10 double-digit performances. A starter in all 39 appearances as a Mustang dating to last season, Hyder remains second among Big West players with 34.0 minutes per game.
JESSUP EMERGES AS ONE OF NATION’S TOP THREE-POINT THREATS: Having reached double-digit scoring figures in all but three outings, senior guard Isaac Jessup enters Thursday’s contest at UC San Diego ranked 19th among NCAA Division I players with 3.3 three-pointers per game, 45th with a 43.0 (40-for-93) percent three-point mark and 81st with 40 three-pointers. Having already knocked down five three-pointers in a game three times, Jessup’s most recent standout scoring performance was a 21-point effort at Stanford (Nov. 30) that was one shy of his career high. Jessup also scored 20 points at California in just his second Division I appearance and enjoyed 17-point efforts at Arizona State (Nov. 20) and versus Grambling State (Nov. 26).
RINIKER’S PERCENTAGE POINTS: A year after shooting 63.8 percent for Division II Colorado Mesa, graduate guard Mac Riniker ranks ninth among Big West players with a 52.4 (65-for-124) percent mark. One of two Mustangs to start all 16 games alongside Owen Koonce, Riniker also ranks second in the lineup with 5.3 rebounds per game and fourth with 10.2 points per night after notching a Cal Poly-best 15 at Eastern Washington (Nov. 17) and matching the total at Saint Mary’s (Nov. 23) among nine double-digit scoring outings.
DEGEORGE TAKES THE MUSTANG REINS: Named Cal Poly’s sixth head coach at the Division I level on March 26, Mike DeGeorge arrived in San Luis Obispo from Division II Colorado Mesa after directing the Mavericks to 141 wins in six seasons, three Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference regular season championships and five NCAA Tournament appearances – including Sweet 16 trips in 2022 and 2024. Bringing more than two decades of head coaching experience to Cal Poly, DeGeorge’s squads at Colorado Mesa were known for their offensive prowess. During the 2023-24 season, Colorado Mesa led Division II in effective field goal percentage (.596), finished third in three-pointers per game (11.4) and 15th in points per game (11.4). Both of DeGeorge’s assistant coaches from Colorado Mesa – Kyle Bossier and BJ Andrews – joined Cal Poly in the offseason, as well as four transfers from Colorado Mesa.
ETC.: Cal Poly is in its 31st Division I season and 81st as a four-year program … Cal Poly’s Nov. 5 matchup at San Francisco marked the earliest opening date to a season in program history … Cal Poly’s 93.3 (14-for-15) percent free throw mark at San Francisco (Nov. 5) marked the fourth highest single game figure in program history … since transitioning to the Division I level prior to the 1994-95 season, Cal Poly is 49-1 against non-Division I programs following a 99-66 home victory against Division II Menlo College (Nov. 10) … Cal Poly’s 99-66 home win against Menlo College (Nov. 10) marked head coach Mike DeGeorge’s first victory in charge of Cal Poly while the program’s 75-71 win versus Seattle (Nov. 14) was the first against a Division I opponent … Jarred Hyder’s seven three-pointers at Arizona State (Nov. 20) were one shy of the program single game record recorded three previous times and most recently by Dawin Whiten (Feb. 10, 2007) … Cal Poly’s Nov. 26 home victory against Grambling State marked the program’s first all-time matchup with the Tigers … Cal Poly’s Dec. 5 Big West opener at UC Davis marked the earliest conference start date in program history … Jarred Hyder’s eight three-pointers against Denver (Dec. 17) tied a single-game program record previously accomplished by three Mustangs and most recently by guard Dawin Whiten against UC Irvine (Feb. 10, 2007) … Cal Poly’s 95-94 overtime home win against Denver marked the program’s first all-time victory against the Pioneers.
