2025-26 WAC Men's Basketball Release - Week 9

CONFERENCE PLAY SET TO BEGIN
Conference play in the final season of WAC basketball is set to begin on Dec. 29, with six of the conference’s seven teams in action. A total of nine WAC games are on the docket for the first full week of league play in 2025-26. Both California Baptist and Utah Valley closed the nonconference portion of the schedule with matching 10-3 (.769) records, with Tarleton State (9-4, .692), UT Arlington (8-4, .667), Abilene Christian (8-5, .615) and Utah Tech (7-7, .500) all at or above the .500 mark out of conference.

UVU PUSHES ITS ACTIVE WINNING STREAK TO FIVE
As the top ranked WAC team in the NCAA NET entering play on Dec. 29, Utah Valley will carry a five-game winning into a home showdown with preseason conference number one California Baptist in Orem. The Wolverines were a perfect 6-0 at home during the nonconference portion of their schedule, outscoring the opposition by an average of 93.0 points to 59.7 points per game in home contests. During the five-game winning streak for Utah Valley, the Wolverines have earned an average margin of victory of 21.4 points per game while shooting 52.1 percent from the floor. Jackson Holcombe has led the way for Utah Valley in his past five starts by scoring 15.4 points per game while pulling down 9.2 rebounds per contest, shooting 61.7 percent.

CBU PREPARING FOR UTAH VALLEY GAME WITH THREE CONSECUTIVE WINS
California Baptist, along with matching Utah Valley with a 10-3 nonconference record, has won three straight games entering the WAC opener on Dec. 29. The Lancers, the preseason favorite in the WAC entering the 2025-26 season, defeated Eastern Washington, Southern and Sacramento State to close the nonconference schedule. Preseason WAC Player of the Year Dominque Daniels Jr. averaged 25.0 points and 4.0 assists per game during the CBU winning streak, with Thomas Ndong adding a 9.0 points and 10.3 rebounds average over his past three starts.

TARLETON STATE HEATING UP WITH FOUR STRAIGHT WINS
Entering a key road matchup at UT Arlington on Dec. 29 to kick off conference play, Tarleton State strung together four wins in a row to cap nonconference games. Tarleton State transfer guard Dior Johnson was the leading scorer in the WAC during nonconference matchups, averaging 22.8 points per game and 64 made free throws over his first nine appearances in a Texans uniform. Johnson ranked third in the WAC with a 58.2 percent field goal percentage as of Dec. 27.

UTAH VALLEY REMAINED THE TOP WAC TEAM IN THE LATEST NCAA NET
As of the latest NCAA NET rankings that were posted on Dec. 23, Utah Valley remained in the top spot in the WAC by checking in ranked 56th in the metric. The Wolverines owned a combined five wins in the top three quadrants, including a win on the road at Quad 2 Bowling Green on Dec. 6.

THE WAC IN THE NCAA STATISTICAL RANKINGS
As of the latest NCAA Division I statistical rankings that were released on Dec. 23, Tarleton State climbed to first in turnovers forced per game with a 19.62 clip. The Texans were also fourth in steals per contest with 11.3 thefts per game as a team. UT Arlington also moved up to the top spot nationally in 3-point percentage defense against at 24.1 percent. Utah Valley moved up to sixth in assists per game at 20.5 and eighth in blocks per game 6.2. Individually, Utah Valley’s Trevan Leonhardt was sixth in total assists with 88 and was just outside of the top 10 in 11th with 6.8 assists per game.