This Week In WAC Men's Basketball - Feb. 7
This Week In WAC Men's Basketball - Feb. 7
UTAH VALLEY TO THE TOP IN NEWEST WAC RESUME SEEDING RANKING
In the latest WAC Resume Seeding System ranking update on Feb. 7, Utah Valley regained the inside track on the number one seed with a 18-6 overall record and a 9-2 start in WAC play (4.71 points). Sam Houston slipped to second in the rankings at 17-6 overall and 7-4 in the WAC (3.97 points). Other teams with positive point values included Southern Utah (16-8; 8-3 WAC; 2.61 points), Seattle U (16-8; 7-4 WAC; 2.42 points), Grand Canyon (15-8; 6-4 WAC; 2.18 points) and Stephen F. Austin (15-9; 7-4 WAC; 1.04 points).
UTA EARNS SIGNATURE CONFERENCE WIN AGAINST SAM HOUSTON
UT Arlington picked up its most impressive conference win since re-joining the WAC during a homestand last weekend. The Mavericks knocked off Sam Houston, who entered the week at the top of the WAC Resume Seeding rankings, by a 70-58 final on Feb. 4. Sam Houston entered the game with five straight wins and victories in seven of its previous 10 starts before falling to UT Arlington.
GCU’S HARRISON SCORING IN BUNCHES
Grand Canyon guard Ray Harrison earned WAC Player of the Week accolades for the first time in his career following a standout performance for the Lopes in an 86-83 win over Stephen F. Austin on Feb. 4. Harrison poured in 28 points for GCU in the victory, his 17th straight start with 10 or more points scored this season. Harrison led all WAC players with 21.1 points per game in 10 conference starts thus far this season as of Feb. 7.
BANDAOGO CONTINUES BANNER YEAR IN THE MIDDLE FOR UTAH VALLEY
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 11.7 points and 10.8 rebounds in his first 24 starts, adding a 66.3 field goal percentage and 2.8 blocked shots per contest for good measure. Bandaogo’s 13 double-doubles this season are more than double that of his next closest competitor in the WAC (5, UTA’s Shemar Wilson), with Bandaogo’s 17 10-rebound outings a full 10 in front of his nearest WAC peer (Grand Canyon’s Gabe McGlothan).
THE RACE TO #WACVEGAS
A total of four teams are within one game of one another for the 12th and final slot in the 2023 Hercules Tires WAC Basketball Tournament on March 6-11 in Las Vegas. NM State (2-9 WAC) is hot on the heels of UT Arlington, UTRGV and Utah Tech (3-8 WAC) for a tournament berth based on the current conference standings.
THE WAC IN THE LATEST NCAA NET
As of the NCAA NET rankings that were released on Feb. 6, Sam Houston remained the top team in the WAC with a net ranking of 60 on the strength of two wins in Quadrant 1. Utah Valley was the next WAC team in the rankings at 80, 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.
THE WAC IN THE NATIONAL STATS RANKINGS
In the latest NCAA DI national statistics rankings that were released on Feb. 6, Utah Valley remained first in the country with 6.4 blocks per game and moved up to second in defensive rebounds per game (29.79). UTRGV maintained the national leader in free throw attempts (26.1 per game) and free throws made (18.4 per game). Stephen F. Austin checked in second in NCAA DI in turnovers forced per game (18.83). Sam Houston was third in scoring margin (16.3) and bench points per game (33.43) and fifth in turnovers forced per game (18.09). Southern Utah was fourth nationally in scoring offense (84.8 points per game). Individually, UTRGV’s Justin Johnson was second in free throw attempts (204) and fourth in free throws made (139). Utah Valley’s Aziz Bandaogo ranked fourth in total blocks (68).