SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – UC Santa Barbara Men's Basketball is ready for another year in The Thunderdome as they kick off the 2023-24 season. Their first test of the season will come against the Portland State Vikings, who won their first game of the season against Air Force on Monday.
LOOKING BACK
The Gauchos are coming off a year to remember after setting a new school record for wins in a season while returning to March Madness for the second time in three seasons. Last season, UC Santa Barbara earned a 27-8 record on their way to a share of The Big West Regular Season title while they went on to win The Big West Championships.
THIS SEASON
UC Santa Barbara is heading into their seventh season under Head Coach
Joe Pasternack, who returns two key members of last year's starting lineup in
Ajay Mitchell and
Josh Pierre-Louis. Mitchell is the reigning Big West Player of the Year and Big West Tournament MVP after averaging 16.3 points per game and 5.1 assists per game. Pierre-Louis's athleticism is another piece fans will look forward to seeing following his stellar defensive performances on his way to averaging 1.3 steals per game.
Cole Anderson is another person who fans can see get more minutes this season. He appeared in all 35 games, averaging 21.2 minutes per game.
Matija Belic and
Evans Kipruto are also key pieces returning to the lineup after coming off the bench later in the season last year.
While there are key players returning to the lineup, there are some new faces that are expected to make an impact rather quickly for the Gauchos this year. Auburn transfer
Yohan Traore is one of those players, who was named as a Breakout Player to Watch by numerous outlets during the preseason. Along with Traore, Creighton transfer
Ben Shtolzberg will be another key piece to the Gauchos' offensive efforts. Some freshmen that are also expected to make a big impact are
Jason Fontenet II out of Phoenix and
Kilian Brockhoff of Germany.
SCOUTING THE VIKINGS
Portland State secured their first win of the season as they took on the Air Force Academy in Colorado with a score of 62-55.
Two of the biggest returners for the Vikings are Jorell Saterfield and Hunter Woods. Saterfield finished last season averaging 13.1 points and 4.3 rebounds per game while Woods ended the year with 9.9 points and 5.1 rebounds per game.
Saterfield was the leading scorer for the Vikings in their first game of the season against Air Force, contributing 10 points. The most efficient shooter for the Vikings this season was Isiah Kirby. He made four-of-five shots from the field in 19 minutes played, racking up eight points. Along with that, Isaiah Johnson crashed the boards for Portland State, earning the most rebounds with 13.
Head Coach Jase Coburn is just in his third season at the helm of the program. He has accumulated an overall record of 27-36 during that time. Before becoming the head coach of the Vikings, he served as the team's associate head coach for three seasons after becoming an assistant with the program back in 2013.
WHEREABOUTS
The first tipoff of the season will be at 7 p.m. in The Thunderdome tomorrow, Nov. 9. Prior to the start of the game, the Gauchos will be hanging the 2023 Big West Championship banners. They will also pass out Big West Championship t-shirts to fans in attendance while supplies last. For those who can't make it to The Thunderdome, a live stream will be available through ESPN+.
