Home College Basketball WAC College Basketball Preview and Predictions

    WAC College Basketball Preview and Predictions

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    WAC College Basketball Preview and Predictions
    Mar 24, 2024; Spokane, WA, USA; Grand Canyon Antelopes guard Tyon Grant-Foster (7) celebrates play in the first half against the Alabama Crimson Tide at Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

    WAC

    The conference was controlled by Grand Canyon last season, which won a franchise record 30 games. The Antelopes’ 79.1 points per game was 3.2 points per game more than in any of their other 10 seasons at the Division I level. They also return Tyon Grant-Foster, who led the way with 20.1 points, 6.1 rebounds, 1.7 steals, and 1.5 blocks per game last season.

    The WAC is down to nine members with UT Rio Grande Valley and Stephen F Austin both leaving for the Southland. The remaining teams in the conference are poor when it comes to 3-point shooting, with UT Arlington, which was 96th in 3-point shooting percentage, being the lone team in the conference that was in the top 146 in 3-point shooting percentage last season.

    A clean bill of health might be all Cal Baptist needs to ascend, as its had an 11-8 record with Dominique Daniels in the lineup. He led the team with 19.2 points and 2.9 assists per game on 36.3% 3-point shooting, but the team was 5-9 without him.

    Most teams in the conference look to generate a bunch of turnovers with Abilene Christian chief among that, as the team was 31st in turnovers forced per possession on defense —which was actually the program’s worst mark since the 2015-16 season.

    Free throw shooting is magnified in this conference, as every team in the WAC ranked 199th or worse in fouls committed on a per play basis on defense. Utah Tech will desperately look to improve on ranking 354th in free throw shooting percentage at 63.7%

    After ranking 360th in home 3-point shooting percentage and 352nd in overall 3-point shooting percentage, Utah Valley looks to a turned over roster with three of last season’s top four scorers gone. The offense will look to take better advantage of the fact that its defense has been in the top 37 in points allowed on a per possession basis each of the past three seasons.

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    Greg, originally from Wisconsin and a UW Oshkosh alumnus, is widely recognized in the sports media industry, particularly for his expertise in college basketball, which earned him the nickname "Hoops" from Brent Musburger. He has worked with Vanderbilt and Oregon's flagship stations and joined VSIN in 2017. Greg contributes to various channels, hosting "The Baseball Betting Show" and "Coast To Coast Hoops" podcasts, and writes for DK Nation, building on his experience with over 500 articles for the New York Post. Known for his analytical approach, he produces daily spreadsheets for college basketball and MLB games, focusing on educating bettors about the importance of betting on numbers rather than teams.