Bethesda University vs Southern Utah prediction: Southern Utah's rebuilt roster gets a look against NCCAA Bethesda
With barely a quarter of last season's minutes back, the Thunderbirds' home date with Bethesda is mostly a chance to see Jaiden Feroah and JaJuan Nicholls together.
- Southern Utah should control this at home against an NCCAA opponent it has beaten every time since 2016.
- Watch how Jaiden Feroah and Tennessee Tech transfer JaJuan Nicholls share the frontcourt touches.
- No spread or total is posted yet; last season's pace, 20th nationally, hints at plenty of possessions.
A new team around Feroah
Southern Utah enters its return to the Big Sky with a roster that looks little like the one that went 10-22 last season. Players on this year's team logged just 24.2% of last season's minutes, so last season's numbers are a weak guide.
The anchor is graduate forward Jaiden Feroah. Last season he scored 13.5 points per game and shot 41.5% from three, an unusual range for a forward who also blocked 1.6 shots a night. Next to him is JaJuan Nicholls, who shot 62.7% from the field at Tennessee Tech last season. He opened his SUU career with 20 points in the Oct. 12 exhibition against Ottawa (Ariz.).
What carries over from last season
Rob Jeter, in his fourth season, ran one of the faster offenses in the country last season: 71.8 possessions per 40 minutes ranked 20th of 365. The cost was ball security. A turnover rate of 19.7 per 100 possessions ranked 339th, and the guards who handled most of those possessions are gone, including Elijah Duval to UAB and Tanner Hayhurst to Western Michigan.
Who replaces them in the backcourt is the open question. Returners Zeplin Kidd and Brayden Johnson played sparingly last season, and SUU says its large newcomer class includes several players with college experience.
The setting
This is a non-conference home game at America First Event Center, and it follows a Nov. 5 home date with Grace. Bethesda plays in the NCCAA's Division I West Region out of Anaheim, Calif., and SUU is 8-0 against the Flames since 2016. The last meeting, on Nov. 12, 2024, ended 107-54.
Nothing has surfaced on Bethesda's availability.
Key players
- Jaiden Feroah (Southern Utah): Last season he started all 32 games and posted a 62.3% effective field goal percentage.
- JaJuan Nicholls (Southern Utah): Last season at Tennessee Tech he averaged 11.2 points in 17.9 minutes with a 26.8% usage rate.
- Cale Barclay (Southern Utah): Last season he averaged 4.6 points and 2.8 rebounds in 15.5 minutes off the bench.
Numbers that matter
| Returning minutes | 24.2% | Southern Utah brings back barely a quarter of last season's minutes, so last season's team stats say little. |
|---|---|---|
| Last season's pace rank | 20th | Jeter's teams push tempo, which tends to inflate scores against overmatched opponents. |
| Last season's turnover rate | 19.7 | Ranked 339th last season, and the main ball handlers have since left. |
| Series since 2016 | 8-0 | Southern Utah has won every meeting with Bethesda in that span. |
Bethesda University vs Southern Utah: quick answers
When is Bethesda University vs Southern Utah?
Saturday, November 7, 2026 at 8:30 PM ET.