United Athletic Conference

UT Rio Grande Valley's Sean Rhea has been named TicketSmarter Western Athletic Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Week for December 14 through December 20. 

 

Rhea, a redshirt-junior forward from Houston, led the Vaqueros to their fifth win of the season, putting up 19 points and adding eight rebounds on 7-of-11 shooting in an 89-51 win over Texas A&M International. The win also improved UTRGV's home winning streak to nine games, the longest for the program since the 2006-07 season. On the season, Rhea is averaging 14.5 ppg and 5.5 rpg and ranks fourth in the league with 1.3 blocked shots per game.

 

Other nominees included: Chicago State's Xavier Johnson averaged 20.0 ppg in losses at Illinois State, Northern Illinois and Drake … Dixie State's Jacob Nicolds earned his first college double-double with 14 points and 12 rebounds in a win over Bethesda on Saturday … Grand Canyon's Asbjørn Midtgaard earned the double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds in a three-point loss to San Francisco on Sunday … Seattle U's Darrion Trammell led the Redhawks to a win over College of Idaho, scoring 16 points to go with six assists and three rebounds … Utah Valley's Evan Cole put up 31 points and brought down 10 rebounds in an eight-point loss at Utah.

 

The schedule will wrap up early this week with Monday and Tuesday the only days with games set to tip. On Monday, UT Rio Grande Valley will look to extend it's home winning streak to double-digits with an in-state matchup against Sam Houston State. On Tuesday, Chicago State leads off with a road game at Iowa State. Seattle U travels down to the Bay Area to take on Cal at 2 p.m. PT on the Pac-12 Network with Grand Canyon wrapping up the schedule with an 8 p.m. PT tip against Colorado at the Far West Classic in Las Vegas. The Lopes and Buffs will also be on Pac-12 Network.

 

Despite an idle week, California Baptist continues to lead the WAC in scoring offense (90.6), three-point FG percentage (.390), rebounding offense (43.0), assist/turnover ratio (1.5) and three-pointers made (12.8). Tarleton is tops in scoring defense (58.2), field goal defense (.337), blocked shots (5.0) and steals (14.0). NM State is the leader in scoring margin (+22.0), free throw percentage (.765), field goal percentage (.516), rebounding defense (27.5) and rebounding margin (+14.5). Dixie State holds the top spot in three-point defense (.255) while Utah Valley is the leader in assists (20.8). Seattle U has the top turnover margin (+6.33), UT Rio Grande Valley is averaging the most offensive rebounds (14.9) and Grand Canyon is tops in defensive rebounds (30.7). 

 

Individually, UVU's Trey Woodbury is the WAC's leading scorer at 17.5 points per game. Teammate Fardaw Aimaq is the rebounding leader at 14.5 per game and his 54.7 offensive rebounds per game and 9.8 defensive rebounds per game are also league bests. GCU big man Asbjørn Midtgaard holds the top field goal percentage at .712), NM State's Clayton Henry has the best free throw percentage (1.000) and NM State's Evan Gilyard II and Tarleton's Tahj Small are tied for the lead in three-point FG percentage (.571). GCU's Jovan Blacksher II is the assists leader at 6.2 per game while Tarleton teammates Shakur Daniel and Jonathan Jackson are tied for the lead in steals at 2.5 per game. CBU's Ty Rowell is the leader in three-pointers made (3.8) and Tarleton's Shamir Bogues is the blocks leader (1.8). UVU's Blaze Nield has the best assist/turnover ratio at 7.0 while SU's Riley Grigsby leads the league in minutes played, averaging 34.7 per game.

 

A number of WAC programs have had to sit for a bit this season due to positive COVID test results. NM State had a road-trip California wiped out in early December and California Baptist, Tarleton and Utah Valley are currently taking a break to make sure everyone in their group is healthy.

 

UT Rio Grande Valley senior guard Javon Levi is quickly moving up a pair of WAC career statistical lists. His 216 steals tie him with NM State's Hernst Laroche for ninth all-time while his 538 career assists rank 14th all-time, just one behind former Wooden Award winner and BYU star Danny Ainge. Tulsa's Eric Coley is the WAC's all-time leader in steals at 299 while Utah's Jeff Jonas holds the career assist record with 778.

 

While they are currently in a COVID pause, when NM State returns to the hardwood, they will hold the second-longest winning streak in DI at 21 games. DI newcomer UC San Diego is currently the leader at 22 games although the Tritons are not set to play their first game until their Big West opener on Jan. 1 against Cal Poly. The Aggies also hold a 31-game WAC winning streak, the best in the country.

 

Due to increased public health restrictions in the state of New Mexico, the NM State men's basketball team temporarily relocated to Phoenix to prepare for the 2020-21 season. The Aggies will practice and stay at the Arizona Grand Resort.

 

The 2020-21 season is bound to be full of cancelations for a variety of reasons and the WAC has already seen the first wave. So far, the WAC has seen 25 men's basketball games canceled due to the pandemic. A complete list is below:

 

Nov. 25 IUPUI at Chicago State (COVID)

Nov. 25 Utah Valley at Stanford (COVID)

Nov. 28 Chicago State at DePaul (COVID)

Nov. 28 Weber State at Dixie State (COVID)

Nov. 28 Howard Payne at Tarleton (COVID)

Nov. 28 Park (Ariz.) at Grand Canyon (COVID)

Dec. 1  Florida A&M at California Baptist (Travel Restrictions)

Dec. 1 NM State vs. Park (Ariz.) (COVID)

Dec. 5 Prairie View A&M at Grand Canyon (COVID)

Dec. 5 NM State at Santa Clara (COVID)

Dec. 7 NM State at Cal Poly (COVID)

Dec. 8 UC Davis at California Baptist (Travel Restrictions)

Dec. 8 Tarleton at Gonzaga (COVID)

Dec. 10 Alcorn State at California Baptist (COVID)

Dec. 12 NM State at Arizona (COVID)

Dec. 13 Tarleton at Kansas (COVID)

Dec. 14 UT Rio Grande Valley at UIW (COVID)

Dec. 15 Tarleton at Baylor (COVID)

Dec. 15 Dixie State at Utah State (COVID)

Dec. 15 SAGU American Indian at Grand Canyon (COVID)

Dec. 16 California Baptist at Arizona (COVID)

Dec. 19 Long Beach State at California Baptist (COVID)

Dec. 19 Idaho State at Utah Valley (COVID)

Dec. 21 Southern at California Baptist (COVID)

Dec. 23 Tarleton at Pepperdine (COVID)

 

Before the season began, Chicago State head coach Lance Irvin announced that due to health concerns, he will not be on the sidelines this season. A two-time cancer survivor, Irvin was initially diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia in 2010 and received a bone marrow transplant in 2012 after the cancer returned. Despite not being on the sidelines, Irvin will still be considered the coach-of-record for the Cougars and his career record will reflect CSU's 2020-21 record.

 

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.

 

 

The Western Athletic Conference men's basketball media have selected NM State as the preseason favorite to win the conference crown during the 2019-20 season and Aggies junior guard Jabari Rice as the WAC Preseason Player of the Year.

 

The Aggies received 10 first-place votes, totalling 150 points to earn the top spot. Grand Canyon was picked second with 125 points while UT Rio Grande Valley finished third with 114 points. California Baptist picked up two first-place votes to take the fourth spot with 105 points. Seattle U was selected to finish fifth with 84 points, followed by Utah Valley in sixth with 74 points. Newcomers Dixie State and Tarleton were picked seventh and eighth with 49 and 46 points respectively while Chicago State rounded out the poll in ninth place with 18 points.

 

Rice was voted Preseason Player of the Year and is joined on the Preseason All-WAC first team by NM State teammate Johnny McCants, Grand Canyon duo Jovan Blacksher and Alessandro Lever and UT Rio Grande Valley point guard Javon Levi.

 

The Preseason All-WAC second team is comprised of Evan Cole from Utah Valley, Gorjok Gak from California Baptist, Hunter Schofield from Dixie State and Evan Gilyard and Donnie Tillman from NM State.

 

 

The following are the returning statistical leaders in the WAC from the 2019-20 season. 

 

Just two of the top 10 scorers from last year are back. Grand Canyon's Alessandro Lever ranked third last season at 15.7 ppg while Chicago State's Xavier Johnson led the Cougars and was sixth at 15.4 ppg.

 

Four of the top rebounders from last season return, led by NM State's Johnny McCants (fourth, 6.2). GCU's Lever (seventh, 6.0), Seattle U's Riley Grigsby (ninth, 5.5) and GCU's Jovan Blacksher Jr. (10th, 5.5) also return.

 

Three of the top 10 shooters in the WAC return, led by NMSU's McCants (second, .578). GCU's Lever was fourth (.535) and NM State's Jabari Rice was 10th (.468).

 

UTRGV's Javon Levi is one of two assist leaders to return, having led the conference with 7.9 per game. Also returning is GCU's Blacksher Jr. (sixth, 3.6).

 

Levi and Blacksher Jr. are also two of three of the top steals leaders returning. Levi led the WAC with 2.4 per game, Blacksher Jr. was third with 1.6 per game and CSU's Johnson was eighth with 1.4.

 

Only two of the top shot blockers return as SU's Grigsby (ninth, 0.7) and CSU's Ke'Sean Davis (10th, 0.7) will look to control the paint.

 

Of the five first team All-WAC players in 2019-20, only NM State's Jabari Rice returns for the 2020-21 season. Two of the second team honorees return in Grand Canyon's Alessandro Lever and UT Rio Grande Valley's Javon Levi. 

 

Levi is also the only nember of the All-Defensive team to return this season while GCU's Mikey Dixon and NM State's Evan Gilyard II are the lone remaining members of the All-Newcomer Team.

 

Chicago State and Dixie State each return four starters from last year while both California Bapist and Utah Valley head into the season with no returning starters. UT Rio Grande Valley leads the WAC with 10 letterwinners returning. The complete list of letterwinners returning and lost and starters returning and lost for each team is listed below. 

 

Two new schools join the WAC this season as Dixie State (DII Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference) and Tarleton (DII Lone Star Conference) join the league, replacing CSU Bakersfield (Big West) and Kansas City (Summit League). Dixie and Tarleton join California Baptist as schools transitioning from Division II to Division I. CBU is entering its third transitional year and will be eligible for NCAA postseason in the 2022-23 season while both Dixie and Tarleton will be eligible for NCAA postseason in 2024-25.

 

The NCAA announced on Nov. 16 the relocation of 13 predetermined sites for the 2021 Division I Men's Basketball Championship with the goal to relocate the entire tournament to Indianapolis and surrounding areas. The decision was made to limit travel and provide a safe an controlled environment for competition and practice venues, medical resources and lodging for teams and officials. Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis was already slated to host the Men's Final Four from April 3-5, 2021.

 

After COVID-19 wiped away the 2020 WAC Basketball Tournament, the conference will head to #WACVegas again for the 2021 tournament at Orleans Arena in Las Vegas. The tournament will be held March 11-13, and will include all six NCAA-eligible teams as well as transitioning member California Baptist.

 

ESPN will once again broadcast the WAC men's tournament championship game from the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas on March 13. The championship game will be broadcast by ESPNU at 7 p.m. (PT).

 

With a fluid schedule that is bound to change, the WAC has 12 games against teams that advanced to the 2019 NCAA Tournament and four games against teams that participated in the 2019 NIT. The complete list is below.

 

Games vs. 2019 NCAA Tournament Teams

Dec. 5 Tarleton at Abilene Christian 4 p.m. CT

Dec. 5 Prairie View A&M at Grand Canyon          6 p.m. MT

Dec. 8 Tarleton at Gonzaga 6 p.m. PT

Dec. 9 Seattle U at Washington 8 p.m. PT

Dec. 11 Nevada at Grand Canyon 7 p.m. PT

Dec. 13 Tarleton at Kansas 1 p.m. CT

Dec. 13 Arizona State at Grand Canyon 2 p.m. MT

Dec. 15 Dixie State at Utah State TBA MT

Dec. 22 Chicago State at Iowa State TBA CT

Dec. 29 Dixie State at Gonzaga TBA PT

 

Games vs. 2019 NIT Teams

Nov. 25 UT Rio Grande Valley at Texas 7 p.m. CT

Dec. 9 Chicago State at Loyola-Chicago 7 p.m. CT

Dec. 21 Sam Houston State at UT Rio Grande Valley 6 p.m. CT

Dec. 22 Grand Canyon vs. Colorado TBA PT