Just a year ago, UCSB Men’s Basketball was viewed around the nation as a relatively successful mid-major Division-I basketball program that seemed to be on the rise.
Now, the program is seen as one that has the ability to produce high-level NBA talent that can compete on the biggest of stages, thanks to UCSB alum and newly-signed Los Angeles Laker Gabe Vincent, who was the Miami Heat’s starting point guard for the 2023 NBA Playoffs.
“It’s such a huge deal,” head coach Joe Pasternack said about Vincent’s impact on the program. “[Vincent] is a great role model for all of our players to see.”
Following the conclusion of the NBA season, which ended in Vincent’s Heat falling to the Denver Nuggets in the NBA Finals, the former Gaucho point guard signed a three-year, $33-million contract with the Los Angeles Lakers to bring him back to California.
With the ink still drying on his new contract, Vincent paid a visit to the Thunderdome to meet with and speak to this year’s UCSB Men’s Basketball squad on Wednesday.
“It’s great to be back in Santa Barbara,” Vincent said. “It’s a home away from home for me. It’s cool to be around the guys and be back around campus, I try to keep these connections strong.”
While making his visit to the 805, the newly-signed Laker spoke about the playoff run with Miami along with the next chapter of his career and how he fits with this year’s Los Angeles squad.
As a member of the Heat in 2023, Vincent averaged 9.4 points and 2.5 assists in the regular season before stepping into a more prominent role in the playoffs due to an injury to Tyler Herro.
In this increased role, Vincent showcased the production that Pasternack and the rest of the Gauchos have known about for years, averaging 12.7 points and 3.5 assists as the team’s starting point guard.
“Nothing I did surprised me or shocked the people in my corner that see me work every day,” Vincent said. “But I understand how it shocked the world.”
With the Lakers, Vincent’s number one goal is to get a championship, something that he says is “the goal every year.”
“I’m looking forward to being another part of that team and helping us fight and compete,” Vincent said. “I’m versatile and can do anything, and that’s part of why I had success with Miami because I was able to stay on the floor to defend, to spot up or to play make.
“In terms of fitting in, that’ll be pretty easy. Having played against [LeBron James] a few times, it will be great to be on his side.”
While Vincent’s time in the spotlight has clearly boosted his personal career, it has also helped build the reputation and nationwide respect of the UCSB Men’s Basketball program, according to Pasternack.
“I can’t tell you how many college coaches around the country asked ‘Did you coach Gabe Vincent?’,” Pasternack said. “Every single [recruit] when we’re on the phone with them knows about Gabe Vincent because they watched the NBA Finals and the Miami Heat.
“It gives us instant credibility with any player.”
For Vincent, his ability to represent the Gauchos in the NBA is an honor, but he believes that he is just “one of many.”
“There were people before me and there will be people after me, I’m just in the limelight now,” Vincent said. “I hope to continue to represent [UCSB] well and see who comes up next.”
Along with the impact Vincent has had on UCSB and the national spotlight, the point guard’s success in the NBA has inspired the current Gauchos.
In fact, Pasternack believes that Vincent’s success has only confirmed a belief that he and his program have held for years.
“Since year one, all we talked about was how you don’t have to go to Duke and Kentucky to be an NBA player,” Pasternack said. “Now, we actually have proof of it, especially with him getting a $33-million contract.
“He gives all of our players and our recruits the hope of going to UC Santa Barbara and being a starting point guard in the NBA.”