Men's Basketball Season Gets Underway This Weekend With Road Trip To DePaul, UIC

Nov. 9	6:00 pm	at DePaul	Game Notes	Listen Live	Live Stats	Purchase Tickets
Nov. 11	11:00 am	at UIC	Game Notes	Listen Live	Live Stats	Purchase Tickets

Chicago, IL—The UC Riverside Men's Basketball Team gets its 2012-13 regular season underway this weekend with a road trip to the Windy City of Chicago where the Highlanders will face off against DePaul on Friday at 6 pm PT and UIC on Sunday at 11 am.

UCR finished up its 2012-13 preseason schedule Saturday evening with an 83-72 victory over visiting San Diego Christian. Junior College transfer Chris Patton led four Highlanders in double figures with 23 points, and Josh Fox posted a 15-point, 11-rebound double-double in the win.

The Blue Demons finished 12-19 a year ago including 3-15 in the Big East, but Louisville coach Rick Pitino labeled them a sleeper team in the conference this season.

A trio of veteran juniors—Cleveland Melvin, Brandon Young and Moises Morgan—are back for DePaul. Melvin is a preseason All-Big East second team selection and the league's top returning scorer (17.5 ppg). The 6-8 Melvin also averaged 6.8 rebounds per game a year ago.

Young brings a 13.6 points per game scoring average into his third season with DePaul along with 262 career assists. Morgan averaged 9.0 points in a spot starting and reserve role a year ago draining 38.8 percent (54-139) of his three pointers on the season.

The Flames went 8-22 last year including a 3-15 mark in the Horizon League, but the additions of Division I transfers Josh Crittle (Oregon, Central Florida) and Joey Miller (Eastern Illinois) along with incoming freshmen Matt Gorski and Jake Wiegand caused USA Today to recognize UIC's recruiting class as the "Head Of The Class" in the conference.

The Flames also return senior and Second-Team All-Horizon League point guard Gary Talton and his 11.6 points and 3.3 assists per game.

UCR is coming off of a season that saw the team record the second most victories in the Division I history of the program including a 66-64 win over the Pac 12's Washington State. The Highlanders also posted their second highest conference winning percentage ever, and earned their highest-ever seed to the Big West Tournament.

Senior guard Robert Smith is the team's top returning scorer (9.2 ppg) and leading assist man (3.3) from a year ago. Sophomores Austin Quick and T.J. Burke are the only other returners from the 2011-12 squad, and they will be surrounded by a host of newcomers.

Chris Harriel, who sat out the 2011-12 season due to NCAA transfer rules after averaging 12.6 points and 5.1 rebounds per game for Portland State the year prior, will get his first chance to suit up in UCR blue and gold, as will ex-UC Santa Barbara forward Lucas Devenny and junior college transfer Chris Patton.

Devenny played two seasons for the Gauchos where he was a part of two Big West championships. Patton, a native of Australia, played last season at Neosho Community College where he was a First-Team, All-Conference selection. The rest of the roster is filled out with eight freshmen.

Men's Basketball Season Gets Underway This Weekend With Road Trip To DePaul, UIC

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