OPENING TIP: Dixie State (9-7/6-4 PacWest) closes its three-game Hawaiian road swing this Tuesday night as the Storm squares off against BYU-Hawai'i (10-6/7-4 PacWest) in a crucial Pacific West Conference game at 7:30 p.m. (HT), at the Cannon Activities Center on the BYU-H campus in Laie. DSU, which has won four of its last five games, currently stands in sixth place in the PacWest Conference standings, one-half game behind fifth-place BYU-H, and one full-game behind fourth-place California Baptist and Hawai'i Pacific, which DSU plays at home this Saturday.
LAST TIME OUT: Dixie State won the first two games of its three-game Hawaiian gauntlet run, defeating Hawai'i Hilo by a 97-79 count in Hilo last Thursday night. Then last Saturday night, the Storm rallied for a big 103-100 overtime victory at Chaminade in Honolulu.
Meanwhile, BYU-H has lost three of its last four, including a tough 98-94 home setback vs. CBU last Saturday night.
DIXIE STATE ON THE AIR: All Dixie State home and away games will be broadcast live on ESPN Radio 97.7 FM, with DSU Assistant Media Relations Coordinator Keric Seegmiller calling the play-by-play action, along with Devin Dixon (who will serve as play-by-play voice for Tuesday's game at BYU-Hawai'i) providing color analysis for all home games. All DSU home games are also televised live on KCEC-TV (TDS Cable Channel 22) with a simulcast feed from ESPN Radio, and tape-delay rebroadcasts air throughout the following week. In addition, live-streaming audio and video (home games only - fee required) are available on the internet at www.southernutahlive.com.
DSU/BYU-H GAME TELEVISED NATION/WORLDWIDE: Tuesday night's game at BYU-H will be televised live on BYU-TV beginning at 10:30 p.m. (MT), from Laie. BYU-TV can be found on DIRECTV Channels 68 and 374, DISH Network Channel 9403, and on TDS Cable Channel 15 in St. George/Washington County.
THE SERIES: Dixie State is 8-10 all-time vs. BYU-H, though the Storm has won three of four overall and five of their last seven against the Seasiders over the past four seasons. Last year the two teams split two meetings, with DSU taking a 92-81 decision in Laie (where DSU is 3-3 all-time), and BYU-H claiming a 98-75 win in the PacWest tournament semifinals held in Irvine, Calif.
COACHING STAFF: Five-time PacWest Conference Coach of the Year Jon Judkins (Utah State, 1988; 477-226 career record) is his 11th season on the Dixie State bench, where he has compiled a 193-98 overall record, including a 173-87 mark during DSU's NCAA Division II era, and a 113-35 record in PacWest play. Last season Judkins led the Storm to a 20-8 record and the program's fifth Pacific West title in six years with a 17-3 league mark. In addition, he guided DSU to its sixth-consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament.
Prior to his arrival at Dixie State, Judkins served as head coach at Snow College for 12 season and posted a 284-128 overall record. He led the Badgers to a pair of Scenic West Athletic Conference titles in 1999 and 2000, which earned him SWAC Coach of the Year honors. Judkins played for one season at Dixie State before transferring to Utah State, where he became the first (and only) Aggie to post a triple-double. During the 1987-88 season, he helped lead the Aggies to the PCAA title and an NCAA Tournament bid.
Judkins is joined on the DSU bench by Kasey Winters (Dixie State, 2008), who is in his third season as assistant coach, and Kevin Williamson (University of Great Falls, 2007) who is in his first season on the Storm sideline.
JUDKINS REACHES 700-GAME MILESTONE VS. NDNU: Coach Judkins was on the bench for his 700th-career game as a head coach last Thursday in DSU's win over Notre Dame de Namur. Judkins has now officially coached in 291 games in his DSU tenure, and in another 412 games in his 12 seasons at Snow College.
Judkins is also inching closer to a pair of other career coaching milestones as the Storm enters play this week. He enters Tuesday's game seven wins shy of 200 career victories at Dixie State, and he is nine games away from reaching 300 career games on the DSU bench, a feat he should reach in the Storm's road finale at Fresno Pacific this Feb. 24.
STORM PICKED THIRD IN THE PACWEST: Dixie State was picked to finish third in the 2015-16 Pacific West Conference preseason coaches' poll. California Baptist received 13 first place votes and 195 total points in being tabbed as the PacWest preseason favorite. BYU-Hawai'i picked up one first place vote to narrowly edge Dixie State for second, 169-166, followed by Azusa Pacific (146) in fourth, Chaminade (130) in fifth, Hawai'i Pacific in sixth (123) and Point Loma (120) in seventh to round out the top-half of the poll.
Dixie State senior point guard Mason Sawyer (West Jordan, Utah/West Jordan HS) was named to the PacWest Preseason all-Conference team, while CBU senior guard Gelaun Wheelwright was named the PacWest Preseason Player of the Year.
MOVIN' ON UP: Dixie State began its Hawaiian road swing on the outside looking in on the "Road to Irvine" and the 2016 PacWest Tournament. However two wins later and the Storm has climb back into the race at 6-4, one-half game ahead of Point Loma (6-5) and one game clear of both Chaminade (5-5) Dominican (5-5). APU leads the conference at 9-1, followed Concordia (not eligible for PWC tourney) at 8-2, CBU (7-3), HPU (7-3) and BYU-H (7-4).
The top-six teams will advance to the PacWest Tournament, which will be held this March 3-5, in Irvine, Calif. The winner of the tourney will earn the PacWest's automatic bid to the NCAA West Regionals, which will be held March 11-14 (site TBD).
HOME SWEET HOME: Since becoming an NCAA Division II program in 2006-07, Dixie State has played to an 86-21 (.804) record inside the Burns Arena under Head Coach Jon Judkins, including an uncharacteristic 3-3 mark this season after the home split vs. NDNU and PLNU. The Storm has posted six 10-plus win seasons over that span, including a perfect 12-0 record in 2009-10, and an 11-1 mark last season.
HOME SWEET HOME, PART 2: For the fifth-straight year, Dixie State finished a season ranked in the top-five nationally in home attendance. In 2014-15, DSU recorded the fifth-highest home attendance average in Division II at 2,607 fans per game for 12 home dates last season. In all, a total of 31,286 fans attended a DSU game in the Burns Arena.
Since the 2008-09 season, Dixie State has been ranked in the top-15 in Division II in attendance, including being ranked #2-overall in 2012-13 and 2013-14, and #3 in the country after the 2010-11 and 2011-12 campaigns. DSU was also ranked ninth in 2009-10, and 14th in 2008-09.
Dixie State also finished fifth among Utah's other NCAA (Division I) members in attendance in 2014-15, ranking only behind Brigham Young (16,125), Utah (12,101), Utah State (9,158) and Weber State (6,829) in average attendance.
HOW ABOUT WHEN THE BAGS ARE PACKED?: Dixie State is 88-67 (.568) away from home in its Division II era under Head Coach Jon Judkins, including a 6-4 mark this season. Overall, the Storm has played to a 68-52 record (.567) in true road games, and a 20-15 mark (.571) in neutral site games over Judkins' tenure.
DSU has won eight or more games away from home in six-straight seasons, and in seven of its nine previous campaigns overall, including a program-best 15-5 record (10-2 in road contests) in 2010-11.
After taking the first two games of its Hawaiian road trip, Dixie State owns a 50-25 (.667) road record in its eight-plus seasons of league membership. The Storm has posted a winning conference road mark in six-straight seasons and has reached the seven-win plateau in four of their last five campaigns overall.
DEFENSE (CLAP CLAP) DEFENSE: Dixie State recorded one of its most dominant defensive efforts in the program's NCAA Division II history in the Storm's win over Notre Dame de Namur Jan. 14. DSU held the Argonauts to just 48 total points (W, 70-48), which is tied for the fifth-lowest opponent point total in school history (48 vs. Hawai'i Hilo - 3/4/10). The all-time record for fewest points allowed in a game is 40 set in an 84-40 win vs. Dominican (2/10/11) during the 2010-11 season.
What is more impressive about the Storm defense in the win is that for the just the third time in the program's D-II history, Dixie State held an opponent without a double-digit scorer. NDNU did have 11 total players score at least one point in the contest, but no Argonaut scored more than eight points.
The first time DSU accomplished that feat was in its first season of four-year competition at home vs. Texas A&M International (W, 67-51) on Dec, 18, 2006. The Storm also did it on the road in a win at Grand Canyon during the 2008-09 season (W, 68-59; 1/22/09).
FREE BASKETBALL: Last Saturday's overtime win at Chaminade marked the third time Dixie State has played an OT game this season and its the 19th overtime game in DSU's near 10 years of Division II competition (262 games). The win moved the Storm to 2-1 in overtime games this season and 11-8 all-time. DSU has won seven of its last OT games overall dating back to the 2013-14 season, when DSU went 4-0 in overtime affairs.
Earlier this month, DSU needed double-overtime to knock off Concordia in Irvine, 81-80. Prevoius to that win, DSU had played in only two double-overtime games in its four-year era, both of which also came on the road and in consecutive PacWest games at BYU-Hawai'i (W, 99-96 – 2/26/11) and at Hawai'i Pacific (L, 88-93 – 2/28/11) during the 2010-11 season. DSU also played a home overtime affair vs. Point Loma back on Jan. 18, a game that the Sea Lions claimed by a 76-72 count.
FROM WAY DOWN TOWN....BANG!: Dixie State has hit at least one 3-pointer in 42-straight games, including all 16 games this season, and in 165 of its last 166 games overall. In fact in DSU's Division II era, the Storm has recorded at least one 3-pointer in 259 of the program's 262 games since the beginning of the 2006-07 season.
Last season the Storm saw its program-best 127-game streak halted at home vs. Western Oregon (11/25/14) in the second game of the year. That streak encompassed four full seasons and the final 13 games of the 2009-10 campaign. The other two times DSU failed to connect from the perimeter happened on the road at Academy of Art (1/16/10), and at Notre Dame de Namur (2/2/08) during the program's first year of PacWest play.
Dixie State has also reached double-figures in made 3-pointers 12 times, including a season-high 10 treys at Chaminade last Saturday, and a school-record 13 3-pointers at Carroll College on Nov. 11, 2008. Prior to last Saturday, the last time Dixie State hit for 10 or more 3-pointers was at home vs. BYU-Hawai'i on Feb. 11, 2014.
DOUBLE YOUR PLEASURE x 4: Dixie State has had four players score in double figures in 10 of 16 games this season, including both games at Hilo and Chaminade (five players overall). However the Storm has only played to a 6-4 record when four or more players score at least 10 points in a game.
SEEING DOUBLE: Senior forward Mark Ogden Jr. (Spring Valley, Calif./Steele Canyon HS) recorded his team-leading fifth double-double of the year in the win at Concordia Jan. 9, with a career-high 27 points to go with a game-high 15 rebounds. He has averaged nearly a double-double at 15.5 points and 9.8 rebounds over his past seven games, including a 22-point, 16-rebound effort in the home win over Chaminade Jan. 5.
Ogden Jr. has scored in double figures in 11 of 16 games this season and has scored 20 or more points three times, including a 21-point effort in the win at Hilo last Thursday, which was followed by a 16-point outing at Chaminade. In addition, he has recorded 10 or more rebounds in seven games overall, including a career-high 17 boards in the win at Point Loma Dec. 5. Ogden Jr. enters the week in sixth-place on DSU's career rebounding list (338), while his 7.7 career rpg average is currently third-best all-time in DSU's NCAA era.
SEEING DOUBLE x 2: Not to be outdone, sophomore guard Trevor Hill (Sandy, Utah/Alta HS) has scored in double figures in a team-high 15 of 16 games this season and has tallied 20 or more points a team-best five times, including 21 points at Chaminade last Saturday and a game-high tying (with Ogden Jr.) 27 points at Concordia (1/9). Hill, who also scored a career-best 28 points in DSU's win at MSU Billings back in November, is the team's top scorer at 17.4 ppg, and has led or co-led the team in scoring in seven of 16 games this year, including an 18-point effort on 6-of-9 shooting in the win over NDNU (1/14). He followed that up with 19 points, including 11-of-13 from the line, in the loss to PLNU (1/18).
SEEING DOUBLE x 3: In all three Storm players have posted double-doubles, with junior forward Josh Fuller (Rexburg, Idaho/Madison HS) recording the feat with 14 points and 12 rebounds at Point Loma (12/5), and senior guard Mason Sawyer (West Jordan, Utah/West Jordan HS) tallied 10 points and a career-high tying 10 assists vs. APU (12/19).
FULLER FILLING IT UP: Speaking of Fuller, he averaged 19.0 points and 7.0 rebounds and shot a whopping 77.3% (17-of-22) from the floor in DSU's road wins at Hawai'i Hilo and Chaminade last week.
Fuller scored 13 of his team-high 22 points in the second half at Hilo, including nine of DSU's first 15 points of the frame as DSU pulled away for the 18-point win. He hit 10 of his 12 shot attempts and pulled down a game-high eight rebounds to go with blocked two shots. He followed that up with a 16-point, six-rebound effort in DSU's dramatic 103-100 overtime win at Chaminade last Saturday. He went 7-of-10 from the floor and tallied 10 of his 16 points after halftime to help keep DSU in the game. Fuller has scored in double figures in nine of 16 games, including a career-high 25 points vs. APU (12/19), and is fourth on the club in scoring at 10.9 ppg.
SIMPLY SIMISTER: After missing DSU's last two games of the 2015 calendar year (at PLNU/vs. APU) due to injury, sophomore guard Brandon Simister (St. George, Utah/Desert Hills HS) has averaged 12.8 ppg off the bench in his last seven games since his return to action, including a career-high 24 points with a career-best five 3-pointers in the OT win at Chaminade last Saturday.
Simister scored 19 of his 24 points in the second half and the overtime session, but none of his points were bigger than the off-balanced 3-pointer he hit with two seconds left in regulation to tie the score at 89-89 to force the extra frame. He hit on 6-of-10 of his shots, 5-of-8 from downtown, and was 7-of-8 from the line. His 24 points eclipsed his previous career-high of 23 set earlier this season in a win vs. Alaska (11/27). Simister has scored in double figures in seven of 14 games and he is third on the team in scoring at 12.3 ppg.
ALL-CENTURY MARK: Senior guard Robbie Nielson (Gresham, Ore./Barlow HS), who has led or co-led the team in steals in eight of 16 games this year, became just the third player in DSU's four-year history to join the 100-steal club when he forced a turnover in the first half in the Storm's win at Hilo. Nielson (101 steals, 2012-present) joined former players Ryan Sanchez (142, 2006-09) and McKay Massey (111, 2009-13) with 100-plus career steals.
TEAM NOTES: Sophomore forward Zac Hunter (American Fork, Utah/American Fork HS) enjoyed one of his best shooting performances in his DSU career at Hawai'i Hilo last Thursday, where he went 5-of-7 from the floor for 12 points to go with six rebounds and two assists in 20 minutes off the bench ... DSU shot a season-best 54.3 percent (38-of-70) from the floor in the win at Hawai'i Hilo ... The Storm's 38 field goals made were also a season high, as were the team's 19 assists, including six dimes from senior guard Mason Sawyer (West Jordan, Utah/West Jordan HS) ... Sawyer had arguably his best shooting night of his near three-year DSU career as he co-led the Storm with 18 points on 7-of-8 shooting, including 4-of-5 from the perimeter, in the win vs NDNU (1/14) ... Sawyer's final trey of the night vs. NDNU made him the fourth DSU player in the program's NCAA Division II era to reach the 100 3-pointers made plateau, joining former Storm players Tom Whitehead (145, 2008-11), DeQuan Thompson (Las Vegas, NV/Lake Mead Christian Academy) (130, 2011-15) and McKay Massey (111, 2009-13) on the list.
UP NEXT: Dixie State returns home for five-straight games inside the Burns Arena, starting with a date vs. Hawai'i Pacific on Saturday, Jan. 30, at 7:30 p.m. As part of the game, DSU will welcome Rocky, the Denver Nuggets' mascot, who will perform with Big Dee throughout the game.
