The UTEP men’s basketball team (1-0) will hit the road for its first true test of the season when it faces Utah Valley (1-0) at 2 p.m. MT on Saturday. The Miners dominated Division II member Sul Ross State, 102-55, in a wire-to-wire victory in their opener on November 4. Similarly, the Wolverines cruised past Division II Western Colorado, 92-57, on the same day. This game begins a stretch in which UTEP will play five of its next six games outside of El Paso, including two road games and three neutral-site matchups. The lone home game during this period will be against Division II UTPB on November 12. Colin Deaver will be on the call for “The Home of UTEP Basketball” 600 ESPN El Paso, and the game will also be streamed on ESPN+ (subscription required) with Brandon Crow and Ethan Jordan describing the action.
UTEP aims to win its road opener for the first time since the 2010-11 season when it defeated I-10 rival NM State, 74-72, on November 23, 2010. The Miners had a 2-9 record on the road last season but finished strong with victories at Jax State (72-65, February 29, 2024) and Liberty (67-51, March 2, 2024).
UTEP’s matchup against Utah Valley is the first of three scheduled contests against WAC schools this year. The Miners will also host Seattle U (December 7) and Tarleton State (December 16). The games against the Wolverines and Texans are part of the CUSA/WAC scheduling initiative.
Saturday’s game marks the first meeting between UTEP and Utah Valley.
Utah Valley is off to a strong start, having defeated Division II Western Colorado, 92-57, in its season opener on November 4. UVU shot 61.1 percent (33-54) from the floor and scored 92 points, with four players reaching double digits. The Wolverines also shot 36.8 percent (7-18) from three-point range, dominated the boards (43-24), held a 52-30 advantage in points in the paint, dished out 24 assists on 33 field goals, and blocked 12 shots (five from UC Irvine transfer Carter Welling). One area of concern was the 19 turnovers they committed, but they also forced 18 turnovers and held Western Colorado to 35.7 percent shooting from the floor.
Last season, Utah Valley went 16-16, including 11-9 in the WAC. The Wolverines returned four letterwinners, including starters Ethan Protter (7.9 ppg, 4.2 rpg) and Tanner Toolson (9.5 ppg, 3.8 rpg). They also brought back 2024 WAC All-Freshman team member Osiris Grady (4.4 ppg, 2.8 rpg) and Trevan Leonhardt (2.1 ppg, 1.1 apg). UVU, picked fifth in the WAC’s preseason poll, added 12 newcomers, including eight transfers. Head coach Todd Phillips, who had the most victories by a first-year UVU head coach in program history, leads the team. The Wolverines play at the UCCU Center (7,500) and boast a 44-11 home record, including 16-3 in nonconference action, since the start of the 2020-21 season.
Utah Valley has claimed three WAC Championships (2014, 2021, 2023) since joining the league in 2013. The program, which started in 1984-85, became the only team in NCAA history to move directly to Division I from the NJCAA in 2003-04. The Wolverines have made six postseason appearances since achieving full Division I status in 2009, including a run to the NIT Semifinals in 2022-23.
