MBB: Intriguing Matchups on Another Busy Day of WAC Hoops
Can anyone win on the road? How will some teams fare against new style of play? And much more.
Every Thursday and Saturday…for the rest of the season…until March 9 to be exact…there will be conference games. Five of them. It is a great time of year when the consistency of the schedules make life a little bit easier.
The second week of 2024 brings with it some intriguing conference matchups. Some of those will take place on Thursday. Some will take place on Saturday.
Depending on what happens Thursday night, we could see a battle of undefeated teams take place in the desert on Saturday.
Could a pair of teams that won a pair of home games last week fall flat on the road?
And how will a team with a bunch of youth handle a team full of experience that plays a different style of basketball?
See, these are great questions to think about as you read this preview.
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Now, let’s get to a busy slate of games.
Seattle U at UTRGV - 6:30 p.m. CT ESPN+
Last week at home, Seattle U found itself trailing in the first half in games against Utah Tech and California Baptist.
On Thursday, against the Trailblazers, it was John Christofilis that had the big night, scoring a game-high 32 points, most of which came in the second half of the 70-53 win.
On Saturday, it was Cam Tyson who led the charge in the Redhawks come-from-behind win. Seattle U outscored CBU, 28-15, after halftime and Alex Schumacher’s put back as time expired gave the Redhawks a 48-46 win.
At 3-1 in WAC play, things haven’t necessarily been pretty for Seattle U. Against CBU, the Redhawks trailed by as many as 15 points in the first half…twice. Against Utah Tech, the Redhawks got off to a slow start before taking control late in the first half.
Will it be more of the same on the road…a place where Seattle U has struggled this season? The Redhawks are 1-3 away from either the Redhawk Center or Climate Pledge Arena.
Thing is…the Redhawks are facing a UTRGV squad that struggles to win games. The Vaqueros went toe-to-toe with SFA on Thursday before late turnovers cost them an upset win. And on Saturday at ACU, the Vaqueros went toe-to-toe with Abilene Christian before falling in overtime.
That has been the story of the year for UTRGV. Keep things close but unable to finish things out. Sure, there was a pair of wins against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and Incarnate Word. But also losses to Chicago State and that same A&M-Corpus Christi squad in Edinburg.
How will UTRGV slow down either John Christofilis or Cam Tyson? And can Seattle U keep up with the tempo that UTRGV likes to play with?
UTRGV is looking for its first conference win. Seattle U is looking for its fourth straight WAC win.
Utah Valley at UT Arlington - 7 p.m. CT ESPN+
One team has lost five straight. The other team is not very good on the road at 1-5.
One team lost a pair of WAC games last week. The other won a pair of WAC games last week.
One team is banged up. The other team looks to be fully healthy.
However, on Thursday night at College Park Center, throw all of that out the window.
Honestly, this might be one of the best games of the night.
According to sources, Phillip Russell will not play on Thursday night. However, DaJuan Gordon will play for the Mavs.
On the other side of things, Utah Valley has been really bad on the road this season. Sure, the road games at Boise State, at Utah, and at Oregon State don’t help. And we are seeing how good Charlotte really is.
But, in the WAC, to be in the mix for a title, you have to win road games. And in the lone road game Utah Valley has played in the WAC, they got beat up pretty good at Utah Tech on Dec. 2.
So, how will the Wolverines fare on Thursday night? This is a game of contrasting styles. UT Arlington wants to play fast and shoot a lot of 3-pointers. Utah Valley hit just two 3-pointers combined in a pair of wins last week.
So, who gets the job done? Keep an eye on the battle between Shemar Wilson and Trevin Dorius. This will be key. UT Arlington isn’t deep in the paint so if Wilson gets in foul trouble, the Mavs could be in big trouble…pun intended.
Utah Valley loves to get in the paint area, and loves to get to the free throw line. Against CBU last Thursday, Utah Valley went nearly eight minutes in the second half without a field goal. However, the free throw line is where the Wolverines won the game. Utah Valley was 23-29 at the stripe.
Can the Mavs hit enough shots to snap a 5-game losing streak? Or will Utah Valley get an elusive road win?
This will be an entertaining ball game.
SFA at Utah Tech - 7 p.m. MT ESPN+
Two teams at two very different stages of the 2023-24 season go to battle on Thursday night in St. George.
SFA has won five straight. Utah Tech has lost eight of its last 10 after starting WAC play 2-0 with wins over Utah Valley and at CBU.
SFA won a pair of WAC games last week. Utah Tech lost a pair of WAC games last week despite leading in the first half in both.
SFA has experience and depth. Utah Tech has a pair of veterans to go along with a roster full of youth and inexperience.
Yes, you may be reading those paragraphs and thinking SFA will roll to a win Thursday night. But, let’s not discount Utah Tech just yet.
The Trailblazers beat Utah Valley on this same Burns Arena floor on Dec. 2. And the Trailblazers had league-leader GCU on the ropes for about 30 minutes or so on Saturday…leading by as many as 16 at one point.
Jon Judkins isn’t the all-time winningest collegiate coach in the state of Utah for no reason.
The other thing to keep an eye on is the physicality of the ball game. SFA likes to throw its weight around and get after people. Utah Tech is more of a finesse team. That could come into play, especially late in a ball game.
One other thing to watch is if Utah Tech can keep up with the pace that SFA wants to play at. The Jacks like to push tempo, get up and down the floor and take advantage of their quickness and athleticism. Utah Tech likes to slow it down a little more as they like to force feed big man Tanner Christensen.
Anything can happen at the Burns.
ACU at GCU - 7 p.m. MT ESPN
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Purple against purple. What could be better? For what it is worth, even though I am a Utah Valley guy, purple is my favorite color. When it is the school colors from elementary school all the way through high school, it tends to grow on you.
With that being said, I think there are going to be a ton of points scored at GCU Arena tonight.
ACU likes to push tempo and play extremely fast. It is part of their defensive culture where they believe playing fast can turn teams over at a higher rate. Plus, they want as many possessions as they can get in a ball game.
GCU has the guards to run with the Wildcats. Plus, the Lopes have the size. Add in that GCU is playing at home for the first time in 2024 and students are back on campus and you can see why this might turn into a barn burner.
The big question for ACU is: who will guard Tyon Grant-Foster? Could Manny Allen get the nod? Maybe Ali Dibba, although Dibba is more of an offensive threat than a defensive presence. Matchups are going to be interesting to watch in Phoenix.
GCU has a significant size advantage at all positions. With Ray Harrison, Collin Moore, Grant-Foster, Gabe McGlothan and Duke Brennan, that is a hard pill to stop if you are ACU.
Don’t underestimate Brette Tanner’s crew. But, keep in mind, they did get beat by 27 points and 10 points, respectively, in their last two trips to Phoenix. Also, GCU owns a 5-0 record in this series.
Tarleton at California Baptist - 7 p.m. PT ESPN+
Will Jakorie Smith be able to play tonight for the Texans? That is a huge question lingering for acting head coach Joseph Jones and the Texans.
Smith was seen in a boot at the end of the UT Arlington game on Thursday. Luckily, the Texans have had a week off for Smith to get rested.
If Smith plays, Tarleton could create even more chaos in Riverside. If Smith doesn’t play, well, the Texans could still create chaos but it might not be as exaggerated.
Tarleton is 3-0 in WAC play with wins at SFA, over UTRGV and over UT Arlington. CBU comes in at 1-3 with its lone win at Southern Utah back in December.
Tarleton has won eight of its last 10 games…all with Joseph Jones acting as head coach.
CBU is 4-6 in its last 10 and has lost three straight after beating Chicago State on Dec. 27.
So, there are two things I am watching on Thursday night in Riverside.
First - can the CBU offense get going? In two games last week at Utah Valley and at Seattle U, the Lancers did not score 60 points in either contest. CBU scored 58 in the loss in Orem and 46 in the loss at the Redhawk Center.
That will not get the job done. CBU is too talented to not score at least 60 points night in and night out.
Second - How will CBU handle Tarleton’s pressure defense? We all know the story of the Texans. The guards get after you on the perimeter. They like to play bully ball. And they can get under your skin as an opponent.
Keep an eye on the foul trouble. CBU has more depth in the paint with Yvan Oudraogo, Hunter Goodrick and Kendal Coleman. So, can those three get Tarleton big man Kiandre Gaddy in foul trouble? That will be something to watch in Riverside.
One team can snap a two-game losing streak in WAC play. The other can set the stage for a battle of unbeaten teams on Saturday with a win.
Should be a fun one to end a busy day of WAC Hoops.
Still unhappy with resume seeding. Hear most recent Partin Me Alex
as I agree with them. Why does the WAC do this for teams competing to only play against each other in the WAC tournament? The conference records should be enough.