CBU Looks to Stay Hot, Mavs Looking for Another Road Win and More
CBU Looks to Stay Hot, Mavs Looking for Another Road Win and More
The WAC continues to cannibalize itself but can anyone not named GCU separate themselves?
Saturday features some interesting games. If we are being honest, every game in the WAC seems to be quite interesting.
GCU and Seattle U went to overtime on Thursday. ACU and Tarleton went to overtime on Thursday.
UT Arlington and Utah Tech both got big wins. In fact, Thursday’s win over Southern Utah was the first true road win of the season for the Mavs. Yep, UT Arlington is now 1-9 on the road in 2023-24.
SFA snapped a a two-game home losing streak with a win over Utah Valley. The Jacks were without Day Hall and AJ Cajuste. Hall announced Tuesday that he is out for the season with a knee injury. And Cajuste was in a sling on the SFA bench. Keep an eye on that injury.
And it goes on and on. The WAC is cannibalizing itself. That is, everyone not named GCU. The Lopes continue to escape. Three straight games where the Lopes have either trailed late or had to hold on for dear life for a win.
Tarleton continues to keep ahold of GCU’s tail…slightly. It took some heroics from Jakorie Smith to keep Tarleton’s hopes of a possible regular season title alive with a win at ACU on Thursday.
It’s just a wild, wild league and every Thursday and Saturday, it is on full display.
On the first Saturday of the second month of the year, the WAC features some more intriguing matchups.
GCU at Utah Valley - 2 p.m. MT ESPN+
Grand Canyon and Utah Valley tip the day off in Orem. GCU is off to its best start in program history, hold the best record in the country, and have pretty much locked up the top seed at next month’s WAC Tournament.
Utah Valley is 7-1 at the UCCU Center, have lost just two games in like four years at home, and play much better in Orem. That is simply a fact as Utah Valley is just 2-11 away from the UCCU Center.
The Wolverines swept this series in 2022-23 en route to a WAC regular season crown. Can GCU get the regular season sweep over the Wolverines in 2023-24?
Keep an eye on Tyon Grant-Foster. The WAC Player of the Year candidate and GCU’s leading scorer appeared to injury his right arm/shoulder late in Thursday’s win. Reports are that he is fine. But, it is something to keep an eye on.
UT Arlington at Utah Tech - 3 p.m. MT ESPN+
Well, now that the lid is off the road woes for the Mavs, can they get a second straight road win?
KT Turner’s crew locked in defensively in 76-68 win over Southern Utah on Thursday. It comes on the heels of an emotional loss on Saturday to GCU.
Sometimes getting that first win away from home can spark a run. The Mavs head 50 miles South to face a Utah Tech squad that is a little banged up.
Beon Riley didn’t play again and it is unclear if he will go on Saturday. Unisa Turay was back in the lineup for Jon Judkins, though.
Can UT Arlington return home with two road wins? Or will Utah Tech pick up just its fourth win in its last 15 games?
Burns Arena is always a difficult place to play. Utah Tech has wins over Utah Valley, SFA, and UTRGV in its home gym. And the Trailblazers, like the Mavs, led GCU by double figures before falling late.
This will be an entertaining afternoon matinee.
SFA at Tarleton - 4 p.m. CT ESPN+
Remember the first time these two teams met back in November in Nac? Yeah, it seems like ages ago.
Just for reference, Tarleton led the majority of the night and then needed to hold on for dear life to knock off the Jacks at The Sawmill.
Joseph Jones has the Texans hanging onto life in the regular season title race. What a crazy two months it has been for Tarleton hoops. Billy Gillispie took a leave due to a medical circumstance and Jones had to step in as interim head coach.
Then, in December, Jones was named acting head coach and Tarleton hasn’t really missed a beat. Lue Williams went for 25 points in the win at ACU on Thursday and the Texans sit in second in both the WAC standings and the resume seeding system.
SFA, on the other hand, is all banged up. Day Day Hall is out for the season. AJ Cajuste is hemmed up with an elbow injury. Myles Jenkins may not make the trip due to Covid.
Plus, Wisdom Gym is not the easiest place to play. Sure, Southern Utah beat the Texans in Stephenville last week. But, that doesn’t make it any easier.
Two teams that get after it defensively. And for all those who think there are a lot of whistles in the WAC this year, you probably don’t want to watch this one because there will be plenty of whistles and plenty of foul shots.
Purple vs. Purple. East Texas vs. West Texas. Should be fun
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Seattle U at CBU - 5 p.m. PT ESPN+
You want to talk about entertaining basketball game…then look no further that what is going to go down at Fowler Events Center in Riverside on Saturday.
Since the Lancers joined the Division I ranks, seven of the 12 matchups between CBU and Seattle U have resulted in a one-possession game or gone into overtime.
SEVEN!
In Seattle in January, it was Alex Schumacher’s buzzer-beater that gave the Redhawks a 48-46 win over the Lancers.
Since that time, CBU hasn’t lost a game. The Lancers routed both Tarleton and ACU at home two weeks ago. Last week, the Lancers beat UTRGV and SFA on the road.
Add in a win and season sweep over Southern Utah and the Lancers are rolling right now.
Dominique Daniels Jr. is making his presence felt. The Lethal Lefty averages just over 18 points per game for the Lancers and is in the conversation for Player of the Year.
The Redhawks are limping into Riverside just a bit after an overtime loss at GCU…it was the first loss to the Lopes in the regular season since Feb. 3, 2022.
Cam Tyson has been really good. Alex Schumacher is playing at an elite level and you have to keep an eye on John Christofilis.
This game may be won in the paint, though. Hunter Goodrick and Yvan Ouedraogo vs. Kobe Williamson and Brandton Chatfield. Matchup of the night. Keep an eye on it.
As Russell Crowe said: “ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED?!”
Tune into ESPN+ and you will certainly be entertained.
UTRGV at Southern Utah - 6:30 p.m. MT ESPN+
It might be do-or-die time for the UTRGV Vaqueros on Saturday. Sitting at 2-8 in WAC play, UTRGV is in danger of losing its grip on possibly qualifying for WAC Vegas. A loss at SUU would give the T-Birds a 2-game lead in the WAC standings.
Matt Figger’s crew is just simply banged up. Against Tarleton two weeks ago, the Vaqueros had just eight scholarship players. Against CBU last week, the Vaqueros were without Ahren Freeman (back) and Elijah Elliott (undisclosed). Both of those players returned on Thursday in the loss at Utah Tech.
But, it has been a long season..albeit a season of what ifs for the Vaqueros. There was the double digit lead at home vs. Tarleton that disappeared. The near upset of SFA in Edinburg. Going toe-to-toe with GCU. There was the overtime loss at ACU and the wild loss at Tarleton.
Simply put, UTRGV is like 5 minutes away from being 6-4 in WAC play and comfortably in the mix for WAC Vegas.
Southern Utah, on the other hand, put itself right in the mix for WAC Vegas last week with a pair of road wins at Tarleton and at ACU. But, on Thursday night, the T-Bird offense came out flat in Cedar City, trailed by 15 at one point and could never recover.
This is a game that could keep UTRGV in the hunt with a win. Or it could give SUU some cushion in its bid to get to WAC Vegas.
Two teams that like to score and have very dynamic guards. Should be an entertaining one to cap off the night.