Following a season that marked their lowest win total since 2016-17, the Southern Utah University men’s basketball team is getting ready to brush off this year’s losses and make a postseason run. They’ll head to Las Vegas for the Western Athletic Conference Tournament and face the University of Texas at Arlington on Thursday, March 12, at 7 p.m.
The game can be streamed live on ESPN+.
SUU finished the year with a record of 10-21. This was the third season in a row they finished with a losing record, a streak that followed three straight seasons of 20 or more wins.
They went 6-12 in conference play, offsetting a 3-15 road record with a 7-6 record at home. They earned the No. 5 seed despite having the worst overall record, narrowly beating out Abilene Christian University and Tarleton State University.
UT Arlington earned the No. 4 seed this year, going 9-9 in conference play and 17-13 in the regular season. In their three matchups this year, SUU has only beaten UTA once.
Tournament bracket
Wednesday, March 11: Game One – No. 6 ACU defeats No. 7 Tarleton State, 6:30 p.m.
Thursday, March 12: Game Two – No. 4 UT Arlington vs. No. 5 SUU, 7 p.m.
Thursday, March 12: Game Three – No. 3 Utah Tech University vs. No. 6 ACU 9:30 p.m.
Friday, March 13: Game Four – No. 1 Utah Valley University vs. Game Two winner, 7 p.m.
Friday, March 13: Game Five – No. 2 California Baptist University vs. Game Three winner, 9:30 p.m.
Saturday, March 14: Championship Game – Game Four winner vs. Game Five winner, 10 p.m.
The winner of the championship game automatically earns a spot in March Madness. Each game can be streamed live on ESPN+, except for the championship game, which will be aired live on ESPN2. This article will be updated when matchups are finalized.
SUU’s last March Madness appearances
The last time SUU’s men’s basketball made it to March Madness was in the 2000-01 season. They went 25-6 to earn the conference regular-season title and defeated Valparaiso University in the conference tournament to earn the No. 14 seed in March Madness. They lost 68-65 to No. 3 Boston College.
SUU’s women’s team last appeared in the NCAA Tournament in the 2022-23 season. They also entered as a No. 14 seed and lost in the first round.
For more information on end-of-year awards, stat tallies and more, go to the SUU Athletics website or check back here for updates after the tournament.
Previous men’s basketball article ——– Next men’s basketball article
Author: Payson Davis
Photographer: SUU Athletics
Editor: Fanny Felixine
