Western Washington University men’s basketball junior guard Tijan Saine made his long-awaited transfer decision after entering the transfer portal in March. After meeting and talking with many schools that recruited him, Saine chose to attend NCAA Division I Weber State University in Ogden, Utah, this fall.
From the moment he got off the plane on his visit to the program, he knew this was where he wanted to go.
“There were six coaches waiting for me at the gate, they took me out to dinner right away,” Saine said. “The whole team was there. They prioritized me. Coach Duff, out of all the head coaches I talked to, he was the one that showed me the most attention.”
Weber State Men’s Basketball Head Coach Eric Duft got involved early in the recruiting process once a team scout informed him of Saine’s transfer portal entry.
“We wanted to be one of the first ones to contact him, and I just loved his personality,” Duft said. “We right away went to work watching film on him and some highlights but then full games, and just loved the energy and the passion that he played with. I had to fight off a lot of schools.”
Saine, while a talented shooter and playmaker, will need to make an adjustment as he makes the jump to DI. The competition is more athletic, taller and more physical, but WWU Men’s Basketball Head Coach Tony Dominguez has no doubt that Tijan can make the change with him and Duft believing Saine’s leadership and hard work to be his strongest tools.
“Tijan has grown immensely as a leader and his work ethic, he's always been a hard worker,” Dominguez said. “It showed itself on the court, even after wins and losses, no matter what the result was, he was shooting after games and just in the weight room and getting stronger.”
With the move to Weber State, Saine has the opportunity to grow and learn from coaches who have worked with professional basketball players like Damian Lillard and Dillon Jones. While Saine appreciates players like this, he is working to be his own unique player, carving a name for himself with a game completely of his own.
“I don't try to model my game after nobody,” Saine said. “I try to bring my uniqueness in my own way. I don't even try to make that comparison. I've heard people compare me to Tyrese Maxey, Darius Garland, much of the smaller guards, but I'm me at the end of the day.”
Tijan Saine goes up for a shot at Carver Gym on Feb. 22, 2025. The week before this game, Saine was named GNAC player of the week for Feb. 11 through 17. // Photo by Charlie Arcese, courtesy of WWU Athletics
Duft recognized Saine’s energy early on in the process, and while he knows Saine has the skills to play against tougher opponents, he knows his team will need to work with Saine to develop into the best player he can be, something his staff prides themselves on.
“We've had some awfully good point guards, and we're a program that stresses the skill development part,” Duft said. “As soon as he gets here, we'll start working him out and teach him our culture, what to expect at this level, but skill development, that's something that we really pride ourselves on in our program.”
While the physicality is going to be an adjustment, it’s not necessarily the part of Saine’s game that makes him special.
“He's a little general,” Dominguez said. “He's a little bulldog. He can shoot it. He controls the game really well. He is a floor general. He's not the tallest guy in the world, so I wouldn't say that his physical prowess is what's made him great. I think it's the way he handles the game. It's like a quarterback of a football team, and he's just got all the qualities, minus the height.”
During his sophomore season at western, Saine averaged 17.3 points per game, which ranked third in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference, up 6.4 points from his freshman season. This season was highlighted by two key moments. The first being a buzzer-beating game winner against the number 17-ranked Saint Martin’s University. The second was Saine’s career high 37-point scoring output during a win against Western Oregon University on February 13, 2025.
Saine credits these two moments as pivotal to his decision and realization that he has what it takes to make the jump.
“The winner against Saint Martin’s for sure,” Saine said. “When I had 37 against West Oregon, probably [put me] over the edge.”
Tijan Saine scans the floor at Carver Gym on Jan. 16, 2025. In this game Saine hit a game winner against Saint Martin’s University. // Photo by Ubayy Elnogoumi, courtesy of WWU Athletics
In this transfer decision, Saine joins a long list of players looking for the opportunity to make more money while still in college through the Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) deal. Money isn’t the only thing he is focused on, stressing to future transfers that it’s not the most important part.
“Don't get caught up in the money,” Saine said. “Go where you're where you see fit, go where it feels like home. Don't just go out there and start chasing the money and stay low-headed to the process, because it's stressful, no matter if you're a five star, zero star, or whatever you are.”
With Saine’s energy level and competitiveness, he plans on working hard to make the adjustments needed to succeed at the highest level of college athletics.
“I feel like I'm very calm under pressure, a very strategic point guard that can beat you with my mind and my voice and on top of that, obviously I believe I'm the hardest worker,” Saine said. “If I work harder than you, then I already won the mental battle.”
Saine has all the tools to perform at his next stop in basketball and with this move he leaves a strong legacy behind here at Western.
Chayton Engelson (he/him) is a sports and recreation reporter for the Front. He is in his first year at Western and is majoring in news/editorial journalism. When he isn’t covering stories, he is usually doing community theater, playing an instrument, or playing basketball with his friends. You can reach him at chaytonengelson.thefront@gmail.com.
