2019-20 Men's Basketball Season Recap
4/17/2020 12:19:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Riverside, Calif.—In Head Coach David Patrick's second year at the helm at UC Riverside, the 2019-2020 version of the Highlanders Men's Basketball team set out to build on the foundation set by the ten-win team a year earlier. Those efforts were led by an array of highly touted newcomers (6'9 forward, Arinze Chidom, 6'4 wing George Willborn, 6'11 post Angus McWilliam, and 6'5 guard Khy Kabellis) joining forces with returning talents (7'1 post Callum McRae, 6'0 scoring guard Dikymbe Martin, and 6'3 lead guard, Dom Pickett). There was high optimism and even expectations that this team would compete in the Big West.
It didn't take long to in-fact turn heads nationally. On opening night, UC Riverside took down the Nebraska Cornhuskers of the Big Ten Conference. In a sea of red at the sold-out Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln, the Highlanders spoiled the debut of former Chicago Bulls head coach Fred Hoiberg, leaving town with a convincing 66-47 victory–a fitting start to what would turn out to be a record-setting season in Riverside. The blue and gold earned a pair of road triumphs against Mountain West Conference foes Fresno State and San Jose State to highlight the non-conference slate.
The Highlanders tied the UC Riverside Division I record for wins (17) thanks to having one of the nation's most formidable defenses. Top ten rankings in scoring defense (8th), defensive rebounding (9th), and 11th in two-point field goal percentage, the team's blend of size and length proved disruptive to opponents on a nightly basis. Chidom and McRae were both named Big West Honorable Mention.
"This year was an amazing journey and transformation for our team. To win 17 games in year two was an amazing accomplishment for this group, led by our seniors Dikymbe Martin and Khyber Kabellis. This group bought into everything presented to them on and off the court, and were an amazing group to coach. Even though the season was cut short, the 2019-20 team will forever be remembered for the toughness and resilience they embodied all year." –Head Coach David Patrick.
Before the season was cut short only hours before tip-off at the Big West Tournament, the Highlanders had closed the conference season as the in-form team of the league. Winning three of their last four contests, including a 49-43 road win at Hawaii. The team tied for fourth by record, and was the sixth seed in the conference tournament, the program's highest seed at the event since 2011.
Coach Patrick's 17-win Highlanders did not go unnoticed nationally, as UCR received a pair of invitations to participate in postseason tournaments, the College Insider Tournament (CIT) and the College Basketball Invitational (CBI). Coach Patrick received recognition nationally, being named as a finalist for both the Hugh Durham & Ben Jobe National Coach of the Year awards.
It didn't take long to in-fact turn heads nationally. On opening night, UC Riverside took down the Nebraska Cornhuskers of the Big Ten Conference. In a sea of red at the sold-out Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln, the Highlanders spoiled the debut of former Chicago Bulls head coach Fred Hoiberg, leaving town with a convincing 66-47 victory–a fitting start to what would turn out to be a record-setting season in Riverside. The blue and gold earned a pair of road triumphs against Mountain West Conference foes Fresno State and San Jose State to highlight the non-conference slate.
The Highlanders tied the UC Riverside Division I record for wins (17) thanks to having one of the nation's most formidable defenses. Top ten rankings in scoring defense (8th), defensive rebounding (9th), and 11th in two-point field goal percentage, the team's blend of size and length proved disruptive to opponents on a nightly basis. Chidom and McRae were both named Big West Honorable Mention.
"This year was an amazing journey and transformation for our team. To win 17 games in year two was an amazing accomplishment for this group, led by our seniors Dikymbe Martin and Khyber Kabellis. This group bought into everything presented to them on and off the court, and were an amazing group to coach. Even though the season was cut short, the 2019-20 team will forever be remembered for the toughness and resilience they embodied all year." –Head Coach David Patrick.
Before the season was cut short only hours before tip-off at the Big West Tournament, the Highlanders had closed the conference season as the in-form team of the league. Winning three of their last four contests, including a 49-43 road win at Hawaii. The team tied for fourth by record, and was the sixth seed in the conference tournament, the program's highest seed at the event since 2011.
Coach Patrick's 17-win Highlanders did not go unnoticed nationally, as UCR received a pair of invitations to participate in postseason tournaments, the College Insider Tournament (CIT) and the College Basketball Invitational (CBI). Coach Patrick received recognition nationally, being named as a finalist for both the Hugh Durham & Ben Jobe National Coach of the Year awards.
Players Mentioned
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/ Men's BasketballThursday, May 21
Monday, May 04
Friday, May 01
Tuesday, March 24
