WAC Tournament 2023: Bracket, schedule, scores, groups, seeding format, and extra

The Big Sky Tournament is about to get underway this week at Michelob ULTRA Arena and Orleans Arena in Las Vegas, with the winner punching their automated bid to the 2023 males’s NCAA event. The WAC is prone to be a one-bid league this yr, which implies the complete season comes all the way down to the convention event.

There is, nicely, rather a lot to speak about on the subject of the WAC this season. New Mexico State, one of many preseason favorites within the convention, suspended their season after a lot of off-court incidents. Forward Mike Peake was allegedly concerned in a capturing in November the place he was lured onto the campus of the University of New Mexico and after being shot at, returned hearth. Brandon Travis, a 19-year previous and one of many people who allegedly lured Peake to the campus, died following the incident.

NMSU then suspended their season in February after allegations of hazing on the workforce surfaced. Head coach Greg Heiar was fired days later.

Utah Valley completed the season with the most effective convention file, at 15-3 (24-7 general) however they would be the No. 2 seed within the event this week. Instead it’s Sam Houston, with their 14-4 convention file (24-6 general) that enters the event as the highest seed. Why? Because the WAC altered how they construction the seeding for the convention event.

Instead of utilizing convention file, the convention is utilizing a “resume seeding system,” Developed in conjunction with Ken Pomeroy, the WAC is utilizing a components to have a look at a workforce’s complete resume, together with the energy of their opponents. Losses in opposition to robust groups usually are not judged as harshly as losses in opposition to weaker opponents. Conversely, wins in opposition to good groups are given extra credit score than wins in opposition to inferior opponents.

On the energy of this components, Sam Houston is the highest seed, whereas Utah Valley might be second.

Interestingly sufficient, these groups met simply as soon as this season, with Utah Valley successful by a remaining rating of 80 to 64. That sport got here again ultimately of the December, and it was the conference-opener for each groups.

2023 males’s WAC event bracket

WAC

2023 males’s WAC event schedule

March 7 First Round

Game 1: California Baptist 69, Abilene Christian 62

Game 2: Grand Canyon 82, UT Arlington 77

Game 3: No. 7 Tarleton vs. No. 10 UT Rio Grande Valley, 9 p.m., ESPN+

Game 4: No. 6 Stephen F. Austin vs. No. 11 Utah Tech, 11 p.m., ESPN+

March 9 Quarterfinals

Game 5: No. 8 California Baptist vs. No. 1 Sam Houston, 3 p.m., ESPN+

Game 6: No. 5 Grand Canyon vs. No. 4 Seattle U, 5 p.m., ESPN+

Game 7: Winner Game 3 vs. No. 2 Utah Valley, 9 p.m., ESPN+

Game 8: Winner Game 4 vs. No. 3 Southern Utah, 11 p.m., ESPN+

March 10 Semifinals

Game 9: Winner Game 5 vs. Winner Game 6, 9 p.m., ESPN+

Game 10: Winner Game 7 vs. Winner Game 8, 11 p.m., ESPN+

March 11 Championship

Game 11: Winner Game 9 vs. Winner Game 10, 11:30 p.m., ESPN2