United Athletic Conference

DENVER – NM State is the preseason favorite to win the Western Athletic Conference men's basketball title in 2020-21, while the Aggies' Jabari Rice was selected as the WAC Preseason Player of the Year in a vote of the league's nine head coaches, who could not vote for their own team or players.

 

The Aggies received 64 points and eight first-place votes to earn the top spot. Grand Canyon captured second place with 52 points and one first-place vote. UT RioGrande Valley was third with 45 points, followed by California Baptist in fourth with 43 points. Seattle U was selected fifth with 33 points with newcomer Tarleton coming in sixth with 31 points. Utah Valley was picked seventh with 28 points, followed by Dixie State in eighth with 20 points and Chicago State in ninth with eight points.

 

Rice leads the list of Preseason All-WAC honorees. Joining him on the first team are NM State teammates Johnny McCants and Donnie Tillman, as well as Grand Canyon's Alessandro Lever and UT Rio Grande Valley's Javon Levi.

 

Second team selections include Grand Canyon's Jovan Blacksher and Oscar Frayer, Seattle U's Riley Grigsby, NM State's Evan Gilyard and Dixie State's Hunter Schofield.

 

Rank	Team (1st-Place Votes)	Points
1.	NM State (8)	64
2.	Grand Canyon (1)	52
3.	UT Rio Grande Valley	45
4.	California Baptist	43
5.	Seattle U	33
6.	Tarleton	31
7.	Utah Valley	28
8.	Dixie State	20
9.	Chicago State	8

 

 

 

Alessandro Lever, Sr., C, Grand Canyon

Javon Levi, Sr., PG, UT Rio Grande Valley

Johnny McCants, Sr., F, NM State

Jabari Rice, Jr., G, NM State

Donnie Tillman, Sr., F, NM State

 

Jovan Blacksher, So., G, Grand Canyon

Oscar Frayer, Sr., F, Grand Canyon

Riley Grigsby, Jr, G/F, Seattle U

Evan Gilyard, Sr., G, NM State

Hunter Schofield, Sr., F, Dixie State

 

Preseason Player of the Year: Jabari Rice, NM State