The 2021–22 WAC men's basketball season began with practices in October 2021 followed by the 2021–22 NCAA Division I men's basketball season in November 2021. The conference began play in December 2021. This is the WAC's 60th season of basketball.[1] On July 1, 2021, The WAC officially welcomed four new members: Abilene Christian, Lamar, Sam Houston, and Stephen F. Austin to grow and revitalize the conference.[2] All four were previously in the Southland Conference. The WAC now has 6 full members in Texas, making it the largest DI conference in the state. Each WAC member will play an 18-game conference schedule.
| 2021–22 WAC men's basketball season | |
|---|---|
 | |
| League | NCAA Division I |
| Sport | Basketball |
| Number of teams | 13 |
| TV partner(s) | ESPN, ESPN+ |
| Regular season | |
| Regular season champions | New Mexico State, Seattle, Stephen F. Austin |
| Season MVP | Teddy Allen |
| WAC tournament | |
| Champions | New Mexico State |
| Tournament MVP | Teddy Allen |
| Conf | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | W | L | PCT | W | L | PCT | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| New Mexico State † | 14 | – | 4 | .778 | 27 | – | 7 | .794 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Seattle | 14 | – | 4 | .778 | 23 | – | 9 | .719 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Stephen F. Austin | 14 | – | 4 | .778 | 22 | – | 10 | .688 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Grand Canyon | 13 | – | 5 | .722 | 23 | – | 8 | .742 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sam Houston State | 13 | – | 5 | .722 | 19 | – | 14 | .576 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abilene Christian | 11 | – | 7 | .611 | 25 | – | 11 | .694 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Utah Valley | 10 | – | 8 | .556 | 20 | – | 12 | .625 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Tarleton State* | 9 | – | 9 | .500 | 14 | – | 17 | .452 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| California Baptist* | 7 | – | 11 | .389 | 18 | – | 16 | .529 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Dixie State* | 6 | – | 12 | .333 | 13 | – | 17 | .433 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Texas–Rio Grande Valley | 3 | – | 15 | .167 | 8 | – | 23 | .258 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Chicago State | 3 | – | 15 | .167 | 7 | – | 25 | .219 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lamar | 0 | – | 18 | .000 | 2 | – | 27 | .069 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| * ineligible for the 2022 NCAA tournament due to transition from Division II | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| † 2022 WAC tournament winner | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The WAC tournament was held March 9–12, 2022 at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Pre-season
editWAC Media days
editThe WAC's 2021 WAC media days were October 19–21, 2021 on the (WAC Digital Network).[3]
The teams and representatives in respective order were as follows:
- UTRGV – Matt Figger (HC), Marek Nelson (F), Ricky Nelson (G)
- NM State - Chris Jans (HC), Johhny Mcants (F), Jabari Rice (G)
- Tarleton - Billy Gillispie (HC), Shakur Daniel (G), Freddy Hicks (G/F)
- Sam Houston - Jason Hooten (HC), Demarkus Lampley (G), Savion Flagg (G/F)
- Lamar - Alvin Brooks (HC), Kasen Harrison (G), Lincoln Smith (F)
- Abilene Chrisitan - Brette Tanner (HC), Coryon Mason (G), Reggie Miller (G)
- Seattle U - Jim Hayford (HC), Darrion Trammell (G), Riley Grigsby (G/F)
- Dixie State - Jon Judkins (HC), Cameron Gooden (G), Hunter Schofield (F)
- Chicago State - Gerald Gillion (HC), Bryce Johnson (G), Coreyoun Rushin (G)
- SFA - Kyle Keller (HC), Gavin Kensmil (F), Roti Ware (G), David Kachelries (G)
- Utah Valley - Mark Madsen (HC), Fardaws Aimaq (C), Trey Woodbury (G)
- California Baptist - Rick Croy (HC), Ty Rowell (G), Dan Akin (F)
- Grand Canyon - Bryce Drew (HC), Javon Blacksher (G), Gabe McGlothan (F)
| Place | Team | Points | First place votes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | New Mexico State | 138 | 8 |
| 2. | Grand Canyon | 131 | 3 |
| 3. | Stephen F. Austin | 106 | 1 |
| 4. | Utah Valley | 103 | -- |
| 5. | Abilene Christian | 92 | 1 |
| 6. | Seattle U | 90 | -- |
| 7. | Sam Houston | 86 | -- |
| 8. | California Baptist | 84 | -- |
| T-9. | Tarleton State | 48 | -- |
| T-9. | UTRGV | 48 | -- |
| 11. | Lamar | 41 | -- |
| 12. | Dixie State | 35 | -- |
| 13. | Chicago State | 12 | -- |
Source:[4]
| Place | Team |
|---|---|
| 1. | New Mexico State |
| 2. | Stephen F. Austin |
| 3. | Grand Canyon |
| 4. | Abilene Christian |
| 5. | Utah Valley |
| 6. | California Baptist |
| 7. | Sam Houston |
| 8. | Seattle U |
| 9. | Tarleton State |
| 10. | Lamar |
| 11. | UTRGV |
| 12. | Dixie State |
| 13. | Chicago State |
Source:[5]
WAC Preseason All-Conference
edit- First Team
| Name | School | Yr. | Pos. | Ht., Wt. | Hometown (Last School) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fardaws Aimaq | Utah Valley | R-So. | C | 6'11”, 245 | Steveston-London Secondary |
| Jovan Blacksher Jr. | Grand Canyon | Jr. | G | 5'11", 165 | Shadow Mountain High School |
| Montre' Gipson | Tarleton | Sr. | G | 6'8”, 259 | DeSoto, TX (Ranger College) |
| Gavin Kensmil | SFA | Sr. | F | 6'7”, 260 | Paramaribo, Suriname (Iona) |
| DeMarkus Lampley | Sam Houston | Sr. | G | 6'2”, 175 | Phenix City, AL (Wallace State CC) |
| Jabari Rice | NM State | R-Jr. | G | 6'4”, 180 | Thurgood Marshall High School |
| Ty Rowell | Cal Baptist | R-Jr. | G | 6'2”, 185 | Walnut Grove Secondary School |
| Darrion Trammell | Seattle U | So. | G | 5'10”, 165 | Marin City, CA (City College of San Francisco) |
- Second Team
| Name | School | Yr. | Pos. | Ht., Wt. | Hometown (Last School) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Teddy Allen | NM State | R-Jr. | G | 6'6”, 210 | Phoenix, AZ (Nebraska) |
| Johnny McCants | NM State | R-Sr. | F | 6'7”, 230 | Oñate High School |
| Coryon Mason | Abilene Christian | Sr. | G | 6'0”, 190 | Douglass High School |
| Reggie Miller | Abilene Christian | Sr. | G | 6'0”, 160 | Klein Forest High School |
| Reed Nottage | Cal Baptist | So. | G | 6'7”, 220 | Newington College |
| Roti Ware | SFA | Sr. | G | 6'3”, 190 | Morton, MS (East Central Community College) |
| Trey Woodbury | Utah Valley | Jr. | G | 6'4”, 200 | Las Vegas, NV (UNLV) |
| Holland Woods II | Grand Canyon | Sr. | G | 6'1”, 190 | Phoenix, AZ (Arizona State) |
- Preseaon Player of the Year
Regular season
editBefore the season, the WAC announced a new media deal in which most regular season conference games would be broadcast on ESPN+, with select regular season games and all conference tournament games airing on ESPN Linear Networks.[7]
Early season tournaments
edit| Team | Tournament | Finish |
|---|---|---|
| Dixie State | Good Sam Empire Classic at CSUN | 4th |
| New Mexico State | Myrtle Beach Invitational | 4th |
| Sam Houston | Jacksonville Classic | 6th |
| Stephen F. Austin | Cancun Challenge | 2nd |
| Utah Valley | SoCal Challenge | 1st |
Records against other conferences
edit2021–22 records against non-conference foes through (December 29, 2021):
Regular season
| Power Conferences & Gonzaga | Record |
|---|---|
| ACC | 0–1 |
| Big East | 0–0 |
| Big Ten | 0–3 |
| Big 12 | 0–7 |
| Pac-12 | 2–8 |
| SEC | 0–2 |
| Gonzaga | 0–2 |
| Power Conference Total | 2–23 |
| Other NCAA Division I Conferences | Record |
| America East | 0–0 |
| American | 0–2 |
| A-10 | 1–1 |
| ASUN | 2–1 |
| Big Sky | 5–4 |
| Big South | 1–1 |
| Big West | 6–3 |
| CAA | 1–0 |
| C-USA | 4–3 |
| Horizon | 1–0 |
| Ivy League | 0–0 |
| MAAC | 0–0 |
| MAC | 1–3 |
| MEAC | 2–0 |
| MVC | 1–5 |
| Mountain West | 3–6 |
| NEC | 0–0 |
| OVC | 3–0 |
| Patriot League | 0–2 |
| SoCon | 0–1 |
| Southland | 4–3 |
| SWAC | 7–1 |
| The Summit | 6–2 |
| Sun Belt | 4–7 |
| WCC (except Gonzaga) | 6–1 |
| Other Division I Total | 0–0 |
| Division II Total | 4–0 |
| NCAA Division I Total | 61–69 |
Record against ranked non-conference opponents
editThis is a list of games against ranked opponents only (rankings from the AP Poll):
| Date | Visitor | Home | Site | Significance | Score | Conference record |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov. 9, 2021 | Dixie State | No. 1 Gonzaga | McCarthey Athletic Center ● Spokane, WA | — | L 63-97 | 0-1 |
| Nov. 12, 2021 | Tarleton State | No. 3 Kansas | Allen Fieldhouse ● Lawrence, KS | ― | L 62-88 | 0-2 |
| Nov. 22, 2021 | Dixie State | No. 24 USC | Galen Center ● Los Angeles, CA | ― | L 71-98 | 0-3 |
| Nov. 24, 2021 | California Baptist | No. 8 Texas | Frank Erwin Center ● Austin, TX | Abe Lemons Classic | L 44-68 | 0-4 |
| Nov. 24, 2021 | Tarleton State | No. 20 Michigan | Crisler Center ● Ann Arbor, MI | ― | L 54-65 | 0-5 |
| Nov. 26, 2021 | UTRGV | No. 14 Illinois | State Farm Center ● Champaign, IL | ― | L 85-94 | 0-6 |
| Nov. 29, 2021 | Tarleton State | No. 3 Gonzaga | McCarthey Athletic Center ● Spokane, WA | ― | L 55-64 | 0-7 |
| Nov. 29, 2021 | Sam Houston | No. 7 Texas | Gregory Gymnasium ● Austin, TX | ― | L 57-73 | 0-8 |
| Dec. 1, 2021 | No. 12 BYU | Utah Valley | UCCU Center ● Orem, UT | UCCU Crosstown Clash | W 72-65 OT | 1-8 |
| Dec. 3, 2021 | UTRGV | No. 7 Texas | Frank Erwin Center ● Austin, TX | ― | L 58-88 | 1-9 |
| Dec. 18, 2021 | California Baptist | No. 8 Arizona | McKale Center ● Tucson, AZ | ― | L 60-84 | 1-10 |
| Dec. 18, 2021 | SFA | No. 7 Kansas | Allen Fieldhouse ● Lawrence, KS | ― | L 72-80 | 1-11 |
| Dec. 21, 2021 | Chicago State | No. 9 Iowa State | Hilton Coliseum ● Ames, IA | ― | L 48-79 | 1-12 |
Team rankings are reflective of AP poll when the game was played, not current or final ranking
† denotes game was played on neutral site
Conference schedule
editThis table summarizes the head-to-head results between teams in conference play.[8]
| Abilene Christian | California Baptist | Chicago State | Dixie State | Grand Canyon | Lamar | New Mexico State | Sam Houston | Seattle U | Stephen F. Austin | Tarleton State | UTRGV | Utah Valley | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| vs. Abilene Christian | – | 0–1 | 0–1 | 0–2 | 1–0 | 0–2 | 1–0 | 2–0 | 1–0 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 0–1 |
| vs. California Baptist | 1–0 | – | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 2–0 | 1–0 | 0–1 | 0–1 | 1–1 |
| vs. Chicago State | 1–0 | 1–1 | – | 1–0 | 2–0 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 1–0 | 1–0 |
| vs. Dixie State | 2–0 | 1–1 | 0–1 | – | 1–1 | 0–1 | 2–0 | 1–0 | 2–0 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 0–1 | 1–1 |
| vs. Grand Canyon | 0–1 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 1–1 | – | 0–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 0–1 | 1–0 | 0–1 | 0–1 | 0–2 |
| vs. Lamar | 2–0 | 2–0 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 1–0 | – | 1–0 | 2–0 | 1–0 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 1–0 |
| vs. New Mexico State | 0–1 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 0–1 | – | 1–0 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 0–1 | 0–1 | 1–1 |
| vs. Sam Houston | 0–2 | 0–1 | 0–1 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 0–1 | – | 1–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–0 |
| vs. Seattle U | 0–1 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 1–0 | 0–1 | 2–0 | 0–1 | – | 0–1 | 0–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 |
| vs. Stephen F. Austin | 0–2 | 0–1 | 0–2 | 0–1 | 0–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–0 | – | 1–0 | 0–2 | 0–1 |
| vs. Tarleton State | 2–0 | 1–0 | 0–2 | 0–1 | 1–0 | 0–2 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 0–1 | – | 0–2 | 2–0 |
| vs. UTRGV | 2–0 | 1–0 | 0–1 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 0–2 | 1–0 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2–0 | – | 1-0 |
| vs. Utah Valley | 1–0 | 1–1 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 0–2 | 0-1 | – |
| Total | 11–7 | 7–11 | 3–15 | 6–12 | 13–5 | 0–18 | 14–4 | 13–5 | 14–4 | 14–4 | 9–9 | 3–15 | 10–8 |
Points scored
edit| Team | For | Against | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abilene Christian | 2,519 | 2,191 | +328 |
| California Baptist | 2,344 | 2,220 | +124 |
| Chicago State | 1,987 | 2,380 | -393 |
| Dixie State | 2,247 | 2,296 | -49 |
| Grand Canyon | 2,204 | 1,898 | +306 |
| Lamar | 1,778 | 2,116 | -338 |
| New Mexico State | 2,346 | 2,081 | +265 |
| Sam Houston | 2,272 | 2,082 | +190 |
| Seattle U | 2,393 | 2,132 | +261 |
| Stephen F. Austin | 2,317 | 2,110 | +207 |
| Tarleton State | 2,002 | 2,025 | -23 |
| UTRGV | 2,212 | 2,436 | -224 |
| Utah Valley | 2,279 | 2,084 | +195 |
Through end of season[9]
Rankings
edit| Improvement in ranking | ||
| Drop in ranking | ||
| RV | Received votes but were not ranked in Top 25 | |
| NV | No votes received |
| Pre | Wk 2 |
Wk 3 |
Wk 4 |
Wk 5 |
Wk 6 |
Wk 7 |
Wk 8 |
Wk 9 |
Wk 10 |
Wk 11 |
Wk 12 |
Wk 13 |
Wk 14 |
Wk 15 |
Wk 16 |
Wk 17 |
Wk 18 |
Wk 19 |
Final | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abilene Christian | AP | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV |
| C | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | |
| California Baptist | AP | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV |
| C | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | |
| Chicago State | AP | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV |
| C | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | |
| Dixie State | AP | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV |
| C | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | |
| Grand Canyon | AP | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV |
| C | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | |
| Lamar | AP | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV |
| C | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | |
| New Mexico State | AP | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV |
| C | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | |
| Sam Houston | AP | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV |
| C | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | |
| Seattle U | AP | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV |
| C | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | |
| Stephen F. Austin | AP | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV |
| C | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | |
| Tarleton State | AP | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV |
| C | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | |
| UTRGV | AP | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV |
| C | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | |
| Utah Valley | AP | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV |
| C | NV | NV | NV | RV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV |
Head coaches
editCoaching changes
editMany coaching changes were made during the offseason. UTRGV Coach Lew Hill shockingly died during the previous season on February 7, 2021.[10] Jai Steadman then acted as interim head coach for the remainder of the season. Several months later, UTRGV announced Matt Figger as Hill's permanent replacement.[11] Chicago State head coach Lance Irvin was fired in the offseason, posting a 7-54 overall record during his tenure.[12] The Cougars tabbed Samford assistant coach Gerald Gillion to be their new head coach.[13] Former Abilene Christian head coach Joe Golding left his position to take on a new position at UTEP, and his replacement was announced to be Brette Tanner, who was the associate head coach for ACU for 7 seasons.[14] Lamar head coach Tic Price was fired shortly after the season ended,[15] and Lamar hired Alvin Brooks, a former Lamar player himself, as their new head coach.[16]
Coaches
editNote: Stats shown are before the beginning of the season. Overall and WAC records are from time at current school.
| Team | Head coach | Previous job | Seasons at school | Overall record | WAC record | WAC titles | NCAA tournaments | NCAA Final Fours | NCAA Championships |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abilene Christian | Brette Tanner | (Associate HC) | 1st | 0–0 (–) | 0–0 (–) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| California Baptist | Rick Croy | Buffalo (assistant) | 3rd | 50-35 (.588) | 23-21 (.523) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Chicago State | Gerald Gillion | Samford (assistant) | 1st | 0-0 (–) | 0-0 (–) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dixie State | Jon Judkins | Snow College | 2nd | 8-13 (.381) | 4-10 (.286) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Grand Canyon | Bryce Drew | Vanderbilt | 2nd | 17-7 (.708) | 9-3 (.750) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Lamar | Alvin Brooks | Houston (associate HC) | 1st | 0-0 (–) | 0-0 (–) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| New Mexico State | Chris Jans | Bowling Green | 5th | 95-27 (.779) | 50-9 (.847) | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Sam Houston | Jason Hooten | (Assistant HC) | 12th | 0-0 (–) | 0-0 (–) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Seattle U | Jim Hayford | Eastern Washington | 5th | 64-55 (.538) | 25-27 (.481) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Stephen F. Austin | Kyle Keller | Texas A&M (assistant) | 6th | 0-0 (–) | 0–0 (–) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tarleton State | Billy Gillispie | Ranger College | 2nd | 10-10 (.500) | 5-7 (.417) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| UTRGV | Matt Figger | Austin Peay | 1st | 0-0 (–) | 0-0 (–) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Utah Valley | Mark Madsen | Los Angeles Lakers (player development) | 3rd | 22-30 (.423) | 14-14 (.500) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Notes:
- Overall and WAC records, conference titles, etc. are from time at current school and are through the end the 2020–21 season.
- Records and season totals only include time spent at Division I as head coach.
- NCAA tournament appearances are from time at current school only.
- NCAA Final Fours and Championship include time at other schools.
Post season
editWAC tournament
editThe conference tournament is scheduled to be played from March 9–12, 2022, at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas, NV. However, the site for the first round of games has yet to be determined. Ten members will be invited to the tournament, with the top six seeds receiving at least one bye. Dixie and Tarleton are ineligible for the tournament until 2022-23 due to Division I transitions.
NCAA tournament
editTeams from the conference that were selected to participate:
| Seed | Region | School | First Four | First Round | Second Round | Sweet Sixteen | Elite Eight | Final Four | Championship |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 | West | New Mexico State | –
|
defeated (5) Connecticut 70–63 | lost to (4) Arkansas 53–48 | – | – | – | – |
| Bids | W-L (%): | 0–0 (–) | 1–0 (1.000) | 0–1 (.000) | 0–0 (–) | 0–0 (–) | 0–0 (–) | TOTAL: 1–1 (.500) |
National Invitation Tournament
editNumber from the conference that were selected to participate: 0
| Seed | Bracket | School | First Round | Second Round | Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Finals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| N/A | N/A | N/A | − | − | − | − | − |
| Bid | W-L (%): | 0–0 (–) | 0–0 (–) | 0–0 (–) | 0–0 (–) | TOTAL: 0–0 (–) |
| Index to colors and formatting |
|---|
| WAC member won |
| WAC member lost |
Awards and honors
editPlayers of the week
editThroughout the conference regular season, the WAC offices name a player of the week, and a freshman of the week each Monday.
| Week | Player of the Week | School | Freshman of the Week | School | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov. 15 | Brandon Betson | Chicago St. | Taran Armstrong | California Baptist | [17] |
| Nov. 22 | Fardaws Aimaq | Utah Valley | Taran Armstrong | California Baptist | [18] |
| Nov. 29 | Fardaws Aimaq | Utah Valley | Viktor Rajković | Seattle U | [19] |
| Dec. 6 | Fardaws Aimaq | Utah Valley | Taran Armstrong | California Baptist | [20] |
| Dec. 13 | Cameron Gooden | Dixie State | RayQuan Taylor | UTRGV | [21] |
| Dec. 20 | Teddy Allen | New Mexico State | Noa Gonsalves | Dixie State | [22] |
| Dec. 27 | Emeka Udenyi | Seattle U | Marchelus Avery | New Mexico State | [23] |
| Jan. 3 | Cameron Steele | Abilene Christian | Ali Abdou Dibba | Chicago St. | [24] |
| Jan. 10 | Tahj Small | Tarleton | Noah McDavid | Tarleton | [25] |
| Jan. 17 | Teddy Allen | New Mexico State | Juhlawnei Stone | California Baptist | [26] |
| Jan. 24 | Cameron Tyson | Seattle U | Vas Pandža | Seattle U | [27] |
| Jan. 31 | Teddy Allen | New Mexico State | Noah McDavid | Tarleton | [28] |
| Feb. 7 | Airion Simmons | Abilene Christian | RayQuan Taylor | UTRGV | [29] |
| Feb. 14 | Fardaws Aimaq | Utah Valley | Taran Armstrong | California Baptist | [30] |
| Feb. 21 | Teddy Allen | New Mexico State | Derrick Tezeno | Stephen F. Austin | [31] |
| Feb. 28 | Fardaws Aimaq | Utah Valley | Chance McMillian | Grand Canyon | [32] |
| Mar. 6 | Gavin Kensmil | Stephen F. Austin | Taran Armstrong | California Baptist | [33] |
Totals per school - Players of the week
edit| School | Total |
|---|---|
| Abilene Christian University | 2 |
| California Baptist University | 6 |
| Chicago State | 2 |
| Dixie State | 2 |
| Grand Canyon University | 1 |
| New Mexico State University | 5 |
| Seattle University | 4 |
| Stephen F. Austin State University | 2 |
| Tarleton State University | 3 |
| University of Texas Rio Grande Valley | 2 |
| Utah Valley University | 5 |
All-Americans
editAll-WAC
edit- First team
| Name | School | Yr. | Pos. | Ht. | Hometown |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fardaws Aimaq‡‡ | Utah Valley | R-So. | C | 6-11 | Vancouver, B.C., Canada |
| Teddy Allen‡ | NM State | R-Jr. | G | 6-6 | Phoenix |
| Jovan Blacksher Jr. | Grand Canyon | So. | G | 5-11 | Oakland, Calif. |
| Gavin Kensmil | Stephen F. Austin | Sr. | F | 6-7 | Paramaribo, Suriname |
| Savion Flagg | Sam Houston | Gr. | G/F | 6-7 | Alvin, Texas |
| Hunter Schofield | Dixie State | Sr. | F | 6-8 | Spanish Fork, Utah |
| Darrion Trammell | Seattle U | So. | G | 5-10 | Marin City, Calif. |
| Cameron Tyson | Seattle U | R-So. | G | 6-2 | Bothell, Wash. |
- ‡ WAC Player of the Year
- ‡‡ WAC Defensive Player of the Year
- Second team
| Name | School | Yr. | Pos. | Ht. | Hometown |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brandon Betson | Chicago State | Jr. | G | 6-1 | Hercules, Calif. |
| Montre' Gipson | Tarleton | Sr. | G | 5-11 | DeSoto, Texas |
| Justin Johnson | UT Rio Grande Valley | Jr. | G/F | 6-6 | Fort Lauderdale, Fla. |
| David Kachelries | Stephen F. Austin | Sr. | G | 6-1 | Emmaus, Pa. |
| Johnny McCants | NM State | R-Sr. | F | 6-7 | Las Cruces, N.M. |
| Sir'Jabari Rice$ | NM State | R-Jr. | G | 6-4 | Houston |
| Airion Simmons | Abilene Christian | Jr. | F | 6-5 | Little Rock, Ark. |
| Holland Woods | Grand Canyon | Sr. | G | 6-1 | Phoenix |
All-Newcomer team
edit| Name | School | Yr. | Pos. | Ht., | Hometown |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Teddy Allen† | NM State | R-Jr. | G | 6-6 | Phoenix |
| Savion Flagg | Sam Houston | Gr. | G/F | 6-7 | Alvin, Texas |
| Justin Johnson | UT Rio Grande Valley | Jr. | G/F | 6-6 | Fort Lauderdale, Fla. |
| Cameron Tyson | Seattle U | R-So. | G | 6-2 | Bothell, Wash. |
| Holland Woods | Grand Canyon | Sr. | G | 6-1 | Phoenix |
† WAC Player of the Year & Newcomer of the Year
All-Defensive team
edit| Name | School | Yr. | Pos. | Ht. | Hometown |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fardaws Aimaq‡ | Utah Valley | R-So. | C | 6-11 | Vancouver, B.C., Canada |
| Shamir Bogues | Tarleton | So. | G | 6-4 | Killeen, Texas |
| Javion May | Sam Houston | Jr. | G | 6-2 | Chicago |
| Johnny McCants | NM State | R-Sr. | F | 6-7 | Las Cruces, N.M. |
| Darrion Trammell | Seattle U | So. | G | 5-10 | Marin City, Calif. |
- ‡WAC Defensive Player of the Year
Other awards
editSixth Man of the Year: Jaylin Jackson-Posey, Stephen F. Austin
Freshman of the Year: Taran Armstrong, California Baptist
Don Haskins Coach of the Year: Chris Victor, Seattle U
2022 NBA draft
editNo players from the Western Athletic Conference were drafted in the 2022 NBA Draft.
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | Nationality | Team | School/club team |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| − | − | − |
Home game attendance
edit| Team | Stadium | Capacity | Game 1 | Game 2 | Game 3 | Game 4 | Game 5 | Game 6 | Game 7 | Game 8 | Game 9 | Game 10 | Game 11 | Game 12 | Game 13 | Game 14 | Game 15 | Game 16 | Game 17 | Game 18 | Game 19 | Total | Average | % of Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abilene Christian | Teague Center | 1,000[34] | 414 | 605 | 598 | 842 | 603 | 513 | 321 | 474 | 807 | 1,098 | 1,179 | 726 | 444 | 1,088 | 928 | 829 | 1,213† | 12,682 | 746 | 74.6% | ||
| California Baptist | CBU Events Center | 5,050 | 4,308 | 4,957 | 2,631 | 3,004 | 2,229 | 2,248 | 3,401 | 2,606 | 2,220 | 1,892 | 2,014 | 2,305 | 2,531 | 3,005 | 4,311 | 2,436 | 4,651 | 5,050† | 3,565 | 59,364 | 3,124 | 61.9% |
| Chicago State | Emil and Patricia Jones Convocation Center | 7,000 | 300 | 350 | 597† | 267 | 262 | 187 | 102 | 250 | 119 | 147 | 142 | 128 | 151 | 207 | 3,209 | 229 | 3.3% | |||||
| Dixie State | Burns Arena | 4,779 | 4,105 | 2,352 | 1,501 | 1,672 | 2,017 | 1,276 | 512 | 967 | 719 | 1,228 | 1,560 | 1,333 | 1,898 | 4,270† | 1,269 | 1,288 | 27,967 | 1,748 | 36.6% | |||
| Grand Canyon | GCU Arena | 7,000 | 7,145 | 7,305 | 6,854 | 6,872 | 6,529 | 6,844 | 6,715 | 7,007 | 6,817 | 6,815 | 7,499† | 6,905 | 7,107 | 7,174 | 7,112 | 6,950 | 7,412 | 119,062 | 7,004 | 100.1% | ||
| Lamar | Montagne Center | 10,080 | 2,586 | 3,532† | 1,512 | 1,543 | 1,712 | 1,582 | 2,116 | 2,487 | 818 | 2,896 | 2,345 | 23,129 | 2,103 | 20.9% | ||||||||
| New Mexico State | Pan American Center | 12,482 | 5,056 | 8,089 | 4,739 | 6,208 | 4,086 | 4,315 | 5,360 | 5,131 | 5,014 | 12,307† | 4,431 | 6,302 | 4,424 | 5,611 | 5,707 | 86,780 | 5,785 | 46.3% | ||||
| Sam Houston | Bernard Johnson Coliseum | 6,110 | 1,017 | 741 | 301 | 197 | 214 | 131 | 1,114 | 491 | 602 | 426 | 640 | 382 | 1,319† | 7,575 | 583 | 9.5% | ||||||
| Seattle U | Redhawk Center/Climate Pledge Arena | 999/18,100[35] | 503†† | 2,302‡ | 524†† | 1,082‡ | 450†† | 314†† | 775‡ | 1,334‡ | 1,998‡ | 465†† | 1,260‡ | 456†† | 1,621‡ | 725†† | 2,488‡† | 592†† | 1,670‡ | 999†† | 999†† | 20,557 | 1,082 | 11.9% |
| Stephen F. Austin | William R. Johnson Coliseum | 7,203 | 1,442 | 1,537 | 1,878 | 1,901 | 1,702 | 1,431 | 1,550 | 1,709 | 1,703 | 2,304 | 2,551 | N/A | 1,859 | 1,524 | 2,353 | 2,580† | 28,024 | 1,868 | 25.9% | |||
| Tarleton State | Wisdom Gymnasium | 3,000 | 838 | 2,112 | 712 | 848 | 802 | 1,423 | 1,627 | 2,022 | 1,899 | 2,022 | 2,223 | 2,884 | 3,017† | 1,074 | 1,763 | 25,266 | 1,684 | 56.1% | ||||
| UTRGV | UTRGV Fieldhouse/Bert Ogden Arena | 2,500/7,688 | 1,711 | 873 | 1,681 | 1,189‡‡ | 878 | 846 | 537 | 713 | 1,453 | 818 | 1,618 | 2,717†‡‡ | 974 | 16,008 | 1,100/1,953 | 44.0%/25.4% | ||||||
| Utah Valley | UCCU Center | 8,500 | N/A | 1,386 | 7,503† | 1,363 | 1,472 | 1,267 | 2,523 | 1,574 | 1,511 | 3,724 | 1,868 | 2,547 | 2,187 | 28,925 | 2,410 | 28.4% | ||||||
| Total | 93,803 | 458,548 | 2,340 | – |
Bold – At or exceed capacity
- †Season high
- ††Redhawk Center
- ‡Climate Pledge Arena
- ‡‡Bert Ogden Arena
References
edit- ^ "2020-21 WAC Timeline". wacsports.com.
- ^ "WAC Officially Welcomes 'Texas Four' to Conference".
- ^ @WACsports (October 19, 2021). "First up in our #WAChoops preview is @UTRGV_MBB! @Kendrasheehan_ speaks with Coach Matt Figger, Marek Nelson and Doc Nelson about their season" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ "WAC Coaches Select NM State, SU's Trammell as Preseason Favorites". wacsports.com. Archived from the original on October 19, 2021.
- ^ "WAC Media Select NM State, UVU's Aimaq as Favorites". wacsports.com. Archived from the original on October 19, 2021.
- ^ a b "WAC Media Select NM State, UVU's Aimaq as Favorites".
- ^ "WAC Reaches New, Expanded Media Rights Agreement with ESPN". espnpressroom.com. Archived from the original on August 24, 2021.
- ^ "2021-22 WAC Men's Basketball Standings".
- ^ "Sortable Team Stats". Retrieved October 18, 2021.
- ^ Sheinin, Dave (February 11, 2021). "A rare disease, a covid diagnosis, a painful decision: The death of basketball coach Lew Hill". Washington Post.
- ^ "UTRGV Athletics Taps Matt Figger to Lead Men's Basketball Program".
- ^ "BREAKING: Chicago State and Lance Irvin agree to mutually part ways".
- ^ "Chicago State Names Gerald Gillion Head Men's Basketball Coach".
- ^ "Brette Tanner named new men's basketball head coach".
- ^ Faye, Matt (March 21, 2021). "Tic Price fired after 7 seasons as LU basketball coach". Beaumont Enterprise.
- ^ "Lamar welcomes back alum Alvin Brooks as Head Men's Basketball Coach".
- ^ "TicketSmarter WAC Men's Basketball Players of the Week Announced". wacsports.com. November 15, 2021. Retrieved November 18, 2021.
- ^ "TicketSmarter WAC Men's Basketball Players of the Week Announced". wacsports.com. November 22, 2021. Retrieved November 23, 2021.
- ^ "TicketSmarter WAC Men's Basketball Players of the Week Announced". wacsports.com. November 29, 2021. Retrieved December 3, 2021.
- ^ "TicketSmarter WAC Men's Basketball Players of the Week Announced". wacsports.com. December 6, 2021. Retrieved January 3, 2022.
- ^ "TicketSmarter WAC Men's Basketball Players of the Week Announced". wacsports.com. December 13, 2021. Retrieved January 3, 2022.
- ^ "TicketSmarter WAC Men's Basketball Players of the Week Announced". wacsports.com. December 20, 2021. Retrieved January 3, 2022.
- ^ "TicketSmarter WAC Men's Basketball Players of the Week Announced". wacsports.com. December 27, 2021. Retrieved January 3, 2022.
- ^ "TicketSmarter WAC Men's Basketball Players of the Week Announced". wacsports.com. January 3, 2022. Retrieved April 5, 2022.
- ^ "TicketSmarter WAC Men's Basketball Players of the Week Announced". wacsports.com. January 10, 2022. Retrieved April 5, 2022.
- ^ "TicketSmarter WAC Men's Basketball Players of the Week Announced". wacsports.com. January 17, 2022. Retrieved April 5, 2022.
- ^ "TicketSmarter WAC Men's Basketball Players of the Week Announced". wacsports.com. January 24, 2022. Retrieved April 5, 2022.
- ^ "TicketSmarter WAC Men's Basketball Players of the Week Announced". wacsports.com. January 31, 2022. Retrieved April 5, 2022.
- ^ "TicketSmarter WAC Men's Basketball Players of the Week Announced". wacsports.com. February 7, 2022. Retrieved April 5, 2022.
- ^ "TicketSmarter WAC Men's Basketball Players of the Week Announced". wacsports.com. February 14, 2022. Retrieved April 5, 2022.
- ^ "TicketSmarter WAC Men's Basketball Players of the Week Announced". wacsports.com. February 21, 2022. Retrieved April 5, 2022.
- ^ "TicketSmarter WAC Men's Basketball Players of the Week Announced". wacsports.com. February 28, 2022. Retrieved April 5, 2022.
- ^ "TicketSmarter WAC Men's Basketball Players of the Week Announced". wacsports.com. March 6, 2022. Retrieved April 5, 2022.
- ^ Abilene Christian is scheduled to play in the Teague Center for 2021-22 due to ongoing renovations at Moody Coliseum
- ^ Seattle U uses two home arenas: Redhawk Center, which is located on campus, and the newly renovated Climate Pledge Arena in uptown Seattle.