In his second year at Utah Valley, head coach Mark Madsen has a lot of new faces. 15 of them to be exact. Trey Woodbury and JJ Overton are the two Wolverines that return from the 2019-20 squad. It was a busy offseason for Madsen and his staff. And the work put in on the recruiting trail paid off. Georgia Tech grad transfer Evan Cole is perhaps the biggest name on the list. But, Division I recruits Tim Fuller, Jordan Brinson and Colby Leifson are all in the mix to have an immediate impact in Orem.
Junior college transfers Asa McCord, Trey Farrer, Le’Tre Darthard and Jaden McClanahan all add depth that the Wolverines didn’t have in 2019-20. Blaze Nield, a lightning quick guard from BYU, will play a big role for the Wolverines, as well.
Perhaps the name people should get to know is Fardaws Aimaq. The redshirt junior who transferred to Utah Valley from Mercer prior to the 2019-20 season has a great work ethic that Madsen says is going to pay off when play begins in November. Daws, as he is known by his teammates, is a 6’11, 245-pound center from Vancouver.
Scheduling continues to be a huge hurdle right now. Madsen would love to have a bubble-type of tournament with all the Utah schools. However, Madsen said that he and his staff are on the phones constantly trying to get things put together. Two of the biggest games on the schedule, at BYU and at Utah are still possible.
For now, Madsen is confident where his team is at and excited for what 2020-21 will bring.
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Image credit: Wade Event Photography
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