CEDAR CITY, Utah -- Following an offseason full of unknowns, the Thunderbird men's basketball program is gearing up for their first games of the 2020-21 season this week as they'll travel to Los Angeles to compete against the LMU Lions on Wednesday before returning home to host the Saint Katherine Firebirds on Saturday.
2019-20 Recap
Even though no one will ever really know how the season would have ended, the 2019-20 season was a very successful one for the Thunderbirds and continued their upward trajectory under the guidance of head coach Todd Simon.
For the first time since the 2006-07 season, the Thunderbirds finished the year with a record over .500, as they concluded the season at 17-15. The team's winning percentage (.531) is the third-highest the program has experienced since the year 2000.
The season was highlighted by an upset of Nebraska in double overtime, which marked SUU's first victory against a Big Ten opponent and first win against a Power 5 foe since 1996. The Thunderbirds also snapped a 20-year drought against the Montana Grizzlies as they beat them for the first time since the year 2000 in Missoula.
Top Returners
On this year's roster the Thunderbirds will have a good mix of returners and newcomers looking to make some noise across the NCAA and in the Big Sky Conference.
John Knight III returns to SUU for his senior season after a very successful junior campaign where he was the team's second leading scorer. In 2019-20, Knight III averaged 12.6 points per game, and was behind only Cameron Oluyitan for the Thunderbirds. Knight III also led the T-Birds in assists with 92 on the season.
Dre Marin returns for his fourth season at Southern Utah University. The guard from Glendale, Arizona has started 88 games for the Thunderbirds over the course of his career, which is the most by a single player in the team's Division I history. Last season, Marin averaged 8.5 points per game for the T-Birds in 31 total appearances.
Following a redshirt season, Ivan Madunic will return for the 2020-21 campaign as a redshirt senior. In 2018-19, Madunic made 32 appearances and averaged 2.4 points per game.
Marin (96) and Madunic (95) are closing in on SUU's Division I record for games played in a career, which is held by James McGee and John Marshall with 119 apiece.
Returning for their junior seasons, Harrison Butler and Maizen Fausett are also anticipated to have a major impact for the Thunderbirds this season. Fausett (5.7 rpg) and Butler (5.6 rpg) were the team's second and third leading rebounders during the 2019-20 season.
Fresh Faces
Southern Utah will be welcoming 10 new players to the roster for the 2020-21 campaign, including some high-ranked transfers that could play an immediate impact for the team.
Coming in from the University of North Dakota, Aanen Moody is a sharp shooter that led the Fighting Hawks in three-point makes (81) as a freshman. He will supply another weapon beyond the three-point line for the Thunderbirds.
Transfering to SUU from Illinois, Tevian Jones made 37 appearances for the Fighting Illini over the past two seasons before making his way to Southern Utah. He scored a career-high 18 points against the No. 13 ranked Maryland Terrapins at Madison Square Garden, which is arguably one of the biggest stages basketball can be played on.
Southern Utah also added Dee Barnes (Mount St. Mary's), Courtese Cooper (LSU) and Nick Fleming (Highland Community College) as transfers that will be immediately eligible for the upcoming season.
The T-Birds also have three true freshmen on roster, with Jason Spurgin, Kingsley Box and Martel Williams all set to suit up for SUU.
Non-Conference Schedule
After a number of changes caused by the ever evolving landscape of the NCAA through the COVID-19 pandemic, Southern Utah recently announced their full non-conference slate for the 2020-21 campaign.
Southern Utah will begin its season on the road in Los Angeles on Wednesday, November 25 when they face off against Loyola Marymount University.
Three days later, the T-Birds will return home to face off against St. Katherine on Saturday, November 28.
After opening their Big Sky Conference slate against Montana (December 3 & 5), the Thunderbirds will head up I-15 for a road matchup with Utah Valley University in Orem.
Southern Utah will return home on Thursday, December 17 to face off against Dixie State. This will be the first meeting between the two programs as Division I opponents.
The following day the Thunderbirds will play host to SAGU American Indian College inside the America First Event Center, and will wrap up their non-conference schedule on Monday, December 21 at home against Bethesda.
Big Sky Predictions
When the Big Sky Conference announced their 2020-21 Preseason Media and Coaches' Polls, the T-Birds were predicted to be the sixth and seventh best team in the league.
Eastern Washington was selected as the favorite in the Big Sky by both the league's coaches and media members. They finished the 2019-20 season with a 23-8 overall record and a 16-4 Big Sky Conference mark, winning 80 percent of their league games.
Southern Utah will kickoff Big Sky Conference play on December 3 in Cedar City when they play host to the Montana Grizzlies, who were selected as the second best team in the league by both media and coaches.
Opponent Preview: Loyola Marymount Lions
Southern Utah's first opponent of the 2020-21 season will be the LMU Lions out of Los Angeles California, a program with a big tie to the Thunderbirds.
The Lions are led by a former Thunderbird, Stan Johnson, who was hired in the offseason. Johnson was a three-year letterman at SUU, and a team captain during the 2000-01 season. That was the season the Thunderbirds claimed the Mid-Continent Conference title and qualified for the NCAA Tournament. Johnson earned his degree from Southern Utah in 2003.
Last season LMU finished the year with an 11-21 overall record, and was 4-12 in the West Coast Conference.
When the Thunderbirds and Lions squared off in 2017, LMU claimed the contest in Los Angeles 61-51. Knight III was the leading scorer for the T-Birds in the contest with 13 points.
Opponent Preview: Saint Katherine Firebirds
By the time the T-Birds and Firebirds square off, Saint Katheirne will have two contests under their belt.
The Firebirds finished the 2019-20 season with a 15-10 overall record, and a 9-0 mark in league play.
They got big production from Maurice Woods and Joe Robinson Jr. in their season opener, as they both dropped in 19 points. They won that contest 81-7- over San Diego Christian College.
Words From Coach Simon
On starting the season...
"We're excited to play somebody else," Simon said. "It's been a long process getting ready, and the guys have had spirited practices, but we're ready to play somebody else."
On LMU...
"With a new coach you never really know what it's going to look like," Simon said. "You have no idea on schemes, and this will be their first game so we're going in a little bit blind, but we know the personnel and we'll be prepared. We'll focus on what we do."
On keeping the team engaged through all the uncertainty...
"It's a lot of conversations, just staying in the foxhole with them and getting them to believe in what we're doing," Simon said. "Keep hope up with the games and the season, but they've done a great job with absorbing the blows, controlling what they can control and getting through it."
On playing in front of empty arenas...
"We're going to have to bring our own juice, and that's what we've been talking about," Simon said. "The guys will be good with keeping each other up, but once the lights come on and the ball is in the air they'll be ready to go."
Where To Watch / Listen / Follow Along
Links to live stats and live video from Loyola Marymount will be available on www.lmulions.com and www.suutbirds.com prior to tipoff.
All of Southern Utah's home basketball games will stream live on PlutoTV Channel 1,005 and www.WatchBigSky.com.
SUU's contests can be heard over the airwaves on KSUB 107.7 FM and 590 AM in Cedar City, and KDXU News Radio 890 AM and 94.9 FM in St. George. Chris Holmes has recently been announced as the new radio voice for the Thunderbirds, taking on play-by-play duties moving forward.
A link to live stats will be available on www.suutbirds.com prior to tipoff.
Keep up to date on Southern Utah's Schedule Page for all the most recent updates and links.
Follow the Thunderbirds all season @SUUBasketball on Twitter and Instagram and by liking the Southern Utah Basketball page on Facebook.
