2023-24 WAC Men's Basketball Release - Week 5

GCU, TARLETON STATE OPEN WAC PLAY A PERFECT 2-0
With the first official week of conference play in the books in the 2023-24 season, both Grand Canyon and Tarleton State posted matching 2-0 records in WAC matchups. California Baptist and Utah Tech each won conference openers to set the stage for a head-to-head matchup between the teams on Dec. 6 in Riverside, California.

FIRST WAC Résumé Seeding System IS OUT
In the first men’s rankings of the 2023-24 season that were compiled on Dec. 4, Grand Canyon owned the top spot in the WAC Résumé Seeding System with 1.76 points. Tarleton State was second with 1.21 points, while California Baptist (0.74 points), Stephen F. Austin (0.46 points), Utah Tech (0.37 points) and Utah Valley (0.31 points) each posted positive point values.

PRESEASON FAVORITE GCU OFF TO A HOT START
Following three consecutive victories to complete the opening week of conference games, preseason WAC favorite Grand Canyon was tied with California Baptist for the best overall record in the league at 6-1 as of Dec. 5. The Lopes owned the best scoring offense in the WAC (80.3 points per game) after GCU’s first seven games played this season, adding the best scoring margin in the conference at +12.0. Guard Tyon Grant-Foster was named the WAC Player and Newcomer of the Week on Dec. 4 following a stellar week in his first two conference games in a GCU uniform, leading the WAC in scoring (23.0 points per game) and rebounding (10.5 rebounds per game) while shooting an even 50 percent (14-of-28) from the field to kick off the 2023-24 conference slate for the 2-0 Lopes.

TARLETON STATE WINNING STREAK AT FOUR STRAIGHT AFTER PAIR OF DRAMATIC CONFERENCE VICTORIES
Tarleton State extended its active winning streak to four games after matching two-point victories to kick off WAC conference play. The Texans earned a 68-66 victory on the road at Stephen F. Austin on Nov. 29 after two missed free throws and making a defensive stand at the buzzer against the Lumberjacks. Following a go-ahead layup by UTRGV with less than five seconds remaining on Dec. 2 in Stephenville, Tarleton State’s Jakorie Smith connected on a 3-pointer in transition as time expired to lift the Texans to a 77-75 win over the Vaqueros.

CBU WINNING STREAK ALSO AT FOUR ENTERING SECOND WAC START
California Baptist moved to 6-1 overall in the 2023-24 season following its fourth straight win, a 91-66 win at Southern Utah on Nov. 29 to open the WAC conference schedule. The Lancers enter a WAC matchup with Utah Tech on Dec. 6 with the best scoring defense (62.0 point per game) and the best field goal percentage defense (40.2 percent) in the conference. Hunter Goodrick led all WAC players with 10.9 rebounds per game after seven games and Dominique Daniels Jr. ranked third in scoring with 16.3 points per contest.

SEATTLE U’S CHATFIELD HAS BEEN RED HOT FROM THE FIELD TO BEGIN THE SEASON
Seattle U forward Brandton Chatfield has enjoyed a sizzling start from the field for the Redhawks thus far to begin the season, shooting a conference-high 61.5 percent (40-of-65) from the floor over his first eight games played. Chatfield has logged three separate games with eight or more made field goals early on in the 2023-24 season, helping to post an 11.6 points per game average in the Seattle U frontcourt. Chatfield has scored 10 or more points in each of his past four starts.

KEY NON-CONFERENCE TILTS AWAIT WAC SQUADS THIS WEEK
The majority of WAC teams return to nonconference competition in the upcoming week with a number of key scheduled matchups on the composite schedule. Southern Utah travels to Salt Lake City to take on Utah, Louisiana Tech ventures to Nacogdoches to collide with Stephen F. Austin and No. 25 San Diego State treks to Grand Canyon for an ESPNU showdown on Dec. 5. Utah Valley hits the road bound for Oregon State and Grand Canyon remains on ESPNU at Liberty on Dec. 9.