Weber State University Athletics
Weber State University
Idaho
Up Next: Wildcats host Vandals Saturday night
1/19/2024 3:30:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Weber State and Idaho tipoff at 7 p.m. Saturday at the Dee Events Center.
• Weber State is back at the Dee Events Center Saturady night to host the Idaho Vandals.
• The Wildcats and Vandals will tipoff at 7 p.m. at the Dee Events Center. 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 11-7 on the season and 2-3 in Big Sky play. Weber State has lost three-straight games and is coing off an 80-78 loss to Eastern Washington Thursday night. The 'Cats lost at Sacramento State and Portland State last weekend. Idaho is 7-10 overall and 1-3 on the season and has lost four straight games. They are coming off a 64-59 loss at Idaho State on Thursday night.
• Weber State junior standout Dillon Jones had his 11th double-double of the season on Thursday night as he finished with 14 points and 12 rebounds, along with four assists and two steals. He now ranks third in the nation with 11 double-doubles this season and has 49 for his career. He leads the Wildcats in points, rebounds, assists, and steals, and leads the Big Sky in rebounds and minutes played. He is second in the conference points and assists, and ranks third in steals, third in free throw percentage, and sixth in field goal percentage. Jones is third in the nation in defensive rebounds and 15th in the country in overall rebounds.
• Jones reached several career milestones in Thursday's game. He became the third player in WSU history and the seventh player in Big Sky history to reach 1,000 career rebounds as he now has 1,002 career rebounds. He also moved into a tie for first in WSU history in career steals with 178, tied with Eddie Gill. Jones also moved into the top 10 in career scoring. He also ranks fifth in career assists and sixth in career free throws made. He is the only player in Big Sky history with at least 1,000 points, 1,000 rebounds, 300 assists, and 150 steals in a career.
• He has played in 105 career games at Weber State and 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 both the G League and NBA Draft combines this summer before returning to school.
• Senior Steven Verplancken led the Wildcats with 16 points in Thursday's game, the 12th time this season he has scored in double figures. He also made three 3-pointers and has made at least three 3-pointers in six games. He is second in the Big Sky in 3-pointers per game at 2.3.
• Weber State ranks 21st in the nation in scoring defense, allowing 63.8 points per game. However, the 80 point scored by Eastern Washington was the most the Wildcats have given up in a game this season. The Wildcats are also 16th in the country in fouls per game, 24th in free throw percentage, and 25th in turnovers committed per game.
• The Wildcats lead the Big Sky in scoring defense, scoring margin, and turnover margin. They are second in 3-point percentage and free throw percentage, and third in rebounding margin and 3-pointers per game.
• At Saturday's game against Idaho, Weber State will throw it back 25 years and celebrate the 25th anniversary of the 1999 Wildcat team that won the Big Sky Championship and beat North Carolina in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Harold "The Show" Arceneaux and Eddie "The Thrill" Gill are both scheduled to be in attendance and will speak at halftime. Also in attendance will be Andy Jensen, Joey Haws, Shawn Moore, and Eric Ketcham from that team, along with the son of head coach Ron Abegglen, Kirk Abegglen, and Joe Cravens, who was an assistant coach.
• 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).
• Idaho enters Saturday's game at 7-10 overall and 1-3 in conference play. The Vandals have lost their last four games, including a 64-59 loss at Idaho State on Thursday night. Idaho is coached by first-year head coach Alex Pribble.
• The Vandals are third in the Big Sky in scoring defense, field goal defense, and blocked shots. They are also fourth in rebounding.
• Weber State holds a 63-25 all-time series lead over Idaho. The Wildcats have won nine of the last 10 against the Vandals.
Both teams are charters members of the Big Sky Conference. Idaho left the league in 1996 and returned in 2015. Since rejoining the league, WSU is 11-5 against Idaho.
In games in Ogden, Weber State is 37-6 all-time and has won four straight and 7 of the last eight since the Vandals returned to the Big Sky.
• After Saturday, Weber State has another quick turnaround as the 'Cats play at Montana on Monday night in Missoula.
