UC San Diego Tritons: Poised to Make Waves in March Madness?

Nestled in the picturesque La Jolla neighborhood of San Diego, a stone’s throw from the iconic Torrey Pines Golf Course, lies the vibrant campus of UC San Diego. Inside the LionTree Arena, a palpable energy permeates the air, fueled by the burgeoning success of the university’s men’s basketball team, the Tritons.

The name itself, Tritons, might be unfamiliar to some. You might even be asking, "What is a Triton?" But don’t worry, you’re likely to become acquainted with them soon enough. After a long journey through the collegiate ranks, the UC San Diego Tritons are on the cusp of making their first-ever NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament appearance in their first year of eligibility. They have the potential to disrupt brackets and become a Cinderella story that resonates across the nation.

The journey to this point has been a long and winding one. UC San Diego has been playing basketball since 1966, initially competing in Division III before making the jump to Division II in 2000. The program truly began to flourish under the guidance of head coach Eric Olen, who took the helm in 2013. Under his leadership, the Tritons consistently captured California Collegiate Athletic Association titles and became a regular fixture in the Division II tournament. In the 2019-20 season, the Tritons achieved a remarkable 30-1 record, only to have their tournament aspirations dashed by the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

That season of unprecedented success paved the way for the school’s transition to Division I and the Big West Conference in 2020. However, as is often the case with schools making the jump to a higher level of competition, the initial introduction proved challenging. The NCAA’s transition rules further complicated matters, rendering UC San Diego ineligible for the NCAA Tournament for four years. Consequently, the team endured three consecutive losing seasons – the first such streak under Olen’s tenure.

But the tide began to turn last season. The Tritons displayed renewed vigor, winning 21 games and solidifying a core group of players that complemented each other effectively. That group returned this year, driven by the tantalizing prospect of finally competing in the NCAA Tournament. And UC San Diego has responded with a season that has exceeded all expectations. They currently boast an impressive 28-4 record, a dominant 18-2 mark in conference play, and the coveted Big West regular-season title. The next, and undoubtedly most arduous step, is winning the upcoming league tournament to secure their guaranteed spot in the NCAA field.

Years of dedicated building have culminated in this moment, and the potential for success is greater than anyone could have imagined. "We always had this year circled," Olen told USA TODAY Sports. "I wouldn’t say I saw this coming three years ago or anything like that. Some of these guys have just come out and really performed at a level beyond expectation."

On the court, a key component to the Tritons’ success is their disciplined play, especially their ability to hold on to the ball. A cardinal sin during practice is turning the ball over, and UC San Diego is currently ranked second in the nation in minimizing turnovers, averaging a mere 8.8 per game. Give up possession, and expect to hear Olen’s displeasure.

"He never relaxes," said senior guard Aniwaniwa Tait-Jones, the reigning Big West Player of the Year and the team’s leading scorer, rebounder, and assist provider. "He’s always on us, always wanting us to get better."

In addition to protecting the ball, the Tritons are adept at forcing turnovers from their opponents, averaging 16.2 steals per game – a top-10 mark in the nation. Their turnover margin of +7.5 is the best in Division I, a testament to their relentless defensive pressure and ball-hawking abilities.

The turnover statistic is just one facet of the Tritons’ overall excellence. They excel in various aspects of the game, including 3-point shooting, where they make 10.9 shots per game – fifth-best in the country – and scoring, averaging an impressive 80.3 points per game. Defensively, they are equally stingy, allowing just 62.0 points per game, which ranks eighth in the nation. Their +18.3 average scoring margin is second-best in the country, trailing only Duke.

It’s a monumental feat to consistently win basketball games in dominating fashion. Olen attributes his team’s success to their ability to remain composed in the face of adversity and to avoid complacency when things are going their way. He believes he has an exceptionally intelligent roster of players who are acutely aware of their strengths and how to leverage them effectively.

“When you kind of have that standard every day to come in and get better and never be satisfied, I mean, the results show on the court,” Tati-Jones said. “We just never relax, man.”

Senior guard Tyler McGhie sees the diverse backgrounds and unique paths he and several of his teammates took before landing in San Diego as a distinct advantage. Of the players in the regular rotation, five previously competed at the Division II level, including Tait-Jones and McGhie. Furthermore, the team boasts international flavor, with players hailing from New Zealand (Tait-Jones), Austria (Nordin Kapic), and Argentina (Maximo Milovich).

“We realize you got to bring it every day. It doesn’t matter who it is. Division II basketball isn’t easy,” McGhie said. “We all have a chip on our shoulder.”

Growing up in New Zealand, Tait-Jones vividly remembers watching March Madness from afar. Now, he’s focused on the present, but he and UC San Diego are on the verge of realizing his childhood dream.

Despite their dominant regular-season performance, as a mid-major program, UC San Diego’s most likely path to the tournament is winning the conference tournament. Failing to secure the automatic bid could mean joining the ranks of teams that had successful regular seasons only to be left out of the field.

The Tritons will enter the Big West tournament as the favorites, earning an automatic spot in the semifinals as the No. 1 seed. But even if UC San Diego doesn’t win the crown, they may still have an argument to be heard on Selection Sunday?

Some metrics support their case. UC San Diego is No. 35 in the NET rankings, better than 11 of the at-large teams in the recent USA TODAY Sports Bracketology. It has a 2-1 Quad 1 record with defeats of Utah State and UC Irvine.

“There’s no question in my mind, we’re a tournament quality team,” Olen said.

There are still obstacles to overcome. Two losses to Seattle and UC Riverside could hurt them. The NET ranking isn’t definitive, either. Indiana State missed the field last year with a 28-6 record and a No. 29 NET ranking. If UC San Diego loses the Big West championship game and misses the tournament, their 29 wins would be the most for a team to not make the NCAA Tournament.

Winning the conference tournament would silence any doubt. "It makes everything a lot easier,” McGhie said. The Tritons are trying to remain positive no matter what happens.

“It’s good for us. We want to come in and we want to win everything,” Tait-Jones said. “The fact that we have to win our conference tournament to get an automatic bid, that just makes it even more incentive for us to come out and play hard every game.”

Olen said that it would be “pretty cool” for his team to make the tournament in the first year eligible for it, but they hope it’s just the beginning. Projected as a No. 11 seed, UC San Diego is among the highest-seeded mid-major teams coming from single-bid conferences. At that spot, the Tritons could get a favorable matchup against a No. 6 seed and pull off an upset.

This season has validated the move to Division I for Olen. The university sought to generate excitement and showcase its beautiful campus.

Olen and players feel the growing community support and motivation from the constantly filled student section at LionTree Arena. After the team clinched the regular season conference title at home, Olen invited the entire arena to join them on the court and cut down the nets.

There is no shortage of confidence in the Triton community, The Triton was a demigod of the sea in Greek mythology as the child of Poseidon and Amphitrite. With the lower body of a fish, the university says it is known as “a mighty and fierce sea warrior.”

Soon, the college basketball world could learn what a Triton is, with UC San Diego potentially becoming the next Cinderella story in March.

“It’s fortunate the way it’s all kind of lined up for us, and we’re excited to be in the position that we’re in,” Olen said. “We’re excited to see what happens.”