ARLINGTON – For the first time in more than a month, the UT Arlington men's basketball team is back at the College Park Center on Thursday, Jan. 11, when the Mavericks welcome defending WAC Regular Season Champion Utah Valley for a 7 p.m. tipoff.
 

GAMEDAY INFORMATION
Game 16	UT Arlington (6-9, 1-3 WAC) vs. Utah Valley (8-7, 3-1 WAC)
Date | Time	Thursday, Jan. 11 | 7 PM (Doors: 6 PM)
Location	College Park Center
Tickets	UTATickets.com
Video	ESPN+
Radio	620 AM | 102.5 FM
Audio Stream	Varsity Network App | UTAMavs.com
Live Stats	StatBroadcast
Game Notes	UT Arlington | Utah Valley | WAC
WAC Rankings	Standings | Seeding System
Gameday Program	Digital

For parking, tickets, entry and more info related to the 2023-24 gameday experience, visit the Know Before You Go page.

OPENING TIP(s)

• This will mark UTA's first home game since a 74-37 win over UNT Dallas on Dec. 6 – a stretch of 36 days in-between home contests. That is the second-longest break in-season by any team in the nation this year, trailing only Delaware's 38-day gap.
   
• Phillip Russell (team bests of 15 ppg and 4.4 apg) and DaJuan Gordon (3rd with 9.7 ppg, 2nd with 7.6 rpg) did not play in UTA's 92-73 loss at Stephen F. Austin this past Saturday. Russell (ankle sprain) and Gordon (knee contusion) combine for 26 points, nine rebounds and seven assists and are game-time decisions for Thursday. If Russell plays, he'll be making his CPC debut as his first five games have been away from home after getting immediately eligible in mid-December following court and NCAA rulings on multi-time transfers.
   
• The CPC has been extremely friendly to the Mavs this year as they boast a 5-1 record at home compared with an 0-8 mark on the road (1-0 neutral site). At home this season, UTA is averaging 79.7 points while holding opponents to 64.2 for a +15.5 differential. On the road, the Mavs average 66.8 points and surrender 82.9 for a -16.1 margin.
   
• Additionally, in home tilts UTA secures 44.8 rebounds per contest and out-rebounds its foes by a 15.7 average; on the road they corral just 33.6 and are out-rebounded by an average of 4.6. All six of UTA's wins this year have come when they out-rebound their opponent; the Mavs are 0-6 when losing or tying the rebound battle.
   
• A large portion of those home/away statistical disparities is a result of the competition level as UTA has played the nation's 9th-hardest non-conference schedule this season and 13th-most difficult overall. The Mavs have already played six NET Quad 1 opponents – all of them on the road
   
• That schedule doesn't get much easier with Utah Valley as the Wolverines are the aforementioned WAC Regular Season Champions and reached the NIT semifinals last year. Utah Valley will already be UTA's ninth Division-I opponent this season (out of 14) that played in the postseason in 2023 – NCAA Tournament: Oral Roberts, #3 Arizona, Grand Canyon, #21 Texas; NIT: New Mexico, Alcorn State, North Texas, Utah Valley; CBI: Tarleton State.

TWEETABLES
1) UTA has had five different 20-point scorers this season – tied for the most of any WAC team. Additionally, the Mavs have had eight players lead them in scoring in a game this year.
2) UTA leads the WAC in assists per game (15.5) and ranks 2nd in offensive rebounding (12.7). In conference games only, the Mavs are 1st in 3-point percentage (42.4) and 3s made (9/game), and are 2nd in field goal percentage (48.3).
3) UTA's nine double-doubles are tied with Grand Canyon for the most in the WAC: Shemar Wilson (4), Gordon (4) and Aaron Cash (1). Additionally, those nine are more than four teams combined: Seattle U (1), Stephen F. Austin (2), Abilene Christian (2) and Utah Valley (3).
4) Wilson leads the WAC with seven double-figure rebounding games this year, one more than California Baptist's Yvan Ouedraogo. Six of Wilson's came in the first seven games of the year.
 
ABOUT THE MATCHUP

• Utah Valley won a program-record 28 games last year, claimed the aforementioned WAC regular season title with a 15-3 record and reached the semifinals of the NIT before losing to UAB in overtime, 88-86.
   
• Former UVU head coach Mark Madsen left to take the same position at California following the NIT run, and the Wolverines do not have a player returning who started a game for them last year – one of just six teams in the nation to hold that distinction.
   
• Despite that, UVU was picked to finish 4th in the WAC Preseason Poll and currently occupy that exact spot in the WAC resume-seeding system.
   
• Caleb Stone-Carrawell leads a trio of UVU double-figure scorers on the season at exactly 12 per game. He is joined by Drake Allen (11.8) and Tanner Toolson (10.3).
   
• Trevin Dorius paces the Wolverines on the glass with 7.5 rebounds per contest while also adding 9.7 points.

AMONG THE NATION'S BEST
Wilson boasts the following individual national rankings:

Blocks: 31st (2.1/gm)
Offensive Rebounds: 53rd (3.1/gm)
Free Throw Attempts: 61st (87)
 
Wilson and Gordon are also tied for the 2nd-most doubles-doubles in the WAC this year behind Tarleton State's KiAndre Gaddy who has five.
 
SCORING DEPTH
The Mavs have already had 11 players reach double-figure points in a game this year (highs): Wilson (29), Russell (28), Gordon (24), Makaih Williams (24), Kade Douglas (20), Akili Vining (16), Aaron Cash (17), Fabio Basili (15), Brandyn Talbot (14), Dwayne Koroma (12) and Freds Pauls Bagatskis (11).
 
Of those 11, Wilson (4x), Douglas (3x), Gordon (2x), Russell (2x), Williams (1x), Basili (1x), Cash (1x) and Vining (1x) have led UTA in scoring.
 
CLEANING UP THE WEEKLY AWARDS
UTA has had three-different players win either WAC Player of the Week or Newcomer of the Week this season: Gordon (Player, Nov. 13), Wilson (Player, Nov. 20) and Russell (Newcomer, Dec. 18). UTA and Grand Canyon are the only schools in the WAC with three-different players earning weekly awards this year.
 
Gordon and Wilson became the first set of UTA teammates to be named conference Player of the Week in the same season since 2017-18 when Kevin Hervey and Erick Neal both received the recognition when the Mavs were in the Sun Belt Conference. Furthermore, since the WAC began issuing Player of the Week honors in 1982-83, that was just the sixth occurrence of the same school winning each of the season's first two awards:
 
1984-85: San Diego State
1998-99: New Mexico
1999-00: SMU
2015-16: New Mexico State
2017-18: Utah Valley
 
DOUBLE-DOUBLE MACHINE
Gordon is one of only two UTA players in program history to begin his tenure with the Mavs by posting three-straight double-doubles. The only other was Damon Johnson in 1994 (Nov. 26-Dec. 2). No player has ever had four-consecutive double-doubles to begin a UTA career.
 
PROLIFIC OFF THE BENCH
Gordon became just the fifth player this year versus a D-I opponent to come off the bench and record at least 15 points and 15 rebounds in a game when he accomplished that feat against Air Force on Dec. 16.
 
HISTORICAL PERFORMANCES
In its 74-37 win over UNT Dallas on Dec. 6, the Mavs had 26 offensive rebounds to tie for the 6th most in single-game program history and most in any game since 1996. Of those 26 o-boards, 25 were secured by players (one team rebound) to tie for the 8th-most offensive rebounds by any team in the nation this year.
 
Individually, Cash – who had 17 points and 17 rebounds – was responsible for 12 offensive rebounds to tie for the most in program lore with Johnny McDowell (1992) and Sam Norton (1984). Those dozen o-boards are also the most by any player in the nation this year (five players with 11; five with 10). The 17 total rebounds are the most by any player in the WAC this season.
 
Defensively, the 37 points UTA allowed were its 2nd fewest all-time behind only a 36-point performance against SMU in 1989 – a game the Mavs actually lost, 36-31. Those are the only two times in the 64+ years of the program UTA has held a team under 40 points.
 
RECORD-TYING 3-POINT PERFORMANCE
UTA tied a single-game program record with 17 made 3-pointers on Nov. 11 against UT Tyler. That mark had only been reached once previously – on Dec. 8, 2015, against Bradley. Those 17 triples are three more than any other WAC team this year.
 
LONG-RANGE THREAT SIDELINED
In that UT Tyler contest, Bagatskis knocked down three 3-pointers and scored 11-straight points for UTA in the 1st half. However, the Georgia Tech transfer has not played in a game since then after suffering a left ankle injury in practice the week of Nov. 13, and he will be out indefinitely.
 
BY THE NUMBERS
0) Vining did not have a turnover while issuing eight assists against Alcorn State on Nov. 22, becoming just the fourth UTA player since 2010 to have at least eight assists and zero turnovers versus a D-I foe, joining Javon Levi, Brian Warren and Neal. Additionally, with seven points and five rebounds to go along with the eight assists and no turnovers, Vining was the first player in the nation to finish with at least those totals coming off the bench since Feb. 26, 2022; dating back to 2017, only nine other players in the country have registered that stat line against a D-I opponent.
 
1) Wilson finished with eight points, 11 rebounds, five blocks and three steals at Texas Tech – one of only two players in the nation this year with at least those totals in a game.
 
1) UTA defeated Oral Roberts in the season opener on Nov. 6, 75-71. It was the only game in the last 13 years that the Mavs won, scored at least 70 points and shot less than 35% from the field.
 
2) Both Wilson (29 points, 11 rebounds) and Gordon (13 points, 14 rebounds) recorded double-doubles at New Mexico on Nov. 16 to become the first UTA players since Nov. 28, 2020, to accomplish the feat.
 
3) The Mavs had three players secure double-figure rebounds versus Oral Roberts: Wilson (14), Gordon (14) and Koroma (11). That marked just the second time since 1990 that UTA had three players with 10+ boards in a game (2016 vs. Arkansas State). There have only been two games in program history – both against non-DI opponents – in which four UTA players grabbed double-figure rebounds.
 
6) Six times already this season UTA has scored 75+ points against D-I competition; the Mavs accomplished that feat just four times all of last year (regular and postseason). Furthermore, UTA has tallied 80+ in regulation three times this year; that occurred three times total in the previous two regular seasons.
 
7) UTA connected a 54.5% clip (12-22) from 3-point range against Abilene Christian on Nov. 29 in the WAC opener to tie the 7th-best percentage in single-game program history (minimum 10 makes).
 
8) Gordon did not score against Texas State on Nov. 25, but pulled down eight rebounds before fouling out. He is just the fifth UTA player since 2010 to secure 8+ rebounds in a game and not score (Montez Young Jr., Jabari Narcis, Hervey and Stuart Lagerson).
 
19) Talbot has made 19-straight free throws dating back to Nov. 12 of last season when he missed late in the 2nd half against Southwestern.
 
25) The Mavs had 25 assists on 27 made field goals versus Abilene Christian. Only three other teams in the nation since 2015 have had 25+ assists on 27 or fewer makes: Minnesota in March of 2023, Davidson in February of 2020 and Pittsburgh in February of 2017.
 
38) Against Grand Canyon on Dec. 2, UTA shot 46.2% (24-52) from the floor while holding the Lopes to 37.5% (21-56) – representing just the second time since 2010 the Mavs lost a road game when shooting at least 46% and holding their opponent under 38% (Mar. 5, 2015, at Georgia Southern, 76-64).
 
40) Cash played all 40 minutes in the UNT Dallas contest, becoming just the third UTA player in the last 13 seasons to log all 40 minutes of a regulation game (Erick Neal and Lonnie McClanahan).
 
46) The Mavs shot 46% from the field and finished +9 in the rebounding column (45-36) at New Mexico, representing their only non-conference loss since 2010 when shooting at least 46% and posting at least +9 on the glass.
 
57) Opposite ACU, UTA shot a season-best 57% (27-47) from the floor – the best any Maverick team has shot against a D-I opponent since 2018.
 
75) UTA's 75 points against Oral Roberts were its most in a season opener against a D-I opponent since notching 85 against Loyola Marymount in 2017.
 
80) Versus New Mexico, UTA lost a road non-conference game (82-80) when scoring 80+ points for the first time since a 90-81 setback to Creighton on Dec. 18, 2017.
 
85) 85% of Douglas's points (93 of 110) this year have come via the 3-pointer (31 makes); he has five games of 3+ triples.
 
86) The 86 points UTA scored in its 86-71 win over Abilene Christian were its most in any regulation conference game since a 91-86 win over Sun Belt Conference member Louisiana on Jan. 15, 2021. The Mavs scored 86 despite no player making more than five field goals.
 
NEXT UP
After six-straight games away from home, UTA will have its second contest of a three-game homestand on Saturday, Jan. 13, at 2 p.m. when Seattle U visits the CPC. The Redhawks are 10-5 overall and 3-1 in the WAC while maintaining the 3rd spot in the league's resume-seeding system.
   
PURCHASE TICKETS
Secure your seat(s) all season long to see the re-energized UTA men's basketball program in action at the College Park Center. Purchase single game or season tickets at UTATickets.com, call 817-272-9595 or email boxoffice@uta.edu.

FOLLOW ALONG
For updates, behind-the-scenes photos, videos and more engaging and personal content, follow the men's basketball program on X (formerly Twitter) (@UTAMavsMBB), Instagram (@UTAMavsMBB) and Facebook (/UTAMavsMBB).