- Bryce Pope is UC San Diego’s all-time leading scorer since they went Division I.
- Francis Nwaokorie is the program’s all-time leading rebounder since going Division I.
- Chris Hansen recorded nearly 700 rebounds in his career at UC San Diego when they were Division II.
If you’ve been betting on UC San Diego’s college basketball odds, you might be surprised that they’ve only been Division I since July 2020.
Before that, they were one of the best Division II programs, making the Sweet Sixteen twice in the Division II NCAA Tournament.
Now that they’re Division I, you can do some online sports betting at the BetMGM online sportsbook involving them.
In my best effort to balance the recent Division I ascension and their years as Division II for about two decades, see my list of the five best Tritons ever.
5 Best UC San Diego Tritons Basketball Players, Ranked
| Rank | Player | Position | Tritons Years |
| 1 | Bryce Pope | G | 2020-2024 |
| 2 | Francis Nwaokorie | F | 2021-2024 |
| 3 | Chris Hansen | C | 2015-2020 |
| 4 | Mikey Howell | G | 2017-2021 |
| 5 | Tyrell Roberts | G | 2018-2020 |
UC San Diego Tritons All-Time Greatest Basketball Players
1. Bryce Pope
Pope joined the Tritons in their debut Division I season and played there from 2020 to 2024.
Over that time, he set many Division I program records, including 3-point shots made (193), field goal percentage (42.5%), minutes played (3,402), and points scored (1,627).
He also finished with 155 assists (fourth in Division I).
Pope was two-time All-Big West and averaged 15.5 points, 3.4 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and 0.8 steals per game at UC San Diego, helping the team kick-start its Division I days.
2. Francis Nwaokorie
In the Division I record books, Nwaokorie has 60 blocks (first in Division I), 1,088 points (second in Division I), 77 steals (tied for third in Division I), and 555 rebounds (first in Division I).
He played three seasons for the Tritons from 2021 to 2024, averaging 12.0 points, 6.1 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 0.8 steals, and 0.7 blocks per game.
3. Chris Hansen
Going back to UC San Diego’s Division II days, arguably, no player stands out more than Hansen.
He redshirted his junior season due to injury.
As a senior, he played just 16 games.
Still, he amassed 1,418 points, shot 43.4% from 3-point range, had 694 rebounds, and 85 blocks.
He was the CCAA Player of the Year, CCAA Freshman of the Year, and CCAA All-First Team.
4. Mikey Howell
Another Division II star for the Tritons, Howell, played for the program from 2017 to 2021. He redshirted what would’ve been his freshman season in 2016.
Howell was also part of the inaugural Division I squad.
That season, he averaged 6.9 points, 6.0 assists, 3.0 rebounds, and 1.9 steals per game.
Overall, he amassed 502 assists, which puts him well ahead of the Division I leader, Hayden Gray, who has 236.
He was a member of the CCAA All-Tournament and CCAA All-Second Team.
5. Tyrell Roberts
Roberts missed the Tritons first Division I season but logged two seasons for UC San Diego from 2018 to 2020 as a Division II squad.
In his final season, he averaged 19.2 points, 3.4 rebounds, 3.1 assists, and 1.5 steals per game.
That season, he posted an eye-popping 46.3% 3-point percentage, averaging 7.7 attempts per game.
He was the CCAA Tournament MVP, CCAA Player of the Year, CCAA Newcomer of the Year, and was a two-time member of the CCAA All-Tournament Team.
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