United Athletic Conference

 

In the latest WAC Resume Seeding System ranking update on Feb. 19, Utah Valley remained atop the race for the number one seed with a 21-6 overall record and a 12-2 showing in WAC play (6.23 points). Sam Houston remained solidly in second in the rankings at 20-6 overall and 10-4 in the WAC (5.23 points). Other teams with positive point values included Southern Utah (18-9; 10-4 WAC; 2.98 points), Seattle U (18-10; 9-6 WAC; 2.58 points), Grand Canyon (17-10; 9-6 WAC; 2.08 points) and Stephen F. Austin (17-10; 9-5 WAC; 0.96 points).

 

As of the NCAA NET rankings that were released on Feb. 20, Sam Houston remained the top team in the WAC with a net ranking of 60 with the 111th NET strength of schedule in the country (16th NET nonconference SOS). Utah Valley was the next WAC team in the rankings at 73, 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. 20, 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 two weeks to go in the 2022-23 campaign, Utah Valley holds a two-game edge for the WAC regular-season crown with a 12-2 (.857) record. Both Sam Houston and Southern Utah were still in hot pursuit of the Wolverines at 10-4 (.714).

 

Utah Valley has won 18 of its past 20 games overall dating back to Nov. 20. The Wolverines have won 10 games by 10 or more points during the surge.

 

Grand Canyon forward Gabe McGlothan earned WAC Player of the Week honors after he averaged 23.5 points and 9.5 rebounds while shooting a blistering 73.1 percent from the floor for GCU in a 1-1 week. In a hard-luck 77-76 loss against UTRGV on Feb. 15, McGlothan filled up the stat sheet with 27 points (12-of-18 from the field) and 11 rebounds that included seven offensive boards. On national TV against Abilene Christian on Feb. 17, McGlothan missed just one field goal (7-of-8) in scoring 20 points and pulled down a game-high eight rebounds in a 94-84 GCU win.

 

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 took place on Feb. 17 when Abilene Christian travelled to Grand Canyon for an ESPNU showdown. GCU emerged with a 94-84 win against ACU. 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 11.4 points and 10.9 rebounds in his first 27 starts, adding a 61.4 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, four players), with Bandaogo’s 19 10-rebound outings a full 11 in front of his nearest WAC peer (Grand Canyon’s Gabe McGlothan). 

 

Entering games on Feb. 22, UTRGV’s Justin Johnson remained the only player in the WAC still averaging over 20 points per game with a clip of 20.7 points per contest over 27 starts. Johnson’s 559 total points scored and 166 made free throws also paced the conference statistics standings. Southern Utah’s Tevian Jones (18.3 points per game) and Seattle U’s Cameron Tyson (18.3 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 20.4 points per game over 14 starts. UTRGV’s Johnson was right behind Harrison with a scoring average of 19.4 points. 

 

The 12-team field for the 2023 Hercules Tires WAC Basketball Tournament on March 7-11 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. 20, Utah Valley remained first in the country with 6.4 blocks per game and second in defensive rebounds per game (29.67). UTRGV maintained the national leader in free throw attempts (25.2 per game) and was in second place in NCAA DI in free throws made (17.6 per game). Sam Houston was second in scoring margin (15.6) and third in 3-point field goal percentage (.398). Stephen F. Austin ranked third in NCAA DI in turnovers forced per game (18.52). Southern Utah was fourth nationally in scoring offense (84.1 points per game), third in free throws made (17.6) and fourth in free throw attempts (24.3 per game). Individually, UTRGV’s Justin Johnson was second in free throw attempts (243). Utah Valley’s Aziz Bandaogo ranked third in total blocks (78). Stephen F. Austin’s Latrell Josell was fifth in 3-point percentage (.457).