2023-24 WAC Men's Basketball Release - Week 15

GCU LOCKS UP WAC TOURNAMENT BID
Grand Canyon officially secured a slot in the 2024 Hercules Tires WAC Basketball Tournament with a 94-65 win against Southern Utah on Feb. 10. The victory pushed the Lopes to 12-1 (.923) during the conference season, locking up a top-eight record in the league based on the composite WAC standings. Counting last year’s conference tournament, GCU has won 18 of its last 19 games overall against WAC opposition. 

LOPES CONTINUE TO BUILD ON WAC RESUME SEEDING SYSTEM LEAD
In the latest WAC Résumé Seeding System rankings that were compiled on Feb. 11, Grand Canyon maintained its advantage with 7.96 points and remained at the top of the conference standings at 22-2 overall (12-1 in the WAC). Tarleton State (2.26 points) and Seattle U (0.24 points) were the only other teams with a positive point value in the most recent seeding system rankings. Stephen F. Austin (-0.72 points) and UT Arlington (-0.68 points) rounded out the metric’s top five teams.

WACVEGAS WILL BE ON YOUR TV
A total of three games at the 2024 Hercules Tires WAC Basketball Tournament at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas will air on linear ESPN networks. The final game of the WAC women’s basketball championship will be shown live on ESPNU at 10:30 a.m. PT on March 16. The 2024 women’s championship contest will mark the first WAC women’s title game to be carried live on linear TV since 2016.

The second WAC men’s semifinal on March 15 pitting the winner of Game Four against the tournament’s number two seed will air live on either ESPNU or ESPN2 at 8:30 p.m. PT. The WAC has not had a men’s semifinal tournament game available on linear TV since 2011. The 2024 WAC men’s basketball championship game is slotted for March 16 at 8:30 p.m. PT on ESPN2. All additional tournament games at the 2024 Hercules Tires WAC Basketball Tournament will be available on ESPN+.

SEARLES LEADS THE WAY TO TWO WINS FOR UTAH TECH WITH BIG WEEK
Utah Tech forward Jaylen Searles was named the WAC Player and Newcomer of the Week on Feb. 12 as the leader for the Trailblazers in two wins last week to climb back into WAC Tournament contention. Searles averaged 23.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and 3.5 steals, shooting 63.0 percent from the floor. Searles tallied 13 points, four rebounds and three steals for the Trailblazers in a 70-68 thriller against rival Southern Utah on Feb. 8. Searles filled up the stat sheet against California Baptist on Feb. 10, hitting 12-of-16 shots from the field for a game-high 33 points to go along with eight boards, four assists and four steals in an 85-78 victory.

TARLETON STATE CAN JOIN WAC TOURNAMENT FIELD THIS WEEK
Tarleton State looks to be the second team to officially punch its ticket into the 2024 Hercules Tires WAC Basketball Tournament based on results later this week. The Texans can join Grand Canyon in the tournament field with a win at UT Arlington on Feb. 15 and additional losses elsewhere in the conference standings. Tarleton State has won double-digit league games in a single season for the first time at the Division I level and the first time overall since recording a 13-9 mark in the Lone Star Conference in 2019-20.

WAC IN THE NATIONAL STATS RANKINGS
Grand Canyon checked in tied for the national lead in winning percentage (.917), third in made free throws per game (19.4) and seventh in free throws attempted per game (25.9) in the latest NCAA Division I national statistics report on Feb. 13. Stephen F. Austin was fourth in turnovers forced per game (17.79) and sixth in bench points per game (33.54). UTRGV was sixth in free throws attempted (26.1) and ninth in free throws made (18.2) per game.

THE NEXT TICKET TO BE PUNCHED WILL BE...
Tarleton State will look to help sew up a Hercules Tires WAC Basketball Tournament bid with a challenging matchup at UT Arlington on Feb. 15. In-state foes Utah Valley and Southern Utah will collide on Feb. 17 in Cedar City with potential tournament implications at stake.