Texas Border Business
RIO GRANDE VALLEY – 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 third in both the coaches’ and media preseason polls during the upcoming 2020-21 season.
Additionally, senior guard Javon Levi is part of both the coaches’ and media Preseason All-WAC First Teams.
This is the highest UTRGV has ever been picked in the preseason polls after previously getting picked fourth in both polls last year. UTRGV has outperformed the preseason polls three years in a row, including finishing a program best third last year 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. UTRGV has improved its final standing by one spot each of the last two years after making a two-spot jump in 2017-18.
UTRGV was picked behind only three-time defending WAC Champion New Mexico State, which was picked first in both polls, and Grand Canyon, which was picked second in both polls after tying for fifth last year. UTRGV was picked ahead of California Baptist, which finished second last year but came in fourth in both polls.
The two-time reigning WAC Defensive Player of the Year and a two-time Lefty Driesell Defensive All-American, Levi is coming off of a season in which, despite missing five games, he ranked second in the NCAA in assists per game (7.96), 11th in steals per game (2.4), 12th in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.93), 13th in total assists (199), and 34th in total steals (60), leading the WAC in each category. He also averaged 11.4 points and 3.3 rebounds per game. Levi led UTRGV in assists 23 times, scoring twice and rebounding five times. He reached double-figures in scoring 15 times, including two games of 20+ points, and assists nine times en route to four double-doubles.
During WAC play, Levi averaged 12.4 points, 2.8 rebounds, 7.9 assists and 1.9 steals in 15 games. He ranked 14thin the conference in scoring, first in assists and second in steals while sporting a WAC-best 2.7 assist-to-turnover ratio
For his career, Levi ranks second in program history in total steals (204) and fourth in total assists (524). He ranks 16th in WAC history and second among teams still in the WAC in total assists and 11th in WAC history and third among teams still in the WAC in total steals.
| WAC Preseason Coaches’ Poll | WAC Preseason Media Poll | |||||
| Rank | Team (First Place Votes) | Points | Rank | Team (First Place Votes) | Points | |
| 1. | New Mexico State (8) | 64 | 1. | New Mexico State (10) | 150 | |
| 2. | Grand Canyon (1) | 52 | 2. | Grand Canyon | 125 | |
| 3. | UTRGV | 45 | 3. | UTRGV | 114 | |
| 4. | California Baptist | 43 | 4. | California Baptist (2) | 105 | |
| 5. | Seattle U | 33 | 5. | Seattle U | 84 | |
| 6. | Tarleton State | 31 | 6. | Utah Valley | 74 | |
| 7. | Utah Valley | 28 | 7. | Dixie State | 49 | |
| 8. | Dixie State | 20 | 8. | Tarleton State | 46 | |
| 9. | Chicago State | 8 | 9. | Chicago State | 18 |
| Coaches’ Preseason All-WAC First Team | Media Preseason All-WAC First Team | |||
| Name | Team | Name | Team | |
| Alessandro Lever | Grand Canyon | Jovan Blacksher | Grand Canyon | |
| Javon Levi | UTRGV | Alessandro Lever | Grand Canyon | |
| Johnny McCants | New Mexico State | Javon Levi | UTRGV | |
| Jabari Rice* | New Mexico State | Johnny McCants | New Mexico State | |
| Donnie Tillman | New Mexico State | Jabari Rice* | New Mexico State | |
| *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 | |
| Jovan Blacksher | Grand Canyon | Evan Cole | Utah Valley | |
| Oscar Frayer | Grand Canyon | Gorjok Gak | California Baptist | |
| Riley Grigsby | Seattle U | Evan Gilyard | New Mexico State | |
| Evan Gilyard | New Mexico State | Hunter Schofield | Dixie State | |
| Hunter Schofield | Dixie State | Donnie Tillman | New Mexico State |
