MOSCOW, Idaho– The Idaho men's basketball team (4-7) travels to Davis, Calif. for a midweek rematch with UC Davis (6-4) on Wednesday Dec. 18 at 6 p.m.
How to Follow
Idaho vs. UC Davis // Dec. 18 at 6 p.m. PST
Watch:
ESPN+
Live Stats:
StatBroadcast
Listen:
The Varsity Network or
GoVandals.com/Listen
Last Time Out
The Vandals fell to UC San Diego 56-80 on Sunday Dec. 15 at ICCU Arena in Moscow.
Tyler Mrus led Idaho in scoring for the second straight game, and fifth time this season, with 20 points.
Ewan Steele pulled down 8 boards and was the Vandals leading rebounder for the second straight game, as
Kolton Mitchell added 12 points in his fifth double-figure effort of the season.
Scouting the Aggies
Since Idaho and UC Davis met on Nov. 7, the Aggies have gone 5-3, with all five victories coming at home. Davis' most recent win was against Big Sky member Sacramento State, 69-62.
Standout guard TY Johnson has continued to be a difference maker for the Aggies, averaging 20.8 points and 2.7 steals a contest, both top 15 marks nationally. Johnson scored more than 20 points in each of the Aggies first five games, including 30 in Moscow against the Vandals.
Swiss senior Niko Rocak leads UC Davis inside, averaging a team-high 7.5 rebounds and 1.8 blocks. Rocak has pulled down nine or more boards on six occasions this season and put together five three block performances, including in the last two games. The Aggies first trip to Moscow is one of only two times in 2024 Rocak has not registered a block.
UC Davis leads the Big West Conference in blocks per game at 4.0 and forces the second most turnovers per game at 16.5.
Series History Vs. UC Davis
The Vandals are 7-2 in nine previous meetings against the Aggies. Idaho has lost two straight in the series, including the matchup in Moscow on Nov. 7, 75-79.
Notables
Wednesday's meeting with UC Davis will be Idaho's fourth game against a University of California school in 2024, after facing UC Davis on Nov. 7, UC Riverside on Nov. 30, and UC San Diego on Dec. 15. This is the highest number of UC schools on Idaho's schedule since they departed the Big West Conference following the 2004-05 season.
In the previous three games against UC schools,
Tyler Mrus averaged 16.7 points and 57 percent from beyond the arc, both above his season averages of 12.8 points per game and 45.9 percent from three.
Idaho has made five or more threes in 24 straight games, the longest streak in the Big Sky. The Vandals are averaging 9.5 threes a game in 2024, on a Big Sky best 37.2 percent clip.
Seven different Vandals have led Idaho in scoring in the first 11 games - Mrus (5),
Isaiah Brickner (2),
Julius Mims,
Kyson Rose,
Kolton Mitchell,
Kristian Gonzalez, and
Jack Payne. This matches Idaho's start to the 2023-24 season.
Up Next
Idaho will make a 58 mile trip south to Stockton, Calif. to face Pacific on Saturday Dec. 21. Tip-off is slated for 1 p.m. and the game will be streamed on ESPN+. This is Idaho's final non-conference test before opening Big Sky play in the new year.
Follow
Fans can follow the Vandals all season long on Facebook, Instagram, and X at @VandalHoops, and with the Voice of the Vandals, Dennis Patchin, at GoVandals.com/Listen. All home and conference contests will be streamed live through ESPN+.
