UCI opens with exhibition game

Barry Faulkner

The UC Irvine men’s basketball team will face competition without

consequence tonight at 7:05, when the Anteaters meet the EA Sports

Southwest All-Stars in an exhibition game at the Bren Events Center.

The collection of former college players, guided by former Cal

State Northridge Coach Pete Cassidy, is one of five EA Sports teams

scheduled to play exhibitions against college teams.

The EA Sports Southwest roster includes former Penn standout Koko

Archibong, a 6-foot-6 forward who was waived early in training camp

by the Los Angeles Lakers after averaging 10.8 points for the 22-6

Quakers last season.

Coach Pat Douglass’ Anteaters return three starters from last

year’s 20-9 squad, including 7-0 senior Adam Parada, chosen to

CollegeInsider.com’s 25-player preseason mid-major All-American team.

Parada, who averaged 12.2 points and 6.2 rebounds last season and

competed for Mexico in the Olympic qualifying tournament over the

summer, is joined by returning starters Stanislav Zuzak and Jeff

Gloger.

Zuzak, a 6-11 senior, averaged 7.9 points and 2.9 rebounds last

season, while Gloger, a 6-4 sophomore point guard, averaged 8.2

points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.6 steals as a redshirt freshman.

Matt Okoro, a 6-7 senior forward (5.1 ppg last season), and Aras

Baskauskus, a 6-4 senior guard, are expected to round out the

starting lineup for UCI.

Ross Schraeder, a 6-5 sophomore guard who averaged 4.3 points in

2002-03, and sophomore guard Mike Efevberha are also expected to

contribute heavily for the Anteaters, who began practice Oct. 18.

“With the limited practice time this year, due to how the calendar

fell, we have to use [tonight’s] game to evaluate what we need to

improve on and add to our game plan heading into our Nov. 15 opener

against Illinois-Chicago,” Douglass said.

The Anteaters have another exhibition -- at home Thursday night

against Cal State Los Angeles -- before tipping off for keeps in the

Dell Black Coaches Association Classic Nov. 15-17 in Cincinnati,

Ohio.