- Utah Valley's men, 25-9 and NIT-bound last season, open their first Big West season Nov. 2 against Western Colorado with Isaac Davis and former WAC Player of the Year Dominick Nelson. The women open Nov. 3 behind steals-record holder Cambree Blackham.
- Utah Valley Men's Basketball, Utah Valley Women's Basketball connect back to Utah Valley University and the wider basketball picture.
- The story is backed by 22 sources and a visible last-verified date.
October 17, 2026
October 17, 2026
4 min / 806 words
22 official links
Utah Valley basketball moves into The Big West this season, and both Wolverine programs open at the UCCU Center in Orem in the first week of November. The men host Western Colorado on Monday, November 2, at 6 p.m. MT; the women host Park University on Tuesday, November 3, at 6 p.m. MT. This preview covers Utah Valley men's basketball and Utah Valley women's basketball, from the official rosters, schedules and releases read on October 16.
Who coaches Utah Valley basketball in 2026-27?
Todd Phillips coaches the men. On September 16 Utah Valley extended his contract through the 2029-30 season, and the release says he enters his fourth season with a 66-34 record through his first three; UVU's exhibition preview also calls him the 2025 WAC Coach of the Year. Beehive covered the extension when it was announced.
Dan Nielson coaches the women in his eighth season, per his biography, which says he took UVU to its first NCAA Tournament in his second season and that the 2025-26 team's 16-15 finish brought the program's first back-to-back postseason berths.
Men: a 25-win team changes leagues
Utah Valley's men went 25-9 and 14-4 in the WAC last season. They lost the WAC tournament final 63-61 to California Baptist, then lost 79-78 to George Washington in the first round of the NIT, per UVU's schedule and recap.
Junior forward Isaac Davis of Idaho Falls, Idaho, started all 34 games and averaged 10.9 points and 3.7 rebounds on 62.3 percent shooting, with a career-high 28 points at Southern Utah, per his biography. Senior forward Isaac Hawkins, 6-foot-10, led the team with 50 blocks and shot 66.2 percent, and junior guard Braden Housley started 19 games.
The biggest arrival is a familiar one. UVU's preview says Dominick Nelson returns from Iowa State; he was the 2024-25 WAC Player of the Year, averaging 14.4 points. Transfers Jordy Barnes from Utah State and Tanner Davis from Utah Tech, a WAC All-Freshman pick, also join. Last season's leading scorer, Jackson Holcombe, transferred to Utah.
Utah Valley was picked fifth in The Big West's preseason poll on October 15, one point behind CSUN, per UVU's release.
Women: Cambree Blackham's steals record and a big December visitor
Utah Valley's women went 16-15 and 9-9 in the WAC last season, lost to Tarleton State in the WAC quarterfinals, and played in the first round of the WNIT at San Francisco.
Junior guard Cambree Blackham of Lehi made the All-WAC Second Team and the All-WAC Defensive Team and set UVU's single-season steals record with 83, adding 129 assists, per her biography. Junior guard Naia Tanuvasa of Highland holds the program's single-game steals record, nine against La Sierra. Newcomers on the roster include Elizabeth Gentry from Creighton, Lauren Johnson from Utah Tech, Gracie Johnson from Utah State and Maren McKenna from Wyoming.
The Big West's preseason poll placed the women sixth, with UC San Diego the favorite. UVU's schedule release says BYU's visit to the UCCU Center on November 24 is the Cougars' first trip to Orem since the 2016-17 season.
Preseason dates and the opening stretch
The men play one exhibition, at Utah Tech's Burns Arena in St. George on October 17 at 7 p.m. MT, which UVU's preview calls an Old Hammer Rivalry exhibition. After the Western Colorado opener they play at Weber State on November 7 and at Nevada on November 14, then open the Paradise Jam in St. Thomas against East Carolina on November 20. The Big West debut is at Long Beach State on December 3, and The Big West Championship runs March 10 to 13 in Henderson, Nevada.
The women list no exhibitions. Park University is the first of two non-Division I games, per UVU's schedule release, and the Wolverines then host Santa Clara on November 7 and Nevada on November 14. Home games are at the UCCU Center and Lockhart Arena.
How to watch Utah Valley basketball
Most men's games list ESPN The Fan radio (103.9 FM, 98.3 FM and 960 AM) and an ESPN watch link on the official schedule. Per UVU's season-ticket release, men's packages start at $91, women's season tickets cost $94 and women's single-game tickets $8. The Utah sports schedule lists every Wolverine game day.
Key facts:
- Men's opener: vs. Western Colorado, Mon., Nov. 2, 6 p.m. MT, UCCU Center, Orem
- Women's opener: vs. Park University, Tue., Nov. 3, 6 p.m. MT, UCCU Center
- Coaches: Todd Phillips (men, fourth season, 66-34, extended through 2029-30); Dan Nielson (women, eighth season)
- Conference: The Big West, first season
- 2025-26 records: men 25-9, WAC runner-up, NIT first round; women 16-15, WNIT first round
- Men's players to know: Isaac Davis (started all 34 games), Dominick Nelson (2024-25 WAC Player of the Year)
- Women's player to know: Cambree Blackham, UVU single-season steals record (83)
- Preseason picks: men fifth, women sixth in The Big West