Basketball, Bowling, and Life in Cedar City for SUU Forward
From the red rocks surrounding the city, to the floor of the AFEC, Jaiden Feroah has settled in just fine.
By the time Southern Utah’s Jaiden Feroah steps onto the floor at the America First Event Center, most of the work is already done.
The walkthrough is over. The locker room has settled. The crowd hasn’t fully arrived yet.
And somewhere on the court, before things turn loud and official, Feroah is already competing.
“It’s become a little bit of a pregame ritual for us,” he said.
That ritual doesn’t involve a coach or a teammate.
Instead, it’s a shooting contest with Southern Utah broadcaster Spencer McLaughlin — a familiar voice around the program and a constant presence on game days.
First to make five shots. Sometimes best of five. Sometimes best of seven.
No prize. Just rhythm.
A Routine That Says More Than It Should
The routine started naturally.
After the team’s game-day walkthrough, Feroah heads out to grab his meal. McLaughlin stays behind to get shots up. When Feroah returns, they meet on the court.
“He’ll stay down and get warm, and I’ll go get my meal,” Feroah said. “Then I’ll come back, and we’ll go first to make five.”
It’s competitive, but relaxed.
Serious, but fun.
And it’s one of those small, in-between moments that says a lot about both the player and the program.
“He’s actually a pretty good shooter,” Feroah said. “He’s given me a run for my money a couple of times.”
More than anything, it’s part of how Feroah eases into game mode — a bridge between preparation and performance.
Getting Comfortable in Cedar City
Feroah carries himself with an easy confidence.
There’s competitiveness there, but no ego.
Even when the conversation drifts away from basketball, that honesty shows up.
After a recent round of golf, he didn’t sugarcoat the results.
“It wasn’t my best showing,” he said with a laugh. “But that’s to be expected. I had a couple of months off.”
A Utah native from Draper, Feroah has found comfort playing in-state, especially with family able to attend games regularly.
“I obviously love that my family gets to show up to the games,” Feroah said. “That’s probably the biggest thing for me. Having them close and being able to see them in the stands means a lot.”
But Cedar City itself has surprised him.
“Utah is a beautiful place,” he said. “Cedar City, the red rocks are incredible. And because there’s not much going on here, the community is pretty close.”
That closeness shows up quickly.
“Anytime we’re in public, people are like, ‘Hey, nice game the other night,’” he said. “Everybody’s been super great.”
At Southern Utah, players don’t fade into the background. They’re part of the town.
Rivalries You Feel Immediately
One thing Feroah didn’t fully understand before arriving was just how intense Southern Utah’s rivalry with Utah Tech would be.
“I had no idea, really,” he admitted.
After two road games in St. George, he gets it now.
“It’s pretty intense,” he said. “That second one, the atmosphere was pretty incredible. There was a sea of white in their student section.”
Even with Utah Tech taking both matchups so far, Feroah already has his eye on the return game in Cedar City.
“I love hostile environments,” he said. “But when they come here, I hope we pack the place out. We definitely gotta get ’em.”
A Night You Don’t Forget
Not every lesson this season came in a rivalry setting.
One game — a historically lopsided loss at Gonzaga in November — forced the team to confront something entirely different.
“That was a first for I think all of us,” Feroah said. “We talked about it afterward and realized we might’ve made history for the worst Division I loss this year.”
The Zags shot nearly 70 percent from the field in the 72-point win on Nov. 17 in Spokane.
Foul trouble piled up. The margin ballooned.
“I’d never won by 70 and I’d never lost by 70,” he said. “So that was a very unique experience.”
The game felt surreal — like a slow spiral.
“You think things are going well, then something goes wrong,” Feroah said. “And then you’re deeper and deeper in. That’s what it felt like.”
It wasn’t a moment to run from, just one to absorb.
Wednesday Nights at the Bowling Alley
Life in Cedar City means finding your own fun, and for Feroah and a group of teammates, that’s meant bowling.
“Earlier in the fall, we heard about this bowling league on Wednesday nights,” he said. “So me, Kai (Burdick), Isaiah (Cottrell), and Tanner (Hayhurst) formed a team.”
Wednesday nights from 6 to 9 now belong to the Cedar Bowling Alley.
“When we started, we weren’t great,” Feroah said. “But now we’re formidable opponents.”
It’s a small detail, but it fits.
Competition doesn’t shut off — it just changes lanes.
Where He Is, Right Now
As the season moves forward, Feroah isn’t focused on defining what comes next. He’s focused on where he is — the routines, the rivalries, the town, the people.
Sometimes that means Wednesday nights at the bowling alley.
Sometimes it means walking through town and talking hoops with fans.
And sometimes, before the building fills and the game truly begins, it means five made shots against the broadcaster who knows his game as well as anyone.
No crowd.
No spotlight.
Just preparation — before the lights come on.