2023-24 WAC Men's Basketball Release - Week 4

CBU, GCU OUT FRONT ENTERING FIRST WEEK OF CONFERENCE PLAY
The first week of WAC conference games in the 2023-24 season see California Baptist and Grand Canyon officially kicking off league play with only one nonconference loss. CBU posted a 5-1 (.833) mark and GCU compiled a 4-1 (.800) showing on the eve of WAC competition. Four teams, Seattle U, Stephen F. Austin, Tarleton State and Utah Valley, checked in with matching 4-2 (.667) records.

TARLETON STATE CAPTURES SAND DIVISION AT THE SOCAL CHALLENGE
Tarleton State captured its first multiple-team tournament event as a Division I program by claiming the Sand Division of the 2023 SoCal Challenge in San Juan Capistrano, California. The Texans defeated Austin Peay 66-59 on Nov. 20 and took the division title of the event thanks to a 59-40 victory against CSU Bakersfield on Nov. 22. Tarleton State jumped some 41 spots in the KenPom.com AdjEm team rankings following the tournament win.

TSU’S JAKORIE SMITH EARNS MVP HONORS IN SOCAL, WAC POTW AFTER BIG WEEK
Tarleton State’s Jakorie Smith was named the MVP of the Sand Division of the SoCal Challenge after leading the Texans to a pair of victories in the tournament. Smith averaged 22.5 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.5 steals per contest in the tournament. Smith erupted for 28 points, seven rebounds and two steals in a 66-59 win over Austin Peay on Nov. 20. In a defensive slugfest with CSU Bakersfield on Nov. 22, Smith accounted for 17 points, two rebounds and three steals to guide the Texans to a 59-40 victory.

GRANT-FOSTER REPEATS AS WAC NEWCOMER OF THE WEEK
Grand Canyon guard Tyon Grant-Foster repeated as the conference’s top weekly newcomer after a standout showing in GCU’s 86-71 win over North Dakota State on Nov. 25. Grant-Foster poured in 25 points on 11-of-20 shooting, to go along with six rebounds, two assists and three steals, to help the Lopes overcome a five-point (40-35) halftime deficit and defeat the Bison. Grant-Foster was the WAC leader in scoring (22.0 points per game) through five games played entering the start of conference play on Nov. 29. 

CBU WITH A STEADY, CONSISTENT START TO 2023-24
Flying relatively under the radar to kick off the 2023-24 season, California Baptist won three straight games to enter the opening week of conference play atop the WAC with a 5-1 record in non-league competition. The Lancers logged the best non-conference mark on the eve of WAC games on the strength of the best scoring defense in the conference (61.3 points allowed per game). Newcomer Dominique Daniels Jr. was the conference leader in made 3-pointers (17) and ranked second in scoring (17.5 points per game) and 3-point field goal percentage (.415) among all WAC players as of Nov. 28.

SFA PUTTING IT TOGETHER AGAINST A CHALLENGING SCHEDULE
Stephen F. Austin entered the first week of conference play 4-2 thus far this season following an early-season test at the Cayman Island Classic last week. The Lumberjacks played three games against teams in the top 125 of the latest KenPom.com rankings and emerged with a 2-1 record, which included a 92-68 rout of #87 Drake. Preseason all-conference selection Sadaidriene Hall has led a balanced SFA scoring attack with 12.5 points per game through six games, one of eight different Lumberjacks averaging 5.0 or more points per game in nonconference play.

CONFERENCE PLAY BEGINS A BIT EARLY THIS YEAR
With the move to a 20-game conference schedule ahead of the 2023-24 season, a full week of WAC matchups were slotted into the final week of November/first week of December instead of the traditional start of league action after the completion of the non-conference slate. A total of 10 WAC showdowns are on tap for Nov. 29 and Dec. 2 before the stretch run of the non-conference schedule closes out the calendar for 2023. Key matchups in the initial week of conference games include Abilene Christian at UT Arlington and Tarleton State at Stephen F. Austin on Nov. 29, followed by Stephen F. Austin traveling to Abilene Christian and UT Arlington on the road at Grand Canyon on Dec. 2.