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Utah Valley Wolverines men's basketball

The Utah Valley Wolverines men's basketball team is a team that represents Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, United States. The team is currently coached by Todd Phillips. The school's team currently competes in the Western Athletic Conference of NCAA Division I college basketball. Its home games are played in the UCCU Center on the school's Orem, Utah campus. The Wolverines have yet to appear in the NCAA tournament since moving to Division I. The Wolverines joined the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) in 2013 as part of the early-2010s NCAA conference realignment.

Overview and history

Utah Valley University basketball formally began in the 1984–85 season as a member of the Scenic West Athletic Conference of the National Junior College Athletic Association. This continued until the 2003–04 season, when they moved up to Division I (provisional status) and the Great West Conference. They are the only team in NCAA history to move directly to Division I from the NJCAA. Utah Valley was granted full Division I status in July of 2009. After spending five seasons in the Great West, the Wolverines moved to the Western Athletic Conference, with the rest of Utah Valley University's intercollegiate sports teams. They reached their first conference tournament final in the WAC in 2025.

2026 WAC Tournament controversy

In February 2026, the WAC filed a lawsuit against Utah Valley over a $1 million exit fee dispute related to the school's upcoming move to the Big West. The conference initially declared UVU a "member not in good standing" and threatened to exclude both the men's and women's teams from the 2026 WAC Basketball Tournaments. However, UVU successfully obtained a preliminary injunction from a Utah district court, which ordered the conference to reinstate the program for postseason play. The dispute was temporarily resolved when UVU deposited the $1 million into a court-ordered escrow account just before the tournament began.

Big West move

On June 4, 2025, Utah Valley University officially announced it would join The Big West as a full member, effective July 1, 2026. The move marks a return to the state of Utah for the conference for the first time since 2005. Upon joining, UVU will be the largest institution in the conference by enrollment, with approximately 48,000 students. The transition follows a period of significant growth for the program within the Western Athletic Conference (WAC).

Coaches

  • Sam Little (1972–1974)
  • Harry Anderson (1974–1975)
  • Gary Gardner (1975–1981)
  • Vince Miner (1981–1986)
  • Duke Reid (1986–1994)
  • Jeff Reinert (1994–2002)
  • Dick Hunsaker (2002–2015)
  • Mark Pope (2015–2019)
  • Mark Madsen (2019–2023)
  • Todd Phillips (2023-Present)

Seasons

  1. Before 2003 Utah Valley State College was a Junior College. They received approval to begin transition to D1 status in Spring 2003. JC transitions to D1 require a 6-year transition period, meaning they weren't eligible for NCAA or NIT Tournament appearances until the 2009–10 season.
  2. The Great West Conference announced the teams that were invited to join their conference during spring 2008. However most of the teams already had scheduled Independent schedules for the 2008–2009 season, so the conference held off on scheduling regular season matches and a conference tournament until 2009–10.

Postseason results

NIT results

The Wolverines have appeared in the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) four times. In 2025, UVU made its third overall NIT appearance. Despite being the WAC's automatic qualifier, they played on the road against San Francisco, falling 79–70. This followed their historic 2023 run where they defeated New Mexico, Colorado, and Cincinnati to reach the NIT Final Four in Las Vegas. Their combined record in the NIT is 3–4.

CIT results

The Wolverines have appeared in the CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament (CIT) one time. Their record is 0–1.

CBI results

The Wolverines have appeared in the College Basketball Invitational (CBI) three times. Their combined record is 4–3.

Individual honors

All-Americans

Conference players of the year

Hall of fame

Individual records

  • Points scored, single game: 63, Ryan Toolson
  • Points scored, season: 680, Ronnie Price
  • Points scored, career: 2,163, Ryan Toolson
  • Rebounds, single game: 25, Fardaws Aimaq
  • Rebounds, season: 409, Fardaws Aimaq
  • Rebounds, career: 1,012, Ben Aird
  • Assists, single game: 14, Kenneth Randolph
  • Assists, season: 191, Trevan Leonhardt
  • Assists, career: 434, Holton Hunsaker

Wolverines in the NBA

3 former Utah Valley players have played at least one game in the NBA.

Rivalries

  • Old Hammer Rivalry: The Wolverines maintain an intense in-state rivalry with Utah Tech (formerly Dixie State), a matchup rooted in their shared history as junior college powerhouses.
  • Crosstown Clash (BYU): UVU has seen increased success in its "Crosstown Clash" with BYU, securing notable back-to-back victories in recent seasons.
  • Southern Utah: The rivalry with in-state foe Southern Utah reached new heights in 2026 when UVU clinched its second straight conference title on the Thunderbirds' home court in Cedar City.

See also

References

External links