LAS VEGAS, N.M./PUEBLO, Colo.-For the first time this season, No. 9 (NABC poll)/No. 13 (D2SIDA poll) Dixie State men’s basketball goes on the road. The 8-0 (3-0 in Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference play) Trailblazers have played four home games and four others at neutral sites to commence the season.
Dixie State visits New Mexico Highlands (6-1, 1-1 in RMAC play) Friday and drops by Colorado-State Pueblo (3-5, 1-1 in RMAC play) Saturday.
In his 15th season at the helm, Trailblazers head coach Jon Judkins (270-126, .682 at Dixie State; 554-254, .686 as a collegiate head coach) is only 28 wins behind legendary Utah women’s basketball head coach Elaine Elliott for the most wins in Utah college basketball history.
Presently, Dixie State scores 82.3 points per game, ranking the Trailblazers 72nd nationally in scoring offense.
Junior forward/center Hunter Schofield (17.1 points, 7.8 rebounds per game) is the Trailblazers’ leading scorer. Schofield leads the squad in blocked shots (7) as well.
Additionally, he is tied for the team rebounding lead with overall team statistical leader, senior guard Jack Pagenkopf (12.4 points, 7.8 rebounds per game, a team-best 56 assists and 14 steals).
Freshman forward Frank Staine (11.3 points per game) and junior guard Dason Youngblood (10.1 points, 4.3 rebounds per game) also score in double figures on average for the Trailblazers.
Dixie State surrenders 70.9 points per game, ranking the Trailblazers 92nd nationally in scoring defense.
New Mexico Highlands is coached by first-year head coach Michael Dominguez (6-1, .857) as the Cowboys are off to a solid start at Las Vegas, N.M.
High-scoring New Mexico Highlands nets 93.7 points per game, ranking the Cowboys 8th nationally in scoring offense.
Junior guard Sammy Barnes-Thompkins (24.7 points per game, a team-best 17 steals) leads New Mexico Highlands statistically on the season.
Redshirt senior guard Raquan Mitchell (21.1 points, 5 rebounds per game, a team-best 22 assists) and junior guard Desmond Carpenter (11 points, 4.9 rebounds per game) also score in double figures on average for the Cowboys.
Defensively, New Mexico Highlands surrenders 80 points per game. This ranks the Cowboys 235th nationally in scoring defense.
Junior forward Will Johnson leads the Cowboys in rebounds (6.6 points per game) and senior guard David Hall and junior forward Darius Harrison have four blocked shots apiece to pace New Mexico Highlands in that category.
The Trailblazers are tied 1-1 all-time with New Mexico Highlands.
Colorado State-Pueblo is coached by Matt Hammer, who is struggling in his first season (3-5, .375).
The Thunderwolves score 76 points per game, tying them for 167th nationally in scoring offense with Malone and Bluefield State.
Redshirt sophomore guard David Simental (16.5 points per game; a team-best 8 steals) is CSU-Pubelo’s leading scorer.
Senior guard Brandon McGhee (13 points, 5.3 rebounds per game, a team-best 29 assists), junior forward Bryce Sanchious (11.4 points; a team-best 6.1 rebounds per game) and freshman Jaedon Bowles (10.3 points per game) all score in double figures on average for the Thunderwolves to join Simental.
Defensively, CSU-Pueblo surrenders 78.1 points per game. This ranks the Thunderwolves 212th nationally in scoring defense.
Junior center Marc Syle leads the Thunderwolves with a team-best 5 blocked shots.
The Thunderwolves lead the Trailblazers 2-1 all-time.
