Men's Basketball | 11/1/2025 8:00:00 AM

Game #1
Who | Utah Tech (0-0) at South Dakota (0-0)
When | Monday, Nov. 3 – 6:30 p.m. MT
Where | Sanford Coyote Sports Center – Vermillion, S.D.
Broadcast | Summit League Network / 99.5 The Fan Sports Network
Social Media | Instagram + Twitter (X) + #UtahTechBlazers

SCOUTING THE COYOTES
South Dakota is coming off a 19-14 overall record in 2024-25 and a 9-7 mark in the Summit League, finishing fifth in the conference.

The Coyotes finished third in the nation in scoring offense (85.2) while leading the nation in free throws made per game (20).

Bringing back eight returners while welcoming nine newcomers, the Coyotes are led by the return of junior guard Issac Bruns, a Preseason All-Summit League First Team selection after averaging 16.3 points & 4.0 rebounds per game in conference contests last season.

Also returning for USD, who was picked fifth in the Summit League preseason poll, is senior center Cameron Fens, who comes back after averaging 8.6 points & 5.0 rebounds last season.

Redshirt sophomore guard Shey Eberwein (4.5 ppg. & 1.6 rpg.) and senior forward Ashton Smith (4.8 ppg. & 3.4 rpg.) are also top returners for South Dakota.

After taking on UNI and Northern Arizona in exhibition action, the Coyotes will face three Power Four opponents in Creighton, Mizzou & Kansas State in non-conference action before starting conference action at NDSU on Dec. 31.    

Head coach Eric Peterson enters his fourth season with an overall record of 43-53 (.448).

SERIES HISTORY VS. SOUTH DAKOTA
This will be the Trailblazers and Coyotes second meeting after Utah Tech defeated South Dakota, 92-87 last season at Burns Arena.

After trailing 42-39 at halftime, the Trailblazers raced back in the second half to secure the five-point win.

Making his Trailblazer debut against USD last season, Madiba Owona scored 11 points and Samuel "Tobi" Ariyibi notched one of his three double-doubles on the season finishing with 11 points & 12 rebounds.

TRAILBLAZERS VS. SUMMIT LEAGUE OPPONENTS
The Trailblazers have taken on three of the nine programs from the Summit League.

Utah Tech is 6-2 overall against the Summit going 1-0 vs. South Dakota, 3-0 vs. Denver and 2-2 vs. North Dakota.

The Trailblazers defeated Denver at the Stew Morrill Classic last season while its last match up vs. North Dakota came at home on Dec. 16, 2023 falling to the Fighting Hawks.

JUDKINS ENTERS YEAR 21
Head coach Jon Judkins enters his 21st season at Utah Tech sporting a 338-229 (.596) overall record and a 318-217 (.596) mark in NCAA play.

Only eight current Division I coaches have been at their schools longer - Greg Kampe (42nd season at Oakland), Tom Izzo (31-Michigan St.), Mark Few (27-Gonzaga), James Jones (27-Yale), Randy Bennett (27-Saint Mary's), Scott Drew (23-Baylor), Bill Self (23-Kansas) & Gary Manchel (23-Mercyhurst).

SEASON OPENERS/ROAD OPENERS
The Trailblazers are 8-11 in season openers in the NCAA era with a 1-4 mark in the Division I era winning its D1 debut at home over North Dakota on Dec. 2, 2020.

This will be the fifth straight season Utah Tech has started the season on the road and ninth time overall in the NCAA era.

UT is also 8-11 overall in road openers with its last win coming in its 2020-21 road opener at Denver.

QUICK GLANCE BACK AT 2024-25
The Trailblazers are coming off a 7-26 overall mark in 2024-25 and a 2-14 record in WAC play.

UT defeated Southern Utah, 72-65 in the opening round of the WAC Tournament before falling to WAC regular season champion Utah Valley in the quarterfinals in Las Vegas.

ARIYIBI BACK FOR ROUND TWO
Leading the Trailblazers among its six returners is fifth-year senior forward Samuel "Tobi" Ariyibi who is the top returner in points (240), rebounds (162), assists (48), blocks (44), minutes played (674), steals (30), games played (29) and games started (25) from last season.

After playing in only six games in his first three seasons at Washington, the Nigerian native broke out last season and will look to lead the Trailblazers in his final collegiate campaign.

OWONA LOOKS TO BUILD OFF ALL-WAC FRESHMAN SELECTION SEASON
Another top returner for the Trailblazers this season is sophomore guard Madiba Owona, who earned WAC All-Freshman Team honors last season.

After making his Trailblazer debut in Utah Tech's win over South Dakota, the Bordeaux, France native appeared in 20 games while making eight starts.

Owona finished fifth on the team averaging 8.0 points & 1.5 assists per game.

He tallied five games in double figures led by a season-high 22 points at Southern Utah on Feb. 13.

Owona led the team in scoring in two more WAC contests tallying 18 points at California Baptist and at NCAA Tournament participant Grand Canyon with 20 points.

RETURNERS
Four more Trailblazers join Ariyibi and Owona among returners led by senior guard Britton Berrett, sophomore forward Dallin Grant and sophomore guards Hunter Schenck and Preston Vandermyde.

NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK
The Trailblazers welcome eight newcomers to the fold this season led by All-WAC Preseason selection Ethan Potter.

A senior forward from Layton, Utah, Potter comes to UT after three seasons at Utah Valley where he played in 80 career games and scored 459 career points and grabbed 293 career rebounds.

Joining Potter in the frontcourt will be sixth-year senior forward Dario Domingos. A well-traveled WAC veteran, Domingos has spent time at both Tarleton State and UT Arlington along with UT Permian Basin.

The remaining six newcomers feature guards Chance Trujillo (Snow College), Boston Harker (Garden City CC), Jusaun Holt (Kennesaw State/Georgia/Alabama), Marvel Allen (Dayton), Noah Bolanga (St. Bonaventure) and Tanner Davis (Smithfield, Utah).

Holt and Bolanga bring previous Division I experience while Trujillo and Harker arrive from the junior college ranks.

Allen and Davis round out the newcomers and will provide great depth in the backcourt.

TRAILBLAZERS PICKED SIXTH IN PRESEASON POLL
Utah Tech was picked to finish sixth in the WAC preseason poll released on Oct. 28 with the Trailblazers tallying nine points.

California Baptist earned the top spot as the preseason favorite registering five first-place votes and 33 total points.

Utah Valley, who went 15-1 in the WAC last season, was picked second with 29 points followed by Abilene Christian (27 pts.), UT Arlington (22 pts.), Tarleton State (19 pts.) in the third through fifth spots with Southern Utah (8 pts.) rounded out the poll.

EXHIBITION ACTION
The Trailblazers hosted West Coast Baptist College on Oct. 18 defeating the Eagles, 105-55 with Potter leading UT with 23 points.

WHERE THE TRAILBLAZERS RANKED IN THE WAC/NCAA IN 2024-25
Utah Tech ranked second in the WAC in three point attempts per game (22.4) and three pointers made per game (7.5) last season.

The Trailblazers finished third in three point percentage (33.3), fourth in turnovers per game (12.6) and effective field goal percentage (.489).

Individually, Ariybi ranked fourth in the WAC in blocks (44), sixth in blocks per game (1.52) and eighth with three double-doubles.

TOP 10 SINGLE SEASON MARKS IN 2024-25
The Trailblazers set a single season program record for field goal attempts (1,908) in 2024-25 and also posted top 10 marks in three-point field goals made (2nd, 246) & field goal attempts (2nd, 738).

UT also finished third in steals (213), fourth in blocks (106), fifth in points (2,305) & field goals made (810), sixth in offensive rebounds (332), eighth in rebounds (1,090) and ninth in assists (418).

GONSALVES LEAVES MARK ALL OVER RECORD BOOK
Noa Gonsalves left as the program leader for the most career three-pointers made (218) and career three point attempts (587).  

He finished ninth in career three-point field goal percentage at 37.1 percent.

He also set single season program marks for three-pointers made (73) and three-pointers attempted (206).

Overall in 127 games played, Gonsalves hit a three-pointer in 100 contests and finished first in games played (127), second in games started (93), third in career points scored (1,238), field goal attempts (971) & steals (126), fourth in field goal attempts (424) and sixth in free throw percentage (.804).

UP NEXT
The Trailblazers return home for their home opener on Wednesday night hosting Bethesda (0-2) at 7 p.m. at Burns Arena.