# 2021–22 UC Riverside Highlanders men's basketball team

The 2021–22 UC Riverside Highlanders men's basketball team represented the University of California, Riverside in the 2021–22 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Highlanders, led by second-year head coach Mike Magpayo, played their home games at the on-campus Student Recreation Center Arena in Riverside, California as members of the Big West Conference.

## Previous season

The Highlanders finished 14–8, including an 8–4 record in conference play, during Magpayo's first season at the helm in 2020–21. After finishing third in the regular-season Big West Conference standings, the Highlanders defeated Hawaii in the quarterfinals of the Big West tournament before being eliminated in the semifinals by UC Irvine. The Highlanders' .636 winning percentage on the season was their best single-season mark since the program transitioned to Division I in 2001.

## Preseason

Prior to the season, the future of the men's basketball program was placed into doubt, as UC Riverside's leadership were considering cutting the university's entire athletics department in response to financial strain caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. However, in May 2021, the university announced that they had decided against eliminating athletics and would continue competing at the NCAA Division I level in all sports, thus saving the men's basketball program from extinction.

## Roster

For the second straight season, over half of UC Riverside's roster consists of players who are from either Australia or New Zealand.

## Schedule and results

On November 11, the Highlanders upset Pac-12 school Arizona State on the road, 66–65. As time expired in the game, forward J. P. Moorman II sank a buzzer-beating three-pointer from past half-court to stun the Sun Devils in what a USA Today opinion piece called "one of college basketball's shining moments" and "perhaps the shot of the year".
| Date time, TV | Rank$^#$ | Opponent$^#$ | Result | Record | High points | High rebounds | High assists | Site (attendance) city, state |
| Exhibition |||||||||
| October 30, 2021* 2:00 p.m. | | Cal State Los Angeles | W 90–56 | – | 17 – Pullin | 11 – Pullin | 9 – Pullin | SRC Arena (247) Riverside, CA |
| Non-conference regular season |||||||||
| November 9, 2021* 7:00 p.m., YurView | | at San Diego State | L 53–66 | 0–1 | 13 – McRae | 5 – tied | 4 – tied | Viejas Arena (11,729) San Diego, CA |
| November 11, 2021* 5:30 p.m., P12N | | at Arizona State | W 66–65 | 1–1 | 18 – Cameron | 11 – Moorman II | 8 – Pullin | Desert Financial Arena (7,594) Tempe, AZ |
| November 14, 2021* 2:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | La Sierra | W 72–54 | 2–1 | 18 – Tattersall | 12 – McRae | 5 – Pullin | SRC Arena (285) Riverside, CA |
| November 17, 2021* 7:30 p.m., WCC Network | | at San Diego | L 62–74 | 2–2 | 20 – Pullin | 10 – Pullin | 4 – McRae | Jenny Craig Pavilion (958) San Diego, CA |
| November 20, 2021* 4:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | Bethesda Homecoming | W 95–57 | 3–2 | 18 – tied | 11 – Martinez | 8 – Pullin | SRC Arena (577) Riverside, CA |
| November 22, 2021* 6:00 p.m., CUSA.tv | | at UTEP Golden Turkey Classic | W 52–40 | 4–2 | 14 – Moorman II | 10 – McRae | 2 – tied | Don Haskins Center (4,037) El Paso, TX |
| November 26, 2021* 2:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | Florida A&M Golden Turkey Classic | W 60–49 | 5–2 | 17 – Pullin | 16 – McRae | 5 – Pullin | SRC Arena (212) Riverside, CA |
| November 29, 2021* 7:00 p.m., WCC Network | | at Saint Mary's | L 50–67 | 5–3 | 12 – Pullin | 6 – Pullin | 3 – Pullin | University Credit Union Pavilion (2,594) Moraga, CA |
| December 1, 2021* 7:00 p.m., P12N | | at Oregon | L 65–71 | 5–4 | 15 – Pickett | 7 – Pullin | 5 – Pullin | Matthew Knight Arena (5,739) Eugene, OR |
| December 12, 2021* 4:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | Cal Baptist | W 70–54 | 6–4 | 19 – Moorman II | 14 – McRae | 5 – Pullin | SRC Arena (884) Riverside, CA |
| December 19, 2021* 2:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | Sacramento State | Canceled due to COVID-19 protocols | Canceled due to COVID-19 protocols | Canceled due to COVID-19 protocols | Canceled due to COVID-19 protocols | Canceled due to COVID-19 protocols | SRC Arena Riverside, CA |
| December 22, 2021* 11:00 a.m., ESPN+ | | Idaho | Canceled due to COVID-19 protocols | Canceled due to COVID-19 protocols | Canceled due to COVID-19 protocols | Canceled due to COVID-19 protocols | Canceled due to COVID-19 protocols | SRC Arena Riverside, CA |
| Big West regular season |||||||||
| December 28, 2021 6:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | at UC Davis | Canceled due to COVID-19 protocols | Canceled due to COVID-19 protocols | Canceled due to COVID-19 protocols | Canceled due to COVID-19 protocols | Canceled due to COVID-19 protocols | University Credit Union Center Davis, CA |
| January 1, 2022 10:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | at Hawaii | Canceled due to COVID-19 protocols | Canceled due to COVID-19 protocols | Canceled due to COVID-19 protocols | Canceled due to COVID-19 protocols | Canceled due to COVID-19 protocols | Stan Sheriff Center Honolulu, HI |
| January 6, 2022* 7:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | UC San Diego | W 59–51 | 7–4 | 13 – Cameron | 12 – Pickett | 3 – Pickett | SRC Arena (0) Riverside, CA |
| January 8, 2022 5:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | UC Irvine | L 51–68 | 7–5 (0–1) | 16 – Moorman II | 6 – McRae | 5 – McRae | SRC Arena (0) Riverside, CA |
| January 13, 2022 7:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | at Cal Poly | W 57–46 | 8–5 (1–1) | 13 – Pullin | 8 – Cameron | 4 – Pullin | Mott Athletics Center (1,263) San Luis Obispo, CA |
| January 15, 2022 7:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | at Cal State Bakersfield | W 65–64 | 9–5 (2–1) | 18 – Pickett | 10 – McRae | 5 – Pickett | Icardo Center (486) Bakersfield, CA |
| January 20, 2022 7:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | at UC Santa Barbara | Canceled due to COVID-19 protocols | Canceled due to COVID-19 protocols | Canceled due to COVID-19 protocols | Canceled due to COVID-19 protocols | Canceled due to COVID-19 protocols | The Thunderdome Santa Barbara, CA |
| January 22, 2022 7:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | at CSUN | W 77–67 | 10–5 (3–1) | 22 – Tattersall | 7 – Pullin | 8 – Pullin | Matadome (0) Northridge, CA |
| January 27, 2022 7:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | Long Beach State | L 62–68 | 10–6 (3–2) | 23 – Pullin | 11 – McRae | 5 – Pullin | SRC Arena (0) Riverside, CA |
| January 29, 2022 5:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | Cal State Fullerton | W 67–54 | 11–6 (4–2) | 18 – Pickett | 8 – McRae | 3 – Pullin | SRC Arena (0) Riverside, CA |
| February 1, 2022 7:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | UC Davis | L 60–65 | 11–7 (4–3) | 12 – Pickett | 9 – Tattersall | 3 – Pickett | SRC Arena (415) Riverside, CA |
| February 3, 2022 8:00 p.m., ESPNU | | Hawaiʻi | W 64–59 | 12–7 (5–3) | 19 – Pullin | 9 – Pullin | 3 – McRae | SRC Arena (1,117) Riverside, CA |
| February 10, 2022 7:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | at UC Irvine | L 56–66 | 12–8 (5–4) | 14 – Pickett | 8 – McRae | 3 – Pickett | Bren Events Center (1,364) Irvine, CA |
| February 12, 2022* 7:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | at UC San Diego | L 62–85 | 12–9 | 18 – Pickett | 5 – Pickett | 3 – Cameron | RIMAC Arena (724) La Jolla, CA |
| February 17, 2022 7:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | Cal State Bakersfield | W 79–69 | 13–9 (6–4) | 21 – Pickett | 7 – McRae | 7 – McRae | SRC Arena (635) Riverside, CA |
| February 19, 2022 5:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | Cal Poly | W 78–58 | 14–9 (7–4) | 19 – Pullin | 10 – McRae | 7 – McRae | SRC Arena (427) Riverside, CA |
| February 24, 2022 7:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | CSUN | W 79–57 | 15–9 (8–4) | 15 – Elkaz | 13 – McRae | 5 – Pullin | SRC Arena (576) Riverside, CA |
| February 26, 2022 5:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | UC Santa Barbara | L 90–97 $^{2OT}$ | 15–10 (8–5) | 32 – McRae | 11 – McRae | 6 – Pullin | SRC Arena (1,004) Riverside, CA |
| March 3, 2022 8:00 p.m., ESPNU | | at Cal State Fullerton | W 75–72 | 16–10 (9–5) | 15 – Pullin | 6 – Pullin | 8 – Pullin | Titan Gym (1,050) Fullerton, CA |
| March 5, 2022 4:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | at Long Beach State | L 72–73 $^{OT}$ | 16–11 (9–6) | 24 – Pullin | 10 – McRae | 7 – Pullin | Walter Pyramid (1,824) Long Beach, CA |
| Big West tournament |||||||||
| March 10, 2022 8:30 p.m., ESPN+ | (6) | vs. (3) Hawaii Quarterfinals | L 67–68 | 16–12 | 23 – Pullin | 6 – tied | 5 – Pullin | Dollar Loan Center Henderson, NV |
| *Non-conference game. $^#$Rankings from AP poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses. All times are in Pacific. |||||||||
Sources: