Six Things I'm Grateful For Heading Into the New Year
Fans, followers, engagement, and so much more to be grateful for heading into 2025.
It is Saturday night, December 28, 2024.
I just had the pleasure of hanging with some friends and neighbors to watch BYU throttle Colorado in the Valero Alamo Bowl.
Yes, I must apologize to GCU and CBU fans for not watching either team tonight. Perhaps it was a good thing I didn’t watch as both teams were able to pick up wins in their final games of 2024.
Either way, it is crazy to think we are just three days away from the calendar flipping over to 2026.
It’s been kind of a crazy 2024.
GCU finally won its first-ever outright WAC regular season title.
Tarleton won 25 games under an acting head coach.
SFA and UTRGV are no longer in the WAC. GCU got its first-ever win in the NCAA Tournament.
The CBU women won another outright regular season title and another WAC tournament.
Fortunately, this title run led to a trip to the NCAA Tournament.
Both Seattle U and GCU are leaving the WAC in 2025. At first, both schools were heading to the West Coast Conference. But, GCU flipped the switch and will now join the Mountain West Conference.
It’s been quite the year.
Although I could list much more than five things I am grateful for as another year comes to a close, here are six things that stick out for me.
I Am Grateful for Derryl!
If you are not following Derryl Trujillo on the X platform, please go do so now after reading this. His handle is @derryl_golfer. Go follow him now.
As you know, we cover men’s and women’s basketball in the Western Athletic Conference.
However, technically speaking, Derryl is the big catalyst behind the coverage of women’s basketball. I stay in the loop, and follow along, even watch games, or travel to women’s games, too. But Derryl is on top of it all. And without him, WAC Hoops Nation wouldn’t be covering as much of women’s basketball as it does.
From tweets on game day, to other useful information, and even a podcast episode on his own here and now, Derryl has been a mainstay with the content, even though sometimes a coach gives us grief for some of the information or opinions we put out there. Yes, looking at you Leonard Bishop.
Here is the kicker…we don’t make much money with what we do. Some people have a paying subscription to the newsletter, and we appreciate that. But, we don’t put our content behind a paywall. We don’t have much by way of ads, or promotional stuff. We try but it is such a niche following that the likelihood of making enough to make a living off the coverage is slim to none.
So, Derryl does all this work, puts out all this content, for literally nothing. And while I hate saying that I can’t pay him because we don’t make any money, I truly value his friendship, his loyalty, and his passion for this league.
Without him, WAC Hoops Nation may not have grown as much as it has over the past five years.
Here is a clip of CBU head coach Jarrod Olson giving Derryl and I credit for the coverage we provide for women’s basketball.
I Am Grateful for All of You!
It is pretty cliché but it is the absolute truth.
Sure, there are plenty of times I disagree with responses that come my way. It’s hard not to disagree at times.
But, the best part is, while there may be disagreements or difference of opinions, it is respectful (most of the time) and the interaction doesn’t go off the rails like we see on a daily basis on the X platform.
The questions during the live streams, fans reaching out with questions about this team or that player, tagging WAC Hoops Nation when something newsworthy pops up…I appreciate it so much.
You have put your trust in us to provide news, insights, and sometimes a click-bait worthy tweet. I mean GCU vs. New Mexico State is a rivalry…Am I right?
When teams leave the WAC as they have in the past two years, it hurts my heart.
Hanging out with Alex and Jaclyn of the Partin Me Alex Podcast at WAC Vegas, going to South Padre Island on a cold, blistery day during a visit to Edinburg, or having my first cameo on ESPN+ during a UTRGV women’s basketball game courtesy of my friend Jonah Goldberg are things I miss dearly.
But, I am grateful that even though I may not cover SFA, Sam Houston, UTRGV, or New Mexico State anymore, fans and friends still follow WAC Hoops Nation.
I appreciate you all so much, and I am truly grateful for the trust you put in us.
I Am Grateful for the SID’s!
You often see a tweet talking about the importance of the sports information directors at each institution. And I want to like those tweets as much as possible.
Without these wonderful people, covering the WAC would be extremely difficult. What I appreciate the most is the fact that when something I post is incorrect or needs to be updated, the SID’s don’t publicly belittle me or attack me on social media. They send a simple text or call me directly to let me know a bit of information that was incorrect, and then provide the correct information.
It is all about respect.
Along those lines, the welcoming mentality when I reach out to let them know I am coming to town for a game is amazing.
From suggesting places to eat, to setting up tours of campus, and so much more. Like I mentioned above, Jonah Goldberg had me jump on the halftime show on ESPN+ of the UTRGV women’s game last January in Edinburg. Here is the clip of my cameo on ESPN+.
I know the SID’s around the WAC appreciate the coverage we provide, but I want to let them know I appreciate their hospitality, and access to cover their teams.
I Am Grateful for the Broadcasters!
You might think this is strange, but stick with me so you’ll better understand.
Two years ago, I went to ACU for the first time for the UT Arlington at ACU ball game. The Voice of the Wildcats Grant Boone wasn’t there as he had to broadcast a PGA event. But, even though he wasn’t there, he had someone deliver a box of a dozen cookies from Dirty Dough Cookies, I believe. He can correct me if I am wrong.
But, the gesture just made me feel like Grant knew, and appreciated how much I loved covering this conference.
A year later, following ACU’s win over UTEP, Grant and I went out to eat at Lytle Land & Cattle Company. It was fantastic. I highly recommend it.
But, that is how it has been with the broadcasters throughout the WAC since I started WAC Hoops Digest/Nation in 2019.
Former Voice of the Lancers Braiden Bell had me on his broadcast multiple times, and we even went to the WCC title game together along with SUU broadcaster Spencer McLaughlin.
Adam Young at New Mexico State and I went to breakfast ahead of the CBU-New Mexico State game last December in Las Cruces and talked quite a bit about hoops and life.
The Voice of the Wolverines Jimmy McCulloch and I talk quite a bit and not just about the Wolverines.
Josh Sours is waiting for me to come back to UT Arlington this season so he can get a picture of me in a cowboy hat.
Rod Zundel, Devin Dixon, Kyle Crews, Michael Potter, Russell Brown…all of the broadcasters who welcome me to their gyms and sometimes their broadcasts…I appreciate all of you.
Even ones who left the WAC, namely Carlos Zimmerman, Jack Nixon, and Rob Meyers were all part of this growth, as well.
So, thank you Broadcasters! I am grateful for all of you!
I Am Grateful for Valued Friendships!
Two years ago, right after Thanksgiving, my dad and I drove down to Las Vegas to cover New Mexico State at an MTE at Orleans Arena. I got to introduce my dad to Adam Young, who was filling in for Jack Nixon.
But, after the Aggies beat San Diego, as we got up to leave, the New Mexico State faithful yelled ‘Hi Kyle’ from across the arena as they were getting up to leave.
It brought a huge smile to my face as I waved back. And it’s something I get whenever I travel to schools around the WAC.
From Jeff Knight at ACU coming down to talk to me pre-game before the UTEP game last season, to Caleb Duarte at GCU allowing me to sit courtside with him during GCU’s win over CBU two years ago. It is truly a blessing to have these valued friendships continue to blossom over the years.
Bill Harty and I have become good friends since standing on press row at the 2020 WAC Tournament, and being told the tournament was cancelled due to COVID. Spending time last December with Bill at the Sun Bowl and talking late into the evening after the New Mexico State-CBU game is something I value very much.
Going to dinner in Natchitoches with my good friends Alex and Jaclyn before SFA played at Northwestern State last season, or taking an Uber to a bar late in Vegas after the final game of the night at the WAC Tournament, and teaching Hunter Overholt a new word. Priceless.
The banter between media members around the WAC is priceless. Austin Montgomery, who writes a bit for Mid-Major Madness, and I have a great time on press row during the WAC Tournament.
I am grateful for you all and hope we can continue building these valued friendships.
I Am Grateful for the Coaching Staffs!
Back on November 9, I was in St. George, Utah when New Mexico State was in town to take on Utah Tech. I got in late Friday night because Saturday, I was invited to go to the Aggies shootaround, but I also had a hat I had to drop off to Utah Tech head coach Jon Judkins.
Crazy thing is the Utah Tech women were getting ready to go practice and head coach JD Gustin let me in the Burns Arena. I like JD Gustin. Two years ago in my first trip to Nacogdoches, Gustin’s Trailblazers had just gotten beat by the Ladyjacks, and Gustin was sitting in the conference room of the Fredonia Hotel. Well, I was on my way out because I was heading over to Huntsville and decided to drop in. We talked for the next 45 minutes or so until his team was ready to leave. Life, sports, basketball. It was awesome.
But back to that November 9 ball game. When New Mexico State head coach Jason Hooten saw me before shoot around, he gave me a big hug. Later that night, sitting at the table courtside covering the game, Hooten, knowing I play old man slowpitch softball, asked me if I ever had to take a shit in the middle of game. I responded that I have been there and felt that before. His response was that was exactly how he felt at that moment, that he was going to shit his pants and there were still about eight minutes to play.
I tell you this story because while I have to report on things around the WAC, or you expect me to be a journalist, I am also a person, and relationships are a priceless thing to me.
From Brette Tanner taking 45 minutes after a shootaround to shoot the breeze with me, to Rob Jeter and his staff taking me to dinner after a win over Omaha…these relationships are something I am truly grateful for
When a staff knows I am coming to their school, they are welcoming with open arms.
And the best part is…even if they are no longer in the WAC, or have moved onto a different job, I still get random texts about tweets I put out, or I can send a random text about something to start a conversation about the topic.
These are valued relationships and I am truly grateful for every one of them.