28 wins. A program record. WAC Defensive Player of the Year. WAC Newcomer of the Year. Four players that are now at Power 5 programs. Head coach getting big money to take over a Power 5 program. NIT Final Four.

Shall I go on?

2022-23 was a special season in Orem. The Wolverines had wins at BYU and at Oregon. There was the epic overtime thrilling loss at Wake Forest. And then there were the blowout wins at New Mexico and Colorado in the first two rounds of the NIT. Add in a nationally televised game in the NIT quarterfinals.

This was all on top of a WAC regular season title, the second in three years under Mark Madsen.

Yes, there was the disappointing way the WAC Tourney run finished. We won’t discuss that in too much detail. But, giving up a 23-point lead with 18 minutes left…and to a rival nonetheless…is a tough pill to swallow.

Special, indeed.

Unfortunately, all five starters have departed. Trey Woodbury is at Ole Miss waiting to see if he can get a waiver approved. Le’Tre Darthard is at Oklahoma. Justin Harmon is at Illinois. Aziz Bandaogo left for Cincinnati. And Tim Fuller is living the family life after his wife gave birth to their first child this Summer. Along with that, Mark Madsen took the head coaching job at Cal immediately after the NIT run finished in Las Vegas.

It is the world of college basketball. Success breeds change. And in Orem, there is a lot of change…at least roster-wise.

Athletic Director Jared Sumsion made the right call in handing the keys to the head coaching vacancy to Associate Head Coach Todd Phillips. The former Salt Lake Community College head coach who led the Bruins to a national title has been in Orem for the past four years. Phillips knows how to win, recruit, and win ball games. Plus, he understands the landscape of the WAC, the state of Utah, and the culture at Utah Valley.

With that being said, there are a ton of new faces that will don the green and white in 2023-24.

Newcomers

• Drake Allen - 6’4, Junior, transfer from Southern Utah

  • Should be the starting point guard in November. Started all 37 games for Todd Simon and the T-Birds in 2022-23

• K’Mani Doughty - 6’5, Junior, transfer from New Orleans

  • Another big, long, athletic guard. It is something Utah Valley has had the past four seasons. Averaged 6.9 points and 2.8 rebounds for the Privateers

• Tanner Toolson - 6’5, Sophomore, transfer from BYU

  • The Toolson pipeline is alive and well in Orem. The younger brother of former UVU guard Connor has a little more size and a big chip on his shoulder according to Todd Phillips

• Simon Akena - 6’6, Junior, JUCO transfer

  • Another big, long guard that can finish at the rim or knock down a shot from the perimeter. The Stockholm, Sweden native averaged 15.9 points and 4.7 rebounds for McCook Community College

• Osiris Grady - 6’8, Freshman, Wasatch Academy

  • The four-star recruit chose Utah Valley over West Virginia, Texas Tech and Southern Miss among others. Grady is the No. 32 power forward in the Class of 2023 according to ESP

    

• Caleb Stone-Carrawell - 6’7, Redshirt Senior, Transfer from Austin Peay

  • The son of a former Duke All-American averaged 10 points per game and 2.6 rebounds over the past two seasons for the Governors.

• Trevin Dorius - 7’2, Graduate, Transfer from Utah State

  • Todd Phillips needed size after the departure of Aziz Bandaogo. It came by way of Utah native Trevin Dorius. The Utah State transfer gives the Wolverines a big body in the paint who has surprising athleticism.

• Nate Tshimanga - 6-10, Junior, Transfer from Troy

  • At 6-10, 250 pounds, Nate Tshimanga is someone Todd Phillips is extremely high on. A big body that can play multiple positions and according to Phillips will most likely be a starter in November.

There you have it. The newcomers for the Utah Valley Wolverines. A lot of new pieces that have to gel in order for the Wolverines to keep the momentum from 2022-23.

Returners

• Jaden McClanahan - 5’10, Senior

• Ethan Potter - 6’8, Sophomore

• Trevan Leonhardt - 6’4, Redshirt Freshman

• Cache Fields - 6’6, Senior

The former Utah Mr. Basketball, Ethan Potter, may be the most important of those returners. Potter got extended minutes in Utah Valley’s NIT run and showed the ability to knock down shots from the perimeter as well as play with his back to the basket. According to Phillips, Potter has been one of the leaders throughout the Summer and will see his role increase in a big way.

Schedule News

Per Todd Phillips on a recent Straight Outta WAC podcast episode, the Wolverines will host Weber State, and travel up I-15 to take on Utah. Utah Valley will also travel to Corvallis to take on Oregon State as well as head north to take on Boise State.

Also on the schedule are games at Sam Houston and Charlotte. Plus a home game against Liberty. The Sam Houston and Liberty games are part of the WAC/Conference USA Alliance.

Utah Valley opens up WAC play by hosting Seattle U before a trip a few days later to St. George to take on rival Utah Tech.

Final Thoughts

Can Utah Valley replicate its 28-win championship season? It is possible. Anything is possible in sports. But, with a grip of new faces, the monster that is GCU, and the challenge of having fewer non-Division I games, 28 wins will be challenging.

There is a lot of experience on the 2023-24 version of the Utah Valley Wolverines. There is a head coach who knows how to win ball games.

A trip to Italy that provides some extra practices as well as some early games and an opportunity to bond as a team helps, as well.

The WAC is a monster. Todd Phillips knows that. With the length, athleticism and additional size the Wolverines added in the offseason, Utah Valley is going to be in the mix to defend its title once again.

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For the third time since joining the Western Athletic Conference in 2013-14, the Utah Valley men's basketball team won a regular season championship. Behind the strength of Trey Woodbury, Justin Harmon, Aziz Bandaogo, Le'Tre Darthard, Tim Fuller and the rest of the Wolverines, Utah Valley took care of business. 28 wins is program record. Aziz Bandaogo set a new record for blocks in a single season. There was the NIT run that included a big win at home on national television. Mark Madsen was named Coach of the Year, Aziz Bandaogo was Defensive Player of the Year as well as Newcomer of the Year.

It was one of those seasons that will go down in the history books for the Wolverines. About the only thing that went wrong was an 18-minute stretch in the WAC semifinals against rival Southern Utah. We won't go into detail regarding that game since it is still too painful to talk about.

28 wins is impressive when you consider the start. There was the double digit loss at Utah State to begin the season. Then a heartbreaking overtime loss at Wake Forest. Add in an embarrassing loss to Morgan State at the Jersey Mike's Jamaica Classic. And the start of the 2022-23 season was not great.

Things changed, though, after Thanksgiving. BYU and Oregon can attest to that. Sam Houston will also tell you Utah Valley was pretty darn good. 11 straight wins starting on Dec. 3. Utah Valley then won eight of its final nine regular season games to clinch the outright WAC regular season crown. In the outright clincher on Senior Night, Utah Valley set a new UCCU Center record with 113 points in a blowout win over SFA.

Sure, Utah Valley didn't go to the NCAA Tournament. And we will never know if they could have won a game or two. But, they took out some anger from that WAC semifinal loss in the NIT. Blowout wins at New Mexico and Colorado led to hosting an NIT game in Orem. And against Cincinnati, the Wolverines jumped out big, then held on to advance to the NIT semifinals back at that same Orleans Arena where heartbreak took place a few weeks prior.

Let's recap a little more in-depth the top-5 moments from a historic 2022-23 season.

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Aziz Bandaogo won Defensive Player of the Year as well as Newcomer of the Year in 2022-23. Courtesy Western Athletic Conference.[/caption]

1 - Host an NIT Game on national television

People might think it is crazy to list this as the top moment. But, how can it not be? First, when was the last time Utah Valley got to host a game played in a national tournament? NEVER. Second, when was the last time Utah Valley sold out the UCCU Center for someone other than BYU? NEVER. Third, how often does Utah Valley get to play on national television in a standalone game? NEVER. Do you get the point? Along with that, how many WAC teams can hang a banner that says FINAL FOUR? Seattle U has one. But, can you think of any other current WAC teams? Utah Valley will get to hang a banner that says FINAL FOUR on it after its big time run in the NIT.

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The atmosphere was electric on that Wednesday night in Orem. Even Cincinnati head coach Wes Miller was impressed with the crowd that showed up at the UCCU Center.

Miller had this to say after the game.

“This was special tonight. It was loud. It should be like that every night with the job that Mark (Madsen) has done.”

He was spot on. Hosting an NIT game, even if for a weird circumstance that made it so Cincinnati couldn't host, was huge for Utah Valley.

2 - WAC Regular Season Champs

Perhaps the biggest reason this isn't the top moment is because winning an outright regular season title isn't as big as years' past. The reason for that is because of the WAC Seeding System. You see, despite winning the outright regular season championship, and having a head-to-head win over Sam Houston, Utah Valley entered the WAC tournament as the 2-seed. Yep, you read that correctly. Despite going 15-3 in WAC play, a game better than Sam Houston's 14-4, the Bearkats were still the top seed.

However, with that being said, the Wolverines ran the gauntlet. Plain and simple. Remember UTRGV head coach Matt Figger's response when the conference schedule came out last July?

"I look at this schedule and ask myself 'where in the hell am I gonna get a win?'"

Well, Utah Valley did just that. The Wolverines opened WAC play with five straight wins before a wild home loss to Seattle U, courtesy of Riley Grigsby. There was the wild win at GCU that came down to free throws before a loss at rival SUU in front of a sold out America First Events Center. Then came a 5-game win streak followed by the debacle at Wisdom Gym. Trey Woodbury got three technical fouls in the ball game in a 19-point loss to Tarleton.

Following a close win over ACU to cap off life on the road, Utah Valley returned home with blowout wins over UT Arlington and SFA to wrap up the regular season crown. It is the third regular season crown for the Wolverines, second most over the past decade behind New Mexico State. Pretty wild to think about, huh?

3 - Another Win in Provo

Sure, the Marriott Center is about five miles from the UCCU Center. Not that far so people might think it insignificant in that aspect. But, any time you win in the Marriott Center in front of 13,000 fans, it's a good thing, especially if you are wearing green and white. Utah Valley holds the record for most points scored by an opponent in the Marriott Center. You remember that, right? Yes, in 2016, two days after Thanksgiving, the Wolverines hit 18 3-pointers in a 114-101 win at BYU. Well, the Wolverines picked up another win in the Marriott Center nearly six years to the day of that first win in Provo. Justin Harmon had another big game against the Cougars, going for 19 points as Utah Valley cruised a 75-60 win over the Cougars.

Tahj Small may have put the dagger in early with a one-handed flush in transition off a long pass from Blaze Nield. That happened with almost eight minutes to play. But, it took any and all life out of the Cougar faithful. The Wolverines have now won back-to-back games against the Cougars. And it might be safe to say BYU won't be on the schedule for a few years.

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Justin Harmon put a show on in an upset win over BYU for the second straight year. Courtesy Western Athletic Conference.[/caption]

4 - Road Win at Oregon

The Wolverines played at Utah State, at Wake Forest, at Boise State, at BYU, and at Oregon in 2022-23. That is pretty brutal. All five of those opponents finished in the top-100 in the NET. Three of the five would have been considered Quad I wins. So, no easy stretch by any imagination. And when Utah Valley went into Eugene to take on the Ducks, not many people gave them a chance. Good thing Trey Woodbury doesn't care what other people think. Woodbury went for 24 points and nine rebounds in an upset win at Matthew Knight Arena.

Utah Valley used a big run right before halftime to take a 17-point lead into the break before holding on for dear life down the stretch. Woodbury also had six assists and three steals in the win. Justin Harmon had 13 points and Tim Ceaser came off the bench and scored 13 big points. The win set the stage for a big time WAC opener against Sam Houston.

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5 - Run to the NIT Final Four

Yes, the NIT was the consolation for blowing a 23-point lead in the WAC semifinals. But, instead of backing their way into the NIT and just showing up, the Wolverines showed out, too. First, Justin Harmon took it upon himself to make sure the season did not end in Albuquerque. 32 points later and Harmon and the Wolverines walked out The Pit with a dominating 83-69 win over the Lobos.

Four nights later at the CU Events Center, against another Pac-12 foe, Harmon and Trey Woodbury combined for 43 points in an 81-69 win over Colorado. The Wolverines used a big second half, outscoring the Buffs 43-31, to advance to the NIT quarterfinals.

In a bizarre twist, a new floor was being put down at Fifth Third Arena, so after beating Colorado, Utah Valley got to host an NIT game. On ESPN2. Packed UCCU Center. And it lived up to the hype. Trey Woodbury and Justin Harmon each had 17 points. Aziz Bandaogo had 15 points and 12 rebounds. And Tim Fuller was also in double figures to lead Utah Valley to a win in arguably the biggest game in the Division I era.

Sure, the ending script wasn't quite what you would expect. A few days prior to facing UAB in the NIT semifinals in Las Vegas, everyone knew there would be a coaching change. Mark Madsen was to take the reins at Cal following the end of the Utah Valley season. However, that was almost delayed an extra few days when Trey Woodbury willed Utah Valley to knock off the Blazers. Unfortunately, the 88-86 loss ended a magical and history season for the Wolverines.

If you know Utah Valley head coach Mark Madsen, you know he puts his family above everything else.

With three kids under the age of six and a fourth child on the way, Madsen puts his wife Hannah and the kids first.

Madsen’s family might have played the biggest role in Utah Valley winning a program-record 28 games and a WAC regular season title in 2022-23.

You see, most coaches attend the Final Four. There are various radio broadcasts where they are the analysts. There are coaching conventions and socials. It’s an opportunity to get together with colleagues and enjoy a weekend together.

However, sometimes a coach chooses not to attend, even when there are multiple requests to be an analyst.

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Mark Madsen was one of those coaches that chose not to attend.

“I cancelled my trip two days before because I wanted to be home with my wife and little ones.”

It comes as no surprise Madsen chose his family over the Final Four. Let’s face it, with travel, and the grind of a 31-game season, it makes sense that staying home with the family is the top priority.

However, staying at home gave Madsen an opportunity to jump in the transfer portal periodically. Being the only UVU coach in the office on that Final Four weekend, Madsen was looking at the portal.

It was at that moment Utah Valley’s 2022-23 season came together.

Mark Madsen and his staff had to replace All-WAC selection and WAC Defensive Player of the Year Fardaws Aimaq who had entered the transfer portal.

You remember Aimaq, right? ‘Big Maple’ as he was called averaged 16.9 points and 14.2 rebounds in his two seasons in Orem.

Aimaq won WAC Player of the Year honors in 2020-21 after leading Utah Valley to a share of the WAC regular season title. Aimaq also won WAC Defensive Player of the Year honors.

The following season, Aimaq won WAC Defensive Player of the Year honors on a 20-win Utah Valley squad.

So, Madsen had quite the void to fill.

Perhaps it was a coincidence. Maybe Mark Madsen had an inkling. Whatever the reason was, it may go down in Utah Valley history as the best decision ever.

While looking at the portal, a name popped up. A name that Mark Madsen knew.

Aziz Bandaogo.

“Aziz pops up and I immediately reached out.”

Bandaogo is a 7-foot center at Akron at the time. During his time at Akron, Bandaogo averaged 1.2 blocks, 3.3 rebounds and 3.2 points per contest.

That wasn’t something Madsen was concerned about. Just look at what Aimaq did at Mercer before being recruited to Orem.

Aimaq averaged 5.0 points and 5.3 rebounds per contest.

So, Madsen has a way of finding a diamond in the rough.

“We couldn’t bring him to Orem. But, we could go out and visit with him off campus. So, we flew to Akron and spoke with him.”

During that visit, Madsen learned that Bandaogo’s family and former coaches in Senegal were advising him on where to play.

It was at that moment Madsen made the decision to fly halfway across the globe.

“We told Aziz we wanted to fly to Senegal to meet with his family and coaches,” Madsen said. “So I called Roland Houston who runs the NBA Academy in Africa and asked if he could set things up for us to visit.”

Madsen and assistant coach Todd Okeson made the 5,700-mile trek and met with Bandaogo’s family.

“I had been to North Africa and Tunisia but never to Senegal,” Madsen said. “One of the best experiences of my life.”

The big thing for Bandaogo’s family was making sure he got the right opportunity to showcase his skill.

“They wanted to make sure he would have the opportunity to play significant minutes. I told them I never promise a player a starting role as it kills the competitive process. I let them know he has a special and unique talent and that I came all the way to Africa because I believe in him.”

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Well, that trip in May was part of scratching a surface that not many outside the UVU locker room saw coming.

“The trip was worth it and we are just scratching the surface of how good he can become,” Madsen told the family.

Scratching the surface may be the understatement of the year.

During WAC media days in October, Trey Woodbury, who was roommates with Fardaws Aimaq, had this to say about Bandaogo.

“Aziz is a freak. No offense to Daws, but Aziz is just crazy with his length and athleticism. He’s gonna be really, really good.”

Yes, Trey, you were right. Aziz has been really, really good for the Wolverines.

Reverse alley-oop dunks have become the norm in Orem. Blocking shots and rebounding have also been on the menu.

In his first season in Orem, Bandaogo smashed the single-season record for blocked shots.

Emmanuel Olojakpoke held the record with 81 in 2019-20. Bandaogo has 104 blocks in 2022-23 and there is at least one more game to play, possibly a second game.

Along those lines, Bandaogo filled the void left by Aimaq quite nicely for Madsen and his staff. Bandaogo has started all 36 games, played a little over 29 minutes per game and averaged 11.5 points and 10.2 rebounds per contest.

The Wolverines take on UAB in the NIT semifinals on Tuesday at Orleans Arena.

Aziz Bandaogo is a big reason why the Wolverines are the lone WAC team still playing in 2022-23.

All because a coach chose to stay home with his family instead of going to the Final Four.