Week five of men’s basketball is complete, and we have a new team on top of the Western Athletic Conference. Both Grand Canyon University and Tarleton State University hold five-game winning streaks as we inch closer and closer to the new year.
- University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
Previous ranking: 11
Next games:
— Home against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on Dec. 15
— At Chicago State University on Dec. 18
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley ended a four-game losing streak with a win over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on Dec. 6. Senior forward Ahren Freeman led all scorers with 23 points on 9/12 shooting from the field.
Record: 3-7 overall, 0-2 WAC
- Southern Utah University
Previous ranking: 10
Next game:
— At Northern Arizona University on Dec. 16
Southern Utah went 1-1 this past week, losing a close game against the University of Utah on the road 88-86 before bouncing back and beating Idaho State University at home 82-74. Sophomore forward Parsa Fallah had a career-high 29 points.
Record: 3-6 overall, 0-2 WAC
- Abilene Christian University
Previous ranking: 9
Next game:
— Home against the University of Texas at El Paso on Dec. 17
Abilene Christian had five players score double figures in their 120-69 win against Howard Payne University. Sophomore guard Muodubem Muoneke scored a career-high 19 points in only 14 minutes of play. As a team, ACU shot a season-high 60.5% from the field.
Record: 4-6 overall, 0-2 WAC
- Stephen F. Austin State University
Previous ranking: 5
No games this week
The offense for SFA has struggled in their last two games. As a team, they shot 32.7% from the field and 20% from the three-point line in their last two games. Another concern is that Stephen F. Austin ranks last in the WAC in assist/turnover ratio.
Record: 5-5 overall, 1-1 WAC
- University of Texas at Arlington
Previous ranking: 8
Next game:
— Home against the United States Air Force Academy on Dec. 16
The defense for UTA played at an elite level against the University of North Texas at Dallas, holding them to a season-low 37 points. Along with that, UTA forced 19 turnovers. If the defense plays at this level, they can be a dangerous team come the new year.
Record: 5-4 overall, 1-1 WAC
- Utah Tech University
Previous ranking: 7
Next game:
— Home against the University of North Dakota on Dec. 16
After an impressive and entertaining win against California Baptist University, Utah Tech dropped a tough game against the University of Idaho 63-62. Noa Gonsalves and Tanner Christensen both had an opportunity at the buzzer to win the game but couldn’t connect.
Record: 5-5 overall, 2-0 WAC
- Seattle University
Previous ranking: 6
Next games:
— At the University of San Francisco on Dec. 13
— At the University of Washington on Dec. 17
In a game without Cameron Tyson, their best offensive piece, Seattle University didn’t skip a beat and scored 101 points in their blowout win against Northwest College. They now face two difficult games on the road against the University of San Francisco and the University of Washington.
Record: 6-3 overall. 1-1 WAC
- Utah Valley University
Previous ranking: 3
Next game:
— At the University of Utah on Dec. 16
WAC Newcomer of the Week Caleb Stone-Carrawell had a chance to tie the game with six seconds left against Oregon State University but couldn’t connect. Stone-Carrawell still had an outstanding week with an average 19 points and 45.5% shooting from three.
Record: 6-4 overall, 1-1 WAC
- Tarleton State University
Previous ranking: 4
Next game:
— Home against Jacksonville State University on Dec. 18
Tarleton State might just be the hottest team in the WAC since they’ve won six straight games to improve to 8-2 on the year. In those six games, TSU held their opponents to just 57.1 points per game.
Record: 8-2 overall, 2-0 WAC
- California Baptist University
Previous ranking: 1
Next games:
— At the University of Oregon on Dec. 12
— At the University of California, Riverside on Dec. 16
After holding the No. 1 spot in the men’s basketball power rankings for the past week, California Baptist has fallen to the No. 2 spot after a 72-69 loss against Utah Tech. Guard Dominique Daniels Jr. took a WAC-high 24 field goal attempts and 14 three-point attempts to become just the fourth player in the conference to score 30 points in a game.
Record: 6-2 overall, 1-1 WAC
- Grand Canyon University
Previous ranking: 2
Next game:
— Home against the University of Portland on Dec. 16
Grand Canyon University earned its first win against an Associated Press Top 25 team in franchise history in their game versus San Diego State University. Redshirt senior Gabe McGlothan averaged 18 points and 10 rebounds per game in their last two games, giving him WAC Player of the Week honors.
Record: 8-1 overall, 2-0 WAC
Author: Jack Paul
Photographer: Anden Garfield
Editor: Anden Garfield
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