Utah Valley vs. Benedictine GAME INFORMATION
Radio: ESPN 960 AM (Jim McCulloch/Matt Peterson)
Radio Webcast: espn960sports.com
Live Video Stream: WolverineGreen.com/Watch (Brandon Crow)
Live Stats Link: UVU StatBroadcast
 

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OPENING TIP
Utah Valley evened up its record to 1-1 after picking up a home-opening 82-73 win over Idaho State on Wednesday night in front of 6,117 fans at the UCCU Center. UVU continues play at home on Saturday night against NAIA foe Benedictine. UVU is now 11-3 all-time in home openers.

Conner Toolson scored a career-high 23 points and Isaac Neilson recorded his first double-double of the season with 14 points and a career-high 12 rebounds to lead the Wolverines to the 82-73 win over Idaho State. Kenneth Ogbe helped with 17 points which included four made shots from beyond the arc. Brandon Randolph and Jared Stutzman were also in double figures with 12 and 11 points, respectively.

Utah Valley welcomed 6,117 fans through its doors on Wednesday night. The win over Idaho State marks the seventh largest crowd in UVU's Division I history and the largest crowd ever to witness a home opener at the UCCU Center.

Utah Valley returns only three players from last year's team that went 12-18 in head coach Mark Pope's inaugural season. Ivory Young and Andrew Bastien are the lone returning starters from the 2015-16 season. Young ranked fourth on the team in scoring at 9.0 points per game and led UVU from long range, connecting on 37.7 percent (49-of-130) of his shots from beyond the arc. Andrew Bastien led the team in blocks with 52.

The Wolverines welcome 11 new players to this year's roster, including five who sat out the 2014-15 season due to NCAA transfer rules or injuries. UVU welcomes eight transfers and three freshmen to the team. Three of UVU's newcomers will have redshirt the season due to transfer rules. Two-year starter Zach Nelson, who sat out last season with injury, returns to the hardwood this season. The preseason all-WAC honoree is the lone remaining player from UVU's 2014 WAC regular season championship team.

The Wolverines were selected to finish fourth by the coaches and fifth by the media in the WAC preseason poll. UVU received two first place votes in the media poll.

Mark Pope enters his second season as the head coach of the Utah Valley men's basketball team. The Kentucky graduate led a depleted and injury-riddled roster to 12 wins in his debut season, including wins over Weber State, UTSA and Idaho State.

BROADCAST INFORMATION
Saturday's game against Benedictine will be streamed live at WolverineGreen.com/Watch. Brandon Crow will be calling the action on the live stream.

The game will also be broadcast live on ESPN 960 AM radio with Jim McCulloch and former UVU player Matt Peterson handling the play-by-play and color duties. A live stream of the radio broadcast will be available through ESPN960sports.com and also through the ESPN 960 app, which is available for both iPhone and Android.

ABOUT BENEDICTINE
Benedictine University is in its second year as a full NAIA member. BenU is a member of the California Pacific Conference. The Mesa, Arizona institution enters Saturday night's game against the Wolverines with a 3-4 record. The Redhawks head into the UCCU Center fresh off a 93-61 setback at Northern Arizona on Thursday night. The loss to the Lumberjacks does not count in BenU's overall record as the contest counts as an exhibition game for the Redhawks. Senior guard Devin White led four players in double figures, scoring 16 points and grabbing a team-high six rebounds in the loss. Senior guard Troy Conley hit five three-pointers on his way to 15 points and both Jorge Cano and Monnard Brown added 12 for BenU at Mesa. Cano leads the Redhawks in scoring at 14.7 points a contest. Brown also averages double figures at 10.3 points per game, while Joe Baldi helps at 9.9 points a game. Cano also leads BenU on the boards, pulling down 5.3 rebounds per game.

SERIES HISTORY VS. NON-DIVISION I OPPONENTS
Utah Valley takes on a non-Division I opponent for the 51st time on Saturday night against NAIA foe Benedictine at Mesa. The Wolverines hold a perfect 50-0 all-time record against non-DI foes since becoming a Division I member in 2003. In its last 10 games against non-DI schools, UVU has defeated its opponents by an average of 32 points.

Last 10 Results vs. Non Division I Schools
Nov. 17, 2012    Utah Valley def. Arizona Christian, 96-70
Jan. 28, 2013    Utah Valley def. Peru State, 84-49     
Feb. 11, 2013    Utah Valley def. Northern New Mexico, 86-63  
Feb. 18, 2013    Utah Valley def. Pacific Union, 73-43       
Dec. 7, 2013    Utah Valley def. St. Katherine, 89-37   
Dec. 20, 2013    Utah Valley def. Haskell, 103-64
Dec. 30, 2014    Utah Valley def. Bristol, 83-50  
Nov. 14, 2015    Utah Valley def. Great Falls, 89-60  
Nov. 20, 2015    Utah Valley def. Antelope Valley, 104-60  
Jan. 2, 2016    Utah Valley def. San Diego Christian, 88-79 

SEVENTH LARGEST CROWD IN UVU HISTORY
The 6,117 fans is the largest crowd for a home opener in UVU history. The Idaho State game is the highest attended game at the UCCU Center since the matchup with Utah State on Dec. 13, 2014 that produced 6,121 fans. Wednesday night's game marks the seventh highest attended game in UVU history.

All-Time UVU Mbb Largest Crowds
1.    12/18/2010 vs. Utah State                   7,124  L, 58-76
2.     02/25/2012 vs. UTPA                         6,602  W, 74-64
3.     01/03/2012 vs. Wyoming                   6,556  L, 70-76
4.     11/19/2011 vs. UMKC                        6,437  W, 58-54
5.     02/04/2010 vs. UTPA                         6,324  W, 67-53
6.     12/13/2014 vs. Utah State                 6,121  L, 47-50
7.     11/16/16 vs. Idaho State                    6,117  W, 82-73
8.     03/07/2014 vs. CSU Bakersfield       5,068  W, 64-55
9.     02/27/2014 vs. NM State                   4,954  W, 66-61 (2OT)
10.   12/12/2008 vs. Utah State                 4,023  L, 50-69
10.    12/09/2006 vs. Utah State                4,002  L, 65-69

UVU WINS HOME OPENER OVER IDAHO STATE, 82-73
Conner Toolson scored a career-high 23 points and Isaac Neilson recorded a 14-point, 12-rebound double-double to lead the Utah Valley University men's basketball team to an 82-73 win over Idaho State on Wednesday night in front of 6,117 fans at the UCCU Center. The first half produced nine ties and eight lead changes as the two teams went back-and-forth with neither team taking more than a five-point lead. Trailing by four points, 35-31, with 1:46 remaining in the half, UVU's Kenneth Ogbe and Toolson hit back-to-back threes to help the Wolverines take a 37-35 lead into halftime. A Brandon Randolph layup and a pair of Ogbe free throws gave the Wolverines a six point lead, 41-35 to open second half play. ISU battled back with a 9-2 run to take its own six-point lead, 50-44, at the 14:25 mark. Trailing 58-56 with 8:51 remaining, UVU went on a 14-4 run to take a 70-62 lead with five minutes to play. The Wolverines held on to the lead over the final minutes to secure the win. Toolson scored his 23 points on 7-of-12 shooting from the field, including a 3-of-7 clip from beyond the arc and a 6-of-8 mark from the charity stripe. The sophomore guard also pulled down eight rebounds with three steals, one block and an assist. Neilson connected on 5-of-7 shots on the night and knocked down 4-of-6 free throws for his 14 points. Ogbe recorded his second-straight double-digit game of the season with 17 points. The junior guard knocked down 5-of-8 shots from the field, including four three-pointers. Ogbe also tallied three rebounds, two steals and a pair of blocks. Randolph and Jared Stutzman were also in double figures with 12 and 11 points, respectively. Randolph hit four shots from the field and was a perfect 4-for-4 at the charity stripe. He also dished out a team-high four assists. Stutzman connected on 4-of-5 shots from the field, including a perfect 3-of-3 mark from long range. As a team, Utah Valley shot 43.5 percent (27-of-62) from the field, including 11 made shots from long range. The Wolverines held Idaho State to a 39.4 percent (28-of-71) clip from the field. The two teams each pulled down 45 rebounds on the night.

UVU IMPROVES TO 11-3 ALL-TIME IN HOME OPENERS
With its 82-73 win over Idaho State on Wednesday night at the UCCU Center, Utah Valley now holds an all-time 11-3 record in home openers since making the transition to Division I in 2003. The Wolverines have now won six straight home openers dating back to the 2011-12 season.

UVU OPENS SEASON WITH 92-69 LOSS AT #13 GONZAGA
Conner Toolson scored a game-high 19 points and Kenneth Ogbe added 13 to lead Utah Valley in a 92-69 season-opening loss to No. 13 Gonzaga Friday night at the McCarthey Athletic Center in Spokane, Washington. Gonzaga (1-0) knocked down its first three shots of the game to take a quick 8-0 lead just 30 seconds into the game. The Bulldogs then capped off a 9-0 run on a Jordan Mathews three-pointer to extend the lead to a 28-13 advantage with 8:54 remaining in the opening half. Utah Valley (0-1) responded with a 12-2 run on back-to-back threes by Toolson and Ogbe to cut the Gonzaga lead to just five points, 30-25, with six minutes to go in the half. It would be as close as UVU would get as Gonzaga went into the break with a 45-32 lead. The Zags opened the second half with an 8-2 run to take a 19-point, 56-37 lead. The Wolverines got as close as 14 points, 69-55, at the 9:34 mark but couldn't get any closer as Gonzaga out-scored UVU 23-14 over the final nine minutes to secure the 92-69 win. Toolson led all scorers with 19 points. The sophomore guard connected on 7-of-12 shots from the field, including a 4-of-7 clip from long range. He also tallied three assists and pulled down a pair of rebounds in 28 minutes of play. Ogbe scored his 13 points on 3-of-6 shooting, including two shots from three. Isaac Neilson was also in double figures with 10 points.  The junior forward knocked down 4-of-9 shots, including one shot from beyond the arc. Neilson led the Wolverines with seven rebounds. Zach Nelson scored nine points, while Brandon Randolph helped with seven. Randolph also added six rebounds. Gonzaga out-rebounded UVU 51-31 on the night and out-scored the Wolverines 42-24 in the paint. Utah Valley committed only 11 turnovers while forcing the Zags into 16. Silas Melson led the Bulldogs with a team-high 17 points, while Mathews helped with 16.

RANDOLPH'S TRIPLE-DOUBLE LEADS UTAH VALLEY TO 113-87 WIN OVER WESTERN STATE IN EXHIBITION CONTEST
Brandon Randolph recorded a 20-point, 10-rebound, 10-assist triple-double to lead the Utah Valley University men's basketball team to a 113-87 win over Division II foe Western State in an exhibition contest on Monday night at the UCCU Center. Randolph scored his game-high 20 points on a 6-of-9 clip from the field, including a 3-of-9 mark from beyond the arc. He also knocked down 7-of-9 free throws. The junior guard had two steals to go along with his 10 assists and 10 rebounds. Conner Toolson and Jared Stutzman each added 15 points.  Toolson knocked down 6-of-14 shots from the field, including three shots from long range. The sophomore guard also tallied a team-high three steals. Stutzman hit 5-of-9 shots on the night with four three-pointers. He also pulled down five rebounds and dished out a pair of assists. Isaac Neilson and Kenneth Ogbe had 12 points, while Zach Nelson helped with 11. Ivory Young had 10 points.

NUVI BASKETBALL CENTER
Utah Valley University broke ground on a new $3.5 million basketball practice and conditioning facility on June 22 at a ceremony celebrating the new building.
 
The 14,500-square-foot facility, which is privately funded, will be named the NUVI Basketball Center after a lead donation from NUVI executive chair Keith Nellesen. The structure will be located on the south side of the UCCU Center on UVU's Orem campus.
 
The facility, designed by Method Studio, will include 8,000 square feet of court space and nine basketball standards, with "game-day atmosphere" graphics to match the UCCU Center environment. A mesh wall will separate the court from 1,900 square feet of strength and conditioning space, with sliding doors to dampen sound when necessary. A mezzanine level overlooks the court and will include 3,000 square feet of office space split into suites for the men's and women's coaching staff. Each suite will feature a large office for each head coach that can double as a conference room, offices for three assistant coaches and basketball operations.

FRESH FACES
Utah Valley welcomes 13 new players to its roster this season, including three players (Brandon Randolph, Isaac Neilson, Jordan Poydras) who had to sit out last season due to NCAA transfer rules. The Wolverines have added five new transfers to this year's roster, including three who will have to sit out and redshirt this season.UVU welcomes three freshman to the team, including sharp-shooters Conner Toolson and Jared Stutzman.

MBA SMARTS
Utah Valley might be the only team in the country with two juniors that are entering their first year in a post graduate MBA program. Zach Nelson and Kenneth Ogbe started their first year in the MBA program at UVU this year.

UVU RANKS 4TH IN PRESEASON COACHES POLL, 5TH IN MEDIA POLL - NELSON NAMED PRESEASON ALL-WAC
The Utah Valley University men's basketball team was picked to finish fourth by the coaches and fifth by the media in the WAC preseason polls released at the annual WAC Preview and Media Day at the Marriott Denver Airport Gateway Park.
 
UVU junior forward Zach Nelson earned preseason all-WAC second team honors by both the coaches and the media. Nelson returns to the team after sitting out last season with a medical redshirt. The junior forward played in all 30 games and made 28 starts for UVU during the 2014-15 season. He led the team in rebounding at 6.1 rebounds a game and ranked second on the team in scoring at 11.0 points a contest.
New Mexico State was picked to win the league in both polls. The Aggies received nine of the 24 available first place votes from the media and four first place votes from the coaches.
 
In the coaches' poll, Grand Canyon was picked to finish second with CSU Bakersfield third and Utah Valley fourth. Seattle U and UMKC tied for fifth followed by UT Rio Grande Valley in seventh and Chicago State in eighth.
 
On the media side, Grand Canyon was picked second and CSU Bakersfield was third. Seattle U was selected fourth and Utah Valley was fifth. UMKC was picked to finish sixth, followed by UTRGV in seventh and Chicago State in eighth. Utah Valley received two first place votes in the media poll.
 
HOLDING PATTERN
Utah Valley has three players that must redshirt this season due to NCAA transfer rules. UVU signees Jake Toolson (BYU), Cory Calvert (BYU) and Akolda Manyang (Oklahoma) will redshirt this season.