The Anteaters (12-6, 5-1 BW) will host the Rainbow Warriors (13-3, 5-1 BW) at the Bren Events Center on Thursday, Jan. 29 at 8 p.m. PT on ESPNU. Both teams are currently tied for first place in The Big West standings. Dave Feldman (play-by-play) and Austin Croshere (analyst) will be on the call.  

An exciting and close game is to be expected as Hawai‘i came away with a 67-66 victory thanks to a buzzer-beating fadeaway shot from graduate guard Hunter Erickson, the last time the two teams met on the hardwood in O‘ahu on Jan. 10. 

Both teams have been playing well of late, with UC Irvine winning nine of its last 11 contests, while Hawai‘i is 9-1 in its last 10 games.  

The Rainbow Warriors, currently ranked No. 17 in the latest College Insider Mid-Major Madness Top 25 released on Jan. 12, are one of the top defensive teams in the nation. Nationally, Hawai‘i ranks fourth in 3-point percentage defense (26.9 Opp 3P%), eighth in field goal percentage defense (38.3 Opp FG%), 10th in scoring defense (63.6 Opp PPG), 24th in rebound margin (+8.3) and 22nd in scoring margin (+16.4), 19th in defensive rebounds per game (28.6 DRPG). The Rainbow Warriors are anchored by senior center Isaac Johnson who averages 12.9 points per game. Johnson is one of the top free throw shooters in the country, hitting at a 90.6 percent clip from the charity stripe. Graduate guard Dre Bullock and senior forward Harry Rouhliadeff pitch in 12.8 and 11.4 points per game, respectively.  

UC Irvine is also one of the top defensive teams in the nation, coming in at fifth in blocks per game (6.3 BPG), sixth in field goal percentage defense (37.9 Opp FG%) and 17th in defensive rebounds per game (28.7 DRPG).  The Anteaters are receiving votes in the College Insider Mid-Major Madness Top 25. Senior forward Kyle Evans is The Big West and  nation’s leader in blocks with 57 total on the season, for an average of 3.2 per game. Evans also contributes 11.9 points, on a conference-leading 66.4 percent shooting, with a league second-best 8.1 rebounds per outing. Sophomore guard Jurian Dixon, the reigning Big West Freshman of the Year, leads UC Irvine in scoring with a league fifth-best 15.8 points per game. Junior guard Derin Saran pitches in 12.6 points, 5.8 rebounds and 4.2 assists per outing.  

With Hawai‘i moving to the Mountain West next season, it will be the final time that the Rainbow Warriors and Anteaters meet in regular-season conference play. 

There are four more regular-season Big West games slated to appear on ESPN2 or ESPNU, which will be selected through a “wildcard” format. Pairings are determined and announced at least 10 days prior to each contest. Four more Saturdays heading down the home stretch of the season will see a nationally televised Big West broadcast, culminating with a regular-season finale contest: Feb. 7 at 7 p.m. on ESPNU; Feb. 21 at 3 p.m. on ESPNU; Feb. 28 at 7:30 p.m. on ESPN2; March 7 at 5 p.m. on ESPNU.  

More on this season’s The Big West’s robust national basketball broadcast slate across The Big West can be viewed here.    

ESPN Networks will also broadcast both Big West men’s semifinal matchups at the 2026 Credit Union 1 Big West Men’s Basketball Championship on Friday, March 13 and the championship game on Saturday, March 14. For additional championship information, please visit BigWest.org/2026.    

Along with these eight contests on the linear ESPN Networks, all additional Big West men’s and women’s basketball games throughout the 2025-26 regular season and Big West Championships are slated to air digitally to subscribers on ESPN+. To sign up, please visit espn.com/watch. Hawai’i home games will also air locally on Spectrum Sports.