- Jerry Green is the Anteaters all-time leading scorer with 1,993 points.
- Mamadou N’Diaye is UC Irvine’s all-time leader in blocks with 218.
- Scott Brooks played for UC Irvine from 1985 to 1987 before beginning his career as a coach in 2000, which has included stops with the Oklahoma City Thunder and more.
The UC Irvine Anteaters have only made the NCAA Tournament twice. If you bet on their college basketball odds to make it, you would’ve only succeeded in 2015 and 2019.
Still, there are some surprising names that have played for the school over the years.
Today, you can wager on their basketball odds at the BetMGM online sportsbook.
Below is my list of the five best Anteaters of all time.
5 Best Cal Irvine Anteaters Basketball Players, Ranked
| Rank | Player | Position | UC Irvine Years |
| 1 | Jerry Green | G | 1998-2002 |
| 2 | Mamadou N'Diaye | C | 2013-2016 |
| 3 | Scott Brooks | G | 1985-1987 |
| 4 | Will Davis II | F | 2011-2015 |
| 5 | Luke Nelson | G | 2013-2017 |
Cal Irvine Anteaters All-Time Greatest Basketball Players
1. Jerry Green
Green played with UC Irvine from 1998 to 2002 and averaged 17.2 points, 4.1 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 1.4 steals per game.
He was a two-time Big West Player of the Year, two-time honorable mention All-American, two-time first-team All-Big West, second-team All-Big West, and the Big West Freshman of the Year.
He’s the Anteaters all-time leader in points (1,993), field goal attempts (1,426), and free throw percentage (81%).
2. Mamadou N’Diaye
N’Diaye, standing 7-feet, 6-inches, was the main catalyst in leading UC Irvine to its first NCAA tournament as a Division I program.
He was first-team All-Big West and two-time Big West Defensive Player of the Year.
Over his three seasons, he averaged 10.2 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 2.5 blocks per game.
He holds Anteaters records in blocks (218), block percentage (12.2%), and blocks per game (2.5).
3. Scott Brooks
You may know Scott Brooks for his time as the Oklahoma City Thunder head coach from 2008 to 2015, but back in 1985 through 1987, he played for UC Irvine.
He was first-team All-PCAA, and his No. 12 was retired.
He averaged 16.8 points, 3.4 assists, 2.1 rebounds, and 2.1 steals per game.
He’s UC Irvine’s all-time leader in steals per game (2.1).
4. Will Davis II
Davis played for UC Irvine from 2011 to 2015, averaging 10.4 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks per game.
He was first-team All-Big West and the Big West Defensive Player of the Year.
Davis was also named the MVP of the 2015 Big West Conference Tournament.
Davis is second in UC Irvine history in blocks (205) and eighth in points (1,384).
5. Luke Nelson
The Big West Player of the Year in 2017, Nelson played for UC Irvine from 2013 to 2017.
In addition to being the Big West Player of the Year, he was an Associated Press Honorable Mention All-American and two-time first-team All-Big West.
Over his career, he averaged 12.9 points, 2.8 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 1.2 steals per game.
Nelson is fourth in assists (414), first in 3-point field goals (258), and third in points (1,531).
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