OPENING TIP: Dixie State (14-5/11-2 PacWest) continues its homestand this week as the Trailblazers welcome a pair of Hawaiian Island visitors to the Burns Arena. DSU will host BYU-Hawaii for the Seasiders' final visit to St. George on Thursday, Feb. 2, followed by a date vs. Chaminade on Saturday, Feb. 4.
The Trailblazers begin the final month of the 2016-17 regular season having won three-straight and nine of their last 10 games overall. Meanwhile, BYU-H (5-13/3-9 PacWest) enters Thursday's game having dropped nine of its last 11, including a 91-79 loss at No. 6 Hawai'i Pacific last Saturday in Honolulu. Chaminade (14-8/10-5 PacWest), which plays at Point Loma on Thursday prior to the game at DSU, has won three of its last four, which includes an 83-71 road victory at Azusa Pacific this past Monday night.
WEEK IN REVIEW: Dixie State led wire-to-wire in an 81-72 triumph over Hawai'i Hilo last Saturday night in the Burns Arena. Junior forward
Zac Hunter (American Fork, Utah/American Fork HS) led all scorers with a career-high 18 points as the Trailblazers gave Head Coach
Jon Judkins his 500th-career coaching victory.
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. 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 is 8-11 all-time vs. BYU-H, though the Trailblazers has won three of the last five meetings and five of the last eight overall against the Seasiders over the past four seasons. Last season the two sides met just once on the hardwood, which resulted in a 95-83 Seasider win in Laie (1/26/16). DSU will enter Thursday's game looking to even its home record vs. BYU-H as the Seasiders are 5-4 all-time in the Burns Arena, though this is the first time the two teams have played in St. George since DSU claimed a 107-94 overtime win on Feb. 11, 2014.
DSU holds a 16-4 series edge vs. Chaminade and has won eight-straight and 13 of its last 14 vs. the Silverswords overall, including both games last season - a 103-100 overtime road win in Honolulu (1/23/16) and a 90-81 victory (1/5/16) in the Burns Arena. The Trailblazers are 8-1 all-time against Chaminade in the Burns Arena, with the lone loss coming during the 2011-12 season (71-73; 2/25/12).
REGIONAL RANKINGS: Dixie State remained in the No. 7 slot in the latest D2SIDA West Region top-10 poll, which was released on Monday. Three other PacWest members are listed this week as No. 4 California Baptist (20-1/12-1 PacWest) remained on top in the region rankings, while HPU (19-1/11-1 PacWest) stayed put in the four-spot in the poll, and Concordia-Irvine received votes this week. One interesting note, six of the 15 opponents Dixie State has faced to this point of the season are currently ranked in this week's region poll and played to a 5-2 record in those games.
COACHING STAFF: Five-time PacWest Conference Coach of the Year
Jon Judkins (Utah State, 1988; 500-234 career record) is in his 12th season on the Dixie State bench, where he has compiled a 216-106 overall record, including a 196-94 mark during DSU's NCAA Division II era, and a 133-38 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 is in his fourth season as assistant coach, and
Kevin Williamson (University of Great Falls, 2007) who is in his second season on the Trailblazer sideline.
NOW INCHING CLOSER TO 200/300/100: Head Coach
Jon Judkins clinched his 500th-career victory in DSU's 81-72 win over Hawai'i Hilo last Saturday in Burns Arena. Now the long-time Dixie State mentor eyes another milestone as he is now four wins shy of 200 NCAA-era wins on the Trailblazer bench.
In addition, the DSU victory Saturday was the program's 100th home NCAA-era victory. If that were not enough, DSU is now eight games away from playing in its 300th NCAA game, and could reach that milestone in its opening game of the PacWest tournament in March. In addition, DSU is three wins away from reaching the 200-win plateau in its 10-plus seasons of NCAA membership. Overall DSU has played to a 197-95 (.674) record since making the move to four-year competition at the start of the 2006-07 season.
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.
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 100-21 (.826) record inside the Burns Arena under Head Coach
Jon Judkins, which includes an 8-0 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 75-10 (.882) at home through its now nine-plus seasons of conference play.
With its 8-0 home record to this point of the season, Dixie State has also clinched its 10th-straight home winning season record.
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 SoCal road split this past Jan. 14-16, Dixie State moved to 97-74 (.567) away from home in its Division II era under Head Coach
Jon Judkins, including a 6-5 record this season (6-3 road/0-2 neutral), and a 9-6 mark in 2015-16. Overall, the Trailblazers have played to a 77-56 record (.579) 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 58-28 (.674) road record in its nine-plus seasons of PacWest league membership (5-2 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: Dixie State has played in 19 games so far this season and 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 291 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 72-straight games and in 195 of its last 196 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 289 of the program's 292 games since the beginning of the 2006-07 season.
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 has seen 17 of its 19 games to this point of the season decided by nine points or less, including the first 12 games of the year and last Saturday's win vs. Hawai'i Hilo ... the other two games, both of which resulted in DSU victories, were decided by nearly 20 points, including a 73-48 road win at NDNU (1/7) and a 78-59 home triumph vs. Dominican (1/11).
DSU has shot 50 percent or better in eight of its last 14 games overall, including a season-best 56.5 percent (26-of-46) in the win over Hilo ... for the season Dixie State is shooting 45.7 percent from the floor (.306 3FG), while DSU is ranked
13th-nationally in field-goal percentage defense at 39.8 percent (.317 3FG -
#32-nationally).
While DSU's field goal shooting has been solid, the free throw shooting has not as the Trailblazers are just 64.4 percent from the line this season (364-of-565), though DSU did hit on 23-of-28 (.821) at the charity stripe (10-of-10 in the second half) in the win over Dominican (1/11), and 22-of-29 (.759) at CUI (1/16) ... Dixie State enters this weekend ranked
9th-nationally in free throw attempts (522) and 31st in free throws made (339).
DSU "survived" 18 missed free throws in the Hilo win, and a school-record 19 missed free throws in the win at Fresno Pacific (1/3) ... After the FPU win, DSU did bounce back with a season-high 85.7 percent outing (12-of-14) in the win at AAU (1/5) ... DSU's current 64.4 percent clip at the line is nearly six 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 ... on the flipside, DSU committed a season-low eight turnovers in the win over Dominican (1/11).
DSU posted defensive season-highs of nine steals and eight blocks vs. Dominican (1/11), including three blocks apiece for junior guard
Trevor Hill (Sandy, Utah/Alta HS) and senior forward
Marcus Bradley (Anaheim, Calif./Corona del Mar HS), which were career-highs for both players ... the eight blocks just missed tying the school record of nine set twice at home vs. Fresno Pacific (2/5) and BYU-Hawaii (2/23) during the 2012-13 season ... Bradley also swatted away a career-high four shots vs. Hilo, including three of the first four shots the Vulcans attempted early in the first half.
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 was 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) ... DSU is also ranked
11th-nationally in defensive rebounds at 29.6 rpg.
Hill continues to fill up the stat sheet as he makes his way up the DSU career records lists ... Hill has averaged 12.3 points, 6.5 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 1.0 blocks and 1.7 steals over his last six games, including 13 points on 4-of-5 shooting with six boards and seven dimes in the Hilo win.
Hill, who currently leads the team in scoring (14.4 ppg, 14th PWC), rebounding (7.0 rpg, 8th PWC) and assists (5.2 apg, 2nd PWC), has moved into first place on DSU's career FTA list with 459 in just 74 games ... in fact, Hill leads the PacWest and is ranked
THIRD-NATIONALLY in FT attempts this season (172) ... In addition, Hill enters this week second all-time in career FT made (296), fourth in assists (241) and steals (89), fifth in rebounds (359), sixth in blocks (40), eighth PPG (11.5), points (855) and made FGs (267), and ninth in FG attempts (586) ... 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.
Junior guard
Brandon Simister (St. George, Utah/Desert Hills HS) enters the week third on the team in scoring at 11.9 ppg - 13.0 ppg in PacWest play, and has scored in double figures in nine of his last 11 starts overall, including 12 points vs. Hilo, a game-high 15 points in the home win over APU (1/21) and a season-high 23 points at APU (12/10) ... Simister hit 7-of-10 from the floor with a career-high tying five 3-pointers in the APU road 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 (65; 3.4 apg) and is averaging 3.5 dimes a game over his last eight starts ... Simister enters the week one 3FG attempt away from vaulting to third on DSU's career 3FG percentage list (199 att.) and he is currently second in career FT% (.857), seventh in 3FG makes (87) and ninth in assists (180).
Junior forward
Zac Hunter (American Fork, Utah/American Fork HS) enjoyed one of his finer nights in his near three-year DSU career as he poured in a career-high 18 points on 7-of-11 shooting and finished with a season-high seven boards in the Hilo win ... Hunter also tied a career-high with the seven FG made, which was set in last year's PacWest tourney semifinal vs. CBU (3/4/16) ... Hunter is second among regular starters in FG% (.508) and enters the weekend averaging 8.5 ppg and 4.4 rpg.
Junior forward
Quincy Mathews (St. George, Utah/Desert Hills HS) just missed his third double-double of the year after collecting 12 points and nine rebounds off the bench last Saturday vs. UHH ... Mathews hit 8-of-12 from the line and pulled down eight defensive boards with one block in 18 minutes ... Mathews, who is averaging 8.5 ppg and 5.9 rpg in 14 games this season, 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).
Sophomore forward
Dub Price (Draper, Utah/Alta HS) tied his career-high with nine points off the bench vs. UHH, which marked the third time this season he just missed scoring in double figures ... he tallied nine points in the road win at CBU (12/8) and did it again at home vs. APU (1/21).
Junior guard
Kyler Nielson (Cedar City, Utah/Cedar HS) has started in the last 13 games and has made the most of it as he has averaged 9.1 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) and 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 weekend averaging 7.7 ppg on 48.9 percent shooting and 3.9 rpg.
Sophomore F/C
Austin Montgomery (Gainesville, Ga./Lakeview Academy) has started in six of the last eight games and has averaged 5.7 points and 4.9 rebounds over that stretch ... Montgomery scored nine points and pulled down a career-high tying eight boards vs. Dominican (1/11) and tallied a career-high 12 points on 5-of-9 shooting with six caroms at Academy of Art (1/5) ... Montgomery played a career-high 21 minutes at Point Loma (1/14) and responded with eight points and eight boards ... Montgomery has also showed some range as he has connected on 2-of-3 from the perimeter, including a first-half 3-pointer at CUI (1/16).
Bradley, who was named PacWest Defender of the Week Jan. 23, made his second start of the year in the UHH game and finished with seven points and five rebounds to go with his career-high four block ... he made the most of his first start of the season in the Trailblazers' 67-62 home win over Azusa Pacific (1/21) and responded with 12 points, seven rebounds, two blocks, one steal and two assists in 24 minutes.
Overall, the DSU bench has averaged 23.3 points over the last eight games, including 30 reserve points in the Dominican win (1/11) ... in addition to Mathews, Bradley (6.4 ppg/3.3 rpg) has anchored the bench effort as he has averaged 8.2 points over the last seven games, including eight points vs. Dominican (1/11), nine points at FPU (1/3), followed by an 11-point effort on 5-of-7 shooting at AAU (1/5).
Overall the Trailblazer bench is averaging 20.7 ppg through the first 19 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.
UP NEXT: Dixie State wraps up its five-game homestand with a big PacWest showdown with conference leader and nationally-ranked California Baptist in the Burns Arena on Saturday, Feb. 11, at 7:30 p.m.
