CEDAR CITY, UTAH—The SUU Men's Basketball team had a historic start to the season, jumping out to an 8-2 mark, the second-best start to a season in program history.
"This year, unfortunately, turned into a year of 'what ifs.' What if Tavi (Jackson) doesn't get hurt? What if Dom (Ford) doesn't get hurt? We showed glimpses of what this season could have been, but injuries are a part of the game, and we were unlucky this year." said Head Coach Rob Jeter.
The Thunderbirds played only 14 games with the original starting lineup, which started the year 8-2. Tavi Jackson and Dominique Ford both missed significant time with injuries, putting a wrench in what began as a historic season.
SUU finished the season with a 12-19 overall record and a 4-12 conference record. The final game that the Thunderbirds played with their original starting lineup was on February 15 against the eventual WAC regular season conference champions, Utah Valley. SUU played them to a two-point loss and showed how good they can be when fully healthy. Unfortunately, Tavi Jackson sustained a season-ending injury in that game, and the Thunderbirds' lousy injury luck continued.
SUU ultimately ended the season with a loss in the first round of the 2025 WAC Postseason Tournament in St. George, Utah, against Utah Tech, a team the Thunderbirds beat twice in the regular season.
Thunderbirds Statistically
Senior forward Jamir Simpson finished the year averaging over 16 points per game on 42/34/80 percent shooting splits. He also averaged just under five rebounds per game, which was second on the team. Simpson and Brock Felder are the only players who played in all 31 games for the Thunderbirds. "Seeing Jamir flourish was one of the bright spots this season. A kid who came from a DII and proved himself to be an elite college basketball player was fun to be a part of. He was incredibly consistent with us all year; he never missed practice and played in every game. I am very proud of Jamir and how he battled all year for us." said Coach Jeter.
Sophomore forward Brock Felder is forever part of SUU history. Setting the single-season record for blocks, with 66 on the season. Averaging over two blocks a game, Felder led the conference in blocked shots and was top-20 in the nation. He also had two games with five blocks and one with six. After just two seasons in a Southern Utah jersey, Felder is tied for third all-time in career blocks with 98.
Dominique Ford had another quality year as a Thunderbird. Averaging 14.5 points per game on 42/32/90 percent shooting splits. Ford led the team with 49 made threes on the year despite only playing in 25 games. He poured in a season-high 29 points in a win at Utah Tech, and perhaps the most impressive thing about his season was that he tore his labrum in his shoulder against the University of San Diego in the Thunderbird's sixth game of the year.
Both Jamir Simpson and Dominique Ford surpassed the 1,000 career points mark this season.
Looking Ahead
"In year one, we had a team that could score the ball. We were solid defensively in year two, so we have to put them both together next year," said Coach Jeter.
In the new age of college athletics, it's impossible to know exactly what your team will look like from season to season, but Coach Jeter is adamant about finding a true center who can score in the paint and adding multiple guards who want to play both ways.
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