Aggie men's basketball opens season with tall task at Washington
Jim Les optimistic as he begins his 14th season guiding UC Davis
With a number of returning lettermen from a highly successful 2023-24 campaign, plus several promising newcomers, the UC Davis men's basketball team opens the season Tuesday night in Seattle at the University of Washington.
Game time in Alaska Airlines Arena is 7 p.m. Scott Marsh will have the call on Sactown Radio 1140 AM.
"I'm really excited about this group," said Aggie head coach Jim Les as he begins his 14th season guiding UCD fortunes.
"We feel really good about our returning players who will be contributing more this year, plus we've added some players who can be impactful right away. It's really a nice blend."
Gone is UCD's all-time leading scorer Elijah Pepper, whose 2,284 career points are second in Big West Conference history.
"We'll miss his production for sure," Les noted. "There's no way around it, but we have some guys who will give us some length and athleticism, especially at the wing."
Back to lead the charge is senior guard TY Johnson, who had a number of lucrative offers from other schools during the off-season, but decided to finish his career wearing Aggie Blue and Gold.
Les couldn't be happier with Johnson's decision.
"He really wanted to stay, but he was getting a lot of pressure from a lot of places. We had a number of long conversations and we wanted to support him in any way, no matter what he decided."
Johnson, a preseason all-Big West selection, was an incredibly consistent performer on both ends of the floor last season, averaging 17.8 points, 3.7 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game while leading the Big West in steals. He finished last season with 19 straight double-figure games.
But, despite those figures, Les is most impressed with Johnson's defensive prowess.
"He takes great pride in his defense and there's simply no one better at on-ball defense and pressure and disrupting a play than he is," Les said. "He's clearly one of the best defenders in the country."
Les added that Johnson has taken on a true leadership role that is critical with a number of new faces on the team.
Also back are Niko Rocak, Pablo Tamba and Leo DeBruhl, all of whom saw significant playing time last season.
Rocak, a junior forward, led the Big West in blocks per game during conference play with 1.5 and set a UC Davis program record with six blocks in a game against UC Irvine. Rocak also led the Aggies in rebounds per game with 5.0 and started 30 of the 33 games he appeared in.
Tamba, a senior wing, is expected to show significant growth this season after a strong finish in the Big West tournament. Tamba averaged 3.3 points, 2.9 rebounds, 16 steals and 12 blocks last season. With four starts last year, all resulting in wins for UC Davis, he is projected to take on a larger role this year.
DeBruhl, a senior guard, brings experience and physicality to the team. He averaged 5.8 points, 3.1 rebounds and had the third-most assists among the Aggies with 60. Known for his competitive nature and defensive prowess, DeBruhl appeared in all but one game last season and is expected to be a key contributor on both ends of the floor.
Newcomers include guard Carl Daughtery Jr., forward Derek Sangster, forward Jamaal Unuakhalu and guard Nils Cooper, along with Jacob Gilchrist and Isaiah Chappell.
Daughtery joins the Aggies as a junior from the University of Central Arkansas, where he averaged 10 points and 2.7 rebounds per game last season. Over two seasons, he appeared in 52 games and started 10 during his sophomore campaign.
Noted Les, "Carl is an explosive guard who can impact the game on both ends of the floor. We love that he is an aggressive, physical and disruptive defender."
Sangster, a 6-7 forward, comes to UC Davis from Princeton, where he played in 13 games as a freshman.
"Shooting is a premium in our system, and Derek will be one of the best shooters on our team," Les added.
Unuakhalu, a 6-7 forward, joins after two seasons at Moorpark College, where he averaged 14.5 points and 10.7 rebounds per game.
"Jamaal will be one of the most athletic players in our program since I've been here. He runs easy, plays above the rim and affects the game in many ways," Les said.
Cooper joins as a sophomore transfer from Pepperdine, bringing three years of eligibility. Ranked as a consensus four-star recruit both as a high-schooler and as a transfer, Cooper is the son of Lakers legend Michael Cooper.
Said Les, "Nils is a versatile athlete who can defend at a high level. He knows how to use his size and length to impact both sides of the ball, gets out in transition and puts pressure on opponents. His upside will make him a valuable piece for our success."
Gilchrist, a 6-7 guard from Twelve Bridges in Lincoln, was the Foothill Valley League MVP.
"We couldn't be happier to be welcoming Jacob into the Aggie basketball program," Les enthused.
"Not only is he a terrific young man, but he is without a doubt one of the most talented basketball players in the area. His size, skill, versatility and shooting are things that we were looking for in this recruiting class and we feel fortunate that we located someone that fit the profile just up the road from UC Davis."
Chappell, a standout from Crossroads School and a CIF Gold Coast League MVP, also joins the Aggies. He has earned numerous honors, including a spot on the Tarkanian Classic Nike Division All-Tournament Team.
"Isaiah has made great strides in the years we as a staff have watched him develop, and the hard work he has put in will make him ready to impact our program the moment he steps on the court as an Aggie," added Les.
Les needs just one win in the 2024-25 campaign to reach 350 career victories, with 195 of those wins coming at UC Davis.
The Aggies are picked fifth in the Big West coaches poll behind UC Irvine, UC Santa Barbara, UC San Diego and UC Riverside.
UCD finished 20-14 overall and 14-6 in the Big West last year, losing out on an NCAA bid with a heartbreaking 74-70 loss to Long Beach State in the Big West title game.
"We are quicker and faster as a team this year and that will give us more open-court opportunities," Les added.
After Tuesday's date at Washington, the Aggies head to Idaho Thursday, then come home for the first time Nov. 12 against Menlo College.
The rugged non-conference schedule includes away games at Stanford, Grand Canyon, Oregon State, Sac State and Pepperdine, and home games against Norfolk State, Idaho and Cal Maritime.
An early start to Big West play comes at home Dec. 5 against Cal Poly and Dec. 7 against UC Santa Barbara.
"That puts a little more urgency on the games in November," Les said. "We have to figure things out in a hurry."
Reach Bob Dunning at bobdunning@thewaryone.com
Maybe it’s time to change your column name to the Dunning Enterprise. You do all the reporting the other newsletter used to do. What will you name your castle? Do you have a bobsled(that you lost as a child and miss)?
"The Aggies are picked fifth in the Big West coaches poll behind UC Irvine, UC Santa Barbara, UC San Diego and UC Riverside" Therefore this can be called the "You See UC League". Perchance, someday, UC Berzerkle, and UCLA can join in the fun. Not much hope for UC Santa Cruz since banana slugs can't jump..