• Utah Valley opens the 2023-24 season on Monday night at the UCCU Center against NAIA foe Carroll College. Tip-off is set for 5 p.m. The game will be the first game of a double-header with the women's basketball team, which will take on in-state foe Weber State at 7:30 p.m.
• Utah Valley returns two letterwinners from last year's team that won a school-record 28 games, won a WAC regular season title, and made a run to the semifinals of the National Invitation Tournament (NIT). Ethan Potter (1.8 ppg., 2.5 rpg.) and Jaden McClanahan (2.2 ppg., 0.9 apg.) are the lone returning players that saw action last season. Head coach Todd Phillips welcomes 11 newcomers to the team, including seven transfers and four true freshmen.
• Utah Valley University guard Drake Allen has been named to the Preseason All-WAC team as voted on by the league's head coaches.  Allen, a transfer from Southern Utah, heads into his junior season after a stellar sophomore campaign for the Thunderbirds during the 2022-23 season. He played all 37 games while averaging 11.0 points, 3.6 assists, 3.4 rebounds, and 1.4 steals a game last year. He shot nearly 50 percent from the field (151-of-303) and knocked down 27 threes during the season. Allen was named to the WAC All-Newcomer team for his efforts during the 2022-23 season.
• Utah Valley welcomes 11 new players to the squad, including seven transfers in K'mani Doughty (New Orleans), Drake Allen (Southern Utah), Tanner Toolson (BYU), Simon Akena (McCook CC), Nate Tshimanga (Troy), Caleb Stone-Carrawell (Austin Peay), and Trevin Dorius (Utah State). UVU also welcomes true freshmen Jackson Holcombe, Osiris Grady (4-star), Peter Amakasu, and McCaden Adams.
• Utah Valley was picked to finish fourth by the coaches and eighth by the media in the WAC preseason polls.
• Todd Phillips enters his first season as the head coach of the Utah Valley basketball team.  Phillips is no stranger to UVU as he spent the past four seasons as an associate head coach/assistant coach under previous head coach Mark Madsen. Phillips helped UVU to two WAC regular season titles (2020-21, 2022-23) and an impressive 70-51 record, including 48 wins over the last two seasons.
• Three Utah Valley players from last year's team have signed professional contracts, including Trey Woodbury (Brose Bamberg, Germany), Blaze Nield (KK Akademija FMP, North Macedonia), and Tahj Small (BC Copenhagen, Denmark).

BROADCAST INFORMATION
Monday night's game against Carroll College will be broadcast live on the ESPN+, which is available at ESPNplus.com or on the ESPN app.  The game will also be broadcast over the air waves in Utah County with Jim McCulloch on the call. The radio broadcast will be aired live on ESPN 960 AM radio. A live stream of the radio broadcast will also be available at ESPN960sports.com. Brice Larson will host the UVU pregame/halftime/postgame show on ESPN 960 AM. 

ABOUT CARROLL COLLEGE
Carroll College is an NAIA team from the Frontier Conference. The Fighting Saints went 13-14 last season with a 7-8 record in league play. Head coach Ryan Lundgren enters his first season with the team. Carroll College welcomes three transfers to the team this season, including Kendall Moore (Corban), Shaheed Muhammad (Williston State)), Zane Foster (Central Michigan). The Fighting Saints opened the season with a pair of losses in Arizona, falling 89-77 to Ottawa before dropping an 87-63 decision at Arizona Christian. Three players are averaging double figure scoring over CC's two games, including junior guard Andrew Cook at 18.0 points a game, junior guard Kendall Moore at 11.5 points a game, and senior forward Gui Pedra at 10.0 points a contest. Cook also leads CC on the boards, pulling down 6.0 rebounds a game. Monday night's matchup against Utah Valley will count as an exhibition game for the NAIA school. 

SERIES HISTORY VS. CARROLL COLLEGE
Utah Valley and Carroll College will meet on the hardwood for the first time on Monday night. The Wolverines hold a perfect 62-0 record against non-Division I competition. 

ALLEN NAMED TO PRESEASON ALL-WAC TEAM
Utah Valley guard Drake Allen has been named to the Preseason All-WAC team as voted on by the league's head coaches. 

Allen, a transfer from Southern Utah, heads into his junior season after a stellar sophomore campaign for the Thunderbirds during the 2022-23 season. He played all 37 games while averaging 11.0 points, 3.6 assists, 3.4 rebounds, and 1.4 steals a game last year. He shot nearly 50 percent from the field (151-of-303) and knocked down 27 threes during the season. Allen was named to the WAC All-Newcomer team for his efforts during the 2022-23 season. 

UTAH VALLEY PICKED FOURTH IN PRESEASON COACHES' POLL, 
Utah Valley was picked to finish fourth by the coaches in the Preseason WAC Coaches' Poll. Utah Valley was selected fourth in the WAC Preseason Coaches' Poll. Grand Canyon was picked as the favorite to win the league with 99 points and nine first place votes. Stephen F. Austin was picked second (87), followed by Seattle U third (86), Utah Valley fourth (61), Abilene Christian fifth (60), Tarleton State sixth (49), California Baptist seventh (47), UT Arlington eighth (43), Southern Utah (26) and UTRGV tied for ninth (26), and Utah Tech 11th (21).

NEW FACES
Utah Valley welcomes 11 new players to the squad, including seven transfers in K'mani Doughty (New Orleans), Drake Allen (Southern Utah), Tanner Toolson (BYU), Simon Akena (McCook CC), Nate Tshimanga (Troy), Caleb Stone-Carrawell (Austin Peay), and Trevin Dorius (Utah State). UVU also welcomes true freshmen Jackson Holcombe, Osiris Grady (4-star), Peter Amakasu, and McCaden Adams.

THREE-POINT STREAKING
Utah Valley has now hit a three-point field goal in 253 straight games. The last time UVU played in a game without hitting a shot from beyond the arc was on Feb. 7, 2015 at Seattle U.

UTAH VALLEY TO PLAY IN JACKSONVILLE CLASSIC
Utah Valley will be one of the eight teams that will be participating in the Jacksonville Classic, Nov. 19 and 20, at Flagler College in St. Augustine, Florida.

The Wolverines will be in the Bay Bracket along with Southern Miss, Cornell, and Cal State Fullerton. The Coast Bracket will feature Charlotte, UCF, South Dakota State, and George Mason. UVU will take on Southern Miss in the Jacksonville Classic opener on Nov. 19 at 10:30 a.m. MT.

Fans can follow the Jacksonville Classic on social media (@JaxClassicMBB) for schedule announcements and travel information.

UCCU CENTER MAGIC
Utah Valley holds an impressive 69-16 (81.1 percent) record at home since a win over Seattle U on March 4, 2017. The Wolverines hold an all-time 220-62 (78 percent) record as the team heads into its 21st season at the UCCU Center. The Wolverines are averaging 10.9 wins a season on their home hardwood. UVU finished 14-1 at home last season. The team has won 17 of its last 18 games at home and 25 of its last 28 at the UCCU Center. Utah Valley's 14 wins at home during the 2022-23 season tied the program record for home wins in a season with the 2006-07, 2011-12, and 2018-19 seasons.