The junior and somewhat prized transfer (rated the sixth-best Division II transfer in the country by Portal Report) saved Weber State men’s basketball from what would’ve been an odd exhibition loss, made big shots inside and outside that seemed to help the Wildcats seal a win (they lost in overtime) at Utah, and averaged 4.3 assists per game through four contests.

But overall, Saine was playing large stretches where he’d disappear — far from the player who averaged 17.3 points, 4.2 assists, 2.8 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game as a former walk-on at Western Washington.

“It’s been hard,” Saine said about his transition from Division II. “I’m not going to sugarcoat it. It’s been hard, but because it’s been hard is why it’s been so good.”

He played just 15 minutes in a road loss at UC Irvine and WSU seemed to play better with him on the bench, which led to some hard conversations.

Robert Casey, WSU Athletics

“We have coaches that don’t take it easy on us,” Saine said. “My coaches do not let (anything) slide. Them putting that pressure on, it’s only going to make us shine more. … We’ve been through the mud.”

Head coach Eric Duft sees the type of effort his team is capable of. He’s seen it since the summer, and he says he’s applying the kinds of pressure that have produced greats in Weber State’s past.

He went in-depth on what that means for Saine.

“We’ve had a conversation with him that Kelly McCoy was Big Sky MVP, and he was really bad his first semester here. And part of it, to be quite honest with you, Tijan, he’s got to buy into how we’re going to do it,” Duft said. “He’s a great kid, but we’re going to demand of him — he’s going to have to buy into those things that impact winning. And it’s not just scoring and assists. It’s how he defends, how he gets back in transition, how he leads, his body language. And him and I are having some confrontations with that, and he’s got to buy into it. And we’re not changing.

“And he’s willing. I was really proud of him because Monday, him and I had a long conversation and it was pretty one-sided, to be quite honest with you. It’s going to be done how I want it, because we know what it takes to win at this level. To his credit, Tuesday he had probably his best practice.

“So I was proud of him. … He’s a great kid. He’ll figure it out.”

That led to Wednesday, when Weber State got a home game after three straight on the road, tipping off against Campbell to begin the WSU-hosted Junction City Jam. Saine had a positive impact from the tip, on both ends of the floor, and played that way for all 36 minutes he logged with backup ArDarius Grayson ailing from a fever.

Saine scored twice in the paint early and knocked down a pair of 3-pointers in the first half, the second as part of a 14-5 run to end the half for a 45-37 lead.

He did the same to start the second half, making a corner 3 that preceded a perfect defensive possession. Saine eyed the ball in the post, tracked a kick-out pass to his man for an interception, and ran a fast break with Jace Whiting to perfection for a Whiting layup.

He scored twice in transition while absorbing contact and was a big part of Weber State’s early-half domination that built a 21-point lead. That included being tasked with guarding DJ Smith, who averaged 23 points per game. He and Whiting put in a good effort for 30 minutes before Smith got rolling.

It also included one particular play where Viljami Vartiainen lost a ball near the sideline and, in his dive to the floor to retrieve it, he inadvertently kicked it down court to start a break for Campbell. But Saine jumped high to knock down a pass and turn away a two-on-one, and the Camels eventually missed a 3 to end that possession.

“And that’s what we’re talking about. UC Irvine, he was jogging back. That gets you beat. That effort, that basket right there — you know, we win by six, that’s a big possession. … It’s going to come down to the wire and every possession matters,” Duft said. “He made a winning play right there. And that won’t show up in the stat sheet, but that’s a winning play. And that’s what he’s got to dive into, that’s what he’s got to sink his teeth into.”

With the rest of the team struggling at the stripe, Saine also shot 5 of 6 at the free-throw line in the final minute to help the Wildcats hold off the Camels for a 91-85 victory.

His final tally: 23 points, seven assists, three rebounds, one steal, a 7-of-13 shooting clip and three of his team’s eight 3-pointers. It was a big performance for the 5-foot-10 bulldog, especially with leading scorer Trevor Hennig sidelined with an ankle injury.

But that’s one game. And Saine knows it.

“I shifted my mindset … I was a little timid in the beginning, but I’m here for a reason, right?” he said. “All of them, telling me ‘do my thing.’ Especially coach (Jorge) Ruiz is telling me, ‘do my thing.’ Because they believe in me, so why not believe in myself?

“I was just finding my stride, and I feel like I’m getting it together.”

Many factors will determine if Weber State can succeed this season with 26 games left on the docket.

Who can start knocking down 3s consistently is one question to answer. Another is if Edwin Suarez Jr. can reign in some wilder tendencies and magnify his all-around strengths. Even more: can the Wildcats continue the tenacity that had the team enter Thursday as No. 1 in the nation both in rebounds per game (52.75) and in 3-point percentage defense (16.3%)?

But Saine’s grasp of how he can impact winning in Division I contests will be a major component. Wednesday’s effort showed what he can do; now Weber State looks to see how often he can do it.

“In my head, it’s just: pressure makes diamonds,” Saine said. “If you don’t want the pressure to be on you, you’re not built for it. I know I’ve been built for it, from where I came from, being a D2 walk-on — like, I’ve been through stuff that (other) people would’ve quit. That chip on my shoulder is never going to go away.”