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When the University of Utah takes the Huntsman Center court against Sam Houston on Saturday night, James Okonkwo won’t have to stay on the sideline this time.

The fifth-year transfer forward can finally suit up for the Runnin’ Utes in the regular season.

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While the 6-foot-8 forward was able to play in Utah’s two exhibition games, he missed the Utes’ first three regular-season games due to transfer rules.

“It’ll be good, because then we’ll get a better feel for our rotations, just when we were starting to get a little continuity there,” Utah coach Alex Jensen said of having Okonkwo available.

“You know, first year, all new players, all new coaches, it’s going to be discombobulated in some ways. But it’ll be good to get them out there and see different combinations with James.”

That allowed other front court guys like JUCO transfer Josh Hayes and true freshman Kendyl Sanders an opportunity to gain some valuable extended minutes they might not have gotten if Okonkwo had been available.

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“I think it is a blessing in this, (it) gives other guys opportunities they might not have necessarily had,” Jensen said. “Hopefully, it kind of puts us ahead of the curve a little bit in figuring out what’s best for us.”

Utah and Sam Houston will meet at the Huntsman in a 7 p.m. MST tip that will be livestreamed on ESPN+.

The Utes bring a 3-0 record into the matchup, while the Bearkats are 1-1, including a 98-77 loss over another Big 12 team, No. 11 Texas Tech, a week ago.

“Sam Houston, I think, is a good team. (They) did a good job against Texas Tech and they’re aggressive,” Jensen said. “I think it’s another good test to see kind of where we are. I think we’ve improved in our first three games, and hopefully we continue that trend.”

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Okonkwo is expected to play a major role in the interior for a Utah squad that is short on height and has reshaped 80% of its roster, after losing nearly every rotation player to the transfer portal or graduation.

The Utes are already short a couple of big men, with Babacar Faye out for the season due to injury and Ibi Traore having yet to play as he continues to recover from an injury that forced him to miss all of last season.

With Okonkwo unavailable for the team’s first three games, that forced Utah to make adjustments up front and play guys out of position. The Utes struggled with rebounding over the first two games before looking improved in that area in game three.

“It’s definitely going to be a big, big addition for us,” Utah forward Seydou Traore said of Okonkwo’s return. “Just being able to see the physicality that he brings to the court, especially being (around) him this whole summer, just seeing how much he improved on and off the court, that’s a big addition for us.”

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When Okonkwo played in Utah’s two exhibition games against Nevada and Oregon, he started each game at the 5 position.

“It’s going to benefit us a lot having James playing the five so me and Keanu (Dawes) can play our normal positions. (It’s) definitely gonna help us a lot,” Traore said. “But I feel like us not playing our normal position definitely helped us, too. I kind of feel like it’s 50/50 in a way, just being able to go down there, bang down with big guys, grab rebounds and stuff like that.”

Okonkwo’s absence gave Hayes, who started the first three games, and Sanders a chance to showcase their skillsets in extended minutes.

Over Utah’s first three games, Sanders averaged 24 minutes, 7.3 points and 5.7 rebounds per game while shooting 52.9% from the floor. He’s also shot 4 of 10 from 3-point range, helping Utah space the floor.

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“I wasn’t expecting to really play as much as I am right now, but I think I’ve taken full advantage of the opportunity, and it means a lot to me,” Sanders said.

Hayes, who stands 6-foot-9, is averaging 13.3 minutes, 5.3 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.3 blocks. In Monday’s win over Holy Cross, he had nine points, five rebounds, two blocks and an assist.

“There’s nothing like minutes in real games. There’s the experience. You can’t match it,” Jensen said. “You can’t get it really elsewhere. I think it was good for him. I think it gave him confidence. In a good way, (it) raised our expectations of what he’s capable of.”

Now, this front court will get some reinforcements in Okonkwo.

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“Having him back is definitely gonna help our rebounds. We could always do better on rebounds, and then obviously we could space the court even more,” Sanders said.

“We have a bigger team now with him. I don’t have to play the five as much as I have been playing, but having him and Josh, that’s gonna help a lot with rebounds, blocks and just make us look bigger on the court.”

While Jensen said there isn’t a date yet for when Ibi Traore could return and bolster the frontcourt, “he’s been doing progressively more and more with us in practice.”

The Utes could be getting some help in the backcourt against Sam Houston, too. Elijah “Choppa” Moore, who suffered a concussion in the season opener, is cleared to play, the coach said.

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Saturday’s game is the fourth straight home contest for Utah at the Huntsman Center to start the season. The Utes will also host Purdue Fort Wayne and Cal Poly next week before heading to the Acrisure Series in Palm Desert, California, during Thanksgiving week.

For Jensen, the Sam Houston game provides another opportunity to continue building a foundation that Utah hopes it can rely on moving forward.

“It took us three games, but we didn’t come in at halftime behind in rebounds the last game. I think, (this game is about) laying the foundation and preparing us, because the schedule is just going to get harder from here on out,” Jensen said.

“Hopefully we have kind of that foundation. I think that we’ve been trying to build for before we take too many steps, before we go forward and get better and give us an opportunity to win every game.”

While sunny states like Florida and California are more what come to mind when imagining beautiful beaches, you shouldn’t count Utah out. As incongruous as it may seem — considering Utah is a landlocked state and is often associated with arid landscapes typical of the Four Corners region — it has a surprising number of natural bodies of water and beaches. Though Great Salt Lake is arguably the most famous and largest of them, the sparkling mountain lakes in Fishlake National Forest and Mantua, north of Salt Lake City, are nothing to shake your fist at.

Then there’s Vineyard Beach, one of Utah’s underrated gems. You may miss it if you stay in Provo, but Vineyard, one of the fastest growing cities in Utah, with a walkable downtown, is just 15 minutes away. The beach sits on the edge of town, on the northwest corner of Utah Lake. You can expect a natural and rustic vibe with the copse of leafy trees and sparse grasses lining the windswept shore. If you gaze across the pale blue ripples of the lake, you’ll be met with the incredible Wasatch Mountains in the distance. There is an ample stretch of sand to sit and catch the sun, and while out on the water, you can paddle, canoe, and kayak.

Read more: Research Says You Should Skip These Dangerous Beaches When Visiting Florida

Enjoy the serenity at Vineyard Beach, Utah

Despite the far-flung feeling created by the views at Vineyard Beach, the beach is very accessible. Wheelchair ramps spill out directly onto the sand, and you’ll have your pick of a few covered picnic tables. A life jacket loaner station also meets you at the bottom of the ramp, in case you want to brave a dip. That being said, some visitors don’t feel the water is clean enough for swimming and would rather stick to relaxing on the sand.

If you want to get out on the water at Vineyard Beach, you can. The lake isn’t only popular for rowers and paddleboarders, but people also come to windsurf and sail. You can rent a variety of watercraft at Lindon Marina, including kayaks, canoes, stand-up paddleboards, row boats, and Sunfish sailboats. The marina is conveniently located adjacent to the lake, just 2 minutes by car up the road from the beach.

It’s advised to bring bug spray to combat the mosquitoes at Vineyard Beach. In the winter, you’ll get a top-notch opportunity to see the Utah Lake ice stacks. The giant blocks of ice are washed ashore by the lake’s waves, creating pretty piles. It’s generally not safe to venture onto the lake at this time, even if it seems frozen, but you can climb the stacks at the lake’s edge. If you stay at Vineyard Beach until sunset, you’ll get to see the sun as it sinks, spilling golden streams of light down the mountainside and illuminating the lake with a soft glow.

Take on the trails at Vineyard Beach

There are a couple of easy trails at Vineyard Beach. The Utah Lake Shoreline Trail is a fairly long trail stretching 4.2 miles. Described as a nice trail suitable for kids and walking your dog, the trail starts at Sunset Beach Park and is either asphalt or packed gravel. The path then follows the shore past Vineyard Beach and Lindon Marina before looping back around.

Retention Pond Loop Trail starts at the parking lot at Vineyard Beach and circles the wetland pond, joining the Utah Lake Shoreline Trail on the way back. It’s great for those who want to catch sunrays, as there is not much shade. The grass-bordered pond is separated from the lake by a sandbar and mirrors the lake’s shimmer beneath the wide open sky.

There are no bathrooms at Vineyard Beach, and the closest one is 1.75 miles away at Lindon Marina. Parking spaces are readily available, however. There are some chances to bird watch, as the marshy area near the pond is very close.

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Read the original article on Islands.

Last year when Utah and Washington met in Seattle in a nonconference women’s basketball matchup, the Utes were the team paced by veterans and the Huskies had a young, upstart group.

The Utes were able to hand the Huskies a 67-57 loss, led by a group that included Gianna Kneepkens and seniors such as Maye Toure, Jenna Johnson, Kennady McQueen and Ines Viera.

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Those roles have been reversed for their matchup this season, and all those Ute greats are no longer on the team.

Utah will host No. 25 Washington on Saturday (2 p.m. MST, ESPN+) at the Huntsman Center in the first real test of the season for both programs.

It gives the Utes a chance to build their resume and test a group that has a handful of upperclassmen mixed in with a strong contingent of freshmen.

“They’re the veteran crew. They’re the top 25 program. We have a lot of new (players), so it’s a great chance for us early in the year to get a home game against a great program and test ourselves,” Utah coach Gavin Petersen said of Washington.

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“We’re going to play hard for 40 minutes and let the results speak for themselves.”

Utah has beaten Sioux Falls, Utah State and Utah Valley by an average margin of victory of 28.6 points to start the 2025-26 campaign. Washington, meanwhile, has easily handled Seattle and Montana, winning its two games by an average of 39 points.

That makes Saturday’s matchup an intriguing one for both programs.

Talia Goodman, a national women’s college basketball expert for On3, included Utah-Washington on a list of her top 10 games of the weekend.

“Former Pac-12 foes can’t get away from each other. This is a fun one, as it’s both teams first real test of the year,” Goodman said. “Utah’s freshmen have a ton of potential, while Washington’s core remains one of the best in the country. Elle Ladine has yet to play this season, so I’ll be intrigued to see if she’s able to suit up.”

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The Utes have been led by senior guards Maty Wilke and Lani White, who combined for 31 points, seven rebounds and five steals in Utah’s win over UVU on Tuesday.

The Utes’ intriguing group of freshmen is also getting plenty of play as well. That’s included valuable minutes for point guard LA Sneed, a former five-star recruit, Avery Hjelmstad and Evelina Otto, who’ve all flashed their potential early in the year.

For Washington, the conversation starts with guards Sayvia Sellers and Ladine, who both earned preseason All-Big Ten team honors.

Washington coach Tina Langley said Ladine, who’s missed the team’s first two games with an undisclosed injury, is “day-to-day,” according to Huskies Roundtable, making it unclear if she’ll be available in Saturday’s matchup.

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Sellers, meanwhile, is averaging 20 points per game while shooting 65.4% from the field. She’s also averaging 5.5 assists and 1.5 rebounds per contest.

“They’re so versatile. They can score inside, they can score outside. They play with great pace, and they also execute at a high level. They don’t turn over the ball. They’re not going to make mistakes. You’ve got to be disciplined,” Petersen said.

While Utah has done a good job with executing Utah basketball on offense — i.e. excelling at sharing the ball and taking good shots — the Utes have struggled with turnovers. They have averaged 19.7 per game through three contests, and Washington could exploit that kind of high number.

“You’ve got to play harder than them,” Petersen said. “They have so much synergy together out on the floor. We’ve got to do something where we can disrupt it, but being disciplined (while) doing so, or else they’ll make you pay.”

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The matchup comes as a good primer for Utah, which will play at the Basketball Hall of Fame Women’s Showcase next week. Games against Syracuse and defending national champion UConn await the Utes at the showcase, which is held at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut.

The experience of playing Washington can also help the youthful Utes learn some valuable lessons that will help come conference time.

“This is going to be a great taste of what Big 12 play is going to be like. It gives us a preview to be like, ‘OK, what do we really have? What is our team really about?’ I’m excited to see how we come out,” Petersen said.

“We’re obviously preparing how we come out, how we play for 40 minutes and put four quarters together. I’m excited to see how we go about doing that against a really good program, but those are the type of teams we’re going to face in January and February, so why not do it now?”

Paging Jay Hill. Calling Hill.

TCU QB Josh Hoover is coming to town and needs your immediate attention.

Attention, Morgan Scalley. Summoning Scalley.

Baylor QB Sawyer Robertson is trotting onto the field and needs your instant focus.

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There will be big-time throwing artists in the crosshairs of BYU and Utah defenders on Saturday when No. 13 Utah travels to Baylor and No. 12 BYU hosts the Horned Frogs in LaVell Edwards Stadium.

Leave these guys unchallenged and they can deliver big-time plays, standing in the pocket like statues in target acquisition, and they’re lethal.

Chase them, harass them, bring them down to the turf, or disrupt their comfort, and their artistry is impacted.

Robertson is No. 1.

In Waco, Robertson is the Big 12’s leading passer with 230 completions in 366 attempts, seven interceptions, 62.8% completion rate for 2,780 yards and 26 touchdown passes. His efficiency rating is 146 and he averages 308 yards passing per game.

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Coming to Provo, Hoover, who diced BYU apart two years ago as a freshman, is the league’s No. 2-ranked passer. He has completed 219 of 335 passes with eight interceptions, a 65.4% completion for 2,690 yards, 23 touchdowns, an average of 298 yards per game and a 150 pass efficiency rating.

Hoover has almost twice as many TD passes as BYU’s Bear Bachmeier (12), and Robertson’s 26 touchdown passes are 11 more than Utah’s Devon Dampier (15).

Both have shown a penchant for struggling when pressured.

Hoover’s strongest performance of the 2025 season came on Sept. 20 against SMU, where he completed 22 of 40 passes (55% completion) for a season-high 379 yards and five touchdowns with just one interception. He also contributed 27 rushing yards on eight carries. This explosive outing powered TCU to a 35-24 victory and showcased his arm strength with multiple deep balls, earning him a 162.4 pass rating for the game.

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Hoover’s most challenging game was on Sept. 26 at Arizona State, completing 20 of 32 passes (62.5% completion) for 242 yards, zero touchdowns and two interceptions. His rushing line was particularly rough at minus-38 yards on nine carries, which included multiple sacks. The lack of scoring production and turnovers contributed to a tight 27-24 loss, marking his lowest pass rating (113.5) of the season to date.

He also threw two interceptions that led to Kansas State scores in a four-sack loss on the road.

Robertson’s standout performance this 2025 season came on Sept. 6 against SMU, where he threw for a career-high 440 yards on 34 of 50 passing (68% completion) with four touchdowns and no interceptions. He also added 20 rushing yards on six carries. This game helped Baylor secure a thrilling 48-45 double-overtime victory, marking one of his two 400-plus yard outings and contributing to his FBS-leading passing yards total.

Robertson’s toughest outing was on Oct. 18 at TCU, when he completed 25 of 52 passes (48.1% completion) for 318 yards, two touchdowns and a season-high three interceptions. He managed just minus-12 rushing yards on four carries. The turnovers were pivotal in Baylor’s narrow six-point loss.

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Both the Utes and Cougars are in dire need of wins this weekend. Utah is in survival mode — a third league loss would shut the door on a myriad of Big 12 and College Football Playoff opportunities.

The Cougars already used up their mulligan with a loss at Texas Tech last week, but still control their own destiny to Arlington and possibly a CFP bid.

These are the games Hill and Scalley are built for.

These are the kind of quarterbacks they like to scheme for, then wait and see if there is chaos and carnage.

This will be a fun Saturday, finding out if Hill and Scalley can create the QB havoc they so deftly love to design.

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This week’s predictions

• Indiana 42, Wisconsin 24

• Texas A&M 31, South Carolina 14

• Notre Dame 28, Pittsburgh 21

• Cincinnati 31, Arizona 28

• Kansas State 27, Oklahoma State 17

• Arizona State 24, West Virginia 21

• Alabama 28, Oklahoma 24

• Texas Tech 42, UCF 13

• Miami 33, North Carolina 31

• Georgia Tech 35, Boston College 21

• USC 27, Iowa 21

• Virginia 31, Duke 17

• Penn State 24, Michigan State 14

• Ole Miss 38, Florida 31

• Ohio State 42, UCLA 14

• Georgia 28, Texas 24

• Utah 38, Baylor 21

• UNLV 28, Utah State 24

• BYU 28, TCU 24

Last week: 11-5; overall 136-42 (.764)

Taegan Frandsen Ferrin excuses herself. Roughly 30 seconds later, she returns to the Zoom interview and places her 7-month-old daughter Nora in her lap.

A couple days later, Ferrin, of Centerville, Utah, and baby Nora would be in Tokyo.

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“Not many 7-month-olds have a passport, but this one does,” Ferrin said.

There, Ferrin will suit up with fellow Utahns Sophie Post and Payton DeGraw for the U.S. deaf women’s national soccer team at the 2025 Deaflympics. The U.S. plays its first game of the tournament on Friday against host country Japan.

Ferrin, Post and DeGraw are tasked with helping the U.S. secure its record fifth gold medal and defending the team’s unbeaten streak. The team has won 40 games and tied just once since its inception in 2005 — and that tie ended with a win in a penalty shootout.

“Of course, I feel really honored and privileged to be chosen to go for the Deaflympics to represent my country. I feel like it’s really cool to be involved with the Deaflympics as well, and I just feel really excited to be involved with this kind of experience,” DeGraw told the Deseret News through ASL interpreter Emily Thiel.

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Payton DeGraw

This will be the first Deaflympics for DeGraw, who grew up in Utah and played soccer at Brighton High School.

“My parents were very involved while interpreting for me, so I felt like it was really normal playing as a deaf person,” she said. “My coach would explain what to do, and they would use gestures and point where I should go and what I should do on the field. But really, my coaches were really supportive, too, and encouraged me plenty.”

DeGraw started her playing career as a forward but transitioned to goalkeeper to have a more challenging position.

She said the position change “was really beneficial for me as a deaf person, being able to scan the field and see everything. I could see what was going on. I could read the game.”

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In 2018, DeGraw sat in the Las Vegas airport after a soccer tournament with her mom. There, she met Post and her mother. Post’s mom told DeGraw’s mom about the U.S. deaf women’s national soccer team.

DeGraw, who was born deaf, had never played with deaf players before.

“My mom signed me up because she was very interested in joining a deaf team for me and having that experience,” she said.

She attended her first national team camp later that year in Michigan.

That camp would lead to opportunities like the upcoming Deaflympics as well as helping the U.S. win its third Women’s World Deaf Championship in Malaysia in 2023.

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After graduating from Brighton in 2018, DeGraw went to Gallaudet University, where she earned a degree in international studies and continued her soccer career. Upon finishing her degree, she worked as an aide at Jean Massieu School of the Deaf in Salt Lake City.

Now, DeGraw is working on getting her master’s from the University of Utah.

Taegan Frandsen Ferrin

Ferrin was born with an enlarged vestibular aqueduct, which causes the fluid in her ear to fluctuate and results in hearing loss, she previously explained to the Deseret News.

Ferrin has worn hearing aids since she was 3 months old. While playing soccer hasn’t been easy, the former Viewmont High goalkeeper has gone on to represent her country at the 2022 Deaflympics and the 2023 World Deaf Football Championships.

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While this won’t be Ferrin’s first Deaflympics, it will be her first as a mom.

Nora will accompany Ferrin to Tokyo. For the first two weeks, Ferrin’s mother will be there to care for baby Nora before Ferrin’s husband comes and takes care of their daughter for the remainder of the tournament.

Nora has already attended two national team camps with her mother in New Mexico and North Carolina.

“All the girls enjoy having her there, and it was so fun to watch them kind of interact with her,” she said.

Ferrin feels like her soccer career helped prepare her for motherhood.

“As a goalkeeper, you can’t really expect what’s going to happen. Like everything is unexpected. So, you kind of have to roll with the punches, and as a mom, you can’t expect everything. Everything is kind of just thrown at you,” she said.

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Ferrin is grateful that her daughter can come with her and she doesn’t have to miss her while she’s away at camp.

”It’s been so nice to not have to be worried about missing her throughout the week. But just like knowing she’s there, knowing I can go see her when I want to and stuff — it’s been awesome,” she said.

She has assistant coach Joy Fawcett to thank for Nora being able to tag along.

“Joy is the reason why I get to bring Nora to all my camps and all the tournaments because she was the first national team player that had kids,” she said. “So she got to bring her kids along to her camps and her tournaments. And she fought for that, for herself, and she has fought that for extended national team players as well, specifically for the deaf team.”

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According to Ferrin, Fawcett believes “no mom should have to be away from their kids,” and that “it’s not fair for you as a mom to have to quit what you love doing just because you’re having kids.”

Fawcett, a two-time World Cup Champion and Olympic gold medalist, also helped motivate Ferrin in her return to the pitch after her pregnancy. Ferrin would receive texts from Fawcett telling her that she was going to do stairs and asking if Ferrin was going to too.

“I was like, ‘Oh, well, if freaking Joy’s doing stairs, I gotta go do stairs, too.’ So, she was the main reason why I came back after having Nora and why I came back so quickly, too. So, Joy is the reason why I’m here today,” Ferrin said.

Sophie Post

Post, of Murray, Utah, was born with reverse slope hearing, but she hasn’t let it and the lack of accommodations for her disability stop her soccer career.

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“I actually had a coach tell me one time that I wouldn’t be able to play on the next level of the team unless I could like figure out how to hear people, essentially,” she previously told the Deseret News.

Post joined the national team in 2017, and is the longest-tenured of the three Utahns on the squad.

With the deaf national team, Post won both the 2022 Deaflympics and the 2023 World Deaf Football Championships. She also starred in last year’s historic doubleheader with the senior women’s national team.

That game was the first-ever doubleheader featuring an extended national team and senior national team, the deaf national team’s first-ever game on U.S. soil and its first televised U.S. Soccer-controlled match, as the Deseret News previously reported.

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Post capped that historic year off with a nomination for the U.S. Soccer 2024 Female Deaf Player of the Year.

Post is grateful for the opportunity to compete in another Deaflympics.

“I’m almost like more excited than the first time because I kind of know what I’m getting myself into this time, but I’m just really grateful to be able to make the roster and be back on the team and get to enjoy the coaches for their last camp,” she told the Deseret News last week.

The tournament will mark the last one for head coach Amy Griffin and Fawcett.

“I feel like they both have contributed to who I am as a person, and just really made me want to work harder, want to be better in my life and career in soccer,” Post said of the coaches.

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After the U.S. — hopefully — wins gold in Tokyo, Post will return to Utah and wait for her LSAT results. She hopes to enroll at the University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law and continue playing club soccer at the university.

She plans to take a lighter work load in law school, so she’s able to continue training and playing for the national team, which she called her priority.

The U.S. Deaf Women’s National Team plays its first game of the 2025 Deaflympics on Friday against Japan at 8 p.m. MT. It will then play Australia on Tuesday at 8 p.m. MT and will then close out its group stage matches against Great Britain on Nov. 22 at 8 p.m. MT.

If the U.S. finishes in third or fourth place, it will play in the bronze medal match, but if it finishes in the top two, it will play for gold on Nov. 25.