NABC Release
Four student-athletes from Big West men’s basketball teams have been selected to the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) 2025 Division I All-Pacific District Teams, as voted by NABC member-coaches across the Division I landscape. Additionally, UC San Diego’s
Eric Olen was named the district’s Coach of the Year.
UC Irvine senior center
Bent Leuchten and UC San Diego senior guard/forward
Aniwaniwa Tait-Jones were first-team selections. Second-team honors went to UC Riverside redshirt sophomore guard
Barrington Hargress and UC Irvine senior forward
Devin Tillis.
Olen has helmed UC San Diego to a 30-4 record overall with an 18-2 conference mark. The Tritons won the league's regular season and championship titles, and qualified to the NCAA Tournament. The Tritons were ranked 35 in the latest NCAA NET rankings.
Tait-Jones is averaging a league third-best 19.5 points per game, on 57.6 percent shooting, to lead UC San Diego to the regular season and championship titles. The senior also adds 5.5 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.3 steals per contest, and leads the country in free throws made (222) and attempted (293). The New Zealand native has garnered several awards already this season including All-Big West First Team, The Big West Player of the Year and the Most Outstanding Player of the championship.
Leuchten leads UC Irvine with a 15.4 scoring average and 9.0 rebounds per game, topping the Big West with 17 double-doubles this season which ranks seventh nationally. He has eight 20-point, 10-rebound double-doubles on the season, just one of seven players in the nation to complete eight or more. Tillis is second on the Anteaters in points (13.2 PPG) and rebounds (7.6 RPG). The forward posted 22 double figure scoring performances on the season, six of those ending with 20 points or more. Both Leuchten and Tillis were named All-Big West and to the championship's All-Tournament Team.
Hargress amasses 20.6 points and 4.0 assists per game, and led the Highlanders to a 21-12 overall record, going 14-6 in conference play. The guard from Inglewood, Calif. was an All-Big West First Team honoree.