It’s no secret that out of all 32 NCAA Division-I conferences, the Western Athletic Conference is one that has been hit the hardest by the conference realignment carousel. One thing is for sure: in the conference’s 64-year history, the WAC has certainly remained resilient throughout.
Losing their last charter members to the Mountain West in 1999, ceasing to sponsor FBS football in 2012, and its last-ditch attempt to create a formidable mid-major basketball conference that also happened to sponsor FCS football ultimately flamed out with a slow mass exodus of schools looking for more stable pastures and memberships in the coveted FBS level.
It was an uncertain way to kick off the 2020s, but looking back, change has been the name of the game in the WAC since its inception. Now, what’s left of the conference is giving it one last hurrah before being disbanded, realigned and rebranded come July.
For a longtime the WAC has been extremely top heavy. After the exodus of the FBS Football schools in 2013, only six different schools, out of a possible membership of eighteen different teams have brought a conference title home.
The championship spread is as follows:
New Mexico State: 6 Regular Season Championships, 6 Conference Tournament Titles
Grand Canyon: 2 Regular Season Championships, 4 Conference Tournament Titles
Utah Valley: 4 Regular Season Championships, 0 Conference Tournament Titles
Cal State Bakersfield: 1 Regular Season Championship, 1 Conference Tournament Title
Seattle: 1 Regular Season Championship, 0 Conference Tournament Titles
Stephen F. Austin: 1 Regular Season Championship, 0 Conference Tournament Titles
With Grand Canyon’s departure to the Mountain West this past summer, only one former championship program remained, Utah Valley.
The Preseason Poll appears to be holding true as we approach the end of February. Back in October the predicted order of finish was as follows:
The only real distinction may be Abilene Christian and Utah Tech swapping places in the standings. So, who are the contenders in the WAC’s final men’s basketball iteration? I’d say it’s currently a three-team title race, with one dark horse candidate in fourth, with enough games to still win it all.
Utah Valley has become a smaller carbon copy of the Utah State gig a few hours up the I-15. Coaches win in Orem; it may take a season or two, but Wolverine fans are becoming accustomed to hanging up banners inside the UCCU Center. Even as the University remains embroiled in a public legal battle against the WAC, its teams continue to challenge for championships.
Through non-conference play, the Wolverines went 10-3, with solid wins over Big West title contenders UC Irvine and UC Santa Barbara. Todd Phillips logged his second straight 20-win season last week. Currently sitting atop the conference standings with a 20-7, 10-4 record.-
The Wolverines have been led by Jackson Holcombe, who boasts a Swiss army knife stat line of 15.7 PPG, 7.3 RPG, 3.7 APG, a league-leading 2.4 SPG, and 1.3 BPG in just 29.1 MPG. The 6-7, 215 guard returned to Utah Valley after being a primary option off the bench for Coach Phillips last season. He’s blossomed into one of the most impactful players in the conference.
Four other Wolverines average double-digits, including sniper Tyler Hendricks (45.8% from deep on 4.9 attempts a game) and floor general Trevan Leonhardt, who averages a league-leading 6.0 APG. Utah Valley is a program anchored in top-quality defense, currently a borderline top 50 team per KenPom.
And with a lineup featuring players with high major size, length and athleticism throughout. It’s easy to see why Utah Valley sits atop the conference yet again. The only team out of the four in contention to have earned WAC hardware since their arrival to the conference thirteen seasons ago. They have four games to go on their schedule, split in half between home and away games. Not the easiest route to their 5th and final WAC championship, but what a way to go out before the program departs for the Big West this summer.
The Trailblazers may be one of the more pleasant surprises of the season so far. Longtime Head Coach Jon Judkins is enroute to posting Utah Tech’s first ever finish above .500 in their short Division I history.
Utah Tech stumbled its way through non-conference play with a 7-7 record to show for it. But with important experience, having played three high-majors on the road and losing three games by single digits. It may have taken them some time to gel together as a unit, but the patience has paid off. Currently sitting in second, behind only .5 games with a record of 17-12 and 10-5 in WAC play.
Coach Judkins managed to retain his top freshmen talent from last season and built a title contender around them. Adding three future starters in Ethan Potter (Utah Valley), Noah Bolanga (St. Bonaventure) and Jusaun Holt (Kennesaw State) via the Portal. Along with one via local Juco Snow College in Chance Trujillo.
The Trailblazers have already played 15 conference games and have only three left on their schedule. With two being comfortably at home inside Burns Arena. Where Utah Tech is 10-2 this season, building their fortress in St. George one game at a time.
Rick Croy’s group enjoyed a fruitful non-conference slate, with notable wins over UC Irvine, which itself is in a battle for the Big West’s title and Oregon State. They also took on three of the top teams in the Big 12, coming up short each time, but only by a margin of 7.0 PPG against the Buffaloes and Utes. While Top-25-ranked BYU was a different story entirely.
The Lancers started conference play with a three-game losing streak. Falling on the road to Utah Valley, UT Arlington and Tarleton State, all in a week’s time. Since they’ve enjoyed the spoils of an eight-game winning streak, mostly at home. They currently boast a 19-8, 9-5 record, good enough for third in the conference.
California Baptist hasn’t been immune to the injury bug, but has kept their stars relatively healthy (only one player has played in all twenty-seven games). This has helped fuel their run in WAC play thus far. Led by Preseason WAC Player of the Year Dominique Daniels Jr. and his league leading 22.0 PPG. The under six-foot scoring guard continues to be one of the toughest defensive assignments in the conference, supported in the scoring column by Martel Williams and his 13.3 PPG.
The Lancers also embrace a defense-first philosophy. Then they rely on their dynamic scoring duo to bridge the gap when necessary. Coach Croy’s group has three of its final four games to be played at home in the Dale E. and Sarah Ann Fowler Events Center. California Baptist is currently undefeated this season, with a 12-0 record at home. Do they have the easiest path to a regular-season title? It certainly isn’t the toughest.
The dark horse candidate still technically in the running for their first WAC title are KT Turner’s Mavericks. UT Arlington would have to win three straight to pull this off, and everyone currently in front of them in the standings would have to lose the rest of their games for them to earn a share of the title, but hey, anything’s possible, right?
Coach Turner’s group began WAC play with a hot hand, going 4-1 in their first five games. But have since struggled, including a five-game losing streak to kick off the month of February. Like others listed above, UT Arlington pride themselves on stellar defense (ranked 60th nationally per KenPom) but has struggled to put the ball in the basket.
Entering conference play, they were 8-4. Led by preseason all-conference selection Raysean Seamster and Northern Colorado transfer Marcell McCreary. The Mavericks welcomed an impressive recruiting class, but like others have fallen victim to the parity in the WAC this season. Coach Turner can certainly help get these guys to their first WAC title, but they head on the road to Stephenville and Abilene to end the regular season. Not the easiest way to finish the season.
The final standings could look different in a few weeks. But, the numbers favor Utah Valley as regular-season champions. Would fans love to see the Trailblazers, Lancers, or Mavericks earn their first-ever and last possible piece of WAC hardware? Of course, but remember, there’s always the last WAC Tournament title if the Wolverines happen to beat everyone to the finish line.
Larry Muniz is a Mountain West Basketball beat writer for Couch Potato Sports along with West Coast mid-major coverage at Mid-Major Madness.
