MBB UC Santa Barbara (15-7, 8 -3) at UC Davis (13-9, 6-5), Thursday Feb. 5, 6 pm, on ESPN+ This was a super fun game to at and one of the best wins of the season for this team against a very good SB team who came in on a 6 game winning streak. The thing that impressed me the most was that this was a complete game by the Ags from start to finish on both sides of the ball: tough, hard working, physical defense and great 3 point shooting and FT shooting. Watching our defense when the players are locked in and communicating is a thing of beauty. They pressure the ball relentlessly and create disruption as well or better than any team in the league.
I feel like the team is beginning to hit their stride with our younger players settling into a good fit with our more experienced players. Les is doing a great job of substituting for matchups and giving players a blow.
You can clearly see the growth of some of our younger players too. Jalen Stokes brings a tough physicality to the lineup especially for a true freshman and is getting better by the game. Marcus Wilson had one of his best games ever and is really beginning to shine offensively. He scoring through contact on his drives to the basket. Omer Suljanovic looks more confident and is playing more physical in the paint in his limited time on the floor also.
Braydon Fagbemi is as good an on-ball defender as there is in the league. His ability to keep his man in front of him and play harassing defense is a lessen on how to play great defense. And, how about Carl Daugherty? He's playing as well as he ever has as an Aggie at the moment.
I don't think I've ever seen a coach as revved up as Joe Pasternack was during this game. He was an absolute maniac from the get go screaming at his players, the officials, his assistants and his bench, jumping up and down, running up the sideline to half court frantically waving his arms...it was like watching someone go completely bonkers. Irvine's coach, Russ Turner, takes the cake for his constant complaining to the officials but Pasternack is the wildest most animated coach I think I've ever seen when it comes to just pure, manic energy. Crazy!