Thunderbirds

Southern Utah Thunderbirds
General Information
NCAA Division: Division I
Conference: Big Sky
Past Conferences: Summit
City: Cedar City, Utah
Stadium: America First Event Center
NCAA Tournaments: 2001
Championships:
- National Championships: 0
- Conference Titles: 3
Southern Utah Thunderbirds Team History
The Southern Utah Thunderbirds have had mixed success in basketball, but they’re heading in the right direction.
After four shocking years from 2013-2017, where they accumulated only 24 wins and 99 losses, the Thunderbirds have bounced back and there is every reason to be in a positive mindset for the upcoming season.
Since coach Todd Simon took over the reins in 2016, they have steadily improved from a six-win team into a 23-win team. Their 2021-22 season amassed 23 wins and only 12 losses, which followed up a 20-4 win during the Covid-hit 2020-21 year.
The Thunderbirds team stats are starting to show signs of drastic improvement, and they are Big Sky title contenders. We expect their NCAAB odds for the Big Sky title to be firm, and they’re a solid bet.
They have been to the NCAA Tournament only once in their history. It came in 2001 when posting a 25-6 record under coach Bill Evans, but they lost in the first round to Boston College 68-65.
The Southern Utah Thunderbirds’ stats declined significantly following that appearance, failing to secure a winning record until the 2006-07 year. It was slim pickings following that season as well, including 11 consecutive losing years. That streak was snapped when they posted a 17-17 record in 2019.
The biggest turnover was offensive efficiency, which saw the Thunderbirds scoring average increase from 72.8 points per game in 2020 to 84.2 PPG in 2021. It’s a huge increase compared to what they used to score on offense when they were struggling.
They got invited to play in the Basketball Classic in 2022. They made the semifinals after posting wins over Kent State, UTEP, and Portland, before losing to Fresno State.
With five seasons under Simon, bettors should expect continued improvement from the Thunderbirds.
All-Time Southern Utah Thunderbirds Records
Points Scored
- Davor Marcelic: 1,710
- Jeff Monaco: 1,568
- Dre Marin: 1,432
Rebounds
- Maizen Fausett: 716
- Harrison Butler: 649
- Tarvish Felton: 505
Assists
- Jeff Monaco: 547
- Steve Barnes: 439
- Dre Marin: 362