Game Notes: DIXIE STATE - PDF | AAU
Audio/Video: ESPN Sports Radio 97.7 / Dixie State YouTube
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Twitter: @DixieAthletics | @DIXIESTATEBBALL | #BlazeForward | #PacWestMBB

OPENING TIP: After seven-straight games away from the Burns Arena, Dixie State (3-4/0-0 PacWest) will begin its 2017-18 home schedule with its Pacific West Conference opener vs. Academy of Art (1-5/0-0 PacWest) this Saturday, Dec. 2, at 3:30 p.m.

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 providing color analysis for all home games. In addition, live streaming video of all DSU home games can be found on Dixie State's official YouTube channel.

THE SERIES: Dixie State enters Saturday's game looking to remain perfect against Academy of Art all-time as the Trailblazers have won all 14 previous meetings between the two teams, including a 73-48 victory last season in San Francisco (1/5/17), and a 98-68 win the last time these two teams met up in the Burns Arena during the 2015-16 season (2/11/16).

REGIONAL/NATIONAL RANKINGS: After going 1-1 last week, Dixie State did not receive any votes in this week's D2SIDA West Region Top-10 poll. However, fellow PacWest members California Baptist (No. 2-overall), Chaminade (No. 4) and Concordia-Irvine (No. 8) are ranked this week.  
    After receiving votes in the NABC preseason national poll, Dixie State is not listed in either the NABC and D2SIDA national polls this week.

COACHING STAFF: Five-time PacWest Conference Coach of the Year Jon Judkins (Utah State, 1988; 507-241 career record) is in his 13th season on the Dixie State bench, where he has compiled a 224-114 overall record, including a 204-102 mark during DSU's NCAA Division II era, and a 138-40 record in PacWest play.
    Last season, Judkins led Dixie State to a 19-9 overall record, which included a 16-4 (3rd place) mark in Pacific West Conference play, and an appearance in the 2017 NCAA Division II Men's Basketball Tournament. In 2015-16, 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.
    Overall, Judkins has led the Trailblazers to nine-straight winning seasons with six 20-win campaigns, which includes a school-record 22 victories in the 2010-11 and 2012-13 seasons. He has also guided them to five Pacific West Conference championships, including four-straight titles from 2009-13 and another crown in 2014-15, along with a PacWest Tournament title in 2013. In addition, Judkins has led Dixie State to seven trips to the NCAA Tournament in the last eight seasons overall from 2010-17, advancing all the way to the "Sweet 16" in the 2011 West Regional final.
    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 this season by former DSU player and fifth-year assistant coach Kasey Winters (Dixie State, 2008), along with former DSU standout guard Jeremiah Barnes (Dixie State, 2011), who is in his first season on the DSU sideline, and first-year volunteer assistant coach David Foster (Utah, 2013).

TRAILBLAZERS PICKED SECOND IN THE PACWEST: Dixie State was picked to finish second in the 2017-18 Pacific West Conference preseason coaches' poll released on Oct. 26. California Baptist received 10 of a possible 14 first place votes and 178 total points to be tabbed as the PacWest preseason favorite.
    DSU, which is in its last season of PacWest play before the program moves on to the RMAC next season, collected two first place votes and 169 points to claim the second spot, while Point Loma picked up the final two first place votes and 161 points to take the third slot in the poll. Concordia-Irvine (154 points) was voted to finish fourth, followed by Azusa Pacific (142) in fifth, Chaminade (132) in sixth, and defending PacWest champion Hawai'i Pacific (121) rounded out the top-half of the poll in seventh.
    For the second-consecutive season, Dixie State senior guard Trevor Hill (Sandy, Utah/Alta HS) was named to the PacWest Preseason all-Conference team, while CBU senior center Kalidou Diouf was named the PacWest Preseason Player of the Year.

LAST WEEK IN REVIEW: Dixie State closed the non-conference portion of its 2017-18 schedule with a split of two neutral-site games at the Westminster College Thanksgiving Invitational last weekend in Salt Lake City. The Trailblazers could not hold on to a 38-29 halftime lead in a 79-70 loss to Seattle Pacific to open tourney play last Friday. However Dixie State managed to rebound to post an 83-73 triumph over NAIA-member Dickinson State in the Saturday finale.

AGAINST NON-CONFERENCE OPPONENTS: Dixie State wrapped up its non-conference slate with a 3-4 record, which includes a 1-2 mark vs. the CCAA conference and an 0-2 record against the GNAC.
    DSU is 67-63 (.515) all-time against non-conference opponents in its 11-plus seasons of four-year competition, which includes an 11-14 record in the program's first year of NCAA play (2006-07), and a combined 4-11 postseason record (2-4 PacWest, 2-7 NCAA).
    DSU has posted six overall season-winning records in non-conference games over that span, including a program-best nine wins in 2010-11 (9-4), eight wins in 2008-09 (8-7), and seven victories in 2012-13 (7-4). 

IT'S NOT HOW YOU START...PACWEST EDITION: For just the second time in five seasons, Dixie State will start PacWest play AT HOME when the Trailblazers take the court vs. Academy of Art on Saturday. Last season the Trailblazers opened conference play at home with a thrilling 82-76 overtime win over Concordia-Irvine (12/3/16). Prior to that win, DSU had opened its last three conference seasons on the road and played to a 2-1 record in those contests.
    Dixie State is 7-3 all-time in PacWest openers, having won four of its last five and seven of its last nine overall.
    In PacWest home openers only, DSU is 8-2 all-time, which includes a rare home league loss in the 2015-16 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 are 7-3 overall, having won three of their last five league road debuts.

HOME SWEET HOME: Dixie State enters Saturday's home opener vs. Academy of Art 8-3 all-time in its previous 11 Burns Arena debuts as a four-year program and has won five-straight home openers overall, including a 64-62 win over Sonoma State in last season's home opener (11/25/16).  
    Meanwhile, Saturday's game vs. AAU is the third-latest home debut date in the program's NCAA era, and is the latest home-opening date since the 2010-11 season, when DSU handled Pacifica, 110-41, on Dec. 4, 2010. Prior to that, the latest Dixie State made its home debut was on Dec. 6, 2008, in a 73-59 loss to Metropolitan State-Denver.
    Since becoming an NCAA Division II program in 2006-07, Dixie State has played to a 103-22 (.824) overall record inside the Burns Arena under Head Coach Jon Judkins, and has posted seven 10-plus win seasons over that span, including a perfect 12-0 record in 2009-10, and 11-1 records in the 2015-16 and 2016-17 campaigns. Dixie State also posted its 10th-straight home winning season record with its 11-1 mark inside the Burns Arena last season.
    In addition, the Trailblazers are just as dominant in PacWest action, playing to a 78-11 (.876) record at home through 10 full seasons of conference play.

HOME SWEET HOME, PART 2: For the seventh-straight year, Dixie State finished ranked in the top-six nationally at the NCAA Division II level in attendance for the 2016-17 season.
    The Trailblazers finished with the fourth-highest total attendance number in the country at 31,925 fans for their 12 home dates, which was also tops in the Pacific West Conference and the West Region. In addition, DSU finished third-nationally in season attendance average at 2,660 fans per game, which was up from 2,190 per game over 12 home dates a season ago (26,284 total attendance).
    Since the 2008-09 season, Dixie State has been annually ranked in the top-15 in Division II in attendance, including second-overall in 2012-13 and 2013-14, and third in the country in 2010-11 and 2011-12 campaigns. DSU was also ranked fifth-overall in 2014-15, sixth in 2015-16, ninth in 2009-10, and 14th in 2008-09.
    Dixie State also finished sixth among Utah's eight NCAA member institutions in average attendance in 2016-17, behind Brigham Young (260,569/14,476 per game), Utah (216,914/12,051), Utah State (103,082/6.872), Weber State (89,298/6,869) and Utah Valley (38,218/2,940). DSU did finish well ahead of Southern Utah (23,999/1,846) and Westminster College (4,654/423).

HOW ABOUT WHEN THE BAGS ARE PACKED?: Dixie State is now 102-81 (.557) away from home in its Division II era under Head Coach Jon Judkins, including an 8-8 record last season (8-5 road/0-3 neutral), and a 9-6 mark in 2015-16. Overall, the Trailblazers have played to a 79-61 record (.564) in true road games, and a 23-20 mark (.535) in neutral site games during Judkins' tenure.
    DSU has won eight or more games away from home in eight-straight seasons, and in nine of its 11 D-II campaigns overall, including a program-best 15-5 record (10-2 in road contests) in 2010-11.
    Dixie State also owns a 60-29 (.674) road record in its nine-plus seasons of PacWest league membership (7-3 last season). Overall, the Trailblazers have posted a winning conference road mark in eight-straight seasons and have reached the seven-win plateau in six of their last seven league campaigns overall.

FREE BASKETBALL: After playing in a school-record five overtime games last season, the Trailblazers have begun the 2017-18 campaign with two overtime games through its first seven outings overall.
    Dixie State dropped a 79-75 2OT decision in the season opener at Cal Poly Pomona (11/10), then followed that up with a 99-89 come-from-behind OT victory vs. ENMU (11/17).
    DSU went 3-2 in overtime games last 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 last year eclipsed the previous program-high of four set twice, the first time in the 2013-14 season, and tied in the 2015-16 campaign.
    In all, Dixie State has played in just 27 overtime games (16-11 overall) in 306 total contests in the program's NCAA Division II era. Four of those 26 games have gone to double-overtime (2-2), including the two Hawaiian results in 2010-11, and an 81-80 2OT victory at Concordia-Irvine in the 2015-16 season (1/9/16).

FROM WAY DOWNTOWN....BANG: Dating back to late last season, Dixie State has hit at least one 3-pointer in 11-straight games, including a season-high eight treys at Western Oregon (11/18) and seven more vs. Dickinson State last Saturday.
    Last season, the Trailblazers saw their streak of hitting at least one 3-pointer halted at 76 games after an 0-of-7 night from beyond the arc in a win at BYU-Hawaii (2/18).
    Prior to the BYU-H game, the last time Dixie State went without hitting a 3-pointer was at home vs. WOU (11/25/14) in the second game of the 2014-15 season, which snapped a program-best 127-game streak that 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.
    In all, Dixie State has hit at least one three pointer in 210 of its last 212 games overall, and in 304 of the program's 308 games NCAA-era games since the beginning of the 2006-07 season.
    Dixie State has reached double-figures in made 3-pointers 12 times, the last being a 10-trifecta night at Chaminade (1/23/16), and a school-record 13 3-pointers at Carroll College on Nov. 11, 2008.

30 FOR 30: Senior guard Trevor Hill (Sandy, Utah/Alta HS) became the first Trailblazer in the program's NCAA era to posted consecutive 30-point games, doing so in both starts at the Western Oregon-hosted D2 Shootout Nov. 17-18.   
    Hill poured in a career-high and DSU single-game record 35 points, 23 of which came after halftime, in the Trailblazers 99-89 come-from-behind overtime victory vs. Eastern New Mexico (11/17). He then followed that up the next day with 30 points in the road loss at WOU. Hill's efforts also earned him PacWest Player of the Week honors (11/20).
    In addition, Hill is just the second player in the program's four-year history to record multiple 30-point outings in a single season, joining former DSU player and assistant coach Ryan Sanchez, who achieved the feat twice during in the 2007-08 season. Sanchez scored 32 points on two separate occasions that season, the first came in a 107-83 home win over Colorado-Colorado Springs (12/1/07), and again in a 74-72 triumph at Notre Dame de Namur (2/1/08).
    In all, five DSU players have reached or surpassed the 30-point plateau in the program's 11-plus years of NCAA play, the last being former DSU forward Josh Fuller, who tallied 30 points in a 78-73 home win over WOU last season (11/26/16). Former DSU guard Donovan Plunkett also scored 30 points in a game at Grand Canyon (1/30/10), and former DSU forward Steven Larson held the previous DSU single-game record with 33 points in a 66-61 road win at Notre Dame de Namur on Feb. 16, 2013. Additionally, Dixie State is 5-2 all-time in games when a DSU player scores 30 or more points.

TEAM NOTES:
* - Dating back to last season, Dixie State has had 23 of its 34 games decided by nine points or less, including four of the first seven games this year, and the first 12 games of the 2016-17 campaign.
* - Also dating back to last season, Dixie State has shot 50 percent or better in 13 of its last 29 games overall, including a 2017-18 season-best 51.5 percent (35-of-68) in the Eastern New Mexico win (11/17).  
* - For the season Dixie State is shooting 44.3 percent from the floor, including 37.6 percent (44-of-117) from the perimeter, while opponents are shooting at a robust .450 clip (.352 3FG).
* - While DSU's field goal shooting has been solid, the free throw shooting has been "up and down" ... Though Dixie State opened the year just 56.6 percent (43-of-76) from the line over its first three games, the Trailblazers combined to shoot 76.4 percent last weekend at the Westminster tourney, including a season-best 83.3 percent (30-of-36) effort in the Dickinson State win.
* - Dixie State pulled down a school record with 62 rebounds in the loss at CPP, which bested the previous school record of 61 set last season vs. BYU-Hawaii (2/2/17).
* - The Trailblazers have won the "Battle of the Boards" in five of their first eight games this season ... Dixie State is currently ranked fourth in the PacWest in rebounding at 41.7 rpg.  
* - Trevor Hill (Sandy, Utah/Alta HS)'s (1,086 pts) career weekend at WOU vaulted him from sixth to third on DSU's career-scoring list and he enters this Saturday's game needing just 62 more points to pass former DSU great DeQuan Thompson (1,185; 2011-15) for second all-time in scoring.
* - Hill has scored in double figures in all seven games this season, with three 20-plus point outings, and he enters this week  ranked third in the PacWest and 81st-nationally in scoring at 19.9 ppg.
* - Hill (308) also moved into second place in program history in career assists during the CPP game (11/10) and now only trails former DSU guard Kimball Payne (395) by 87 dimes on the career list.
* - In all, Hill is ranked in the top-10 in 13 stat categories and is already DSU's career leader in free throws made (363) and attempted (572), and is second all-time in steals (116).
* - Junior forward Austin Montgomery (Lilburn, Ga./Lakeview Academy) had a career night vs. ENMU (11/17) after posting his first collegiate double-double with career- highs of 18 points and 13 boards ... Montgomery was a perfect 8-of-8 from the field and 2-of-2 at the foul line, while he tied a career-high with two blocked shots vs. the Greyhounds.
* - Senior forward Isaiah Clark (Riverside, Calif./John W. North HS) had himself quite a season debut in the opener at CPP (11/10), during which he notched his first DSU career double-double with career-highs of 14 points and 15 rebounds ... Clark hit on a career-best 7-of-9 shots and posted career highs of three blocks and 40 minutes played.  
* - Senior guard Brandon Simister (St. George, Utah/Desert Hills HS) has scored in double figures in six of his seven starts, including a season-high 20 points vs. ENMU (11/17) and 15 points vs. Seattle Pacific last Friday ... Simister averaged 14.0 points in the two games in Salt Lake City, where he hit a combined five 3-pointers and went a perfect 7-of-7 at the foul line, which vaulted him back atop DSU's career FT% list (.870).
* - Senior forward Zac Hunter (American Fork, Utah/American Fork HS) was inserted into the starting lineup in both games in SLC and responded by averaging 7.5 points and 5.0 rebounds ... Hunter scored 12 points, thanks in part to going 8-of-9 at the line, and pulled down a season-high seven boards in the Dickinson State win.
* - Junior forward Dub Price (Draper, Utah/Alta HS) has turned into a rebounding machine off the bench in the early going ... Price has averaged nearly six rebounds a game over his last four outings, including a season-high 10 boards vs. SPU and seven more caroms in the Dickinson State win ... Price also averaged 7.5 points in the two games in Salt Lake City, with 11 of his 15 total points coming at the foul line (11-of-15).
* - Guard Wade Miller (Tremonton, Utah/Bear River HS) enjoyed a break-out game in the win over Dickinson State, during which the junior sharpshooter nailed a career-best three 3-pointers on his way to a career-high 11 points in 12 reserve minutes ... Miller also pulled down a career-high five rebounds against the "other" DSU.

ABOUT THE ACADEMY OF ART "URBAN KNIGHTS": Academy of Art enters play this week with a 1-5 overall record and will play at Azusa Pacific on Thursday before traveling north to face Dixie State Saturday afternoon. AAU's lone victory on the young season cam in a 70-50 win over Missouri S&T last Saturday in a game played at the California Baptist Thanksgiving Classic.
    The Urban Knights are led by senior guard Kendall Brown (6-4, 195), who has scored in double figures in all six AAU games this season and is averaging 15.3 ppg, while junior center Cameron Niven (6-8, 250) is the Knights' top rebounder at 6.5 rpg to go with a 9.5 ppg average.
    As a team, Academy of Art is averaging 69.7 ppg and 37.0 rpg, while opponents average 73.3 ppg and 40.0 rpg.

UP NEXT: Dixie State continues PacWest play next Saturday, Dec. 9, when the Trailblazers welcome in Azusa Pacific. Tip-off is slated for 3:30 p.m.