OPENING TIP: Dixie State (10-4/7-1 PacWest) returns home for a rare mid-week date vs. Pacific West Conference foe Dominican University (4-10/3-5 PacWest) in the Burns Arena this Wednesday, Jan. 11, at 7:30 p.m.
WEEK IN REVIEW: Dixie State padded its Pacific West Conference lead by sweeping its three-game NorCal road swing last week. The Trailblazers, winners of five-straight and 10 of their last 11 games overall, posted victories at Fresno Pacific (76-73; 1/3), at Academy of Art (73-48; 1/5) and at Notre Dame de Namur (77-72; 1/7).
DIXIE STATE ON THE AIR: With the exception of Wednesday's Dominican game, which will be aired on
890-AM KDXU, 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 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, with tape-delay rebroadcasts throughout the following week. In addition live-streaming audio and video (home games only) are available on the internet at
www.southernutahlive.com.
THE SERIES: Dixie State holds a 7-4 edge in its series vs. Dominican, including a 75-65 victory over the Penguins last season (2/22/16) in San Rafael, Calif., which broke a stretch that saw the Penguins win three of the previous four meetings. The Trailblazers are 3-1 all-time against Dominican inside the Burns Arena, though the two sides have not met in St. George since the Penguins claimed a 97-88 decision (2/1/14) during the 2013-14 season.
REGIONAL RANKINGS: Dixie State's current run vaulted the Trailblazers up two spots to No. 7 in the latest D2SIDA West Region top-10 poll. California Baptist (13-1/5-1 PacWest) remained on top in the region rankings, while fellow PacWest member Hawai'i Pacific (13-1/5-1 PacWest) is ranked sixth in the poll. One interesting note, four of the 13 opponents Dixie State has faced to this point of the season are currently ranked in this week's region poll.
COACHING STAFF: Five-time PacWest Conference Coach of the Year
Jon Judkins (Utah State, 1988; 496-233 career record) is in his 12th season on the Dixie State bench, where he has compiled a 212-105 overall record, including a 192-93 mark during DSU's NCAA Division II era, and a 129-37 record in PacWest play.
Last season, Judkins led Dixie State to an 18-9 overall record and a 15-5 PacWest mark, which was good for a t-first place finish in the league standings. In 2014-15, Judkins led DSU to a 20-8 record, including the program's fifth Pacific West title in six years with a 17-3 league mark, and DSU's sixth trip to the NCAA Tournament.
Prior to his arrival at Dixie State, Judkins served as head coach at Snow College for 12 full seasons 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 bench by former DSU player
Kasey Winters (Dixie State, 2008), who begins his fourth season as assistant coach, and
Kevin Williamson (University of Great Falls, 2007) who starts his second season on the Trailblazer sideline.
TRAILBLAZERS PICKED THIRD IN THE PACWEST: Dixie State was picked to finish third in the 2016-17 Pacific West Conference preseason coaches' poll released on October 26. Defending PacWest tournament champion California Baptist received six first place votes and 179 total points in being tabbed as the PacWest preseason favorite, while defending regular-season champ Azusa Pacific collected five first-place nods to place second with 171 points.
DSU did not received a first-place vote in taking third with 161 points, followed by Concordia-Irvine (156, one first place vote) in fourth, Point Loma (140, one first place vote) in fifth, Chaminade (129) in sixth and Hawai'i Pacific (118) in seventh to round out the top-half of the poll.
Dixie State junior guard
Trevor Hill (Sandy, Utah/Alta HS) was named to the PacWest Preseason all-Conference team, while CBU senior guard Michael Smith was named the PacWest Preseason Player of the Year.
IT'S NOT HOW YOU START...: For the first time in four seasons, Dixie State started PacWest play AT HOME when the Trailblazers claimed their overtime win vs. Concordia-Irvine Dec. 3. The win moved Dixie State to 7-3 all-time in PacWest openers, while the Trailblazers have won four of its last five and seven of its last nine overall.
DSU improved to 8-2 all-time in conference home openers, which included a rare home league loss in last season's league opener vs. Azusa Pacific (65-72; 12/19/15), which snapped DSU's modest three-game league home-opening winning streak. Prior to the APU loss, the last time the Trailblazers dropped a conference home opener was during the 2010-11 season, when former PacWest member Grand Canyon handed DSU a 71-68 setback (1/8/11).
In PacWest road openers the Trailblazers improved to 7-3 overall, including a 3-2 mark in their last five league road debuts, after their impressive 75-71 win at then-#3 California Baptist Dec. 8.
AGAINST NON-CONFERENCE OPPONENTS: Dixie State closed the non-conference portion of its 2016-17 slate at 3-3 and moved to 57-52 (.523) overall against non-PacWest opponents. Since joining the PacWest in the 2007-08 season, DSU is 46-38 (.547) against non-conference foes, while during DSU's first season of four-year competition in 2006-07, Dixie State recorded an 11-14 record as an independent.
DSU has posted five winning records in non-conference games over the past eight seasons, including a program-best 6-1 mark in 2013-14, and an 8-3 record in 2010-11.
HOME SWEET HOME: Since becoming an NCAA Division II program in 2006-07, Dixie State has played to a 97-21 (.822) record inside the Burns Arena under Head Coach
Jon Judkins, which includes a 5-0 mark this year. DSU 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. In PacWest play, the Trailblazers are a dominant 72-10 (.878) at home through its now nine-plus seasons of conference play.
Last season Dixie State clinched its ninth-straight home winning record after DSU won its final six home games to finish with a 9-3 mark.
HOME SWEET HOME, PART 2: For the sixth-straight year, Dixie State finished a season ranked in the top-six nationally in home attendance. In 2015-16, DSU recorded the sixth-highest home attendance average in Division II at 2,190 fans per game for 12 home dates last season, which was also tops in the PacWest Conference. In all, a total of 26,284 fans attended a DSU game inside the Burns Arena.
Since the 2008-09 season, Dixie State has been annually 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 in 2010-11 and 2011-12 campaigns. DSU was also ranked fifth in 2014-15, ninth in 2009-10, and 14th in 2008-09.
Dixie State also finished sixth among Utah's other NCAA (Division I) members in average attendance in 2015-16, behind Brigham Young (14,699), Utah (12,997), Utah State (8,874), Weber State (6,785) and Utah Valley (2,383).
HOW ABOUT WHEN THE BAGS ARE PACKED?: With its road sweep last week, Dixie State improved to 96-73 (.568) away from home in its Division II era under Head Coach
Jon Judkins, including a 5-4 record this season (5-2 road/0-2 neutral) and a 9-6 mark in 2015-16. Overall, the Trailblazers have played to a 76-55 record (.580) in true road games, and a 20-18 mark (.526) in neutral site games during Judkins' tenure.
DSU has won eight or more games away from home in seven- straight seasons, and in eight of its 10 D-II campaigns overall, including a program-best 15-5 record (10-2 in road contests) in 2010-11.
Dixie State also owns a 57-27 (.678) road record in its nine-plus seasons of PacWest league membership (3-1 this season). The Trailblazers have posted a winning conference road mark in seven-straight seasons and have reached the seven-win plateau in five of their last six league campaigns overall.
FREE BASKETBALL: We are at the midway point of the 2016-17 season (14 games) and Dixie State has already had a school-record five of those contests go into overtime, including DSU's OT home victory over Point Loma this past Dec. 19. DSU is 3-2 in overtime games this season, 2-1 in PacWest play, including a 104-103 loss at APU (12/10/16), and the Trailblazers' 82-76 overtime home win over Concordia-Irvine (12/3/16).
DSU also split a pair of overtime games at the Seattle Pacific tournament (11/18-19), which marked just the second time in the program's NCAA Division II era that the Trailblazers needed overtime in consecutive games to decide the outcome, though it was the first time in 10-plus seasons that DSU played two overtime games on back-to-back nights.
In the 2010-11 season, DSU played consecutive overtime games, both of which were double-overtime affairs, at BYU-Hawaii (W, 99-96 - 2/26/11) and at Hawai'i Pacific (L, 88-93 - 2/28/11), however there was a day off between those contests.
Dixie State's five overtime games this year eclipsed the previous program-high of four set in the 2013-14 season and tied for the first time last year.
In all, Dixie State has played in just 25 overtime games (15-10 overall) in 284 total contests in the program's NCAA Division II era. Three of those 25 games have gone to double-overtime, including the two Hawaiian results in 2010-11, and an 81-80 2OT victory at Concordia-Irvine last season (1/9/16).
FROM WAY DOWN TOWN....BANG!: Dixie State has hit at least one 3-pointer in 67-straight games and in 190 of its last 191 games overall, including a season-high eight treys vs. Sonoma State (11/25). In fact in DSU's Division II era, the Trailblazers have made at least one 3-pointer in 284 of the program's 287 games since the beginning of the 2006-07 season.
The current streak almost came to a halt at CBU (Dec. 8) as the Trailblazers went the first 30 minutes without a trey before
Dub Price (Draper, Utah/Alta HS) connected on his first-career 3-pointer with 9:45 to play, which capped a 9-0 DSU run that gave DSU the lead for good. DSU hit six 3-pointers in the OT loss at APU (12/10), including a career-high tying five treys off the hot shooting hand of
Brandon Simister (St. George, Utah/Desert Hills HS).
In the 2014-15 season, the Trailblazers saw their program-best 127-game streak stopped at home vs. Western Oregon (11/25/14) in the second game of the 2014-15 season. 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 reached double-figures in made 3-pointers 12 times, including a 2015-16 season-high 10 treys at Chaminade (1/23/16), and a school-record 13 3-pointers at Carroll College on Nov. 11, 2008.
TEAM NOTES: Dixie State saw its streak of 12-straight games decided by eight points or less to open the season halted in a big way when the Trailblazers posted a 73-48 victory at Academy of Art (1/5) ... in all, 13 of DSU's 14 games to this point of the season have been decided by eight points or less, including the 77-72 win at NDNU to close out the NorCal trip last Saturday.
DSU has shot 50 percent or better in seven of its last nine games overall, including a season-best 54.5 percent (36-of-66) at Azusa Pacific (12/10) and a 54.0 percent clip (27-of-50) last Saturday at NDNU ... for the season Dixie State is shooting 46.4 percent from the floor (.317 3FG), while the DSU defense has held opponents to a 40.3 percent clip (.321 3FG).
While DSU's field goal shooting has been solid, the free throw shooting has not as the Trailblazers are just 63.3 percent from the line this season (237-of-431) ... DSU survived a school-record 19 missed free throws in the win at Fresno Pacific (1/3), only to bounce back with a season-high 85.7 percent outing (12-of-14) in the win at AAU (1/5) ... DSU's current 63.3 percent clip at the line is nearly seven points lower than its program-low 70.2 season percentage set in the 2011-12 campaign.
DSU's school record 31 turnovers vs. Concordia-Irvine (12/3) eclipsed the previous mark of 30 set on the road at Metropolitan State University of Denver (12/6/08) during the 2008-09 season.
The Trailblazers pulled down a season-high 56 rebounds vs. CUI (12/3), which was the second-highest single game total in program history, and is the most since DSU had 55 boards at Point Loma nearly a year-to-the-day (12/5/15) ... The DSU team single-game school record for rebounds is 57, which happened twice in the 2013-14 season - both at home vs. Academy of Art (1/30/14) and again vs. Hawai'i Hilo (2/13/14).
Junior guard
Trevor Hill (Sandy, Utah/Alta HS) continues to fill up the stat sheet as he makes his way up the DSU career records lists ... after being held to just 15 combined points at FPU/AAU, Hill went off for a season-high 26 points, including 14 in the second half, in the come-from-behind win at NDNU ... Hill accounted for 17 of DSU's final 18 points down the stretch, scoring 10 points while assisting on three more scores, to help lead DSU to the win ... Hill has averaged 6.3 assists over his last nine games, including a pair of seven assist nights at FPU and AAU, and six more dimes at NDNU.
Hill, who currently leads the team in scoring (14.8 ppg, 15th PWC), rebounding (7.2 rpg, 5th PWC) and assists (5.5 apg, 1st PWC), moved into first place on DSU's career FTA list with 423 in just 69 games, passing former DSU standout Zach Robbins (413 in 111 games; 2009-15) ... In addition, Hill enters this week fourth all-time in career FT made (272), t-fifth in steals (82), sixth in assists (218), t-sixth in blocks (34), seventh in rebounds (327), eighth PPG (11.4) and points (789), and ninth in made FGs (248) and FG attempts (539) ... Hill was named PacWest POW after he averaged 21.5 points, 12.0 rebounds and 4.5 assists in the Trailblazers' split at the SPU tourney Nov. 18-19.
Senior forward
Josh Fuller (Rexburg, Idaho/Madison HS) has averaged 15.3 ppg over his last three games, including a pair of 17-point outings at APU (12/10) and in the win over Point Loma (12/19) ... Fuller connected on 66.7 percent (18-of-27) of his shots over that stretch, including a 5-for-7 effort vs. NDNU (12 pts; 12/17), and on 6-of-9 from the floor vs. PLNU ... however the news is not all good as Fuller, who is third on DSU's career FG% list (.579), may miss the next 6-8 weeks due to a foot injury ... earlier this season Fuller became the first Trailblazer in three-plus seasons to score at least 30 points in a game, doing so in the win over Western Oregon (11/26) ... former DSU player Steven Larson was the last to top the 30-point plateau with 33 pts in a 66-61 win at Notre Dame de Namur (2/16/13) ... Fuller has scored in double figures in seven of his 11 starts this season and he leads the team in FG% (.602; 3rd PWC), is second in scoring (13.2 ppg) and is third in rebounding (6.4 rpg).
Junior forward
Zac Hunter (American Fork, Utah/American Fork HS) is second among starters in field goal percentage (.524), including a combined 9-of-17 shooting effort DSU's road trip last week ... Hunter hit 5-of-10 shots with a 3-pointer en route to a 12-point outing at FPU, followed by an eight-point effort (4-of-4 from the FT line) at AAU and six points at NDNU ... Hunter has scored in double figures in three of 13 starts overall and is averaging 7.9 ppg and 3.9 rpg.
Simister enters the week third on the team in scoring at 12.5 ppg - 14.6 ppg in PacWest play, and has scored in double figures in six-straight starts overall, including a season-high 23 points at APU (12/10) and a 21-point night in the Point Loma win (12/19) ... Simister hit 7-of-10 from the floor with a career-high tying five 3-pointers in the APU game, while his 23 points at APU was one-point shy of tying his career-high of 24 set last season in a win at Chaminade (1/23/16) ... Simister is second on the team in assists (41; 2.9 apg) and is averaging nearly 2.5 dimes a game over his last six starts.
Sophomore forward
Quincy Mathews (St. George, Utah/Desert Hills HS) returned to game action during DSU's homestand after missing the last five games due to injury ... Mathews bounced back from a tough outing at NDNU (2 pts, 12/17) with a 12-point night on 6-of-9 shooting with four rebounds, two assists and two steals in 32 minutes off the bench in the win over PLNU (12/19) ... Mathews, who poured in a trip-high eight points off the bench in the win at NDNU, is averaging 8.1 ppg and 6.1 rpg in nine games this season ... Mathews earned CCAA/PacWest Challenge All-Tourney team honors after he posted his first two collegiate double-doubles to open the 2016-17 season ... Mathews tallied 10 points and a career-high 11 rebounds at UC San Diego (11/11), and followed that up with a career-high 15 points and 10 boards vs. Cal Poly Pomona (11/12).
Junior guard
Kyler Nielson (Cedar City, Utah/Cedar HS) has started in the last eight games and has made the most of it as he has averaged 10.8 ppg during this current stretch, including a 13-point night at FPU (1/3) ... Nielson poured in a career-high 20 points on 7-of-10 shooting with two rebounds, and a career-best two blocks in 37 minutes at APU (12/10), which came on the heels of a 14-point night on 6-of-11 from the floor in the win at CBU (12/8) ... Nielson made his first collegiate start in the win over Concordia-Irvine (12/3) as he responded with 13 points and a career-high eight rebounds ... he scored six of his 13 points in the overtime period and connected on 7-of-9 from the foul line on the night ... Nielson enters the week averaging 7.8 points and 2.8 rebounds.
Sophomore F/C
Austin Montgomery (Gainesville, Ga./Lakeview Academy) was inserted into the DSU line-up last week and averaged 7.0 points and 6.0 rebounds in the three games ... Montgomery pulled down a career-best eight boards in win at FPU and tallied a career-high 12 points on 5-of-9 shooting with six caroms at Academy of Art.
The DSU bench averaged 25.6 points on the NorCal trip, anchored by senior forward
Marcus Bradley (Anaheim, Calif./Corona del Mar HS) who averaged 9.0 points in the three games ... Bradley poured in nine points at FPU, followed by an 11-point effort on 5-of-7 shooting at AAU, and seven points at NDNU ... sophomore forward
Dub Price (Draper, Utah/Alta HS) also had a solid week as he averaged 5.6 points, including eight points at FPU and seven points on 3-of-4 shooting at NDNU ... sophomore forward
Wade Miller (Tremonton, Utah/Bear River HS) made his Trailblazer debut at FPU and wasted little time getting into the scoring column as he hit the first shot he took, a 3-pointer en route to a four-point night ... not to be outdone, junior forward
Kyle Bingham (Mesa, Ariz./Mountain View HS) made his season debut two nights later at AAU and he poured in four points on 2-of-2 shooting with two rebounds in 10 minutes of action.
Overall the Trailblazer bench is averaging 20.1 ppg through the first 14 games, including a season-high 46 bench points vs. Central Washington (11/18) ... Bradley (14 pts) and sophomore guard
Brandon Miller (Sandy, Utah/Brighton HS) (16 pts) accounted for 30 of the 46 points, while the DSU reserves combined to pour in 26 points at CBU (12/8) and 27 points vs. NDNU (12/19).
ABOUT THE DOMINICAN UNIVERSITY "PENGUINS": Dominican enters Wednesday's game with a 4-10 record (3-5 in PacWest play) after having dropped five of its last six games overall, with the lone win in the current stretch coming at NDNU (1/3). Junior guard Jeremiah Gray is the lone Penguin scoring in double figures at 16.7 ppg.
U
P NEXT: Dixie State heads back out on the road for a two-game PacWest trip to sunny southern California this weekend. The Trailblazers open the trip in San Diego with an afternoon tilt at Point Loma on Saturday, Jan. 14 at 4 p.m. (PT). DSU will then head north to Irvine to face Concordia-Irvine on Monday, Jan. 16 at 7:30 p.m. (PT).
