2024-25 WAC Men's Basketball Release - Week 18

FINAL WEEK OF THE REGULAR SEASON IS HERE
With the final week of regular season play in the WAC set to begin on March 6, Utah Valley is potentially one win away from clinching the top seed in the 2025 Hercules Tires WAC Basketball Tournament in Las Vegas. Utah Valley is in search of its second number one seed in the WAC Tournament and its first since its debut season in 2013-14. The Wolverines extended their winning streak to six consecutive games with a 100-59 trouncing of Southern Utah on March 1 in Orem. Dominick Nelson earned WAC Player and Newcomer of the Week honors after scoring 17 points and pulling down five rebounds, four assists and three steals in the victory against Southern Utah.

GRAND CANYON WIN STREAK AT FIVE STRAIGHT ENTERING THE FINAL WEEKEND
Grand Canyon stayed hot on the trail of Utah Valley and the top seed in the 2025 Hercules Tires WAC Basketball Tournament with a home win against UT Arlington on Feb. 27 (85-71) and a road victory at Seattle U (63-60) to extend its active winning streak to five straight games. The Lopes remain one game behind Utah Valley in the conference standings and close the season at home against Utah Tech on March 6 and at Abilene Christian on March 8. A pair of GCU wins and any Utah Valley loss would give the Lopes a second straight outright regular season conference title.

THE BATTLE FOR THE NUMBER THREE SEED INTENSIFIES
With two games remaining in the 2024-25 regular season, California Baptist, Abilene Christian and Tarleton State all find themselves deadlocked in a tie for third place in the WAC standings with matching 7-7 records. Tarleton State and CBU collide in Riverside on March 6 with a chance for one of the teams to gain ground in the chase. Tarleton State closes the season at home against conference leader Utah Valley, while CBU welcomes UT Arlington on March 8. ACU closes with two big tests against Utah Valley on March 6 and Grand Canyon on March 8 in Abilene.

SEATTLE U STILL IN THE MIX AT THREE AS WELL
With the current three-way tie at the third spot ready to play out during the final weekend of the regular season, Seattle U also remains within striking distance of a top three seed at 6-8. The Redhawks were swept by Abilene Christian but split series with both California Baptist and Tarleton State. Based on results involving the aforementioned trio of tied teams, Seattle U would need to sweep its final road trip at Southern Utah on March 6 and at Utah Tech on March 8 to join the conversation.

NATIONAL RANKINGS IN THE NCAA
Tarleton State was the top team in turnovers forced per game in NCAA Division I as of March 4, forcing 17.0 turnovers per game. The Texans were also seventh in steals per game (9.8). Abilene Christian checked in as the national leader in steals per game (10.4) and was second in turnovers forced (16.97), Utah Valley was fourth in blocks per game (6.0) and Grand Canyon ranked eighth in free throws made per game (18.5).

THE WAC SHOWED OUT ON ESPNU THIS SEASON
WAC basketball fans were able to catch three regular-season men’s basketball matchups on ESPNU during the 2024-25 conference season. The first WAC in-conference matchup of the season on ESPNU featured unbeaten Utah Valley battling back from a large deficit at California Baptist for a 74-69 win on Jan. 23. Preseason conference favorite and defending WAC champion Grand Canyon defeated Seattle U 83-74 on Jan. 30 on ESPNU in an electric game in Phoenix. The final scheduled WAC league contest on ESPNU saw UT Arlington rally from a 29-23 halftime deficit to defeat Tarleton State 67-57 on Feb. 22.

WAC BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT RETURNS TO LAS VEGAS
The 2025 edition of the Hercules Tires WAC Basketball Tournament is slated for March 12-15 at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas, with the first round of the tournament set to take place on March 11 at Burns Arena in St. George, Utah. All nine WAC teams will qualify for the tournament, with the No. 8 and No. 9 seeds in the men’s and women’s draws opening the event on the campus of Utah Tech. Hercules Tires has served as the title sponsor of the WAC Basketball Tournament for the past four seasons, a partnership that has featured 65 tournament games contested between both the men’s and women’s championships during that span. The men’s tournament championship game will air live on ESPN2 on March 15 at 8:40 p.m. PT.