Dixie State (9-5, 6-2 PacWest) will play two critical league games against nationally ranked teams beginning this Saturday evening at 7:30 p.m. against No. 13 Azusa Pacific (15-1, 8-0 PacWest). On Monday, the Storm gets their second matchup of the year with No. 11 California Baptist (13-1, 7-0 PacWest). John Potter and Devin Dixon will have the call live from Burns Arena in, as the Red Storm look for their third and fourth win against Top 25 teams this season. Last, Dixie State went 2-1 in conference action in the Hawaiian Islands, pushing the team's PacWest record to 6-2.

FRESHMAN STANDOUT
Dixie State freshman guard Trevor Hill (Sandy, UT/Alta) was named on Monday as the Pacific West Conference Freshman of the Week for games played between Jan. 5-11, 2015. Hill completed a productive Hawaiian road trip by contributing to two more Red Storm wins with 7.5 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game. He recorded career-highs of 11 points, 13 rebounds and five assists against No. 18 BYU-Hawaii in a big Dixie State win.

LEADING THE PAC
Entering the week, Dixie State topped the PacWest in four statistical categories including three having to deal with the charity stripe. The Storm has the most free throws attempted (345), makes (257) and percentage (74.5) in the conference. Additionally, DSU tops the blocks category at 3.4 swats a game, or 48 total blocks. The club just trails Azusa Pacific (565) in total rebounds with 557 despite playing two less games than the Cougars. 

STORM vs. TOP OF THE CLASS COUGARS
Dixie State has gone 4-0 against Azusa Pacific since the Cougars joined the PacWest three seasons ago. DSU has won both games in the all-time series played in St. George, including an 87-63 win last year (1/11/2014). Troy Leaf paces the league undefeated APU scoring 21.8 points per game.

LANCERS LURKING

Like APU, California Baptist is undefeated in PacWest play and ranked in the Top 25 by the NABC. Dixie State and CBU have split the last four games in the all-time series with the home team taking each game. The Storm has a 5-2 overall advantage since 2012. CBU took the first meeting this season, 88-81, in Riverside after DSU took an overtime game last season inside the Burns, 106-100.

WINNING WITH ALOHA

Dixie State posted two wins over Chaminade (86-83) and BYU-Hawaii (92-81) on Tuesday and Thursday, respectively, after dropping their island opener at Hilo in overtime (83-75). In the last five trips to Hawaii, Dixie State has not posted a long record in any singular trip and has a cumulative 14-4 mark in 18 games. The Storm swept the islands back in 2012, going 4-0.

PLAYING FROM BEHIND
Overcoming deficits was a common theme in Hawaii. Dixie State erased a 20-point halftime lead at Hilo, an early 14-point cushion against Chaminade, and wiped clean a 12-point lead in the second half for BYU-Hawaii. The wins against CUH and BYUH were the first games this season in which the Storm trailed at the half and won. Before that, DSU was 0-5 in games in which they trailed after 20 minutes. 

STORM'S LEADING SCORER
Zach Robbins (Upland, CA/Upland) ranks seventh in the PacWest in scoring (15.6 PPG) and has pulled down a team-leading 8.4 rebounds per game (third in the PacWest). Robbins has scored in double figures in 12 of Dixie State's 15 games, including four double doubles. He is shooting a career-best 83.1 percent from the free throw line, good for eighth in the league. Most recently, he tied his season-high with 26 points on 10 of 13 shooting from the field in DSU's win at BYU-Hawaii. 

HOME-COURT ADVANTAGE
The Red Storm have gone 4-1 in the Burns Arena this season, posting a 76-18 record at home in the NCAA era (since 2006). DSU has averaged 81.2 points per game while holding opponents to 66 points. This season, Zach Robbins (Upland, CA/Upland) has averaged a team-best 19.6 PPG to lead four players above 10 points per game (Sawyer, Thompson, Ogden). 

RETURNING FACES
This season's roster includes eight players with game experience or time on the practice squad - 

Zach Robbins (Upland, CA/Upland) - 15.8 PPG, 9.5 RPG as a PacWest 1st team selection - 17 double doubles

DeQuan Thompson (Las Vegas, NV/Lake Mead Christian Academy) - 14.3 PPG, 3.7 RPG, .453 3FG% as a 2nd Team All-PacWest pick

Jordan Rex (Saint George, UT/Pine View) - 6.0 PPG, 6.7 RPG - 3 double doubles

Mason Sawyer (West Jordan, UT/West Jordan) - 7.1 PPG, 2.6 APG as the backup point guard

Robbie Nielson (Gresham, OR/Barlow) - 6.0 PPG, 3.1 RPG as a reserve guard and forward

Braden Saunders (Morgan, UT/Morgan) - played in 11 games, scored seven points

Ryan Graves (Huntsville, UT/Weber) - missed season due to injury

Sterling Brandley (Ogden, UT/Ben Lomand) - redshirted, member of the practice squad

STORM NEWCOMERS
Six players will wear the Dixie State jersey for the first time this season - 

Collin Woods (Scottsdale, AZ/Horizon) - 7.8 PPG, 1.5 RPG, .767 FT% at Salt Lake Community College last season - played as a freshman at UC Irvine

Connor Van Brocklin (Fruit Heights, UT/Davis) - 1.8 PPG in seven games last year at the University of Utah

Mark Ogden Jr. (Spring Valley, CA/Steele Canyon) - Pacific Coast Conference 2nd Team at Grossmont College - 14.9 PPG, 10.2 RPG

Zac Hunter (American Fork, UT/American Fork) - returned missionary freshman from American Fork HS - 12 PPG, 5 RPG as a senior

Trevor Hill (Sandy, UT/Alta) - Deseret News Utah 5A 2nd Team last year - 11.2 PPG, 7.3 RPG, 5.5 APG (No. 1 in 5A)

Anthony Morris (Mesquite, NV/Virgin Valley) - transfer from Snow College - 6.9 PPG, 5.7 RPG, .519 FG%

ROBBINS PRESEASON SPORTING NEWS ALL-AMERICAN
Senior forward/center Zach Robbins (Upland, CA/Upland) was named to the Sporting News NCAA Division II All-American Second Team. Robbins becomes the first Storm player to earn such a prestigious honor. He was a PacWest First Team selection in 2013-14 and earned two West Region nods (Daktronics/NABC). 

PACWEST PRESEASON NEWS
The Dixie State men's basketball team has been chosen second in the Pacific West Conference preseason coaches poll, as announced by the league office on Tuesday. Senior forward/center Zach Robbins (Upland, CA/Upland) (Upland, CA/Upland) secured a spot on the Preseason All-PacWest Team for the second consecutive year. Defending league champion California Baptist was selected first, securing nine of 13 possible first-place votes. The Red Storm and Dominican, picked to finish sixth, each garnered one first-place vote. Third-place Chaminade received two first-place votes BYU-Hawaii was tabbed fourth, and Azusa Pacific fifth in the vote. Rounding out the league's remaining seven, in order, were Point Loma, Hawaii Pacific, Fresno Pacific, Academy of Art, Notre Dame de Namur, Hawaii Hilo and Holy Names. Robbins was a PacWest 1st Team All-Conference selection last year and garnered West Region recognition by the coaches and sports information directors. He was named the Preseason Player of the Year in 2013-14 and backed it up with a stellar season averaging 15.8 points and 9.5 rebounds per game while posting 17 double doubles.

THE JUDKINS FILE
Jon Judkins, a five-time PacWest Coach of the Year (2009-13), directed Dixie State into the playoffs in each the last five previous seasons. He has a 174-89 record at DSU, including a 21-7 mark last year. DSU tied for second in the PacWest regular season and qualified for the league tournament. The Red Storm posted a 22-7 record in 2013, equaling the school record for victories in the NCAA era. The squad won the 2013 PacWest regular season with a 15-3 conference record and Tournament titles to earn a West Regional Automatic bid. Judkins led DSU to the 2011 West Regional Final against league rival BYU-Hawaii in 2011. That season, the Red Storm won their only two Regional games to date with triumphs over Chaminade and Seattle Pacific. Judkins led DSU in its final year of junior college competition in 2006 to a 21-12 record. Prior to coaching at Dixie State, he spent 12 years, posting a 284-128 record, at Snow College in Ephraim, Utah. The Badgers won the SWAC titles in 1999 and 2000, earning Judkins league Coach of the Year honors. Judkins played for one year at Dixie State before serving an LDS mission. He transferred to Utah State and became the first Aggie to post a triple-double. During the 1987-88 season, he helped the Aggies win their conference tournament and a bid to the NCAA Tournament.