Please Keep Seattle U, Utah Valley Together in the WAC
Please Keep Seattle U, Utah Valley Together in the WAC
Three years ago, at the Redhawk Center, in front of an audience of about 10, Utah Valley and Seattle U played a thriller.
Trey Woodbury hit a 3-pointer from the top of the key to give the Wolverines a 93-92 lead with just over three seconds remaining.
However, when Aaron Nettles didn’t drive the length of the floor to possibly hit the game-winning shot, then-head coach Jim Hayford was beside himself.
The Wolverines walked out of the Redhawk Center that night with a 93-92 win. And then Covid struck the Redhawk program, cancelling the second game of the series in 2021.
Woodbury’s heroics came one year after Seattle U stunned Utah Valley at the UCCU Center. Morgan Means went coast-to-coast with three seconds remaining to send the Redhawks back to the Pacific Northwest with an 87-85 win.
On Wednesday night, at the UCCU Center, the Redhawks and Wolverines met once again…with the series tied at 13…in a place where the Redhawks have won two of the last three.
Seattle U came in with a lot of similar faces. However, the Redhawks were missing arguably the most notable player to play in the series as Riley Grigsby ran out of eligibility after the 2022-23 season. Grigsby, if you remember, said the bank was open when he banked in a 3-pointer to seal Seattle U’s 85-60 win in Orem in January.
It was the only loss at the UCCU Center for the 28-win Wolverines.
In another instant thriller, a Seattle U-Utah Valley men’s basketball game came down to the final four or five possessions and it happened to be the smallest player on the floor making the biggest play in the biggest moment.
Leading by three with 26 seconds to play, 5-10 guard Jaden McClanahan made the play of the night. The steal, the foul and five free throws later…ball game.
“Something told me to just shoot that gap,” McClanahan said. “And I got my hand in the passing lane. And it worked out in my favor.”
And 5-10 might be generous for the senior guard out of Vallejo, California whose brother plays at Hawaii.
If we’re being honest, following the steal, McClanahan hit one of two free throws…yes, McClanahan missed the lone free throw for the Wolverines down the stretch in one of the biggest moments of the ball game.
“I made one out of two,” McClanahan said with a smirk.
Off the missed free throw, Trevin Dorius came down with an offensive board, his fourth of the game, and the Wolverines sealed the win at the charity stripe.
Since 2019-20, Utah Valley has won four games in the series and Seattle U has won four games in the series. Two of those wins for each team have come on the road.
There have been two buzzer-beaters. And multiple one-possession games late that decided the outcome.
It is an underrated rivalry. Two teams who have recently won WAC regular season championships. Two teams that haven’t been to the NCAA Tournament in a long time…in Utah Valley’s case, never.
In 2022-23, the teams combined for 48 wins. In 2021-22, it was 43 games.
With all the talk of realignment, you never know what will happen. Traditional rivalries are now a thing of the past. Just look at the Pac-12 and how the Apple Cup, the Civil War, and so forth won’t be the same.
If it is at all possible to keep Seattle U and Utah Valley together, it should be done.
Over the years, this has turned into one of the better rivalries that nobody talks about in college basketball.
Don’t take that away from the fans or the players.