United Athletic Conference

 

Two WAC teams capped the first week of the 2022-23 season with unblemished 3-0 records. Sam Houston and Seattle U each won a pair of home games and one road contest to kick off the season at the top of the league standings. Southern Utah was second in the initial WAC standings with a 3-1 mark, and six teams followed with matching 2-1 starts.

 

Three different teams, Southern Utah, Seattle U and UT Arlington, were ranked among the NCAA Division I Top 50 in scoring according to the most recent national statistics report that was released on Nov. 15. Southern Utah ranked fourth in the country with 103.8 points per game, with Seattle U 20th after tallying 91.3 points per contest and UTA 30th with 89.7 points scored on average in three starts thus far this season.

 

Cameron Tyson enjoyed two elite performances for Seattle U during the opening week of the season. Tyson averaged a phenomenal 33.5 points per game on 56.4 percent (22-of-39) shooting from the floor, which included a 55.6 percent (15-of-27) clip from beyond the arc. Tyson also chipped in 5.5 rebounds per contest over his first two starts. Tyson logged 35 points and eight rebounds for the Redhawks in an 85-71 win at UC San Diego on Nov. 7 and followed up that performance with 32 points and three boards in an 83-71 triumph at home against Portland State on Nov. 13.

 

NM State’s Deshawndre Washington filled the stat sheet for the Aggies during a 101-52 win against N.M. Highlands on Nov. 7. Washington scored 17 points on 6-of-11 shooting from the floor, pulled down 10 rebounds and dished out 10 assists to just one turnover to notch the first WAC triple-double of the 2022-23 season. Washington registered just the 18th triple-double in conference history in the victory, and just the fourth by a WAC player since the 2011-12 season.

 

In the latest NCAA DI national statistics rankings that were released on Nov. 15, Sam Houston ranked first nationally with 50.3 bench points per game, second in field goal percentage defense (.269), rebounds per game (51.00) and scoring defense (44.0) and fourth in turnover margin per game (11.3). UT Arlington was second in bench points per game (49.0) and fifth in offensive rebounds per game (18.67). Southern Utah was in the third position in bench points per game (48.8) along with being fourth in scoring offense (103.8 points per game). UTRGV checked in fourth in fastbreak points per game (28.3). Individually, Utah Valley’s Aziz Bandaogo ranked first in NCAA DI with 45 rebounds and was third with two double-doubles and fourth with 13 total blocks. Deshawndre Washington from NM State was first with his one triple-double and third with two double-doubles. California Baptist’s Riley Battin had yet to miss a free throw and was in a tie for first with a spotless percentage from the line. Seattle U’s Cameron Tyson checked in second with 15 made 3-pointers.

 

A resume seeding system will be used by the WAC to determine how teams are seeded at this year’s WAC Basketball Tournaments. An algorithm will rate performance against all teams faced in the regular season, not just conference play, that will rank teams for the conference postseason tournament. Using this resume seeding system, teams will receive more credit by playing stronger opponents than if they play weaker opponents. WAC Commissioner Brian Thornton and WAC Associate Commissioner of Basketball Drew Speraw worked with Ken Pomeroy of kenpom.com to put together this formula.

 

California Baptist head coach Rick Croy reached the 200-win milestone for his coaching career thanks to an 81-80 victory over UTRGV in the opening round of the 2022 WAC Tournament. Croy (202), the winningest coach in CBU history, joined three other current WAC head coaches that have won 200 or more games in their career, with the list including Utah Tech’s Jon Judkins (287), Sam Houston’s Jason Wooten (238) and Grand Canyon’s Bryce Drew (206).