Utah Valley (5-4) at Weber State (3-6) GAME INFORMATION
TV: KJZZ (Dave Fox/Lance Allred)
Radio: ESPN 960 AM (Jim McCulloch/Holton Hunsaker)
Radio Webcast: espn960sports.com
Live Video Stream: Big Sky
Live Stats Link: Weber State StatBroadcast
 

---

OPENING TIP
Utah Valley will play its third-straight game and fourth overall contest against an in-state opponent as the Wolverines travel to Ogden to take on Weber State on Saturday night. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. at the Dee Events Center.  UVU is 1-2 this season against in-state opponents with a win at BYU and losses to Utah and Utah State.

The Wolverines hold a 2-3 mark on the road this season. The team's road victories include wins at Denver and at BYU. UVU trailed by two or less points with under a minute remaining on the road at both Washington State and Utah.

Conner Toolson recorded his first career double-double with 24 points and a career-high 11 rebounds, while Isaac Neilson registered his fourth double-double of the season with 16 points and 14 rebounds in an 80-79 overtime loss to Utah State on Dec. 10 at the UCCU Center.

Sophomore guard Conner Toolson leads the Wolverines in scoring at 15.2 points per game. Junior forward Isaac Neislon ranks second on the team in scoring at 14.6 points a contest. Neilson leads the team on the boards, pulling down 10.7 rebounds a game. Brandon Randolph leads the team in assists, averaging 6.2 helpers a game.

Kenneth Ogbe leads the nation with a 63.9 percent clip from beyond the arc. KenPom.com ranks Ogbe as fifth in the nation in true shooting percentage at 76.5. KenPom.com also ranks Ogbe as the seventh most efficient shooter with an 75.1 percent effective field goal percentage.  Randolph ranks 19th nationally in assists per game at 6.2. As a team, UVU ranks fourth in the nation in tempo, according to KenPom.com.

Utah Valley knocked down a school-record 18 three-point field goals en route to its 114-101 win at BYU on Nov. 26. The 114 points are the second most points ever scored in a game by the Wolverines and is the most points ever scored by a BYU opponent in the Marriott Center. UVU ranks 11th nationally at 10.5 threes per game.

Utah Valley recorded its biggest comeback in school history on Nov. 23 as the team erased a 27-point deficit to defeat Denver 88-85 at Magness Arena. The Wolverines nearly erased an 18-point deficit in Wednesday's loss at Washington State as the Wolverines pulled to within one point with under a minute to play. UVU erased a 14-point deficit to take a three-point lead late in the loss at Utah.

BROADCAST INFORMATION
Saturday's game at Weber State will be televised live on KJZZ with Dave Fox and Lance Allred calling the action. The game will also be broadcast live on ESPN 960 AM radio with Jim McCulloch and Holton Hunsaker 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. A live video stream will be available at WatchBigSky.com.

ABOUT WEBER STATE
Weber State heads into Saturday's matchup against Utah Valley with a 3-6 overall record. The Wildcats head into the matchup against UVU fresh off an 107-51 win over West Coast Baptist on Dec. 10 at home. Weber State holds a 2-1 record at the Dee Events Center this year with wins over Antelope Valley and West Coast Baptist. WSU's win over West Coast Baptist snapped a four-game losing streak. The 56-point win was the seventh largest margin of victory in Weber State history. Seven Wildcats scored in double figures led by senior Jeremy Senglin who had 20 points. Senglin was 7-of-9 from the field, including 6-of-7 from three-point range. The six 3-pointers moved him past Damian Lillard into second place on the Weber State career 3-pointer list. Senglin leads the Wildcats in scoring this season at 17.8 points per game. Kyndahl Hill fronts the team on the boards at 7.2 rebounds per game. As a team, WSU averages 76.1 points per game while allowing opponents an average of 66.0 points a contest. The team averages 8.4 threes per game. Weber State is coached by Randy Rahe who is in his 11th season with the team.

SERIES HISTORY VS. WEBER STATE
Utah Valley and Weber State meet on the basketball hardwood for the 10th time on Saturday. The Wildcats hold an all-time 5-4 advantage over the Wolverines. Utah Valley is 20-25 all-time against teams from the Big Sky Conference. Utah Valley picked up a double overtime 81-81 win over Weber State the last time the two teams played on Dec. 9, 2015 at the UCCU Center. Weber State took a 73-61 win over UVU the last time the two teams played in Ogden on Dec. 20, 2014.

UVU DROPS 80-79 DECISION TO UTAH STATE IN OVERTIME
Conner Toolson recorded a 24-point, 11-rebound double-double and Isaac Neilson scored 16 points with 14 rebounds for his fourth double-double of the season to lead Utah Valley in an 80-79 overtime loss to Utah State on Dec. 10 at the UCCU Center.
 
Down by one point, 79-78, UVU fouled Utah State's Shane Rector, who knocked down a pair of free throws with 1.6 seconds left on the clock in overtime to help the Aggies secure an 80-79 win, as Utah Valley was unable to get a shot off as time expired.
 
Toolson knocked down 8-of-15 shots from the field and hit 7-of-7 shots at the free throw line to score his game-high 24 points. The sophomore guard also pulled down a rebound and registered a steal to go along with his career-high 11 rebounds.
 
Neilson registers his fourth double-double of the season with 16 points and 14 rebounds. Neilson hit 5-of-6 shots from the field and went 6-for-8 at the charity stripe on the night. The junior forward also had a pair of blocks and an assist.
 
Jordan Poydras was also in double figures with 16 points, connecting on 5-of-13 shots from the field, including three shots from long range. Poydras also had one assists, one steal and a pair of rebounds. Brandon Randolph scored 10 points with six rebounds and a game-high six assists.
 
Utah Valley took a 69-66 lead with under two minutes to play in regulation before Utah State's Koby McEwen knocked down a three to tie the game, 69-69. UVU's Kenneth Ogbe was fouled and hit 1-of-2 free throws to give the Wolverines a 70-69 lead with 1:32 to play. USU's Rector dunked the ball with 1:03 remaining to give the Aggies a 71-70 advantage. USU then fouled Neilson who went to the line and connected on 1-of-2 shots to tie the game, 71-71, with 52 seconds to play. Neither team could connect on a shot down the stretch as the two times headed to overtime.

NEILSON SCORES RECORDS 28-POINT, 15-REBOUND DOUBLE DOUBLE IN LOSS AT UTAH
Isaac Neilson registered a career-high 28-point, 15-rebound double-double and Jordan Poydras scored 21 points in an 87-80 setback to in-state foe Utah on Tuesday night at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City.
 
The Wolverines drop to 5-3 on the season with the loss and look to rebound on Saturday when the team hosts in-state rival Utah State. Utah improves to 6-1 on the year with the win.
 
Trailing 75-73, Conner Toolson knocked down a shot from long range to give the Wolverines a 76-75 lead with 2:44 to play. Poydras then stole the ball and Brandon Randolph connected on the other end to give UVU a 78-75 advantage with two minutes to go. Utah's Tyler Rawson responded with a shot from long range to tie the game, 78-78. Poydras couldn't get a three to fall and Utah took advantage with a layup on the other end to put the Utes ahead, 80-78, with a minute to go. A Utah three-pointer gave the Utes a five-point edge, forcing UVU to foul and send Utah to the free throw line. Utah then went 4-for-4 at the line over the final 20 seconds to help secure the win. UVU had overcome a 14-point deficit to take the lead before surrendering the loss.
 
Neilson connected on 13-of-20 shots from the field and went 2-for-5 at the free throw line for his game-high 28 points. He also pulled down a career-high 15 boards for his third double-double of the season.
 
Poydras scored his 21 points on 8-of-12 shooting from the field, which included a 4-of-7 clip from long range. The senior guard also dished out four assists on the night.

OGBE LEADS NATION IN 3-POINT FIELD GOAL PERCENTAGE, FIFTH-MOST EFFECTIVE SHOOTER IN THE NATION ACCORDING TO KENPOM.COM
As of Dec. 14, UVU junior forward Kenneth Ogbe holds the best three-point field goal percentage in the nation at 63.9 percent. Ogbe has knocked down 23-of-36 shots from beyond the arc this season and averages nearly three makes from beyond the arc per game. KenPom.com ranks Ogbe as the nation's fifth-most efficient shooter with an 76.5 percent effective field goal percentage. KenPom.com also ranks Ogbe with the seventh-best true shooting percentage in the nation at 75.1 percent. Ogbe is shooting 57.9 percent from the field this year, knocking down 33 of the 57 shots he has taken this season.

WOLVERINES CONTINUE TO RECEIVE VOTES IN COLLEGEINSIDER.COM MID MAJOR TOP 25 POLL
Utah Valley fell out of the CollegeInsider.com Mid Major Top 25 Poll after going 0-2 last week with losses at Utah and at home against Utah State. The Wolverines made their debut at No. 24 in the Nov. 28 version of the poll before dropping to No. 25 last week. Despite the pair of losses last week, UVU continues to be among others receiving votes in the poll.

FAST AND THE FURIOUS
As of Dec. 14, KenPom.com has Utah Valley ranked as the fourth-fastest team in the nation at 78.8 possessions per 40 minutes. The Citadel is ranked as the No. 1 tempo team in the nation, followed by Savannah State, BYU and Utah Valley.

LOVING THE LONG BALL
Utah Valley has knocked down 88 three-pointers through just nine games this season. At that pace, Utah Valley is set to connect on more than 280 shots from beyond the arc this season. The team is on track to break the UVU single season record of 256 made threes set by last year's team. UVU has already broken the all-time UVU single game record for threes made with 18 at BYU. The team also broke the single game UVU record for threes attempted as the Wolverines put up a school-record 43 three-point attempts in a 86-52 win over Benedictine on Nov. 19, surpassing the previous record of 37 set last season against Chicago State (2/18/2016). Utah Valley ranks 26th in the nation in threes per game, averaging 9.8 threes a contest.

WIN STREAK ENDS AT FOUR GAMES
Utah Valley won four straight games for the first time since the 2013-14 season, the same year the Wolverines won the WAC regular season title. UVU four-game win streak included wins over Idaho State, Benedictine, Denver and BYU.

NEILSON NAMED WAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK FOR NOV. 21-27
Utah Valley junior forward Isaac Neilson has been named the Western Athletic Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Week for his play in a pair of UVU road wins over BYU and Denver. This is the first-ever WAC Player of the Week honor for Neilson. The Mission Viejo, Calif., native averaged 15.5 points, 9.5 rebounds and 2.0 blocks per game last week and led Utah Valley to a 2-0 record with a come-from-behind road win at Denver and the team's first-ever win over Brigham Young. Neilson shot a blistering 80.0 percent (12-of-15) from the field, went a perfect 2-for-2 from beyond the arc and knocked down 5-of-7 free throws (71.4 percent). He opened the week by pulling down a team-high 10 rebounds, scoring five points and blocking two shots to help UVU erase a 27-point deficit, the largest in school history, to defeat Denver 88-85 in the Mile High City last Wednesday. In a historic 114-101 win at BYU, Neilson scored a career-high 26 points, grabbed nine rebounds, blocked two shots, dished out one assist and nabbed one steal against his former team as the Wolverines scored the most points ever at the Marriott Center (114).

UVU BREAKS SCHOOL RECORD WITH 18 THREES IN WIN OVER BYU
Utah Valley's 114 points against BYU are the most points ever scored against the Cougars in the Marriott Center. UVU's 18 three-point field goals are also the most ever recorded in the Marriott Center. The 18 threes breaks the UVU single game record for threes, breaking the previous record of 16 set in 2009 against NJIT.

RANDOLPH BREAKS UVU SINGLE GAME ASSISTS RECORD, TOP MARK IN NATION THIS SEASON
Utah Valley junior guard Brandon Randolph registered 14 assists in the Wolverines' win at BYU on Nov. 26. The 14 assists are the most ever recorded in a single game in UVU history. Randolph breaks the previous record of 12 set by Nick Thompson on Dec. 28, 2012 against Austin Peay. The 14 assists ties Randolph with Fordham's  Joseph Chartouny and  Ball State's Tayler Persons for the most assists dished out in a single game in the country this season. Randolph ranks 20th nationally, averaging 6.3 assists per game this season.

UVU HOLDS SECOND-BEST RPI IN THE WAC
Utah Valley's RPI sits at No. 131, according to the NCAA on Dec. 14. UVU holds the second-best RPI in the WAC behind only New Mexico State at 75. UVU sits ahead of UMKC (142), Grand Canyon (143), Seattle U (198), CSU Bakersfield (213), Chicago State (273), and UTRGV (314).

UVU PICKS UP HISTORIC 114-101 WIN OVER CROSSTOWN RIVAL BYU
Isaac Neilson scored a career-high 26 points and Brandon Randolph recorded a 21-point, 14-assist double-double to help lead the Utah Valley University men's basketball team to a 114-101 win over Brigham Young in the UCCU Crosstown Clash on Nov. 26 at the Marriott Center.  

Utah Valley knocked down a school-record 18 three-point field goals en route to its 114-point performance—the second most points ever scored in a game by the Wolverines. The 114 points are also the most points ever scored by a BYU opponent in the Marriott Center.

Neilson connected on an impressive 10-of-12 shots from the field, including a perfect 2-of-2 clip from beyond the arc. The junior forward was just one rebound shy of his third double-double with nine boards. He also tallied a pair of blocks. Randolph registered his career-high 21 points on 5-of-14 shooting from the field. The junior also went a perfect 2-for-2 from three and made 8-of-10 free throws.
Randolph was just one rebound shy of a triple-double as he tallied his 21 points with 14 assists and nine rebounds. Randolph's 14 helpers are the most assists ever recorded by a UVU player in a single game, breaking the previous single game record of 12 set by Nick Thompson against Austin Peay in 2012. Conner Toolson and Poydras also had career nights with 21 and 20 points, respectively.  

Jared Stutzman was also in double figures with 11 points. Utah Valley shot 52.9 percent (36-of-68) from the field, including a 48.6 percent (18-of-37) clip from beyond the arc. The Wolverines held BYU to a 47.4 percent (37-of-78) mark from the field and a 28.6 percent (6-of-21) clip from long range. The Wolverines out-rebounded BYU 43-38 on the night.

NATIONAL ACCOLADES POUR IN AFTER WIN OVER BYU
Utah Valley received numerous accolades after its 114-101 at BYU on Nov. 26. The Wolverines received ESPN SportsCenter anchor Kevin Connors' Star of the Night that night on SportsCenter. UVU was named the American Sports Network's Team of the Week. The team also entered the CollegeInsider.com's MidMajor Top 25 poll following the win.

MILE HIGH MAGIC - UVU RECORDS BIGGEST COMEBACK IN SCHOOL HISTORY
Utah Valley recorded its biggest comeback in school history as the Wolverines overcame a 27-point deficit to defeat Denver 88-85 on Nov. 23 at Magness Arena. Utah Valley was just five points shy of breaking the all-time NCAA record for biggest deficit overcome to win a game set by Duke, which came back from 32 points down to defeat Tulane in 1950. The 27-point comeback win breaks the previous UVU record set last season when the Wolverines came back from a 20-point deficit to defeat UMKC, 79-70.

All-Time Biggest Comebacks in UVU history
Nov. 23, 2016    27 points    Utah Valley (88) at Denver (85)    Denver, Colorado
Feb. 20, 2016    20 points    Utah Valley (79) vs. UMKC (70)    Orem, Utah
Dec. 03, 2005    17 points    Utah Valley (71) vs. Sacramento State (69)    Orem, Utah

NELSON CLIMBING UVU CAREER RECORD CHARTS
Zach Nelson currently ranks in the top-10 in 17 different all-time individual career statistical categories. The junior forward ranks fourth all-time at UVU in blocks (70), fifth in blocks per game (1.0), fifth in rebounds (416), fifth in defensive rebounds (314), sixth in defensive rebounds per game (4.4), sixth in rebound average (5.9), sixth in games started (69), seventh in assists (187), eighth in points scored (734), eighth in field goals made (285), eighth in field goal percentage (.493), eighth in assist average (2.6), ninth in minutes played (2,101),10th in scoring average (10.3), 10th in field goals attempted (578), 10th in offensive rebounds (102), and 10th in offensive rebound average (1.4).

SECOND-LARGEST CROWD IN UVU HISTORY
Utah Valley welcomed 6,792 fans to its game against Utah State on Dec. 10. The 6,792 fans are the second-most ever to attend a UVU basketball game at the UCCU Center, not far behind the record of 7,124 set in 2010. UVU opened the season with the largest crowd ever for a home opener in UVU history. The 6,117 fans at the home opener against Idaho State also marks the seventh highest attended game in UVU history.

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.

NEW FACES
Utah Valley welcomes 11 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 (Conner Toolson, Kenneth Ogbe, Jake Toolson, Cory Calvert, Akolda Manyang) to this year's roster, including three (Jake Toolson, Cory Calvert, Akolda Manyang) who will have to sit out and redshirt this season. UVU welcomes three freshman to the team in Jared Stutzman, Joonas Tahvanainen and Jeffrey Yan.

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 RANKED 4TH IN PRESEASON COACHES POLL, 5TH IN MEDIA POLL - NELSON NAMED TO PRESEASON ALL-WAC TEAM
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.
 
WAITING IN THE WINGS
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.