Weber State University Athletics
Weber State University
Montana State
Wildcats host Bobcats Saturday at 2:00 p.m.
12/29/2023 10:32:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Weber State has won three straight games and opened Big Sky play with a 30-point win over Montana on Thursday
• After a dominating win in the conference opener, Weber State is right back to action for a Saturday afternoon matchup to close out 2023 as the Wildcats host Montana State.
• The Wildcats and Bobcats will tipoff at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday at the Dee Events Center in Ogden. The game will be televised on ESPN+ and the ESPN app with Tony Parks 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 8-4 on the season and has won three straight games. The Wildcats opened Big Sky Conference play with a dominating 93-63 win over Montana Thursday night. It was the biggest win against Montana since 1970 and the biggest win in a conference opener since 1972. Weber State shot 57 percent from the field and had five players in double figures.
• The Wildcats were also 9 of 12 from 3-point range in Thursday's win over Montana. The 75 percent shooting from 3-point range is tied for the second-best percentage in school history. The Wildcats lead the Big Sky in 3-point percentage at 36.6 percent and are averaging 8.4 3-pointers per game. Over the last five games, WSU is averaging 9.4 3-pointers per game and is shooting 42.7 percent from 3-point range.
• Junior transfer Blaise Threatt led Weber State with 18 points in Thursday's win, which tied his season-high. Threatt was 8 of 11 from the field and had three rebounds, three assists and two steals. He is averaging 9.8 points per game and has scored in double figures in three of the last four games. He leads Weber State in field goal percentage, shooting 58.8 percent from the field. He is shooting 64.9 percent from the field over the last four games.
• Weber State is sixth in the nation in scoring defense, allowing 59.4 points per game. The Wildcats are 7-2 this season when holding opponents under 70 points in a game.
• Weber State is also 12th in the nation in free throw percentage, 17th in fouls per game, 21st in scoring margin, 25th in turnovers per game, and 29th in turnover margin. The Wildcats lead the Big Sky in scoring defense, scoring margin, field goal defense, 3-point percentage, free throw percentage, and turnover margin.
• Wildcat standout Dillon Jones scored in double figures for the 11th straight game this season. He leads Weber State in points, rebounds, assists, and steals this season. He leads the Big Sky in rebounding and assists, and ranks second in scoring. He had a season-low five rebounds in Thursday's win but has eight double-doubles on the season, tied for the third most of any player in the country. He is third in the nation in defensive rebounds at 9.7 per game and ranks 12th in overall rebounds at 10.4 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.
• Saturday's game with Montana State will be the 100th career game for Jones at Weber State. In his 99 career games, he ranks fourth in school history in career rebounding and needs just three more rebounds to move into third place. He is also 16th in career scoring, fourth in steals, eighth in free throws made, and ninth in assists. Jones has 46 career double-doubles, which is the seventh most of any active player in the country.
• Steven Verplancken and Dyson Koehler each added 15 points in Thursday's win. Verplancken has scored in double figures in nine of 12 games this season and is second on the team in scoring at 12.6 points per game. He is third in the Big Sky in 3-pointers per game at 2.4. Koehler has scored in double figures four times this season. He was a perfect 4 of 4 from the field, including 3 of 3 from 3-point range in Thursday's win. Over the last five games, Koehler is averaging 12 points per game and shooting 58 percent from the field.
• 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 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).
• Montana State is 6-6 overall and opened Big Sky play with a 74-66 win over Idaho State on Thursday night. The preseason schedule included a win at Cal. The Bobcats lead the Big Sky in steals at 8.3 per game and are second in 3-pointers per game. They are also 20th in the nation in 3-point attempts per game. Brian Goracke is third in the league in scoring at 16.7 points per game and leads the league in 3-pointers per game and free throw percentage. MSU is under the direction of first-year head coach Matt Logie. Montana State won the Big Sky Tournament last year and advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the second-straight year. MSU was picked fourth in the media poll and seventh in the coaches poll in the preseason polls.
• This will be the 132nd all-time meeting between the two schools with Weber State leading 89-42. The 89 wins is the most against any opponent in WSU's history. Montana State has knocked Weber State out of the semifinals of the Big Sky Tournament in each of the last two years, including a double overtime game last year.
• In games in Ogden, Weber State is 55-9 all-time and has won three of the last four. The Wildcats beat the Bobcats in Ogden but lost in Bozeman and the Big Sky Tournament last season.
• After Saturday, WSU will kickoff the new year with two games in the Big Sky / Summit League Challenge. The Wildcats will host South Dakota State on Wednesday, January 3 and play at Oral Roberts on Saturday, January 6.
