ARLINGTON, Texas – Grand Canyon returned to the top spot of the preseason Western Athletic Conference (WAC) Men’s Basketball Coaches Poll for the second straight season. All 11 WAC head coaches cast votes for the preseason predicted order of finish and all-conference awards that were released on Monday.
Grand Canyon, the defending WAC Men’s Basketball Tournament champion, claimed nine first-place votes and 99 voting points to finish ahead of Stephen F. Austin, who secured the final two first-place votes and 87 voting points in the preseason coaches poll. Seattle U (86 voting points), Utah Valley (61 voting points) and Abilene Christian (60 voting points) rounded out the top five teams in the preseason rankings.
GCU junior guard
Ray Harrison was named the 2023-24 WAC Preseason Player of the Year by the coaches after landing on the all-conference first team as a sophomore transfer last season. Harrison averaged 21.1 points and 3.6 assists per game in 17 conference starts for the Lopes in 2022-23, guiding GCU to a WAC Tournament title as the championship’s Most Outstanding Player (20.0 PPG, 5.5 APG in four tournament starts).
Harrison was joined on the 2023-24 preseason all-conference team by GCU redshirt senior forward
Gabe McGlothan (12.8 PPG, 7.5 RPG in conference play in 2022-23), Seattle U redshirt senior guard
Cameron Tyson (17.0 PPG, .851 FT% in conference play in 2022-23), Stephen F. Austin junior forward
Sadaidriene Hall (12.8 PPG 7.0 RPG in conference play in 2022-23) and Utah Valley junior guard
Drake Allen (12.3 PPG, 4.2 APG in conference play with Southern Utah in 2022-23).
2023-24 WAC MEN’S BASKETBALL PRESEASON HONORS
2023-24 WAC Men’s Basketball Preseason Coaches Poll
| Rank |
Team (1st-Place Votes) |
Points |
| 1. |
Grand Canyon (9) |
99 |
| 2. |
Stephen F. Austin (2) |
87 |
| 3. |
Seattle U |
86 |
| 4. |
Utah Valley |
61 |
| 5. |
Abilene Christian |
60 |
| 6. |
Tarleton State |
49 |
| 7. |
California Baptist |
47 |
| 8. |
UT Arlington |
43 |
| 9. |
Southern Utah |
26 |
|
UTRGV |
26 |
| 11. |
Utah Tech |
21 |
2023-24 WAC Preseason Player of the Year: Ray Harrison, Jr., G, Grand Canyon
2023-24 Preseason All-WAC Team
Ray Harrison, Jr., G, Grand Canyon
Gabe McGlothan, R-Sr., F, Grand Canyon
Cameron Tyson, R-Sr., G, Seattle U
Sadaidriene Hall, Jr., F, Stephen F. Austin
Drake Allen, Jr., G, Utah Valley
- WAC -