Nelson return fuels UCI title hopes

November and December and the corresponding holidays typically mean more pumpkin and mincemeat pie for most Americans. But for men’s basketball teams from the Big West Conference, it’s humble pie that is dispensed in healthy doses in the first two months of the season.

The nine Big West schools went a combined 45-78 and produced just one winning record – an 8-7 mark by UC Davis – before conference play opened Wednesday.

UCI, which played just four of its first 15 games at home, was 7-9 entering conference play, with none of its victories coming against a team with a winning record.

But by handling preseason conference favorite Long Beach State, 82-67, in impressive fashion to tip off conference action on Wednesday at the Bren Events Center, the Anteaters instantly established they have ample capability to earn a third conference regular-season crown in the last four seasons.

Decorated senior guard Luke Nelson, a four-year starter who earned first-team All-Big West laurels last season, has averaged 16 points in his two games since returning from a hamstring injury.

In addition, fellow seniors Jaron Martin (twice named conference player of the week this season) and 7-foot-2 Ioannis Dimakopoulos, who had a team-best 18 points and a career-high four three-pointers against Long Beach, have proven they can be counted upon for production.

But the continued improvement of freshmen Tommy Rutherford, Eyassu Worku, Max Hazzard and Brad Greene, as well as the progress of sophomores Jonathan Galloway, Brandon Smith and Spencer Rivers, provides further evidence that Coach Russell Turner, after significant losses from the team that won a school-record 28 games last season, continues to lift the program toward success.

Nelson, who led the team in scoring last season at 13.7 per game, has shown some early rust, as evidenced by his game-worst four turnovers and one-for-six shooting from three-point range on Wednesday. But he also appears to possess much greater physical strength, which figures to enhance his ability to create scoring opportunities in the lane, as well as the perimeter.

“He looks like a veteran player,” Turner said of Nelson. “He was young and you could see that when he started for us [as an underclassman]. His body has changed and his game is a little bit different.”

But beyond Nelson’s obvious talent, Turner said the biggest benefit to his return has been his impact upon his teammates.

“He just has a veteran-player presence and a confidence about him,” Turner said. “One thing most veteran players do is they know what’s going to happen and they can communicate and give confidence to the young guys on the court. That’s the thing we’ve missed most.

“It’s going to take him some time to get back into rhythm, but I know I have a lot of confidence in him and I think everybody on our team has more confidence in our team knowing that he’s out there. And, he’s a guy that another team is going to most focus on. That moves everybody into a different position with the way our offense is going to work. It’s a huge difference-making thing to have your best player back.”

Big West returns

Elsewhere in the Big West, Cal State Northridge and UC Davis earned opening-night wins Wednesday, while Hawaii and Cal State Fullerton opened conference play Thursday night. The Hawaii-Fullerton winner will reach the .500 plateau overall, while UCI can even its overall record when it plays host to Hawaii on Saturday at 7:30 p.m.

The ‘Eaters’ first meeting with UC Davis is a Jan. 28 road date.

UCI clings to Stadick

The UC Irvine men’s volleyball team is ranked No. 8 in the preseason national poll and has been picked to finish fourth in its final season competing in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation.

Coach David Kniffin’s squad took a 2-0 record into Thursday’s home match against UC San Diego and plays host to Grand Canyon on Friday at 7 p.m. at the Bren Events Center.

UCI is led by senior outside hitter Tamir Hershko, a former All-American, and senior Michael Saeta, who is back at setter after having shifted to opposite last season.

But arguably the biggest thing the Anteaters have going for them is 7-foot freshman middle blocker Scott Stadick, considered by some to be the top high school recruit in the nation last season out of Watertown, Wisc.

Stadick, who starred for various U.S. national youth teams, has great agility to go with his obvious length. He produced eight block assists in each of his first two starts, in which he averaged 7.5 kills.

Stadick also had six of his eight digs in the opening set on Tuesday against Indiana Purdue Fort Wayne, wowing the crowd and his teammates, who roared their delight at his back-row defense.

“Any time you can get a middle digging balls, it sparks the morale of the team and it’s a big game-changer,” said Saeta, who is among those thoroughly impressed by Stadick, who happens to be Kniffin’s brother-in-law.

“I love him,” Saeta said of Stadick. “He really wants to learn, he’s humble and he’s getting better every day. I think he is going to be an unbelievable player.”

Ex-Vanguard assistant coach dies

The Vanguard basketball family is mourning the loss of former Lions’ men’s and women’s assistant coach Walt Simon, who died Saturday. He was 71.

Simon, a record-setting scorer and two-time state player of the year at Fullerton Community College, went on to star at Utah and was drafted by the NBA Seattle Sonics and the ABA Denver Rockets in 1968.

Simon was an assistant for the Vanguard men’s program for seven seasons and had a five-year stint as a women’s assistant through the 2014-15 season.

“Walt Simon was more than a coach at Vanguard; he was a man of integrity who loved coaching and teaching young people more than just basketball,” Vanguard women’s coach Russ Davis said in a statement released by the school. “It was about teaching them life lessons. We all loved his stories, but more importantly we loved how he would do anything for you no matter what time or how hard it might be. He loved helping his players and Vanguard basketball. He was the perfect example of a loyal friend and assistant.”

Former Vanguard athletic director Bob Wilson also praised Simon’s contribution to the Lions.

“Walt was a strong man who loved people, had a passion for the game of basketball and coaching,” Wilson said in a statement. “He had an unbelievable impact on many student-athletes and he will be greatly missed by all.”

A going home service will be held Friday at 11 a.m. at Friendship Baptist Church (17145 Bastanchury Road, Yorba Linda).

Interment will follow immediately at El Toro Memorial Park (25751 Trabuco Road, Lake Forest), and a repast is scheduled for 3 p.m. at the Vanguard gymnasium (55 Fair Drive, Costa Mesa).