IRVINE, Calif. – Following the conclusion of the regular season, The Big West announced its all-conference selections. UC Santa Barbara Men's Basketball had two student-athletes earn All-Big West honors. Aidan Mahaney and CJ Shaw, both playing in their first season for the Gauchos, earned First Team and Honorable Mention, respectively.

ALL-BIG WEST RECOGNITION
Aidan Mahaney received All-Big West First Team honors as a senior, starting in all 31 games for the Gauchos. Mahaney leads the team with 469 points overall and ranks ninth in points scored in The Big West. This guard also ranks fourth in The Big West in three-point field goal percentage (.395) and leads the team in three-point field goals made (73). Mahaney racked up 25 double-figure scoring games out of 31 contests this season.

CJ Shaw earned All-Big West Honorable Mention honors in his first collegiate season. Shaw started in 15 games for the Gauchos, averaging 29.2 minutes per game. He ranks ninth in conference for free-throw percentage (0.828) and leads the team with 33 steals. Wrapping up the regular season with a total of 371 points places him second on the team's point scorers.

LOOKING AHEAD
With the regular season complete, UC Santa Barbara Men's Basketball now turns its attention to The Big West Championships, where the Gauchos will face UC Davis in the first round. UCSB enters the tournament as the No. 7 seed and will take on the No. 6-seeded Aggies on March 11 at 8:30 p.m. UC Davis averages just under 78 points per game while allowing nearly 75 points per contest to its opponents. The Aggies shoot 44 percent from the field and 35 percent from beyond the arc. The Aggies are led by Connor Sevilla, who averages 13.1 points per game while shooting 90 percent from the free throw line. UCSB enters the tournament averaging just over 77 points per game. The Gauchos went 0-2 against UC Davis during the regular season but will look to turn the tide Wednesday night in Henderson.

With a win, the Gauchos will face Cal State Fullerton in the quarterfinal round on March 12 at 8:30 p.m. The Titans score nearly 84 points per game, while giving up just over 82 points per game. The Titans shoot 45 percent from the field and 34 percent from beyond the arc. Joshua Ward is putting up over 14 points per game as the Titans' leading scorer, while shooting 31 percent from three-point range. The Gauchos split the season series against the Titans and would look to advance to the Big West semifinals with a win. 

If the Gauchos advance, they would meet Hawai'i in the semifinals on March 13 with a berth in the conference championship at stake. The Rainbow Warriors enter the tournament as the No. 2 seed and with a 22-8 record. Hawai'i averages 80 points per game, while giving up just over 70 points per game. The Rainbow Warriors shoot 46 percent from the field, and connect on 32 percent of their three-point attempts. Isaac Johnson paces the Rainbow Warriors offensively, averaging 13.7 points per game while shooting 33 percent from three-point range. The two teams split the regular season series, setting up a potential rubber match with a spot in the Big West Championship on the line.