Busy Saturday of Hoops Highlighted by Conference Place Once Again
Busy Saturday of Hoops Highlighted by Conference Place Once Again
The first night of WAC play on WAC Wednesday had some interesting storylines.
There was a true freshman going for 30-plus points once again and her teammate recording a second straight double-double in a conference-opening win.
There was a team playing its conference opener on the road against one of the favorites to win the league…without its head coach on the sidelines. And that same team came away with an upset win.
71 free throws were attempted in a wild game in South Texas.
The smallest player on the floor made arguably the biggest play of the game in a thriller in Orem.
A first-year head coach got his first career win in a conference-opening win on his homecourt.
And a relative unknown team that a lot of people haven’t talked about blew the brakes off its conference foe in a WAC After Dark ball game.
So, what will Saturday bring to the table for an encore?
10 total games grace our presence.
There is an in-state rivalry taking place in both St. George and Orem, Utah. Utah Valley and Utah Tech renew the Old Hammer Rivalry on Saturday. The women in Orem and the men at Burns Arena in St. George.
UT Arlington men’s basketball first-year head coach KT Turner gets to take in the sights and sounds of GCU Arena when the Mavs take on the Lopes in Phoenix.
The SFA-ACU squads do battle. Will the Ladyjacks open up WAC play at 2-0 or can Julie Goodenough’s crew stay red hot, especially true freshman guard Payton Hull?
On the men’s side of that matchup, who will start WAC play 0-2? SFA was picked to finish second. ACU was picked to finish fifth. And one of these two teams is going to be 0-2 in league play after Saturday night.
Did anyone have the Tarleton men’s basketball team starting WAC play with a pair of wins? Well, that is a real possibility as the Texans host a UTRGV squad that has struggled to score to start the season.
However, the Vaqueros did hold their own and played arguably their best game of the season in the a loss to GCU on Wednesday night. Did I mention that the Vaqueros were one of two teams to win at Wisdom Gym in 2022-23?
On the flip side, is Saturday the day that Tarleton women’s basketball head coach Bill Brock gets his first Division I win as head coach of the Texans? Or, will Lane Lord’s squad finally break the spell and get their first win of the season?
Coming off his first career win as a head coach, can Skyler Young lead the Seattle U women to a road win over defending WAC champion Southern Utah? Tracy Mason’s squad is still looking for their first Division I win of the 2023-24 season.
Molly Miller’s crew has won three straight, all by double figures. Can they do it again at College Park Center? Shereka Wright’s Lady Mavs played one of their better offensive games on Wednesday in a loss at ACU. How will their young guards handle the GCU pressure?
Do you see? There are so many storylines. And you really only find those or learn about those by reading the WAC Hoops Nation Newsletter. So, go ahead, hit the subscribe button. And let’s talk WAC Hoops on the regular.
Saturday is another step toward WAC Vegas. Crazy that it is Dec. 1, snowing outside here in the great state of Utah, and we are talking about WAC Vegas. But, that is the great thing about this time of year. These games matter more than most because only eight teams go to WAC Vegas, and it is all dependent on your record in league play.
Who will be 0-2 after Saturday? Who will be 2-0? It makes for an interesting day of hoops. My family will be mad at me because I will be glued to my phone checking scores. Sorry, WAC Hoops is more important at this time than the family Christmas party. Call me Scrooge. Call me The Grinch. I don’t care. Paying attention to a wild WACky league is what I really enjoy during the holidays.