UTAH VALLEY TRAVELS TO THE WINDY CITY TO TAKE ON CHICAGO STATE

• Utah Valley travels to the Windy City this week to continue WAC play at Chicago State on Thursday night at the Jones Convocation Center. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m. MT.
   
• Fardaws Aimaq recorded his nation-leading 17th double-double of the season with 15 points and 14 rebounds while Connor Harding added 12 and Le'Tre Darthard 11 to lead Utah Valley to a 58-41 win over Lamar on Saturday afternoon at the UCCU Center. Aimaq did most of his damage at the free throw line where he knocked down 11 of 12 shots en route to his 15 points. He also pulled down 14 rebounds with two assists, one block, and a steal. Harding scored his 12 points on 3 of 5 shooting, including a pair of threes. He also had three rebounds, three assists, and a steal. Darthard was also in double figures with 11 points, connecting on 3 of 7 shots, including one from long range. He also had three rebounds with a pair of assists.
   
• As of Jan. 24, Utah Valley started the season with a KenPom.com ranking of 221. Since then, the Wolverines have climbed 103 spots to 118 as of Jan. 21. It is the seventh-biggest jump in the country this season. It is the biggest jump in the WAC and biggest jump among Division I teams in the state of Utah.
   
• Fardaws Aimaq has earned multiple honors already this season. He already has three WAC Player of the Week honors, two Lute Olson National Player of the Week wards, and an ESPN Player of the Week award.
   
• As of Jan. 24, Fardaws Big Maple Aimaq leads the nation in double-doubles (17) and defensive rebounds per game (10.95). Aimaq also ranks second in total rebounds (266) and rebounds per game (14.0). He is also third in free throw attempts (126), 13th in free throws made (90), 16th in field goals made (134), and 20th in total points (366).
   
• As a team, Utah Valley ranks fourth in the nation in defensive rebounds per game (29.95), ninth in total rebounds (783), 10th in rebound margin (8.6), 13th in rebounds per game (41.21), 13th in free throw attempts (400), 16th in field goal percentage defense (38.4), and 19th in three-point field goal percentage defense (28.6).
   
• The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced that Utah Valley center Fardaws Aimaq has been named to the 2022 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year Award Watch List. Named after Class of 1995 Hall of Famer and three-time NCAA Champion Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, the annual honor in its eighth year recognizes the top centers in men's college basketball.

BROADCAST INFORMATION
Thursday's game at Chicago State will be broadcast live on ESPN+, which is available on the ESPN app and at ESPNplus.com. The game will also be broadcast over the air waves in Utah County game as Jim McCulloch, the radio Voice of the Wolverines, is in his 12th season with the team. The radio broadcast will be aired live on ESPN 960AM radio. A live stream of the radio broadcast will also be available at ESPN960sports.com.

ABOUT CHICAGO STATE
Chicago State heads into Thursday's game against UVU with a 6-13 overall record and a 2-4 mark in WAC play. Since dropping their first three WAC games of the season, the Cougars have won two of their last three with wins over California Baptist and Lamar. CSU most recently defeated Lamar, 67-56, on Jan. 15, in Beaumont, Texas. The win in Texas was Chicago State's first conference road win since Jan. 12, 2017 when the Cougars defeated Utah Valley in Orem, 70-61. Junior guard Brandon Betson led CSU with 18 points in the win at Lamar. Junior guard Favour Chukwukelu had 14, while senior guard Coreyoun Rushin and senior guard Dominuque Alexander each had 11. Freshman guard Ali Abdou Dibba leads the team in scoring this season at 14.5 points a game. Betson and freshman guard Jahsean Corbett also average double figures at 13.4 and 12.4 points per game, respectively. Rushin leads the team on the boards, pulling down 7.4 rebounds a game. As a team, Chicago State averages 61.4 points a game while allowing opponents an average of 73.5 points a game. The team is one of the top offensive rebounding teams in the WAC, pulling down 12.42 a game, which ranks 41st nationally.

SERIES HISTORY VS. CHICAGO STATE
Utah Valley and Chicago State meet up on the basketball hardwood for the 26th time on Thursday. The two teams will play for the first time in over two years as the two schools did not play last season due to Chicago State shutting down its program due to COVID. Utah Valley holds an all-time 20-5 advantage in the series. The Wolverines have won six straight over the Cougars dating back to an 87-54 win on Feb. 11, 2017 in the Windy City. Chicago State's last win over UVU was a 70-61 win in Orem on Jan. 12, 2017. UVU hasn't lost to the Cougars in Chicago since 2015 as the Wolverines hold an all-time 9-4 advantage in the series in the Windy City.

Last 10 Results vs. Chicago State (UVU leads 20-5)
Jan. 02, 2020    Utah Valley def. Chicago State, 94-73        Chicago, Illinois
Feb. 21, 2019    Utah Valley def. Chicago State, 103-71        Orem, Utah
Jan. 26, 2019    Utah Valley def. Chicago State, 74-60        Chicago, Illinois
Feb. 08, 2018    Utah Valley def. Chicago State, 97-57        Chicago, Illinois
Jan. 13, 2018    Utah Valley def. Chicago State, 83-58        Orem, Utah
Feb. 11, 2017    Utah Valley def. Chicago State, 87-54        Chicago, Illinois
Jan. 12, 2017    Chicago State def. Utah Valley, 70-61        Orem, Utah
Feb. 18, 2016    Utah Valley def. Chicago State, 74-72        Orem, Utah
Jan. 23, 2016    Utah Valley def. Chicago State, 82-76        Chicago, Illinois
Feb. 28, 2015    Chicago State def. Utah Valley, 65-44        Chicago, Illinois
 
AIMAQ'S DOUBLE-DOUBLE LEADS UVU TO 58-41 WIN OVER LAMAR
Fardaws Aimaq recorded his nation-leading 17th double-double of the season with 15 points and 14 rebounds while Connor Harding added 12 and Le'Tre Darthard 11 to lead Utah Valley to a 58-41 win over Lamar on Saturday afternoon at the UCCU Center. Aimaq did most of his damage at the free throw line where he knocked down 11 of 12 shots en route to his 15 points. He also pulled down 14 rebounds with two assists, one block, and a steal. Harding scored his 12 points on 3 of 5 shooting, including a pair of threes. He also had three rebounds, three assists, and a steal. Darthard was also in double figures with 11 points, connecting on 3 of 7 shots, including one from long range. He also had three rebounds with a pair of assists.

UVU DEFENSE HOLDS TWO OPPONENTS WITHOUT A THREE-POINT FG THIS SEASON
Utah Valley has held an opponent without a three-pointer two times this season. The Wolverines held Pac-12 foe Washington to a 0-for-11 mark from long range in a 68-52 win. UVU then held a conference opponent without a three for the first time in team history, limiting Lamar to a 0-for-9 clip in a 58-41 win. It is the first time in team history that UVU has held two teams without a three-point field goal in a single season.

UTAH VALLEY HAS MADE ONE OF THE BIGGEST JUMPS IN THE NATION IN THE KENPOM RANKINGS THIS SEASON
As of Jan. 24, Utah Valley started the season with a KenPom.com ranking of 221. Since then, the Wolverines have climbed 103 spots to 118 as of Jan. 21. It is the seventh-biggest jump in the country this season. It is the biggest jump in the WAC and biggest jump among Division I teams in the state of Utah.