SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – The UC Santa Barbara Men's Basketball team (13-7, 5-4 Big West) returns home for two games in The Thunderdome this week. On Thursday, the Gauchos will host the CSUN Matadors (13-7, 5-4 Big West) and on Saturday will see the Long Beach State Beach (7-14, 3-6 Big West) come to town.
LAST TIME OUT
The Gauchos split their two games last week on the road. On Thursday night the Gauchos fell to UC San Diego before going on to defeat Cal State Fullerton on Saturday night.
Cole Anderson led the Gauchos with a career night scoring 29 points going 6-for-10 beyond the arc. Over the last six games, the Fresno native shooting 66.7 percent from three-point land.
PROMOTIONS
Thursday's game will be a Lunar New Year themed game with the first 1,000 fans receiving a limited edition Lunar New Year Gaucho Basketball shirt. Be sure get there early before they run out!
Saturday's game will see a student only give away. The first 1,000 students who come to Saturday night's contest will receive an exclusive Surge rally towel as the Gauchos take on Long Beach State at 7 p.m.
SCOUTING THE MATADORS
Much like the Gauchos, the CSUN Matadors enter this week at 13-7 and 5-4 in conference action. The two sides are currently in a tie for fifth place in the standings sitting behind UC Davis, UC Riverside, UC San Diego and UC Irvine.
Offensively the Matadors like to get out and run in transition. According to KenPom, CSUN ranks 11th in all of Division I in adjusted tempo. Furthermore, they rank inside the top 50 nationally in fastbreak points per game. The Red and Black are also one of the best rebounding teams not just in The Big West, but the entire country. The Matadors rank top 60 in Division I in offensive rebounds per game, defensive rebounds per game and rebounding margin.
On the defensive side of the ball they are solid ranking 24th nationally in field goal percentage defense, limiting opponents to 39.6 percent shooting from the floor. Despite limiting opponents to a low field goal percentage they rank middle of the pack in scoring defense, largely in part of being a physical team. The Matadors rank bottom 10 in country in fouls per game. They commit nearly 21 fouls per contest. Additionally, they force over 15 turnovers per contest so the Gauchos will have to take care of the ball.
SCOUTING THE BEACH
After winning The Big West Championship last year, Long Beach has taken a step back in the 2024-25 season. The Beach enter this week with a 7-14 overall record and a 3-6 record in The Big West. Prior to their matchup with the Gauchos, LBSU will host conference leaders UC Irvine on Thursday night.
The Beach have two players averaging in double figures, Devin Askew (18.2) and TJ Wainwright (13.2). The duo has taken 45 percent of all Long Beach State shots this season and account for the same amount of total points scored. Askew, a transfer from Cal, is enjoying his best season yet already having a career high in points scored, total rebounds and assists.
Defensively, Long Beach ranks near the bottom in The Big West. LBSU is giving up nearly 75 points a game and rank 331 out of 364 in defensive rating according to KenPom. Defensive rebounding is not a strong suit for the Beach ranking 324th in the country. Look for the Gauchos to crash the glass on the offensive end.
FOLLOW ALONG
Both games will tip off at 7 p.m. inside The Thunderdome and for those unable to make it in person, the game will be streamed on ESPN+ with live stats available at ucsbgauchos.com/MBBLiveStats.
