United Athletic Conference

 

In the latest WAC Resume Seeding System ranking update on Jan. 29, Sam Houston climbed back to the top of the ranking system following four straight wins, improving to 16-5 (6-3 WAC) overall to post 4.22 points. Utah Valley moved to second with a 17-6 overall showing and an 8-2 WAC record (4.07 points). Other teams with positive point values included Seattle U (16-6; 7-2 WAC; 3.60 points), Southern Utah (15-7; 7-2 WAC; 2.46 points), Grand Canyon (14-8; 5-4 WAC; 1.68 points), Stephen F. Austin (15-7; 7-2 WAC; 1.59 points) and Tarleton (12-10; 5-4 WAC; 0.19 points).

 

Seattle U and Tarleton remained the only two teams in the WAC yet to drop a game at home this season entering play on Feb. 1. Tarleton has put together an impressive 10-0 mark in true home games, with Seattle U just behind with a 9-0 record.

 

California Baptist guard and reigning WAC Freshman of the Year Taran Armstrong picked up his first honor from the conference this season as the league’s player of the week. Armstrong averaged 21.5 points, 6.0 assists and 4.5 rebounds per game while shooting 59.1 percent from the field over two games. Armstrong equaled a career high with 24 points in a 74-66 win at UT Arlington on Jan. 25, connecting on career-best 11 free throws in the road victory for CBU.

 

One of the best post players in the NCAA thus far this season, Utah Valley center Aziz Bandaogo continued his rise for the Wolverines with two signature performances last week. Bandaogo averaged 15.5 points, 14.0 rebounds, 3.0 blocks and 2.5 assists per game in a tough defeat at Southern Utah on Jan. 26 and a home victory against NM State on Jan. 28. Bandaogo’s 12 double-doubles this season are nearly double that of his next closest competitor in the WAC (5), with Bandaogo’s 16 10-rebound outings over 23 starts a full 10 in front of his nearest WAC peer. 

 

As of the NCAA NET rankings that were released on Jan. 30, Sam Houston remained the top team in the WAC with a net ranking of 49 on the strength of two wins in Quadrant 1. Utah Valley was the next WAC team in the rankings at 82, still significantly ahead of its initial rank of 200 in the season’s first release of the NET on Dec. 4. Utah Valley has four combined victories against teams in Quadrants 1 and 2 and enters play this week leading the WAC with seven true road wins thus far this season.

 

In the latest NCAA DI national statistics rankings that were released on Jan. 30, Utah Valley remained first in the country with 6.4 blocks per game and ranked third in defensive rebounds per game (29.65). UTRGV maintained the national leader in free throw attempts (27.0 per game) and free throws made (19.0 per game). Stephen F. Austin placed first in NCAA DI in turnovers forced per game (19.27). Southern Utah was second nationally in scoring offense (85.7 points per game). Sam Houston was second in 3PT percentage (.400), third in bench points per game (34.67) and scoring margin (18.4), fourth in turnovers forced per game (18.67) and fifth in turnover margin (5.2). UT Arlington checked in fourth in offensive rebounds per game (13.91). Individually, UTRGV’s Justin Johnson was second in free throw attempts (188) and fourth in free throws made (128). Utah Valley’s Aziz Bandaogo ranked fourth in total blocks (64), total rebounds (247) and double doubles (12).

 

The top 12 teams in the final conference standings will take part in the 2023 Hercules Tires WAC Basketball Tournament on March 6-11 in Las Vegas. The top four seeds will earn an automatic bye into the quarterfinal round.