After a stellar season, UC San Diego has earned five of the Big West’s seven major awards, including player and coach of the year.
The conference announced its postseason awards Tuesday, voted on by Big West’s 11 head coaches ahead of the league championship tourney, which begins Wednesday.
Senior Aniwaniwa Tait-Jones won Player of the Year honors – the first Triton to win the award – while head coach Eric Olen scored the Coach of the Year award for the second straight season.
In addition, senior guard Hayden Gray was named Best Defensive player, junior Chris Howell, Best Hustle Player, and junior Justin Rochelin, Best Sixth Player. Tait-Jones and senior Tyler McGhie also made the All-Big West First Team and Gray garnered Second Team honors.
For the second season in a row, the Tritons are the only Big West program to win multiple major awards.
Ty, Niwa, and Hayden are All-Big West!#GoTritons pic.twitter.com/tdEjtBy35p
— UC San Diego Men’s Hoops (@UCSDmbb) March 11, 2025Olen said he and his coaching staff knew they had “a good group” going into the season. Now that includes hopes of earning the Big West’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament or, if necessary, an at-large bid.
His players, Olen said, “care about winning first. They care about their teammates. They care about being part of something bigger than themselves.” Playing in their fifth Division I season – and first with NCAA postseason eligibility – UCSD amassed a 28-4 regular-season record, capped by 13 straight wins.
BIG week of college basketball ahead and @John_Fanta has his latest top 25 just in time ? ⬇️?: t.co/CKlv6QtI8a pic.twitter.com/uXyMkVjUav
— FOX College Hoops (@CBBonFOX) March 10, 2025Tait-Jones, in his second season as a Triton, ranked third in the conference in scoring at 21 points per game against Big West foes. The New Zealand native connected on 57% of his shot attempts over 20 league games. He leads the nation in free throw attempts (274) and his 629 points this season are a Division I record for the program. Olen, in 12 years as UC San Diego’s head coach, has garnered four Coach of the Year honors, along with an NABC West Region Coach of the Year accolade, split between his time in Division II and the program’s move to Division I in the Big West. His 238 victories are more than any other coach in program history. Hayden Gray becomes the first Triton to be named the Big West’s Best Defensive Player. He leads the nation in steals (104) and steals per game (3.25) while committing just 44 turnovers. In his second year at UCSD, Gray has started all 65 games. Howell, a first year Triton, leads the conference in assist-turnover ratio (3.2) against Big West opponents. His 47 steals over 20 Big West games trailed only Gray. Rochelin succeeds McGhie as the conference’s Best Sixth Player. He averaged seven points and three rebounds per game off the bench during conference play, while providing a spark with his thunderous dunks. McGhie was named to the All-Big West First Team. During conference play, he averaged 14.4 points and 2.8 three-pointers per game. His 111 three-pointers tied a UCSD single season record, while ranking fifth nationally.
The top-seeded Tritons open play at the Big West Championship at 6 p.m. Friday. They will learn their opponent on Thursday when fourth-seed Cal State Northridge meets the winner of the No. 5 UC Santa Barbara/No. 8 Cal State Bakersfield matchup.
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