COLLEGES:

The ego has landed.

That’s an occurrence any shooter worth his follow-through will never concede.

So, when UC Irvine senior bombardier Brett Lauer, among the national men’s basketball leaders in three-point accuracy earlier this season, endured a two-for-10 spell beyond the arc in the three games heading into Saturday’s Big West Conference opener against visiting Cal State Fullerton, he tinkered neither with his mechanics nor his mentality.

“The coaches and players are behind me,” Lauer said after making seven of 12 from threedom, including five of his first six tries, on his way to a career-high 27 points to help key the Anteaters’ 78-74 overtime victory over the Titans. “They keep telling me to shoot, even if I’m not shooting well.”

Telling Lauer to shoot, of course, is like telling 6-foot-9 UCI assistant Tod Murphy to look tall.

Since Lauer arrived from San Diego Mesa Community College, his teammates have spoken about his willingness to speak often on the subject of his perimeter prowess.

“Self-proclaimed best shooter in the universe,” is the actual phrase more than one teammate has attributed to the 6-foot-1 deadeye, who, to his credit, has never uttered those words in earshot of a reporter.

As quick with a smile as with his pike-position release — which consistently results in sliding backward on his rear, sometimes even luring an official into sending him to the foul line — Lauer is, make no mistake, comfortable in the presence of note pads and tape recorders belonging to the media.

Asked if he was feeling it Saturday, Lauer’s face lit up as obviously as his game just moments before.

“Yeah, it’s about time,” he said. “It has been a while since I’ve shot well.”

True to the breed, Lauer said he wasn’t about to impugn his invincible approach. And he was not without backup outside the UCI locker room.

“I kept the same routine,” Lauer said. “I kept getting a lot of shots up after practice. My dad called and told me it was probably in my head, so I should just keep shooting.”

Once again, more unnecessary words were never spoken.

“That first [three-pointer] felt really good,” Lauer said of what triggered his career performance, for which he was named Big West Player of the Week. “Even the ones that didn’t go down were feeling good, so I just kept shooting.”

Lauer, is now 27 of 55 from beyond the new three-point barrier, which is one foot deeper than season at 20-9.

He emerged from the locker room with an ice bag wrapped around his left (guide) hand, which he said he landed awkwardly upon during the game.

Lauer laughed at an inquiry as to whether the damage was sufficient to potentially sideline him for future games.

“No, it’ll be fine, he said, as one reporter pointed out, it wasn’t even his shooting hand.

“That’s right,” Lauer said. “I don’t even need it.”

 Lauer said he has no monopoly on supreme confidence among his teammates.

Asked about the continued strong play of 6-5 freshman Eric Wise, who had 25 points in his Big West debut, Lauer was effusive with praise.

“The kid is just a player, man,” Lauer said. “The kid doesn’t care who he’s going against. Whether it’s a seven-footer or a 6-5 big man, he doesn’t care. I think he thinks he’s the best player in the world, so that kind of helps.

If Wise, averaging a team-best 12.8 points and 5.7 rebounds, trailing only senior Kevin Bland’s 7.1 among Anteaters, isn’t the best player in the world, he just might be the best freshman in the conference.

 *Newly hired UCI women’s volleyball coach Paula Weishoff has filled half of her two full-time openings for assistant coaches, retaining Sabrina Hernandez, who spent the previous five seasons as former coach Charlie Brande’s assistant.

“I’ve wanted Sabrina to come coach with me at Concordia,” Weishoff said. “I know she does a great job with the setter and she’s highly respected by the players and all the administration here. She’s here, she loves to be here, and I want her to be here.”

Weishoff said the holiday break has slowed the process of hiring her other full-time assistant.

 The core of UCI’s 2007 NCAA champion men’s volleyball team have ventured far from ‘Eater nation to pursue professional careers, UCI Coach John Speraw said.

Jayson Jablonsky, among the final cuts for the U.S. national team that went on to win the gold medal in Beijing, is playing in Italy.

Matt Webber, another former All-American, is playing in France, while David Smith, yet another All-American, is competing in Germany, Speraw said.

Speraw said former All-American setter Brian Thornton, who is training now with the national team, is likely to pursue an opportunity to play professionally overseas.

Speraw, an assistant with Team USA in Beijing, said national team member Kevin Hansen, a former standout at Corona del Mar High and Stanford, is playing professionally in Russia.

 Still 39 days until pitchers and catchers report to Major League Baseball training camps.

Former UCI standout Mark Wagner will do so as a member of the Boston Red Sox 40-man roster.

Wagner, a 6-1, 205-pound catcher, hit .288 with four homers and eight RBIs in 18 games (59 at-bats) for the Scottsdale Scorpions in the Arizona Fall League. He finished with a .542 slugging average and his OPS was .916.

In 2008, Wagner hit .219 with 10 homers, 19 doubles and 48 RBIs for the Portland (Maine)Sea Dogs of the Eastern League.

In 2007, he hit .318 for the Lancaster JetHawks of the California League, in which he was the toughest hitter to strike out (one whiff in every 9.37 at-bats). Wagner also led the league by throwing out 34.7% of those trying to steal bases and he walked more (55) than he struck out (46).

 Doug Linton, a former Anteaters pitcher who played seven seasons for five major league teams before retiring in 2003, also worked in the Arizona Fall League. He was the pitching coach for the Phoenix Desert Dogs.