United Athletic Conference

Dixie State's Jacob Nicolds has been named TicketSmarter Western Athletic Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Week for November 30 through December 6. 

 

Nicolds, a junior forward from Gilbert, Ariz., averaged 15.5 points per game to help the Trailblazers open its NCAA Division I era with two wins. Against North Dakota, he tied his career-high with 17 points, along with eight rebounds, in a 74-73 win over North Dakota. He followed that up with 14 points, nine rebounds, two assists and two steals in an 86-48 win over Saint Katherine on Saturday. The forward ranks in the top-10 in the league in scoring (T-8th), rebounding (5th), field goal percentage (3), free throw percentage (T-9th), steals (T-9th), and defensive rebounds (T-4th).

 

Other nominees included: California Baptist's Tre Armstrong put up 27 points to go with seven rebounds to lead the Lancers to their first win of the season in an 83-66 win over Southeastern Louisiana … Levelle Zeigler from Chicago State average 14.5 ppg and 2.5 apg as the Cougars dropped a pair against Eastern Illinois and Northwestern … Grand Canyon's Asbjørn Midtgaard was a perfect 8-for-8 from the field, scoring 17 points to go with 13 rebounds in a blowout win over Mississippi Valley State … Evan Gilyard II from NM State scored a game-high 15 points and dished out a career-high seven assists to push NM State's winning streak to 21 games with a win over Benedictine-Mesa … Seattle U guard Darrion Trammell averaged 21.7 ppg with 5.3 apg over three games, including 32 points in a close loss at Long Beach State on Sunday … Tarleton's Montre' Gipson stepped his game up at Texas A&M, scoring 23 points with three steals and a pair of assists in a 73-66 to the Aggies … UT Rio Grande Valley guard Quinton Johnson II had a career-high 21 points in UTRGV's loss at Texas A&M on Sunday … Fardaw Aimaq from Utah Valley recorded his second double-double of the season in a win over Westminster, scoring 12 points and bringing down a career-high 18 rebounds in the Wolverines' victory.

 

The third week of the season is a bit light, thanks to the pandemic forcing programs around the country to pause, but it isn't without it's highlights. The week will tip off on Wednesday with Chicago State traveling to Loyola-Chicago, Utah Valley hosting Southern Utah, Tarleton welcoming Arlington Baptist and Seattle U making the short drive to Washington. UT Rio Grande Valley will keep up the rivalry theme on Thursday, making the trip to Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. On Friday night, Grand Canyon hosts the first of two big games this weekend, taking on Nevada. Saturday features Dixie State visiting Denver and Utah Valley welcoming Wyoming. The week reaches its crescendo on Sunday as Tarleton visits fifth-ranked Kansas, Grand Canyon hosts 23rd-ranked Arizona State and Seattle U opens up the home portion of its schedule against Northwest.

 

Two weeks into the season, NM State has the early lead in scoring offense (87.5) and free throw percentage (.765). Grand Canyon is tops in scoring defense (55.0), scoring margin (+28.7), field goal percentage (.518), field goal defense (.331), rebounding offense (49.3), rebounding defense (26.7), rebounding marign (+22.7), assist/turnover ratio (1.5), and defensive rebounds (35.0). California Baptist has the lead in three-point field goal percentage (.380), three-pointers made (12.7) and is tied with UTRGV for the top spot in offensive rebounds (15.0). Dixie State is the leader in three-point defense (.189) while fellow newcomer Tarleton has the lead in blocked shots (4.3) and steals (14.3). Utah Valley holds the early lead in assists (21.7) while Seattle U has the top spot in turnover margin (+5.33).

 

Individually, CBU's Ty Rowell holds the early scoring lead at 20.0 points per game, including a league-best 4.7 three-pointers per game and is also the leader in minutes played, averaging 37.0 per game. UVU's Fardaws Aimaq has the top rebounding average (14.3), and also leads in offensive rebounds (5.0) and defensive rebounds (9.3). DSU's Jarod Greene holds the top field goal percentage (.818) while teammate Brock Gilbert holds the top three-point FG percentage (1.000) and NMSU's Clayton Henry is perfect on free throws to lead the league. SU's Darrion Trammell is the leader in assists (5.7) while UTRGV's Javon Levi and TAR's Jonathan Jackson are tied for the lead in steals (3.0). UTRGV's Sean Rhea has the lead in blocked shots (2.0) and UVU's Blaze Nield boasts the top assist/turnover ratio at 11.0.

 

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.

 

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.

 

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 16 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. 14 UT Rio Grande Valley at UIW (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).