Weber State University Athletics
Weber State University
Park Gilbert
Weber State basketball home Thursday at 2:00
12/20/2023 3:49:00 PM | Men's Basketball
The Wildcats will host Park Gilbert Thursday at 2:00 at the Dee Events Center.
Season ticket holders: If you are having difficulty with this game appearing on your season tickets, please contact the WSU Ticket Office at 801-626-8500.
• Weber State is back home for a Thursday matinee game as the Wildcats take on Park University Gilbert Thursday at 2:00 p.m.
• All kids 17 and under get in free to the game and Santa and Mrs. Claus will be at the game from 1-3 in the north concourse.
• The Wildcats and Buccaneers will tipoff at 2 p.m. Thursday at the Dee Events Center in Ogden. The game will be televised on ESPN+ and the ESPN app with Steve Brown and former Weber State head coach Joe Cravens on the call. Weber State radio coverage will be on 103.1 FM "The Wave" with Steve Klauke and former Weber State standout and Big Sky MVP David Patten calling the action. Live stats available at WeberStateSports.com and the Weber State Wildcats app.
• Weber State is 6-4 on the season and the Wildcats are coming off an 84-71 win at Wyoming on Saturday night. The Wildcats shot a season-high 56 percent from the field in the win and the 84 points is also the most against a Division I team this season.
• Wildcat standout Dillon Jones was named the Big Sky Player of the Week for the third time this season and the 11th time of his career for his performance in games at Nevada and Wyoming. Jones averaged 15 points, 11.5 rebounds, and 5.0 assists per game with two double-doubles in the two road games. He had 13 points with 12 rebounds and three assists in Weber State's game at Nevada. He followed that up with 17 points, 11 rebounds, and seven assists in the win at Wyoming on Saturday. He also had four steals in the two games and made two 3-pointers.
• Jones leads Weber State in points, rebounds, assists, and steals this season. He leads the nation in defensive rebounds and is sixth in the country in total rebounds at 10.9 per game. He is also first in the Big Sky in scoring at 18.7 points per game. Jones was the unanimous selection as the Big Sky Preseason MVP. He is a two-time first-team all-conference selection and a two-time all-district selection. He participated in the G League and NBA Draft combines this summer before returning to school. He has played in 97 career games at Weber State and ranks fourth in school history in career rebounding. He is also 16th in career scoring, fourth in steals, and ninth in free throws made. He has 45 career double-doubles.
• Weber State had all five starters score in double figures in Saturday's win at Wyoming. Dyson Koehler had a career-high 19 points in the win and was 7 of 10 from the field. He also had five rebounds and made two 3-pointers. Steven Verplancken added 16 points on 5 of 9 shooting with two 3-pointers. He was also 4 of 4 from the free throw line. Verplancken is a perfect 23 of 23 from the free throw line this season. He is one of two players in the nation with at least 23 attempts that has not missed a free throw this season. He earned All-Big Sky honors last season and was named to the preseason all-conference team this year.
• Alex Tew added a season-high 14 points on 6 of 8 shooting in the win at Wyoming. He also had four rebounds. Junior Blaise Threatt started both games last week. He had a season-high 18 points at Nevada and added 13 points on 5 of 8 shooting with four assists in the win at Wyoming.
• Weber State ranks 12th in the nation in scoring defense, holding opponents to 61.1 points per game. WSU is 5-2 this season when holding opponents under 70 points and is just 1-2 when allowing 70 or more. The Wildcats are also 16th in the nation in fouls per game at 13.8 and 20th in the country in free throw percentage at 77.7 percent. Weber State was a perfect 15 of 15 from the free throw line in the win at Wyoming.
• WSU leads the Big Sky in scoring defense, scoring margin, free throw percentage, and turnover margin. WSU is also third in 3-point percentage.
• Weber State has all five starters returning from last year and the Wildcats were picked first in the Big Sky Conference preseason media and coaches polls. WSU had two players named to the Big Sky preseason all-conference team in Jones and senior Steven Verplancken.
• The Wildcats are coached by Eric Duft who returns for his second season as head coach and his 18th season overall at Weber State. He spent 16 seasons as an assistant coach under Randy Rahe before becoming the 10th head coach in WSU history in May 2022. Weber State finished 18-15 overall last season and was third in the Big Sky at 12-6.
• Weber State has one of the most international rosters in the country as the Wildcats have eight players that come from outside of the United States, representing six different countries. Two players are from England (Louie Jordan, Alex Tew), and two from Serbia in cousins Marko and Nemanja Sarenac. WSU also has players from Switzerland (Arnaud Revaz), the Democratic Republic of the Congo (Handje Tamba), Finland (Viljami Vartiainen), and the Dominican Republic (Steven Verplancken).
• Park University-Gilbert is located in Gilbert, Arizona. It is an NAIA school that competes in the California Pacific Conference. The Buccaneers are 6-7 on the season and coming off a 90-67 loss to Dordt University on Monday. They defeated Benedictine Mesa in double overtime on November 28. Weber State opened the season with a 96-62 win over Benedictine Mesa on November 7. Thursday's game will be an exhibition game for Park Gilbert. This will be the first meeting ever between the two schools.
• After Thursday, the Wildcats will take a short Christmas break and then its time for Big Sky Conference play. Weber State opens conference play with two home games on December 28 against Montana and December 30 against Montana State. WSU will also host South Dakota State on January 3 as part of the Big Sky-Summit League Challenge.
