CARDINALS

UC-Irvine's historic moment playing Louisville

Jeff Greer

@jeffgreer_cj

Louisville's Rick Pitino seems confused by Quentin Snider decision making.
Mar. 12, 2015

University of California-Irvine coach Russ Turner grew up in Roanoke, Va., in the heart of what he calls "ACC country."

His mother attended Duke and he was an assistant coach for six years at Wake Forest in the 1990s. The University of Louisville wasn't in the league those days, but Turner is more than familiar with the Cardinals.

He vivdly remembers the 1986 national championship, when Louisville topped Duke, and he remembers just how upset former Louisville coach Denny Crum was when Turner's Wake Forest team, led by Tim Duncan, topped U of L in the 1996 Sweet 16.

"I remember Coach Crum's intensity after that game -- he was not a happy man," Turner said as he laughed.

So it's not hard to imagine Turner and his UC-Irvine Anteaters' reaction to Sunday's NCAA tournament draw, which pit 13th-seeded Irvine against No. 4 seed Louisville in the opening round in Seattle. The teams expect tip off around 4 p.m. Eastern time on Friday, or 30 minutes after the conclusion of the Northern Iowa-Wyoming game.

"Oh, of course there's an added oomph to that," Turner said. "There's not any question that playing against a bigger-name school is exciting, especially one that's won a national title."

Beyond the brand-name opponent, though, this weekend has been special in its own right for Irvine and its men's basketball team. The Anteaters (21-12) are making the first NCAA tournament appearance in school history, a year after winning the regular-season Big West title but falling into the conference tournament semifinals.

Their students, alumni and support staff rushed the Honda Center court on Saturday when Irvine fended off Hawaii to seal its bid to the NCAA tournament. They had a blowout Selection Sunday party, and the players, guard Alex Young said, are walking around with a keen sense of what their team has accomplished.

"It's been crazy," Young said. "To experience all that joy and happiness was just wonderful."

How did Irvine get here, to college basketball's Promised Land?

The process started in 2010, when athletics director Mike Izzi sought out Turner for the vacant head coaching job. The two worked together at Stanford earlier that decade, where Izzi worked in the athletics department and Turner was an administrative assistant and then an assistant coach under Mike Montgomery for four years.

Irvine was coming off its third losing season in four years, and Izzi wanted a fresh approach. Turner was in his sixth year as an assistant coach for the NBA's Golden State Warriors when he got the call.

"Five years ago I wouldn't have had any idea I'd be doing what I am now," Turner said. "I've been one of the most fortunate guys in this industry."

In his five-year tenure, Turner has helped Irvine become an annual contender for Big West titles. The Anteaters were 25-39 in his first two seasons, but they've won 20-plus games the past three.

His team this season is built around high-percentage shots on offense and shot blocking and aggressive perimeter defense. UC-Irvine is 22nd in the nation (39 percent) in 3-point shooting, thanks in large part to guards Travis Souza (45.5 percent) and Jaron Martin (48.4).

The Anteaters are also 30th nationally in field-goal defense, and everything they do on defense is intended to funnel opponents toward 7-foot-2 Ioannis Dimakopoulos, 6-foot-8 Will Davis and 7-foot-6 Mamadou Ndiaye, a Senegalese center who Young calls both a giant and a Teddy bear.

"(Ndiaye) is one of the most influential players in college basketball in terms of how both teams have to play," Turner said.

Still, this season has been a bit of struggle for the Anteaters, even though Turner and his staff thought they had a shot at the NCAA tournament. Ndiaye, Young, guard Luke Nelson and big man John Ryan have all missed games with illnesses or injuries.

Irvine started 7-8 and lost its opening conference game to Long Beach State, a team Louisville beat 63-48 in December.

"It's been a constant adaptation this year and we did figure out a good formula in our conference tournament," said Turner.

Now Turner and his Anteaters have to adapt to a new tournament -- and a much tougher task -- but it's nothing unfamiliar to Turner and his ACC country upbringing. And it's a fun opportunity for Young and his history-making teammates.

"It's all about the experience," Young said. "You give yourself an opportunity to go out and perform at your best."

Reach U of L beat writer Jeff Greer at (502) 582-4044 and follow him on Twitter (@jeffgreer_cj).

UP NEXT

LOUISVILLE VS. UC-IRVINE

4 p.m. (est.) Friday, Seattle

TV: TBS Radio: TBA

KeyArena, Seattle

Friday

• Game 1: Northern Iowa vs. Wyoming, 1:40 p.m., TBS

• Game 2: Louisville vs. UC-Irvine, after Game 1, TBS

• Game 3: Iowa vs. Davidson, 7:20 p.m., TNT

• Game 4: Gonzaga vs. North Dakota, after Game 3, TNT