OPENING TIP: Dixie State (18-7/15-4 PacWest) wraps up the 2016-17 regular season schedule this Saturday night, Feb. 25, as the Trailblazers welcome Holy Names (6-21/5-14 PacWest) to the Burns Arena. Tip-off is slated for 7:30 p.m. The game will also serve as
"Senior Night" as DSU seniors
Marcus Bradley (Anaheim, Calif./Corona del Mar HS) and
Josh Fuller (Rexburg, Idaho/Madison HS) will be honored prior to tip-off.
WEEK IN REVIEW: Dixie State went 2-1 on its annual week-long Hawaiian Gauntlet run last week on the Islands. The Trailblazers opened the trip with a convincing 98-65 triumph at Hawai'i Hilo (2/16), followed by an 80-75 victory at BYU-Hawaii last Saturday night in Laie in the last basketball game ever played between DSU and the Seasiders.
Then this past Monday night, DSU came up short in its bid to sweep the trip as the Trailblazers were defeated at No. 8/9 Hawai'i Pacific, 76-66, which dashed DSU's slim hopes for a PacWest regular season championship.
THE ROAD TO IRVINE: The Trailblazers enter this weekend's finale all but locked into the No. 3 seed in the upcoming PacWest tournament at 15-4, two games back (two in the loss column) of second place California Baptist at 16-2, which is one-half game behind league-leading HPU (17-2). HPU, which has sewn up a first-round bye, can clinch the outright PacWest title and No. 1 seed with a win Saturday vs. Chaminade and a CBU loss in one of the Lancers' two remaining games.
If CBU wins one of its two last games it will clinch the other first round bye and the No. 2 seed, while two Lancer wins will give CBU a share of the PacWest title with HPU, unless the Sharks lose to Chaminade, then CBU would win the PWC title and clinch the No. 1 seed. DSU could also clinch the No. 2 seed if its defeats HNU and CBU loses both of its remaining games.
Chaminade is locked in as the No. 4 seed, while Point Loma, Azusa Pacific and Dominican are still in contention for the final two tourney slots. The 2017 PacWest Tournament will be held March 2-4, in Irvine, Calif., with the winner receiving the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
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 6-0 all-time vs. Holy Names, including a pair of victories last season in St. George (2/15/16, 91-67) and in Oakland (2/20/16, 88-68).
REGIONAL/NATIONAL RANKINGS: The NCAA released its second West Region rankings on Wednesday and Dixie State remained at No. 8 in the poll. CBU owns the top spot in the poll, while Hawai'i Pacific is one slot ahead of DSU at No. 7. One interesting note, five of the 18 total opponents Dixie State has faced to this point of the season are currently ranked in this week's NCAA region poll, and the Trailblazers have played to a 3-3 record in those games.
COACHING STAFF: Five-time PacWest Conference Coach of the Year
Jon Judkins (Utah State, 1988; 504-236 career record) is in his 12th season on the Dixie State bench, where he has compiled a 220-108 overall record, including a 200-96 mark during DSU's NCAA Division II era, and a 137-40 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.
ONE MORE MILESTONE REMAINS: Head Coach
Jon Judkins clinched his 500th-career victory last month in DSU's 81-72 win over Hawai'i Hilo (1/28) in Burns Arena. The long-time Dixie State mentor also reached another milestone as he picked up his 200th NCAA-era victory in last Saturday 80-75 win at BYU-Hawaii.
In addition, the DSU's win over Hawai'i Hilo (1/28) was the program's 100th home NCAA-era victory. In addition, DSU also claimed its 200th NCAA-era victory in the Trailblazers' 98-65 win at Hilo (2/16). If that were not enough, DSU is now two games away from playing in its 300th NCAA game, and will reach that milestone in its opening game of the PacWest tournament in March. Overall DSU has played to a 201-97 (.674) record since making the move to NCAA 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 102-22 (.822) record inside the Burns Arena under Head Coach
Jon Judkins, which includes a 10-1 mark this year. Including this year's win total, DSU has now posted seven 10-plus win seasons over that span, including a perfect 12-0 record in 2009-10, and an 11-1 mark last season. Despite the home loss to CBU (2/11), the Trailblazers are dominant in PacWest action, playing to a 77-11 (.875) record at home through its now nine-plus seasons of conference play.
With its 10-1 home record to this point of the season (with one home game remaining), 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 its 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?: Dixie State is 99-75 (.569) away from home in its Division II era under Head Coach
Jon Judkins, including an 8-6 record this season (8-4 road/0-2 neutral), and a 9-6 mark in 2015-16. Overall, the Trailblazers have played to a 79-57 record (.580) in true road games, and a 20-18 mark (.526) in neutral site games during Judkins' tenure.
DSU has now 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 this season). The Trailblazers have now 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: Dixie State has played in 25 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 298 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 saw its streak of hitting at least one 3-pointer halted at 76 games after the Trailblazers went 0-of-7 from beyond the arc in the win at BYU-Hawaii last Saturday night. DSU, which had hit a season-high nine 3-pointers at Hawai'i Hilo (2/16) two nights earlier, came back to hit four treys in the loss at HPU this past Monday night.
Prior to the BYU-H game, the last time Dixie State went without hitting a 3-pointer was at home vs. Western Oregon (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 200 of its last 202 games overall, and in 294 of the program's 298 games NCAA-era games since the beginning of the 2006-07 season.
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 18 of its 25 games to this point of the season decided by nine points or less, including the first 12 games of the year ... DSU enjoyed its most lopsided win of the year with its 36-point win over Chaminade (2/4), which included season highs in first half points (51), points in regulation (102), 3FG% (8-of-13, .615) and assists (22), while five Trailblazers scored in double figures overall ... DSU followed that up two games later with a 33-point triumph at Hawai'i Hilo (2/16), during which a season-high six Trailblazers scored in double figures ... in fact, it was the first time in nearly
THREE FULL SEASONS that at least six players scored in double figures ... the last time that feat was accomplished was in a 106-100 home overtime win vs. California Baptist on March 1, 2014.
DSU has shot 50 percent or better in 10 of its last 20 games overall, including a season-best 56.5 percent (26-of-46) in the home win over Hilo (1/28) and a 55.4 percent clip (36-of-65) in the win at Hilo (2/16) ... for the season Dixie State is shooting 45.8 percent from the floor (.318 3FG), while DSU is ranked
6th-nationally in field-goal percentage defense at 39.2 percent (.315 3FG -
#13-nationally).
While DSU's field goal shooting has been solid, the free throw shooting has not as the Trailblazers are just 64.7 percent from the line this season (489-of-756), including a season-low 44.4 percent (12-of-27) in the loss at HPU, while the Sharks connected on a DSU opponent season-high 94.7 percent (18-of-19) from the stripe ... however the good news is that Dixie State is getting to the line and the team enters this weekend ranked
2nd-nationally in free throw attempts (756) and
16th in free throws made (489).
DSU's current 64.7 percent clip at the line is more than five points lower than its program-low 70.2 season percentage set in the 2011-12 campaign.
Dixie State tied a school record with a season-low four turnovers vs. California Baptist (2/11), which helped offset a school record 31 turnovers set vs. Concordia-Irvine (12/3), which 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 school-record 61 rebounds vs. BYU-Hawaii (2/2), which bested the previous record of 57 rebounds set 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
5th-nationally in defensive rebounds at 30.28 rpg.
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 ... Hill has averaged 13.6 points, 7.3 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 1.2 blocks and 1.7 steals over his last 12 starts, including 15 points at HPU last Monday night and his team-high fourth double-double of the year with 18 points and 10 rebounds vs. California Baptist (2/11).
Hill, who currently leads the team in scoring (14.5 ppg, 17th PWC), rebounding (7.2 rpg, 6th PWC) and assists (4.8 apg, 2nd PWC), has moved into first place on DSU's career FTM (317) and FTA (501) lists in just 80 games ... in fact, Hill leads the PacWest and is ranked
FOURTH-NATIONALLY in FT attempts this season with 214, which has
eclipsed the school's NCAA-era single-season record of 205 set previously by current DSU Assistant Coach
Kasey Winters in the 2007-08 season ... In addition, Hill enters this week third all-time in career assists (262), fourth in steals (98), rebounds (405) and blocks (48), sixth in points (944) and FG attempts (658), seventh in made FGs (299), and eighth in PPG (11.8).
After missing the last 14 games due to injury, senior forward
Josh Fuller (Rexburg, Idaho/Madison HS) is expected to return to the Trailblazer line-up for Senior Day on Saturday ... before the injury Fuller averaged 13.2 ppg and 6.4 rpg, including a pair of 17-point outings at APU (12/10) and in the win over Point Loma (12/19) ... 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 had scored in double figures in seven of his 11 starts on the year overall and still leads the team in FG% (.602).
Senior forward
Marcus Bradley (Anaheim, Calif./Corona del Mar HS) was inserted into the DSU starting line-up eight games ago and the senior has paid immediate dividends as he has averaged 14.5 points on 56.3 percent shooting and 6.1 rebounds over that stretch ... Bradley averaged 17.3 ppg during DSU's Hawaiian road swing, including a 19-point night at BYU-H (2/18) and 17 points on 6-of-8 shooting at HPU last Monday night ... Bradley posted his first double-double of the year with career highs of 23 points and 15 rebounds in the home win over BYU-H (2/2) and followed that up with 16 points in just 16 minutes vs. Chaminade (2/4) ... Bradley has also averaged 2.1 blocks in those eight games, including a career-best four vs. Hilo (1/28).
Junior guard
Brandon Simister (St. George, Utah/Desert Hills HS) enters the week fourth on the team in scoring at 11.5 ppg - 12.2 ppg in PacWest play, and has scored in double figures in 12 of his last 17 starts overall, including a team-high 19 points on 7-of-14 shooting in the loss at HPU (2/20) ... Simister also tallied a season-high 23 points at APU (12/10) on 7-of-10 from the floor with a career-high tying five 3-pointers ...Simister's 23 points fell one-point shy of tying his career-high of 24 set last season in a win at Chaminade (1/23/16) ... Simister is also second on the team in assists (83; 3.3 apg) ... Simister enters the week third on DSU's career 3FG percentage list (.427), but he did fall to second on the career FT% list (.854), while he is fifth in career 3FG makes (94) and eighth in career assists (198), needing two more dimes to collect 200 for his career.
Junior forward
Zac Hunter (American Fork, Utah/American Fork HS) enjoyed his finest night in a DSU uniform vs. Chaminade (2/4) as he poured in a career-high 19 points on 7-of-11 shooting to lead five Trailblazers in double figures in the lopsided win ... Hunter scored 15 of those points in the opening frame and accounted for 13 of the team's 26 points on its decisive first-half run ... Hunter's 19 points eclipsed his previous career-high of 18 points set two games earlier vs. Hilo (1/28), which also came on 7-of-11 shooting.
Junior guard
Kyler Nielson (Cedar City, Utah/Cedar HS) has started in the last 16 games and has made the most of it as he has averaged 10.7 ppg during this current stretch, including a team-high 18 points on a perfect 6-for-6 shooting with a career-high four 3-pointers, and a 2-of-2 effort at the foul line in the win at Hilo (2/16) ... that performance came on the heels of a 19-point night vs. CBU (2/11) as he hit on 7-of-11 from the floor with three treys ... Nielson also 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) ... 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.
Junior forward
Quincy Mathews (St. George, Utah/Desert Hills HS) posted his third double-double of the year with 13 points and 10 rebounds in the win at Hilo (2/16) ... Mathews, who is averaging 7.6 ppg and 5.7 rpg in 20 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) pulled down a career-high 11 rebounds (eight on the defensive glass) to go with three points, three assists and a block in the win at Hilo (2/16) ... Price tied his career-high with nine points off the bench at home vs. Hilo (1/28), 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).
Sophomore F/C
Austin Montgomery (Gainesville, Ga./Lakeview Academy) tallied a career-high 13 points on 5-of-7 shooting in 14 reserve minutes at home vs. BYU-H (2/2) ... he followed that up with a career-high tying eight rebounds, including four offensive boards, and six points two nights later vs. Chaminade (2/4).
Junior guard
Daylor Youngblood (South Jordan, Utah/Bingham HS) had a night to remember as he recorded his first double-digit scoring night as a Trailblazer with a career-high 12 points on 4-of-5 shooting, including 3-of-3 from the perimeter, vs. Chaminade (2/4) ... you knew it would be his night as he banked in his first three points on a half-court heave at the halftime buzzer ... he then hit two more 3-pointers in the second half and finished with career-highs of four rebounds, three assists and two steals in 13 minutes off the bench.
Over the last 14 games, the DSU bench has averaged 21.1 points, including 31 reserve points in the road win at Hilo (2/16), which included six points from junior forward
Isaiah Clark (Riverside, Calif./John W. North HS) ... Overall the Trailblazer bench is averaging 20.1 ppg through 25 games this season, though the unit was held to a season-low six points in the home loss to CBU (2/11), and to just nine points at HPU (2/20) ... DSU tallied a season-high 46 bench points vs. Central Washington (11/18), with Bradley (14 pts) and sophomore guard
Brandon Miller (Sandy, Utah/Brighton HS) (16 pts) accounting for 30 of those 46 points.
UP NEXT: Dixie State will find out late Saturday night which seed and opponent it will draw in the 2017 Pacific West Conference Men's Basketball Tournament, which will be held March 2-4, at Concordia's CUI Arena 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 10-13 (site TBD).
