UC Irvine Uses Tallest Starting Lineup in College Basketball History

Friday night’s 65-51 win over Chapman was for the most part fairly ordinary for UC Irvine, but the school boasted it was going to have the “tallest starting lineup in college basketball history” for the game. Whether that assertion is factual or not, let’s look at the Anteaters’ starting five for the game with their listed heights.

Mamadou Ndiaye-7’6″
Ioannis Dimakopoulos-7’2″
Mike Best-6’10”
Jonathan Galloway-6’10”
Shawn Ray-6’8″

Tonight, we’re making history. #TogetherWeZot pic.twitter.com/otCa4Qs2nN

— UCI M Basketball (@UCImbb) December 18, 2015

As could be expected, UC Irvine won the rebounding battle over Chapman 40-34, with substantial advantages in blocked shots (13-0) and field goal percentage (49.1 percent to 33.3 percent). Ndiaye led the way, with 13 points, seven rebounds, four blocks and three assists, as the only of the five starters to score in double figures, but it’s worth noting that Galloway (24 minutes) was the only starter to play more than 20 minutes in the game.

The Anteaters made the NCAA Tournament last year, and they nearly beat Louisville (57-55 loss) in their first game. They are the favorites to to win the Big West this year, and they are now 8-4 this season.

Brad Berreman is a Senior Writer at Rant Sports.com. Follow him on Twitter.