Mulligan was most recently at Saddlebrook Community College, just down the road in Mission Viejo.  He started as an assistant to the Shark over at Riverside and will attempt to implement that style of basketball in Irvine.  Of course, to do this you must have that kind of talent.  Whereas Tarkanian has never been afraid to go the JC route to bring in some talent, Mulligan will do the same. The good thing is that he will be bringing a whole slew of talent with him from Saddlebrook including a couple of big men who are indeed D-1 level.  The powers that be have also allowed for certain programs just joining the D-1 ranks to be able to go and ‘plunder’ some players from other programs without losing a year eligibility in perhaps a foreshadow of things to come.  Mulligan will take full advantage of this as he is bringing in no less than 6 players from other D-1 colleges to ‘kick start’ this program.  Still, with all of these new kids coming into town from far-away places (Home Sweet Home) the Anteaters will still need to learn to play together.  Mulligan wants this team to play at a lightening quick pace ala the Runnin’ Rebs but he must make sure that they are not ‘too fast for love.’  Mulligan also understands that there is a group of returning players who might have made their reputation in D-2 but knows at least some of them can play at this level.  Figuring out who those guys are and implementing them into one cohesive unit that understands his philosophy will determine if this team can compete in this brave new league?  Who are these returning players? 

The one player who the Anteater faithful hope to count in game in and game out to put up big numbers is sophomore post Kevin MaGee.  One of those gifted JC transfers Mulligan is bringing in.  Magee is a scoring machine who believe it or not was an out of shape teenager in Mississippi and went to Saddleback JC where he got himself into shape and got the notice of many colleges.  He chose the Anteaters (for obvious reasons) as he said once he got here he knew was where he belonged.  He is a dominant player who can dominate opponents when he gets the ball below the foul line.  At six eight he is physically imposing and knows how to score in the blocks.  He draws fouls by the bunches and he loves the contact.  He is relentless up and down the court and gets to the basket with great athletic skills.  He knows how to finish and is not afraid to mix it up underneath.  He shot over 65 percent from the field primarily because he does not shoot outside of 8 feet and is always working to get easy baskets.  He may get more uncontested shots than anyone in the country because he never stops running and looking to score anyway he can.  He was second in the league in scoring AND rebounding but because of the team’s bad record only earned second team All-League (he should have been a first teamer).  The one thing MaGee does not do very well is pass.  He only got 7 assists on the whole season so when the ball goes into him it is not coming back out.  He is not the biggest post guy on the West Coast however and all the banging and grinding sometimes takes its toll on his body but he always answers the bell.  MaGee is also arguably the best rebounder in the conference and like all the great ones goes after rebounds like they are his personal property.  He did supply the team with as consistent of an inside force as anyone in the conference.  Some question whether he can compete against better competition as he did not match up with too many power forwards that are pro level in this conference but his battles with Larry Johnson are legendary.  If he does get the chance to play at the next level he will be a huge asset to any team he is on.  But for the next few years Mulligan (and the fans) hope .he will be the ‘living legend’ on the Irvine campus and hopefully he can start getting the attention he deserves nationally.  Of course it is hard to get that kind of attention when your team is not winning even in LA. 

The Anteaters did not have a terrific first season in the Big West but Mulligan hopes to change that.   The Anteaters did build a base of big men from which this program will grow.  Sophomores Tod Murphy, Ben McDonald and Wayne Englestad are a terrific trio of front court players that made their presence known in their first year here.  Murphy is the most talented player to ever lace them up for the Anteaters (so far) and was named freshman of the year last year in the Big West.  At 6’9 220 this Lakewood product has the size to bang down low for points and boards.  Murphy can also take it outside to about 18 feet and is terrific at running the court which fits right into Mulligan’s scheme.  He will be the go to guy for the Anteaters unless one of these new kids is all that and a bag of chips.  McDonald does a little bit of everything.  At 6’8 210 McDonald is probably the best passing forward on the West Coast.  He can also bang inside and like all Anteaters can run the court.  He is not the offensive talent Murphy is as far as scoring but this Jack of all trades might have a better future as he has no flaws in his game on either end.  Englestad is mean and nasty as anyone out West and gives the Anteaters plenty of toughness and rebounding inside.  He is going to get confused with Alcindor or Walton in LA though he can play and knows the game.  Another 6’8 guy but packing 245 Englestad does the dirty work and seems to enjoy every blindside screen he sets.  Mulligan has some talent to build upon but is bringing in more up front and has a few other upperclassmen looking to get minutes. 

Coach Mulligan does not have that kind of talent or depth in the backcourt.  There are only five returning players from last year on the perimeter and none of them are assured of retaining their roles.  With all of the new talent Mulligan is bringing in you better play better than you did last year if you want to keep any minutes.  Foremost of these is senior Jeff Cunningham.  The 6’4 senior plays more like a forward than a guard but the kid can score.  He led the team in scoring last year with a variety of moves to the basket and a nice mid-range game.  Cunningham helps on the boards but has some issues guarding quicker guards but will start again.  For now!  Fellow seniors Bill Moore and Dale Finney are in the mix for minutes here but if any of Mulligan’s kid can play these two are in trouble.  The returning starter at point is junior Kevin Davis.  He got the job when senior Mike Barnes took a hiatus to enter the All Valley Karate Tournament.  By the time he returned (after a humiliating defeat to Daniel LaRusso) the job was Davis’s.  Barnes wants to regain his job this year and is willing to do whatever it takes to do this. Both of these guys are pass first guards who can run a team but neither is dynamic enough to keep their shared job if somebody better comes along and supposedly Mulligan has three studs from the likes of Villanova, TCU and Texas to compete for the role.  That does not bode well for Barnes and Davis but it is better than getting your butt kicked by the Karate Kid again!

By far the best shooter on the team, Junior Phil Rhyne has a long shot at playing many minutes again next year. He was once a star here in the Division Two days but was not ready for the prime time of the Big West.  At 6’5 he can score inside and out but is not athletic enough for wing and not big or stout enough for the post.  Senior Post player Mark Nelson was another player who started a few games early as a carryover from the past glories but is not big enough or athletic enough for this vastly underrated conference.  Fellow Senior Mike Heckman goes 6’7 and can play.  He has the best chance of all of the Upperclassmen of retaining minutes as he played well last season.  Heckman can shoot the brick and gets to the hoop as well.  Not quite nifty enough to be a true wing, Heckman plays the three anyway and uses his inside game to his advantage.  Junior Dave Baker is huge and takes up more space than a walrus in a submarine and has got some skills.  He is smart and dynamic and his teammates love his leadership and Mulligan kept him in his rotation for most of last year.   6’9 and 260 Baker boards like a surfer and screens like wall but is not mobile at all and does not fit Mulligan’s fast pace he wants to implement.  Popular and charismatic his teammates and fans love this big man who loves Jesus and American Football.  Fellow junior Jerry Maras has some skills and produces when he gets minutes but is also the best pitcher on the Anteater baseball team.  Basketball is not just a moonlighting gig Willis for Maras as he could be a heck of a player if was on the court more often than the Diamond. Sophomore Mike Doctorczyk has some size at 6’9 but barely played on the JV last year.  Speaking of JV, juniors Steve McGuire and Victor Conyers played often on that squad with mixed results.  They cannot be on the JV again so they got to make the team this year.  McGuire at 6’5 and can shoot and Conyers is a 6’8 banger but neither has a complete game and neither run that well.  Senior Nick Sanden has played some in the past but is likely out of options this year.  

The California at Irvine Anteaters go into their second season with Coach Bill Mulligan still trying to figure out the fast style of play he wants to do. Of course he needs some real talent to do this and will be bringing in a truck load of transfer from both the Juco and other program route. This Mulligan stew of players wants to be UNLV and that has worked well there but this is not Vegas. The Anteaters not only have one of the coolest nicknames in the country but also some of the best access to junior and community colleges in the country.  Mulligan, who used to coach at one, will take advantage of his connections and is even bringing in a trio of former players.  The rumor is one of these former Saddlebrook players is the real deal down low and a beast who can guard centers and runs the court like a wing.  There is hope in Irvine and if the rumors are true for some of these kids coming to town then perhaps this year will not be the ‘same old situation.