United Athletic Conference

 

In the latest WAC Resume Seeding System ranking update on Feb. 13, Utah Valley remained atop the race for the number one seed with a 20-6 overall record and an 11-2 showing in WAC play (5.55 points). Sam Houston remained solidly in second in the rankings at 18-6 overall and 8-4 in the WAC (4.55 points). Other teams with positive point values included Seattle U (18-8; 9-4 WAC; 3.34 points), Southern Utah (17-9; 9-4 WAC; 2.64 points), Grand Canyon (16-9; 8-5 WAC; 2.52 points), Stephen F. Austin (16-9; 8-4 WAC; 1.44 points) and Tarleton (14-12; 7-6 WAC; 0.47 points).

 

As of the NCAA NET rankings that were released on Feb. 13, Sam Houston remained the top team in the WAC with a net ranking of 59 with the 101st NET strength of schedule in the country (15th NET nonconference SOS). Utah Valley was the next WAC team in the rankings at 79, 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 thus far this season.

 

As a conference the WAC was ranked 11th among the 33 Division I men’s basketball leagues in the NET as of Feb. 13, checking in as the number two rated mid-major conference behind only the West Coast Conference. WAC members have combined for a 51.9 percent winning percentage in countable nonconference matchups thus far this season.

 

With three weeks of conference play remaining in the 2022-23 WAC basketball season, five teams are within striking distance of a regular-season conference championship. Utah Valley, the leading team in the WAC Resume Seeding System, also has a two-game edge in the race for a conference title at 11-2 (.846). Closest pursuers Seattle U and Southern Utah have fashioned matching 9-4 (.692) records in WAC games. Southern Utah has split its two games this season with Utah Valley, while Seattle U owns one win over the Wolverines with a crucial matchup ahead on Feb. 18 that could provide the Redhawks a head-to-head tiebreaker.

 

Utah Valley guard Le’Tre Darthard earned WAC Player of the Week recognition for the second time this season when he captured the award on Feb. 13, fresh off averages of 19.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, 3.0 steals and 2.0 assists per game last week. Darthard’s biggest impact of the week was felt during a 90-83 win for the Wolverines against in-state rival Southern Utah on Feb. 11, scoring a career-high 31 points that included 16-of-17 made free throws and pulling down nine rebounds. Darthard was the 10th different player from the WAC to register a 30-point game thus far this season.

 

A pair of WAC men’s basketball regular season games are scheduled to air on national television during the 2022-23 season. The first game on linear TV is set to take place this week when Abilene Christian travels to Grand Canyon for a 9 p.m. (MT) tip on Feb. 17 on ESPNU. Grand Canyon is fifth in the latest WAC Resume Seeding System standings and is looking to play itself into a top-four seed for the 2023 Hercules Tires WAC Basketball Tournament. The second national broadcast of the WAC regular season will feature California Baptist visiting Stephen F. Austin at 6 p.m. (CT) on Feb. 26, also on ESPNU.

 

One of the best post players in the NCAA thus far this season, Utah Valley center Aziz Bandaogo has set quite a pace within the WAC. Bandaogo has averaged 11.5 points and 10.7 rebounds in his first 26 starts, adding a 64.6 field goal percentage and 2.9 blocked shots per contest for good measure. Bandaogo’s 14 double-doubles this season are nearly triple that of his next closest competitor in the WAC (5, UTA’s Shemar Wilson), with Bandaogo’s 18 10-rebound outings a full 11 in front of his nearest WAC peer (Grand Canyon’s Gabe McGlothan). 

 

Entering games on Feb. 15, UTRGV’s Justin Johnson remained the only player in the WAC still averaging over 20 points per game with a clip of 20.6 points per contest over 26 starts. Johnson’s 535 total points scored and 158 made free throws also paced the conference statistics standings. Seattle U’s Cameron Tyson (18.8 points per game) and Southern Utah’s Tevian Jones (18.2 points per game) were the next players in line chasing Johnson for the full season.

 

In conference-only games, Grand Canyon’s Ray Harrison has set the WAC scoring pace with 20.2 points per game over 12 starts. UTRGV’s Johnson was right behind Harrison with a scoring average of 19.2 points. 

 

The 12-team field for the 2023 Hercules Tires WAC Basketball Tournament on March 6-11 in Las Vegas has been set. Abilene Christian, California Baptist, Grand Canyon, Sam Houston, Seattle U, Southern Utah, Stephen F. Austin, Tarleton, UT Arlington, UTRGV, Utah Tech and Utah Valley have each punched a ticket to the conference tournament. The WAC Resume Seeding System will determine the final seeding of all teams in advance of the tournament, as the top-four seeded teams on both the men’s and women’s side will earn a bye to the quarterfinal round at The Orleans Arena. First-round games will take place at the Michelob ULTRA Arena at Mandalay Bay.

 

In the latest NCAA DI national statistics rankings that were released on Feb. 12, Utah Valley remained first in the country with 6.3 blocks per game and remained second in defensive rebounds per game (29.62). UTRGV maintained the national leader in free throw attempts (26.3 per game) but fell to second place in NCAA DI in free throws made (18.3 per game). Stephen F. Austin ranked second in NCAA DI in turnovers forced per game (18.72). Sam Houston was second in scoring margin (16.3) and fifth in 3-point field goal percentage (.394). Southern Utah was fourth nationally in scoring offense (84.3 points per game) and fifth in free throw attempts (24.5 per game). Individually, UTRGV’s Justin Johnson moved back to first place in free throw attempts (235) and climbed up to third in free throws made (158). Utah Valley’s Aziz Bandaogo ranked third in total blocks (76) and fifth in total rebounds (277).