Looking ahead to this week, the Southern Utah University men’s basketball team will face off against two different teams from Arizona. SUU will first host Park University Gilbert on Tuesday, Dec. 3, at 6:30 p.m., in the America First Event Center. Following this game, the Thunderbirds will travel to Tucson, Arizona to take on the University of Arizona on Saturday, Dec. 7, at 12 p.m.
Both games can be streamed on ESPN+.
Southern Utah
Off to one of their best starts in school history, SUU is 7-2 to start the season, with both of their losses coming on the road. The Thunderbirds also have the best win percentage in the Western Athletic Conference. Southern Utah has impressed mostly on the defensive side. SUU ranks No.1 in the WAC in opponents field goal percentage and second in opponents three-point percentage and scoring.
Jamir Simpson leads the team, standing at No. 3 in the conference in scoring with an average of 16.67 points per game. Dominique Ford has been efficient as well, averaging 13.78 points per game on 44.9% shooting from the field.
Park University
Park University Gilbert enters the week 2-6 on the season and on a three-game losing streak. Park University competes in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics. As a team, Park Gilbert is averaging 68.3 points per game.
Tanner Pate and Caleb Geisendorfer have been the best scorers for the Buccaneers. Pate leads the team in scoring, averaging 13.9 points per game on 44.3% shooting from the field. Geisendorfer, who is second on the team, averages 12.4 points a game and leads the team with 7.5 rebounds per game.
Arizona
It has been a disappointing start of the season for the Wildcats. Arizona is 3-4 on the season and is unranked after starting the season ranked No. 10 in the nation. U of A competed in the Battle 4 Atlantis over Thanksgiving and dropped two of their three games in the tournament.
Fifth-year senior Caleb Love has been the best offensive player for the Wildcats. Love is averaging 14.6 points per game but has struggled shooting the ball, shooting just 38.6% from the field and 28.6% from three. Defensively, Jaden Bradley has been elite on the perimeter, averaging 2.4 steals per game.
This will be the first time Southern Utah has faced either Park Gilbert or Arizona in program history.
Author: Jack Paul
Photographer: Marguax Feret
Copy Editor: Kayd Johanson
