2023-24 WAC Men's Basketball Release - Week 14

GCU PICKS UP FOURTH STRAIGHT W TO MAINTAIN TOP SPOT IN THE STANDINGS
Grand Canyon completed a second straight weekend sweep to extend its active win streak to four games atop the WAC league standings. The Lopes avenged their only conference defeat this season with a 95-88 win in overtime against Seattle U on Feb. 1 and handled Utah Valley 86-67 to complete a season sweep of the Wolverines on Feb. 3 to improve to 11-1 (.917) in WAC play. GCU has yet to lose a home game this season, now a perfect 11-0 in all games inside Global Credit Union Arena at GCU.

LOPES EXTEND WAC RESUME SEEDING SYSTEM LEAD
In the latest WAC Résumé Seeding System rankings that were compiled on Feb. 4, Grand Canyon maintained its advantage with 7.70 points and remained at the top of the conference standings at 21-2 overall (11-1 in the WAC). Tarleton State (1.11 points) and Seattle U (0.66 points) were the only other teams with a positive point value in the most recent seeding system rankings. Stephen F. Austin (-0.39 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+.

WILLIAMS SHINES FOR THE TEXANS IN PAIR OF WINS TO CLAIM WAC POTW
Tarleton State guard Lue Williams captured WAC Player of the Week accolades on Feb. 5 following a sensational showing in two Texan wins last week. Williams led the conference with 26.0 points per game and added 5.0 rebounds and 3.0 steals per contest for Tarleton State in the sweep. Williams logged 25 points, six rebounds and one steal for the Texans in a 76-73 win at Abilene Christian on Feb. 1. Williams shot 66.7 percent (8-of-12) from the floor with a 5-of-6 showing from beyond the arc on his way to a game-high 27 points and five steals during a 75-64 home victory against Stephen F. Austin on Feb. 3.

RUSSELL FINDING HIS GROOVE FOR UTA AT JUST THE RIGHT TIME
UT Arlington transfer guard Phillip Russell earned his second WAC Newcomer of the Week honor of the season following an 18.5 points, 4.0 assists and 3.0 steals per game average in a road sweep for the Mavs. Russell scored a game-high 22 points and added three steals as a key reserve in a 76-68 win at Southern Utah, earning the start and pouring in 15 points with three steals in just 22 minutes of an 87-66 triumph over Utah Tech on Feb. 3.

WAC IN THE NATIONAL STATS RANKINGS
Grand Canyon checked in tied for the national lead in winning percentage (.913), fourth in made free throws per game (19.3) and seventh in free throws attempted per game (25.8) in the latest NCAA Division I national statistics report on Feb. 6. Stephen F. Austin was fourth in turnovers forced per game (17.77) and sixth in bench points per game (34.36). UTRGV was eighth in free throws attempted (25.7) per game.

THE FINAL MONTH OF CONFERENCE PLAY BEGINS
A featured matchup from the composite game slate on Feb. 8 will see UT Arlington traveling to Riverside to take on California Baptist. Seattle U will welcome Tarleton State and Grand Canyon will return from its bye date to host Southern Utah on Feb. 10.