Texas Border Business
RIO GRANDE VALLEY, Texas – The Western Athletic Conference (WAC) announced on Tuesday that The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) men’s basketball team has been picked to finish tied for ninth in the coaches and 11th in the media preseason polls during the upcoming 2021-22 season.
UTRGV has outperformed the preseason polls in three of the last four years, including finishing a program best third in 2019-20 by going 9-7 in WAC play. UTRGV outperformed the 2018-19 poll by two spots, finishing fourth, after outperforming the 2017-18 poll by one spot, finishing fifth.
In the coaches poll, UTRGV earned 48 points, the same number as Tarleton, and seven points more than Lamar, which was picked 11th. Dixie State (35 points) and Chicago State (12 points) rounded out the poll.
New Mexico State was picked to win the WAC Championship with eight first place votes and 138 points after finishing last season but winning the previous three WAC Championships. Defending WAC Co-Champion Grand Canyon, which is also the reigning WAC Tournament Champion, received three first place votes and 131 points to place second. WAC newcomer Stephen F. Austin received one first place vote and was picked third with 106 points after finishing fourth in the Southland with a 12-3 record last season. Defending WAC Co-Champion Utah Valley was picked fourth with 103 points while Abilene Christian, which won the Southland Conference Tournament and upset Texas in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, received the remaining first place vote while getting picked fifth with 92 points. Seattle U, which features Preseason WAC Player of the Year Darrion Trammel, was picked sixth with 90 points. Newcomer Sam Houston, which went 13-3 in the Southland last season, was picked seventh with 86 points. California Baptist was picked eight with 84 points.
In the media poll, UTRGV was picked to finish 11th, ahead of Dixie State and Chicago State. New Mexico State was picked to win the WAC, followed by Stephen F. Austin, Grand Canyon, Abilene Christian, Utah Valley, California Baptist, Sam Houston, Seattle U, Tarleton, and Lamar.
| WAC Preseason Coaches’ Poll | WAC Preseason Media Poll | |||||
| Rank | Team (First Place Votes) | Points | Rank | Team | ||
| 1. | New Mexico State (8) | 138 | 1. | New Mexico State | ||
| 2. | Grand Canyon (3) | 131 | 2. | Stephen F. Austin | ||
| 3. | Stephen F. Austin (1) | 106 | 3. | Grand Canyon | ||
| 4. | Utah Valley | 103 | 4. | Abilene Christian | ||
| 5. | Abilene Christian (1) | 92 | 5. | Utah Valley | ||
| 6. | Seattle U | 90 | 6. | California Baptist | ||
| 7. | Sam Houston | 86 | 7. | Sam Houston | ||
| 8. | California Baptist | 84 | 8. | Seattle U | ||
| T-9. | UTRGV | 48 | 9. | Tarleton | ||
| T-9. | Tarleton | 48 | 10. | Lamar | ||
| 11. | Lamar | 41 | 11. | UTRGV | ||
| 12. | Dixie State | 35 | 12. | Dixie State | ||
| 13. | Chicago State | 12 | 13. | Chicago State |
| Coaches’ Preseason All-WAC First Team | Media Preseason All-WAC First Team | |||
| Name | Team | Name | Team | |
| Fardaws Aimaq | Utah Valley | Fardaws Aimaq* | Utah Valley | |
| Teddy Allen | New Mexico State | Jovan Blacksher Jr. | Grand Canyon | |
| Jovan Blacksher Jr. | Grand Canyon | Montre´ Gipson | Tarleton | |
| Riley Grigsby | Seattle U | Gavin Kensmil | Stephen F. Austin | |
| Gavin Kensmil | Stephen F. Austin | DeMarkus Lampley | Sam Houston | |
| Jabari Rice | New Mexico State | Jabari Rice | New Mexico State | |
| Ty Rowell | California Baptist | Ty Rowell | California Baptist | |
| Darrion Trammel* | Seattle U | Darrion Trammel | Seattle U | |
| *Preseason Player of the Year | *Preseason Player of the Year | |||
| Coaches’ Preseason All-WAC Second Team | Media Preseason All-WAC Second Team | |||
| Name | Team | Name | Team | |
| Damien Daniels | Abilene Christian | Teddy Allen | New Mexico State | |
| Savion Flagg | Sam Houston | Johnny McCants | New Mexico State | |
| Montre´ Gipson | Tarleton | Coryon Mason | Abilene Christian | |
| DeMarkus Lampley | Sam Houston | Reggie Miller | Abilene Christian | |
| Johnny McCants | New Mexico State | Reed Nottage | California Baptist | |
| Donnie Tillman | New Mexico State | Roti Ware | Stephen F. Austin | |
| Roti Ware | Stephen F. Austin | Trey Woodbury Jr. | Utah Valley | |
| Trey Woodbury Jr. | Utah Valley | Holland Woods II | Grand Canyon |
