WAC Men's Basketball Media Select NM State, Braun as Favorites
DENVER - The Western Athletic Conference men's basketball media have selected NM State as the preseason favorite to win the conference crown during the 2016-17 season and Grand Canyon redshirt junior guard
Joshua Braun as the WAC Preseason Player of the Year.
The Aggies received nine first-place votes, earning 167 points to edge out Grand Canyon for the top spot. The Lopes were picked to finish second with 165 points and eight first-place votes, followed by CSU Bakersfield in third with 147 points and two first-place votes. Seattle U was picked to finish fourth with 108 points and one first-place vote, followed by Utah Valley in fifth with 100 and two first-place votes and UMKC in sixth with 96 points and two first-place votes. UT Rio Grande Valley and Chicago State rounded out the poll in seventh and eighth place, with 56 and 25 points, respectively.
Braun was voted Preseason Player of the Year and is the on the Preseason All-WAC first team. Joining him on the first team are NM State's
Ian Baker,
Dedrick Basile of CSU Bakersfield,
Martez Harrison of UMKC and
Brendan Westendorf of Seattle U.
The Preseason All-WAC second team is comprised of CSU Bakersfield's
Jaylin Airington, UT Rio Grande Valley's
Antonio Green and
Dan Kimasa,
Zach Nelson of Utah Valley and Seattle U's
William Powell.
2016-17 Preseason Men's Basketball Media Poll
| Rank |
Teams (1st-Place Votes) |
Points |
| 1 |
NM State (9) |
167 |
| 2 |
Grand Canyon (8) |
165 |
| 3 |
CSU Bakersfield (2) |
147 |
| 4 |
Seattle U (1) |
108 |
| 5 |
Utah Valley (2) |
100 |
| 6 |
UMKC (2) |
96 |
| 7 |
UT Rio Grande Valley |
56 |
| 8 |
Chicago State |
25 |
2016-17 Preseason Men's Basketball Media All-WAC Teams
First Team
Ian Baker, NM State
Dedrick Basile, CSU Bakersfield
Joshua Braun, Grand Canyon
Martez Harrison, UMKC
Brendan Westendorf, Seattle U
Second Team
Jaylin Airington, CSU Bakersfield
Antonio Green, UT Rio Grande Valley
Dan Kimasa, UT Rio Grande Valley
Zach Nelson, Utah Valley
William Powell, Seattle U
Preseason Player of the Year: Joshua Braun, Grand Canyon