OREM — Utah Valley opens Western Athletic Conference play on Monday, Dec. 29, hosting preseason league favorite California Baptist at the UCCU Center. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m. MT as two of the conference's top teams begin their final WAC seasons before transitioning to the Big West Conference next year.
Both teams enter league play with identical 10–3 overall records, having wrapped up non-conference schedules last week. Utah Valley closed the preseason slate with a 109–48 home win over Bethesda, extending its winning streak to five games and improving to a perfect 6–0 at home this season.
The Wolverines have been one of the nation's most balanced teams through 13 games, ranking among the national leaders in assists, blocks, field goal percentage, scoring margin, and scoring defense. Utah Valley averages 83.8 points per game while allowing just 64.0, owns a +19.8 scoring margin, and enters WAC play riding an 18-game home winning streak, the seventh-longest active streak in the nation.
Individually, Utah Valley is led by redshirt sophomore forward Jackson Holcombe, who averages 15.5 points and 8.0 rebounds per game while shooting 58.8 percent from the field. Holcombe has recorded five double-doubles this season and was recently named to the Lou Henson Award Watch List, which honors the nation's top mid-major player. Trevan Leonhardt ranks among the national leaders in assists at 6.8 per game, while Tyler Hendricks enters the week shooting 50.7 percent from three-point range.
California Baptist also brings momentum into conference play after closing non-league action on a three-game winning streak. The Lancers went a perfect 6–0 at home during non-conference play and are one of the nation's top rebounding teams, averaging more than 41 rebounds per game with a +9.4 rebounding margin.
CBU is led by Dominique Daniels Jr., the Preseason WAC Player of the Year, who ranks among the nation's top scorers at 20.8 points per game. Martel Williams adds 15.2 points per contest, while Thomas Ndong anchors the frontcourt at 8.0 rebounds per game.
Monday's matchup features the top two teams from the WAC Preseason Coaches Poll, with California Baptist picked first and Utah Valley second. Utah Valley holds an 11–4 all-time advantage in the series and has won seven of the last eight meetings, including a 74–69 road win in Riverside last season.
Utah Valley enters the week ranked No. 56 in the NCAA NET rankings, the top mark among current WAC programs, and is also featured in multiple national mid-major polls. The Wolverines are ranked No. 8 in the Field of 68 Mid-Major Top 25, while California Baptist checks in at No. 12.
Monday's game will be broadcast live on ESPN+ and over the airwaves on ESPN The Fan.
