Ags have tended to be a good second half team.

We had to expect Hawai`i to rally but the Ags got a little sloppy there.

Irvine still has a shot at the NIT if I understand the complicated NIT selection process. They will not give the Anteaters an automatic slot, but it will be based on their NET ranking, which is 75. Twelve slots go to power 6 teams not in the NCAAs. The other 20 slots can go to schools based on their NET.

Looks like the game is on ESPN2 not ESPNU.

ESPN analytics effectively has the game as a toss up, giving UCD a 53.7% chance to win but a 1.5 poont spread in favor of Hawai`i. Go Ags! I hope the women's upset of Hawai`i bodes good for the men.

I can't say I'm not surprised given that I predicted a CSUN upset, but I do agree that it will be tougher to beat Hawai`i than it would have against the Matadors. At the same time, I see that the Beach rolled over UCR 86-67, so I would not want to trade places with the Anteaters.

Yes. Seems unfair doesn't it? Not true for pro sports.

Since the NIT bid would go to UCI if the Anteaters don't win the Big West tournament, the Ags had no shot at it but now even Irvine won't make it. Money makes the stupid difference once again, so I still hope Pepper can get a third game in the NCAAs or, failing that, one of the pay to play (money again) postseason tourneys.

Whoa! I see that CSUN won to end a really disappointing season for the Gauchos and despite Mitchell's 36 points. I'm going to predict that the Ags will face the Matadors on Friday.

Chima got into two games with the Kings, made one of two filed goals and zero for two from the foul line. He does hold the career scoring record for former UCD players in the NBA. I knew that but did not consider it a successful NBA career. I'm not dissing him. As good as he was, it shows how tough it is to make it in the NBA. Corey Hawkins got picked up by the Miami Heat but never played a single game. The question is whether Pepper can make it, even as a backup.

I wonder if he has a shot at the NBA, succeeding where both Corey and Chima couldn't. If the key is hustle, a high basketball IQ and being a team player he's got it. I just hope he's not pre-judged as being too small for forward and too slow for a guard.

Thanks for the history. I see that of the long term members of the Big West, only UC Riverside has not yet won a tournament.

Back in the day, the campus was small, 8000+ students, I think. I was able to make the acquaintance of a handful of the basketball players. One was Mike Murray, a skinny guard who lived in Bixby Hall his freshman year. He had a great sense of humor and was an all-around good guy. He got some playing time in his sophomore year, but he tragically died of skin cancer in 1971 (?). I remember that his fraternity sponsored a memorial game for him to collect for cancer research, but I don't know how long that continued. Does anyone else remember Mike or that charity game?

The news I read said it was a mutual parting of the ways. Otherwise, the timing is miserable. He's 63 so maybe he's just ready to retire and this is a way to get his team fired up.

They say it's not the team that was best during the season but he one playing the best at the end. UC Davis endured a slump for a bit, but they're on a roll now after the two impressive wins at San Diego and Long Beach. The defense in particular is really solid and playing the tough man-to-man that requires everyone to hustle and be on the same page. If Milling and DeBruhl have found their shooting touch opponents can't focus on just Eli and TY. They're also mostly healthy. I like our chances.

My room-mate got to know Coach Ham when he tried out for the team in fall 1970. He didn't make the final cut and Ham said, Sam, you have potential, maybe next year. Sam had to tell him, "Coach, I'm a senior."

I was attending the games from 1967 through 1974 and did not see him use it much after 1968. Maybe he lacked the depth or maybe he did it more after I left.

In 1968, the starting lineup (I still have some programs from those games) was Al Budde, John Frost, Gordon Baranco, Frank Stonebarger and Steve Schaper. At one game, Hamilton took them all out and put in Al Steed, Tom Larkin, Tom Wood, Bob Guild and Bob Johnson stunning the crowd. As I recall, Wood, then a sophomore, was not the passer or the shooter he later became. I don't know what happened to any or them except Baranco, but Al Steed was an RA in Bixby Hall in his senior year. I met him during RA training.

It might be chalk to say that the Ags will face Hawai`i in the semis, but I think it more likely that we'll be playing either the Matadors or Gauchos. Hawai`i is 4-6 on the road and lost to both teams away from Honolulu.

Good point!