CEDAR CITY, Utah -- After splitting their opening week of competitions, the Thunderbird men's basketball team will return to the America First Event Center to open up Big Sky Conference play with a weekend doubleheader against the Montana Grizzlies on Thursday (7 p.m.) and Saturday (12 p.m.).
First Week Recap
The Thunderbirds went 1-1 to open up the season, falling to Loyola Marymount on opening night before blowing out Saint Katherine 95-47 on Saturday.
Illinois transfer Tevian Jones was an offensive force for the Thunderbirds, averaging 19.5 points per game over the first two contests. He shot an impressive 64 percent from the field and 60 percent from behind the three-point line.
John Knight III continued his impressive Southern Utah career in the first two contests, averaging 15.5 ppg and dishing out 16 total assists over the course of the week.
Harrison Butler is leading SUU's rebounding effort with a 6.5 rebounds per game average.
Record Watch
On Saturday, Todd Simon notched his 54th victory as head coach of the Thunderbirds. With one more win, he will become the second-winningest coach in the program's Division I history. Both Neil Roberts (1989-92) and Roger Reid (2008-12) finished their careers at SUU with 54 total victories. Simon is the fifth head coach in the program's Division I history.
Bill Evans holds the Southern Utah men's basketball record with 208 wins from 1992 to 2007.
Additionally, now with 86 career blocks, Ivan Madunic sits in fourth place all-time in the Thunderbird Record Book. With two more blocks, he will move into the third slot by passing Kenyatta Clyde, who played for the Thunderbirds from 1997-99.
Opponent Preview: University of Montana Grizzlies (0-1, 0-0 Big Sky)
The Montana Grizzlies will make the trip to Cedar City with one game under their belt, as they fell to USC in Los Angeles last Saturday 76-62. Despite a sluggish start, the Griz outscored the Trojans in the second half, but the lead their foe from the Pac-12 had built proved to be insurmountable.
Freshman guard Brandon Whitney led the Griz in scoring against the Trojans, dropping in 17 points and shooting 8-of-9 from the free throw line in 34 minutes off the bench.
Under the leadership of Travis DeCuire, the Grizzlies have become an absolute powerhouse in the Big Sky Conference. The Griz have competed in the last two NCAA Tournaments after claiming back-to-back Big Sky titles in the 2017-18 and 2018-19 seasons.
The Grizzlies were selected as the second best team in the Big Sky Conference by coaches and media in the preseason polls.
When Southern Utah knocked off last season on the road, it marked the first time since December 9, 2000 that the Thunderbirds had defeated the Griz.
As division one foes, the Grizzlies hold a 17-6 series advantage over SUU.
Southern Utah has not beaten Montana at home since November 19, 1999.
Words From The T-Birds
John Knight III on knocking off Saint Katherine...
"We worked on us," he said. "We knew that we messed up a lot at LMU and had to work on things, so we used this game to work on things and get ready for Montana."
Todd Simon on gearing up for Montana…
"It's a huge weekend, there's no denying it," he said. "Montana has been picked in the first couple spots of the league for an eternity, and we're trying to crack that level where we get the respect of a Montana. We have to earn that, we have to get over that hump to where we're winning conference championships, and they're one of the teams that goes through."
Where To Watch / Listen / Follow Along
All of Southern Utah's home basketball games, and contests against Big Sky Conference foes, will stream live on PlutoTV Channel 1,055 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.tbirdstats.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.
