2015–16 Southern Utah Thunderbirds men's basketball
ConferenceBig Sky Conference
Record5–24 (3–15 Big Sky)
Head coach
Assistant coaches
  • Chad Bell
  • Todd Okeson
  • Drew Allen
Home arenaCentrum Arena
2015–16 Big Sky men's basketball standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L PCTW L PCT
Weber State153 .833269  .743
Montana144 .7782112  .636
Idaho126 .6672113  .618
Idaho State117 .6111615  .516
Eastern Washington108 .5561816  .529
North Dakota108 .5561716  .515
Montana State99 .5001417  .452
Portland State810 .4441318  .419
Northern Colorado711 .3891021  .323
Sacramento State612 .3331417  .452
Northern Arizona315 .167525  .167
Southern Utah315 .167524  .172
Conference tournament winner

The 2015–16 Southern Utah Thunderbirds basketball team represented Southern Utah University during the 2015–16 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Thunderbirds were led by fourth-year head coach Nick Robinson and played their home games at the Centrum Arena in Cedar City, Utah. They were members of the Big Sky Conference. The Thunderbirds finished the season 5–24, 3–15 in Big Sky play to finish in a tie for 11th place. They lost in the first round of the Big Sky tournament to North Dakota.

On March 9, 2016, head coach Nick Robinson was fired.[1][2] He finished at SUU with a four-year record of 28–90. On March 22, the school hired Todd Simon as head coach.[3]

Previous season

The Thunderbirds finished the season 2014–15 season 10–19, 7–11 in Big Sky play to finish in ninth place. They failed to qualify for the Big Sky tournament.

Departures

NameNumberPos.HeightWeightYearHometownNotes
Austin Waddoups2G6'2"160FreshmanAmerican Fork, UtahTransferred to Salt Lake CC
Tyler Rawson21F6'9"220FreshmanAmerican Fork, UtahTransferred to Salt Lake CC
Sherron Wilson22G/F6'6"220FreshmanLas Vegas, NevadaTransferred to Paris JC
Eric Rippetoe24F6'6"215SeniorPanaca, NevadaGraduated
Cal Hanks34C6'11"240SeniorLogan, UtahGraduated

Incoming Transfers

NameNumberPos.HeightWeightYearHometownPrevious School
Randy Onwuasor2G6'3"190JuniorInglewood, CaliforniaTransferred from Texas Tech. Under NCAA transfer rules, Onwuasor will have to sit out for the 2015–16 season. Will have two years of remaining eligibility.
Will Joyce11F6'5"220JuniorNewark, New JerseyJunior college transferred from New Mexico Military Institute

2015 incoming recruits

US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes
Name Hometown High school / college Height Weight Commit date
Nicholas Pete
#92 SF
Hemet, California Tahquitz High School 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 185 lb (84 kg) Aug 30, 2014 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals: N/A   247Sports: N/A    ESPN grade: 65
Brayden Holker
#68 PF
Saratoga Springs, Utah Westlake High School 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 215 lb (98 kg) Oct 20, 2014 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals: N/A   247Sports: N/A    ESPN grade: 65
Overall recruiting rankings:
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight.
  • In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.

Sources:

  • "2015 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved September 25, 2015.

Roster

2015–16 Southern Utah Thunderbirds men's basketball team
PlayersCoaches
Pos.#NameHeightWeightYearPrevious schoolHometown
G 2 Randy Onwausor (I) Current redshirt 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)210 lb (95 kg) JrInglewood HS
Texas Tech
Inglewood, California
G 3 Travon Langston 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)190 lb (86 kg) SrLas Vegas HS
Utah State Eastern
Las Vegas, Nevada
G 4 Trey Kennedy 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)195 lb (88 kg) JrBishop Gorman HS Las Vegas, Nevada
G 5 John Marshall 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)180 lb (82 kg) JrWestwind Prep Phoenix, Arizona
F 11 Will Joyce 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)205 lb (93 kg) JrNewark East Side
New Mexico Military Institute
Newark, New Jersey
F 12 Daniel Melifonwu 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)220 lb (100 kg) FrBalboa City Prep/Lincoln San Diego, California
G 13 Race Parsons 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)185 lb (84 kg) JrSouth Sevier HS Monroe, Utah
G 14 James McGee (W) 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)180 lb (82 kg) RS SoMater Dei HS San Clemente, California
G 15 Juwan Major 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)180 lb (82 kg) JrLas Vegas HS Las Vegas
G/F 25 Christian Thompson 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)180 lb (82 kg) SrArcadia HS
Tohono O’odham CC
Phoenix, Arizona
F 32 Casey Oliverson 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)225 lb (102 kg) SrSky View HS
Salt Lake CC
Logan, Utah
G/F 35 A. J. Hess (W) 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)210 lb (95 kg) SrPhoenix Country Day Carefree, Arizona
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)

Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (S) Suspended
  • (I) Ineligible
  • (W) Walk-on

Roster

Schedule

[4]

Date
time, TV
Opponent Result Record Site (attendance)
city, state
Exhibition
12/12/2015*
7:00 pm
Bristol University W 79–41 
Centrum Arena (1,133)
Cedar City, Utah
Non-conference regular season
11/13/2015*
7:30 pm, P12N
at No. 16 Utah
Old Oquirrh Bucket
L 71–82  0–1
Jon M. Huntsman Center (12,050)
Salt Lake City, Utah
11/18/2015*
8:30 pm
at UNLV L 64–84  0–2
Thomas & Mack Center (10,824)
Paradise, Nevada
11/21/2015*
7:00 pm
UTSA L 79–82  0–3
Centrum Arena (3,256)
Cedar City, Utah
11/24/2015*
7:00 pm
Cal State Fullerton L 66–80  0–4
Centrum Arena (938)
Cedar City, Utah
11/28/2015*
11:00 am
at Eastern Kentucky L 85–98  0–5
Alumni Coliseum (1,300)
Richmond, Kentucky
12/03/2015*
7:00 pm
La Verne W 105–85  1–5
Centrum Arena (1,428)
Cedar City, Utah
12/05/2015*
7:00 pm
at Utah Valley
Old Oquirrh Bucket
W 68–54  2–5
UCCU Center (2,233)
Orem, Utah
12/16/2015*
8:00 pm
at Saint Mary's L 36–92  2–6
McKeon Pavilion (1,836)
Moraga, California
12/19/2015*
11:00 am
at IUPUI L 68–82  2–7
Fairgrounds Coliseum (886)
Indianapolis, Indiana
12/22/2015*
6:30 pm, FS2
at No. 9 Butler L 52–88  2–8
Hinkle Fieldhouse (7,128)
Indianapolis, Indiana
Big Sky regular season
12/31/2015
4:00 pm
Montana State W 93–82  3–8
(1–0)
Centrum Arena (941)
Cedar City, Utah
01/02/2016
7:00 pm
Montana L 66–83  3–9
(1–1)
Centrum Arena (2,330)
Cedar City, Utah
01/09/2016
7:00 pm
Northern Arizona L 63–73  3–10
(1–2)
Centrum Arena (3,011)
Cedar City, Utah
01/14/2016
7:05 pm
at Eastern Washington L 80–106  3–11
(1–3)
Reese Court (1,572)
Cheney, Washington
01/16/2016
8:00 pm
at Idaho W 85–83  4–11
(2–3)
Cowan Spectrum (1,456)
Moscow, Idaho
01/21/2016
7:00 pm
Northern Colorado L 80–90  4–12
(2–4)
Centrum Arena (1,356)
Cedar City, Utah
01/23/2016
4:00 pm
North Dakota L 72–88  4–13
(2–5)
Centrum Arena (1,337)
Cedar City, Utah
01/28/2016
7:00 pm
at Idaho State L 68–87  4–14
(2–6)
Holt Arena (1,644)
Pocatello, Idaho
01/30/2016
7:00 pm
at Weber State
Old Oquirrh Bucket
L 50–77  4–15
(2–7)
Dee Events Center (7,052)
Ogden, Utah
02/04/2016
7:00 pm
Idaho L 44–68  4–16
(2–8)
Centrum Arena (1,213)
Cedar City, Utah
02/06/2016
7:00 pm
Eastern Washington L 67–81  4–17
(2–9)
Centrum Arena (1,309)
Cedar City, Utah
02/11/2016
7:00 pm
at Montana L 53–86  4–18
(2–10)
Dahlberg Arena (3,351)
Missoula, Montana
02/13/2015
2:05 pm
at Montana State L 73–80  4–19
(2–11)
Worthington Arena (2,624)
Bozeman, Montana
02/18/2016
7:00 pm
Weber State
Old Oquirrh Bucket
L 83–87  4–20
(2–12)
Centrum Arena (2,028)
Cedar City, Utah
02/20/2016
7:00 pm
Idaho State L 71–89  4–21
(2–13)
Centrum Arena (1,568)
Cedar City, Utah
02/27/2016
2:00 pm
at Northern Arizona W 69–59  5–21
(3–13)
Walkup Skydome (1,365)
Flagstaff, Arizona
03/03/2016
8:05 pm
at Sacramento State L 63–69 OT 5–22
(3–14)
Colberg Court (689)
Sacramento, California
03/05/2016
8:05 pm
at Portland State L 86–88  5–23
(3–15)
Peter Stott Center (622)
Portland, Oregon
Big Sky tournament
03/08/2016
3:30 pm
vs. North Dakota L 80–85  5–24
Reno Events Center (1,406)
Reno, Nevada
*Non-conference game. #Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses.
All times are in Mountain Time.

References

  1. "SUU Coach Robinson Relieved of Head Coaching Duties - Southern Utah Thunderbirds Athletics". www.suutbirds.com. Archived from the original on March 11, 2016.
  2. "Southern Utah University fires basketball coach Nick Robinson". USA TODAY. Retrieved January 27, 2017.
  3. "Southern Utah hires UNLV interim coach Todd Simon". LasVegasSun.com. March 22, 2016. Retrieved January 27, 2017.
  4. Mike Needham. "Men's Basketball – Schedule/Results – Southern Utah Thunderbirds Athletics". Suutbirds.com. Retrieved September 26, 2015.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.