Game Notes: DIXIE STATE - PDF | UND
Live Video: WAC DIGITAL NETWORK
Live Audio: ESPN RADIO 97.7 FM
Live Stats: vs. NORTH DAKOTA
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OPENING TIP: After seeing its original 2020-21 season debut canceled last week, Dixie State (0-0/0-0 WAC) will hopefully begin its NCAA Division I era this Wednesday night as the Trailblazers welcome Summit League member North Dakota (0-1) to the Burns Arena. Tip-off is slated for 7 p.m.    

DIXIE STATE VS. NORTH DAKOTA: Wednesday's game vs. North Dakota will be the first-ever meeting between the Trailblazers and Fighting Hawks on the basketball court.

DIXIE STATE ON THE AIR: All Dixie State Division I home and away games this season will be broadcast live on ESPN Radio 97.7 FM, with Devin Dixon calling the play-by-play action and former DSU assistant coach Mike Olson providing color commentary. A live stream of the radio broadcast will be available at sportsradio977.com.
    Along with the radio coverage, all DSU home games are simulcast on KCEC-TV (TDS Cable Channel 22), with tape-delay rebroadcasts throughout the following week, and live online on the WAC Digital Network. The WDN is also available on Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, and Roku TV, while the WDN app is available for iOS in the Apple Store and Android on Google Play.

HI, MY NAME IS ....: After 14 years as a competing member of the NCAA at the Division II level, Dixie State embarks on its first season transitioning to Division I status as one of two new members (along with Tarleton State) of the Western Athletic Conference.  
    During their 14-year Division II era, the Trailblazers played to a 266-122 (.685) overall record. Dixie State won seven conference regular season championships (6 PacWest, 1 RMAC) and two postseason conference tournament crowns (PacWest 2013/2018).
    In addition, DSU made nine NCAA D-II Basketball Tournament appearances in 11 seasons since 2010, including seven-straight appearances from 2010-16, and advanced all the way to the West Regional final (Sweet 16) in 2011. Dixie State earned its final NCAA Tournament berth last season, but that appearance was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

TRAILBLAZERS AGAINST NCAA D-I OPPONENTS: Wednesday's game vs. North Dakota will be the 11th time in the program's NCAA era that the Trailblazers will have squared off against a Division-I opponent, and it will be the FIRST such instance inside the Burns Arena.
    Eight of the previous nine occasions have come in exhibition contests, including a heart-breaking 65-63 loss at Wyoming on a TJ Young buzzer-beating 3-pointer with 0.3 seconds left (12/29/18) during the 2018-19 season.
    Dixie State is 1-9 all-time (1-8 in exhibition games) against D-I opponents, with the lone win coming in a thrilling 71-70 exhibition triumph at UNLV on Nov. 1, 2013. That victory came a year after DSU almost upset the Rebels in an 81-80 overtime result (11/7/12) in Las Vegas.
    The only regular season contest DSU has played against a D-I opponent came at in-state foe Utah in an 83-64 loss in Salt Lake City (1/9/08) during the 2007-08 season.
    North Dakota is just the sixth different Division I opponent Dixie State has played in the program's four-year era. DSU has faced UNLV four times (2006/2007/2012/2013), Utah Valley three times (2006/2017/2018), and Utah (2008), BYU (2011) and Wyoming (2018) just once apiece.

569 AND COUNTING: Head Coach Jon Judkins became the first men's coach in Utah collegiate basketball history to reach the 500-win plateau when Dixie State defeated Hawai'i Hilo (81-72) back on January 28, 2017.
    Coach Judkins (569 career wins; .685 W%) is currently second all-time in coaching victories in Utah college basketball history, trailing only legendary University of Utah head women's coach Elaine Elliott, who amassed 582 career wins (582-234) in her 27 seasons on the Utes' sideline.

TRAILBLAZERS PICKED SEVENTH/EIGHTH IN THE WAC: Dixie State was picked to finish seventh by the media and eighth by the coaches in its Western Athletic Conference debut season as the 2020-21 WAC men's basketball preseason polls were released on Oct. 27.
    Three-time defending WAC champion New Mexico State was tabbed as overwhelming favorite to win its fourth-straight conference crown. The Aggies claimed eight of nine first place votes to finish with 64 points in the coaches poll, and collected 10 more first place nods and 150 points in the media poll.
    In fact, the top five spots matched in both polls as Grand Canyon (1 FPV – 52 pts coaches/125 pts media) was voted second overall, followed by UT Rio Grande Valley (45 pts coaches/114 pts media) in third, California Baptist (43 pts coaches/2 FVP – 105 pts media) in fourth, and Seattle U (33 pts coaches/84 pts media) in fifth.
    WAC newcomer Tarleton State (31 pts) wound up sixth in the coaches poll, while Utah Valley (28 pts) was listed in seventh, DSU (20 pts) in eighth and Chicago State (8 pts) in ninth. Rounding out the media poll, UVU finished sixth (74 pts), followed by the Trailblazers (49 pts) in seventh, Tarleton State (46 pts) in eighth, and CSU (18 pts) in ninth.

MEET THE 2020-21 TRAILBLAZERS: Dixie State enters its debut D-I season with four returning starters and nine total letter winners back off a team that tied a school record with 23 victories (23-7), clinched a share of the RMAC regular season championship (17-5), and earned the program's ninth NCAA D-II Tournament berth.
    Three of the four returning starters are seniors, including the front court duo in forwards Hunter Schofield (6-8; Spanish Fork, Utah/Spanish Fork HS/Salt Lake CC) and Jarod Greene (6-9; Blackfoot, Idaho/Blackfoot HS/North Idaho), and guard Dason Youngblood (6-2; South Jordan, Utah/Bingham HS/Skagit Valley CC).
    Schofield, who was voted to the WAC's preseason second team by both the coaches and media, is coming off a banner junior season that saw him break DSU's single season scoring record (491 pts) on his way to first team all-Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference honors.
    The senior averaged 16.4 points per game on 53.7 percent shooting, and averaged 6.0 rebounds per contest. Schofield scored in 26 of 30 games played with nine 20-plus point outings, and was the only player in the RMAC to finish the 2019-20 season ranked in the top-10 in scoring, rebounding and field goal percentage.
    Greene started in 14 of 25 games last season and averaged 6.2 points and 3.2 rebounds while shooting 64.3 percent from the floor. He scored in double figures in three outings, highlighted by a career-high 17 points on 6-of-7 shooting with four rebounds in a home win vs. Colorado Christian (1/17/20).
    Meanwhile Youngblood was an all-RMAC honorable mention pick who started in 28 of 30 games played and finished the year ranked 19th-nationally in assist-turnover ratio with an RMAC leading 2.9 ratio. He scored in double figures in 14 of those 30 outings, highlighted by a career-high 27-point night in a win vs. Alaska Fairbanks (11/23), which earned him RMAC Offensive Player of the Week honors.
    Sophomore guard Frank Staine (6-6; Inglewood, Calif./St. Anthony HS) is back after a stellar debut season that saw him start in 29 of 30 games played as a true freshman and finish fourth on the team in scoring (8.8 ppg) and assists (1.7 apg). He shot 45.8 percent from the floor, which included a 44.9 percent clip from the perimeter, and he scored in double figures in 13 games, eight of which came in conference play.  
    DSU also returns guards Jamar Ergas (Sr., 6-4; Scarborough, Ontario/South Plains CC - 0.1 ppg/0.7 rpg), Mark Hatch (Jr., 6-0; Mesa, Ariz./Mesa HS/Scottsdale CC - 0.8 ppg/0.3 rpg) and Lleyton Parker (So., 6-3; South Jordan, Utah/Bingham HS - 2.6 ppg/2.1 rpg), along with junior forward Jacob Nicolds (6-5; Gilbert, Ariz./Gilbert HS – 5.2 ppg/3.0 rpg). Sophomore guard Brock Staheli (6-2; Santa Clara, Utah/Snow Canyon HS - 4 GP) is also back but will redshirt this season.   
    Dixie State welcomes in four transfers, including a pair of junior college guards in juniors Brock Gilbert (5-10; Syracuse, Utah/Syracuse HS/Umpqua CC) and Cameron Gooden (5-11; Frisco, Texas/Lone Star HS/Kilgore College), Humboldt State transfer guard Isaiah Pope (So., 6-5; Yorba Linda, Calif./Orange Lutheran HS), and sophomore forward Mikey Frazier (6-11; Salt Lake City, Utah/East HS/Garden City CC).
    Three freshmen will also vie for playing time, including redshirt freshman forward Trevon Allfrey (6-7; West Jordan, Utah/Copper Hills HS/Seattle U) and true freshmen guards Emad Elniel (6-6; Phoenix, Ariz./Independence HS/Phoenix Prep) and Andre Mulibea (6-6; Salt Lake City, Utah/East HS).

HOME SWEET HOME: Since joining the NCAA ranks in 2006-07, Dixie State has played to a 135-29 (.823) overall record in the Burns Arena under Head Coach Jon Judkins, including a 12-2 mark last season. In fact, DSU has recorded 13-straight home winning season records in 14 years of NCAA competition overall.
    DSU has posted eight 10-plus win seasons during its four-year era, highlighted by a perfect 12-0 record in 2009-10, and 11-1 records in consecutive seasons in 2015-16 and 2016-17.

HOME SWEET HOME, PART 2: Dixie State finished the 2019-20 season ranked second-nationally at the NCAA Division II level in home game attendance. This past season's accomplishment also marked the 11th-straight season overall that the Trailblazer program has closed a season ranked in the top-10 in the nation in home attendance.
    DSU posted the second-highest totals in both average attendance (2,432) and in total attendance (34,043) in 14 total home dates last season, which included a season-high 3,493 fans that saw the Trailblazers defeat Western Colorado back on Jan. 25, 2020.  
    Dixie State also finished sixth among Utah's eight NCAA member institutions in average attendance in 2019-20, behind BYU (189,392/12,626 per game – 15 games), Utah (147,852/10,561 – 14 games), Utah State (138,737/8,671 – 16 games), Weber State (61,610/4,401 – 14 games) and Utah Valley (31,889/2,453 – 13 games). However, DSU did finish well ahead of both Southern Utah (32,651/2,332 – 14 games) and Westminster College (3,389/226 – 15 games).
    Since the 2008-09 season, Dixie State was annually ranked in the top-15 in Division II in home attendance, including second-overall in 2012-13 and 2013-14, and third in the country in 2010-11, 2011-12 and 2018-19 campaigns. DSU was also ranked fourth-overall in 2016-17, fifth in 2014-15, sixth in 2015-16, ninth in 2009-10 and 2017-18, and 14th in 2008-09.

HOW ABOUT WHEN THE BAGS ARE PACKED?: Dixie State is 131-93 (.585) in 224 games away from home in its NCAA era under Coach Judkins, including a combined 11-5 record last season (7-5 road; 4-0 neutral). Overall, the Trailblazers have played to a 103-72 record (.588) in true road games, and a 28-21 mark (.571) in neutral site games during Judkins' tenure.
    DSU has won eight or more games away from home in 11 of its previous 14 NCAA campaigns overall, including a program best 15-5 record (10-2 in road contests) in 2010-11.

RELEASE...ROTATION...SPLASH: Dating back to late in the 2016-17 season, Dixie State has hit at least one 3-pointer in 89-straight games, including a season-high 12 3-pointers last season at Westminster, (2/28/20) and 11 trifectas in the come-from behind win at New Mexico Highlands (12/13/19).
    Nearly two seasons ago, DSU nailed a school record-tying 13 treys at Colorado Mesa (1/25/19), which was followed by 10 more 3-pointers the next night at Western Colorado (1/26/19). That feat marked the first time in the program's NCAA era that Dixie State had made 10 or more 3-pointers in back-to-back games.
    In all, Dixie State has hit at least one three pointer in 290 of its last 292 games overall, and in 385 of the program's 388 NCAA-era games since the beginning of the 2006-07 season.
    Dixie State has reached double-figures in made 3-pointers 19 times in its four-year era overall, highlighted by a single-game 3FGM school record of 13 first set at Carroll College on Nov. 11, 2008.

AGAINST NON-CONFERENCE OPPONENTS: Dixie State is 77-68 (.531) all-time against non-conference opponents in 14 seasons of four-year competition, which included a 6-2 mark last season, and an 11-14 record in the program's first year of NCAA play (2006-07). Additionally, DSU owns a combined 7-14 postseason record (4-4 PacWest, 1-2 RMAC, 2-8 NCAA).
    DSU has recorded seven winning seasons in non-conference games in its four-year era, 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....: Dixie State enters Wednesday's season opener vs. North Dakota having lost three of its last four season openers, though the Blazers were able to snap a three-game season opening losing slide with a 71-65 neutral site win vs. Texas A&M-Commerce (11/8/19) last season in Salt Lake City.
    DSU is 7-7 all-time in season-opening games during the program's NCAA era, but has won five of their last eight, and seven of its previous 12 openers overall.
    In addition, Dixie State is 10-4 all-time in 14 Burns Arena debuts as a four-year program and has won seven of its last eight home openers. 

A DECADE OF DOMINANCE: Dixie State closed out the 2010-19 decade as one of the most dominant programs in the NCAA Division II ranks. DSU posted a 208-74 (.737) overall record and captured six Pacific West Conference championships (and two PacWest tournament crowns) over that 10-year span. In addition, the program earned eight NCAA Tournament bids, including seven-straight NCAA postseason appearances from 2010-16.
    Dixie State notched six 20-win seasons in the decade, including a NCAA-era record 23 victories in the 2017-18 season.
    DSU also began the decade with a seven-game winning streak and won 10 of its first 11 games overall to finish that year 15-3 (20-6 overall), while the Trailblazers closed the decade, coincidentally, by winning 10 of its final 11 games over the first two months of the 2019-20 season. 

DON'T CALL IT A COMEBACK: Dixie State's come-from-behind overtime victory at New Mexico Highlands (109-108; 12/13/19), during which DSU erased a 19-point second half deficit, marked the second-largest double-digit comeback in the program's NCAA era. In the 2013-14 season, Dixie State rallied from a 21-point (14-35) first half hole at home vs. Chaminade (2/15/14), outscoring the Silverswords 76-42 over the final 30-plus minutes of play to post a 90-77 triumph.
    The Trailblazers' 19-point rally at NMHU is the largest road comeback in the program's four-year era, passing the 17-point first half deficit DSU erased in a thrilling 66-64 win at California Baptist in the 2018 PacWest Tournament championship game (3/3/18).

2019-20 TEAM NOTE RECAP:
* - Dixie State saw its final season of NCAA Division II competition come to an abrupt end on March 11, after the NCAA canceled all remaining winter and spring sports championships due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
* - DSU, which won the 2019-20 RMAC regular season title (17-5) and earned the No. 3-overall seed in the 2020 NCAA Division II Men's Basketball South Central regional, finished the year with a 23-7 overall record.
* - The 23 wins tied a program record for wins (23-7 in 2017-18).
* - Dixie State set a new NCAA-era record for consecutive regular season wins at 23, which including the final 13 regular season games  of 2018-19, and the first 10 games last season.
* - DSU has played to a whopping 170-51 (.769) overall record during the final two months of the regular season in the program's NCAA era (14 seasons), including a 12-5 mark this year.
* - DSU tied an NCAA era program record last season after recording its 20th win in 24 total games (20-4) after a 102-81 home triumph over Adams State (2/14).  
* - Dixie State also broke eight NCAA era team records last season for points scored (2,440), FGM (898), FGA (1,847), 3FGM (205), 3FGA (565), defensive rebounds (848), assists (522) and assists/game (17.4 apg). DSU's 81.3 ppg was also tied for second all-time in the NCAA era.
* - DSU reserves outscored their opponent's reserves by a combined 748-571 (24.9 ppg-19.0 ppg) count last season, including a season-high 45 points and a season-best +30 (45-15) scoring margin in the win vs. Adams State (2/14). * - DSU's bench has outscored its opponents' reserves in 22 of 30 games overall.
* - Dixie State reached the 100-point plateau three times last season and went 3-0 overall (vs. Adams State 102-81 [02/14]; vs. UT-Tyler 100-91 [11/9]; at NM Highlands 109-108 [12/13].
* - Dixie State's 109 points scored at NMHU (12/13) were the third-most in the program's NCAA era, while the 108 points scored by NMHU were a DSU opponent single-game record.
* - Meanwhile, the 217 combined points scored in the DSU/NMHU game are also a new DSU program record, beating the previous total of 207 set in a 104-103 overtime loss at Azusa Pacific (12/10/16) during the 2016-17 campaign.
* - DSU is 20-13 all-time in overtime games. Four of those 33 games have gone to double-overtime (2-2), the last was a 79-75 loss at Cal Poly Pomona (11/10/17) in the 2017-18 season opener.
* - Dating back to the 2016-17 season, Dixie State has had 59 of its last 113 games decided by nine points or less, including 14 of 30 games last season (9-5).
* - Meanwhile, 14 of Dixie State's 23 wins last season were by double-digits, including eight of its last 12, highlighted by a season-high +30 point margin vs. Western Colorado (1/25).
* - Also dating back to 2016-17, Dixie State has shot 50 percent or better in 43 of its last 108 games overall, including 10 of the last 14 games overall last season.
* - DSU won the "Battle of the Boards" in 25 of 30 games last year, highlighted by a season-best +30 margin (54-24) vs. Adams State (2/14), and a +20 margin (43-23, 11-2 on offensive glass) at Westminster (2/28) ...
* - DSU has outrebounded an opponent in 68 of its last 84 games dating back to the 2017-18 campaign.

ABOUT THE NORTH DAKOTA "FIGHTING HAWKS": North Dakota comes to St. George on Wednesday with a game already under its belt as the Fighting Hawks opened their 2020-21 campaign with an 81-67 road loss at Miami (OH) this past Wednesday night. Sophomore guard Caleb Nero (6-2; Weber State transfer) led two Fighting Hawks in double figures with 16 points off the bench.
    North Dakota returns two starters and seven total players from a 2019-20 squad that went 15-18 overall and advanced to 2020 Summit League Tournament championship game (7-9; 6th in the SL). In addition, DSU will see a familiar face on the UND side as junior forward Mitchell Sueker (6-9) is listed a probable starter for the Fighting Hawks. Sueker played two seasons at RMAC member South Dakota Mines (2018-20), where he was tabbed as the conference's freshman of the year in 2018-19, and averaged 11.5 points in two previous games vs. Dixie State.

UP NEXT: Dixie State wraps up its season opening season this Saturday against Saint Katherine. Tip-off is slated for 2 p.m.