NACOGDOCHES, Texas – The UT Arlington men's basketball team wraps up a three-game road trip Saturday at Stephen F. Austin when the Mavericks and Lumberjacks tip off at 2 p.m. inside William J. Johnson Coliseum.
 

GAMEDAY INFORMATION
Game 27	UT Arlington (9-17, 4-9 WAC) @ Stephen F. Austin (17-9, 9-4 WAC)
Date | Time	Saturday, Feb. 18 | 2 p.m.
Location	William J. Coliseum (7,203)
Video	ESPN+
Audio	620 AM | Varsity Network App
Live Stats	SIDEARM
Game Notes	UT Arlington | Stephen F. Austin

OPENING TIP(s)

• This will be the second meeting of the year between UTA and SFA, with the Lumberjacks claiming a narrow 66-62 win in Arlington on New Year's Eve. UTA held a 60-59 lead with 1:30 remaining before a frenetic back-and-forth final minute eventually ended with SFA converting a layup at the buzzer after the Mavs tried to foul down just 64-62.
   
• UTA already owns two NET Quad 2 wins this season (San Francisco and Sam Houston), and beating SFA would give the Mavs three. Since the NCAA began using the NET Ranking in 2018-19, UTA has never had two such victories in a single season. Dating back to the 1999-2000 season – the earliest public RPI records – the Mavs have never had three 'second tier' (ranked 51-100 during the RPI era) victories in a single season (two each in 2007-08, 2016-17 and 2017-18).
   
• Chendall Weaver has been selected as the Western Athletic Conference Freshman of the Week three times – and those trio of honors have come in the last six weeks (Jan. 9, Jan. 23, Feb. 6). He is one of only two players in the WAC to have collected three weekly honors (either Player or Freshman of the Week) along with UTRGV's Adante' Holiman (Freshman). In total, UTA has a conference-high four Freshman of the Week recognitions this season thanks to Brandon Walker collecting the designation on Dec. 5.
   
• The Mavs rank 10th in the nation in offensive rebounding at 13.3 per game (1st: UAB, 14.0). Shemar Wilson is leading the charge as the sophomore is 11th nationally with 3.6 offensive rebounds an outing. He has registered three games of 8+ offensive boards this year – tied for the 3rd most in the country against D-I opponents (leaders: four games).
   
• Wilson (10.9 PPG, 7.8 RPG) has not played in UTA's last two games, and he remains questionable for Saturday's contest with a hip injury. Wilson – who is 2nd on the Mavs in scoring and leads them in rebounding – is responsible for all five of UTA's double-doubles this year, which are tied for the 2nd most in the WAC behind Utah Valley's Aziz Bandaogo with 14.

TWEETABLES

1) UTA is coming off a 66-56 setback at Sam Houston on Wednesday. The Mavs had a 46-42 lead with nine minutes remaining and trailed by just four with under three minutes, but made just two field goals in the final seven minutes.
 
2) In that contest, UTA true freshmen Brandon Walker (15) and Weaver (14) combined to account for 52 percent of the Mavs' points (29 of 56). Walker also set a career high by pulling down a game-best nine rebounds.
 
3) After connecting at just 26.4 percent from 3-point range against non-conference D-I opponents, UTA is shooting 34.7 percent in WAC play, keyed by Aaron Cash (38.7 to 43.8), Weaver (20.0 to 40.0) and Kyron Gibson (36.4 to 37.3).
 
4) The Mavs have had 11 different players reach double-figure points in a game this year, and also have had eight different leading scorers – the 3rd most in the nation behind only James Madison and Longwood with nine each.

ABOUT THE MATCHUP

• UTA owns a slim 31-30 lead in the all-time series between the two former Southland Conference rivals. SFA was UTA's second-ever opponent in its inaugural 1959-60 season, and was the first team to ever beat the Mavs (71-59 on Dec. 3, 1959).
   
• The Lumberjacks were picked to finish 3rd in the WAC Preseason Poll after winning the conference regular-season title last year and playing in the CBI.
   
• SFA ranks in the top-15 nationally per game in turnovers forced (2nd, 18.5), 3-point percentage (6th, 39.5), bench points (11th, 29.5) and steals (13th, 9.3).
   
• Individually, Latrell Jossell is 5th in the country in 3-point percentage (46.6), and Sadaidriene Hall is 32nd nationally in field goal percentage (58.3).
   
• Hall leads SFA with 12.8 points and 6.7 rebounds per game this year. The 'Jacks other double-figure scorers are Jossell (12.2) and Nigel Hawkins (10.2).

WAC STANDINGS

Click Here To View The Updated WAC Standings
 
New Mexico State has suspended the remainder of its season (more info below), meaning that the remaining 12 teams have qualified for the WAC Tournament. The résumé-seeding system will now be used to determine how teams are seeded at the WAC Tournament (denoted by WAC Points in this link; higher point total = a better seed).
 
For example, right now even though Stephen F. Austin is tied for 2nd place with a 9-4 league record, the Lumberjacks would be the #6 seed due to accumulating just 1.68 points, and Seattle U (solo 5th place) would be the #3 seed (2.86 points). UTA (-4.98) would be the #12 seed despite currently sitting alone in 11th place.
 
The WAC has sent at least two teams to the NCAA Tournament in 28 of the past 46 seasons. In an effort to continue enhancing its at-large prospects and rewarding the best teams throughout the entire season, the résumé-seeding system was introduced.
 
It is an algorithm that rates performances against all D-I teams faced in the regular season, not just conference play. Teams receive more credit for scheduling, and beating, stronger opponents than weaker ones – particularly on the road. This should help WAC members have higher NET rankings, a key-criteria used by the NCAA Selection Committee.

WAC DEEMS NEW MEXICO STATE REMAINING GAMES FORFEITS

On Feb. 13, the WAC issued the following resolution after New Mexico State officially suspended the remainder of its 2022-23 men's basketball season on Feb. 12.
 
Each of the six remaining scheduled New Mexico State games against conference opponents, which included games at California Baptist (Feb. 11), versus and at Abilene Christian (Feb. 15 and March 1), versus UTRGV (Feb. 18), versus Grand Canyon (Feb. 22) and at Tarleton (March 6), have been deemed forfeits in regard to conference standings and seeding. The NCAA does not formally recognize forfeited games in this scenario as it pertains to one's overall record during a season, but grants conferences the right to administer forfeits for in-conference competition only for the purpose of standings and seeding.
 
Each of the listed New Mexico State opponents have immediately received corresponding conference wins in the WAC standings and will be credited with the equivalent value of a home win for each remaining game against New Mexico State in the WAC Resume Seeding System.
 
"While there is no perfect solution to this unfortunate situation, I believe we landed in the right place," WAC Commissioner Brian Thornton said. "I applaud our Athletic Directors for working collaboratively with our staff to reach this decision.
 
"We are in the midst of the best statistical season in the WAC's history, and we wanted to create the most equitable solution that did not unfairly advantage or disadvantage institutions that lost opportunities to improve their standing. Ultimately, every institution will maintain the ability to control their destiny based on the results of their remaining conference contests."
 
All 12 of the conference's remaining men's basketball programs will be seeded according to the WAC Resume Seeding System for the 2023 Hercules Tires WAC Basketball Tournament on March 6-11 in Las Vegas. The WAC's regular-season champion will be determined by the top finisher based on league winning percentage according to the traditional conference standings.

INSIDE THE DOUBLE-FIGURE SCORERS

Two years ago, UTA tied for the national lead by having 13 different players score double-figure points in a game. Last season, the Mavs had 12 different double-figure scorers – tied for the 3rd most in the nation. So far this year, UTA already has 11 different double-figure scorers.
 
Below is a list of those double-figure players, their respective season highs and how many times they have led UTA in scoring:
 
Kyron Gibson: 22 (10x – Includes 3 Ties)
Chendall Weaver: 21 (5x)
Aaron Cash: 20 (3x – Includes 2 Ties)
Taj Anderson: 19 (1x)
Shemar Wilson: 18 (5x – Includes 1 Tie)
Marion Humphrey: 17 (3x – Includes 1 Tie)
Brandon Walker: 17 (2x – Includes 1 Tie)
Brandyn Talbot: 15 (1x)
Montez Young Jr.: 14
Dario Domingos: 12
Pedro Castro: 12

BY THE NUMBERS

1: UTA picked up a 60-56 win over Horizon League preseason favorite Northern Kentucky on Nov. 22. NKU had defeated Cincinnati – picked to finish 3rd in the American Athletic Conference – two games prior by 13 points.
 
2: UTA secured its second road win of the season over a 2022 NCAA Tournament team when the Mavs took down New Mexico State, 66-55, on Jan. 14. The first came on Dec. 19 at San Francisco, 68-63.
 
3: UTA delivered season highs against a D-I opponent in three categories in an 85-73 win over UTRGV on Jan. 19: points (85), 3-pointers made (11) and assists (26).
 
3: UTA is just three wins shy of 800 all-time program victories. The Mavs are in their 64th season, with UTA's inaugural campaign taking place in 1959-60.
 
7: UTA has already had seven different occasions of a player grabbing 7+ offensive rebounds in a game this year: Wilson versus Hardin-Simmons (7), Nevada (7), Howard Payne (7), North Texas (8), Stephen F. Austin (8) and Utah Valley (8); Dario Domingos against Northern Kentucky (7).
 
8: Against UNT on Dec. 6, Wilson grabbed eight rebounds, and all of them were offensive. Over the last 6+ seasons – since the start of the 2016-17 campaign – he is one of only seven players nationally to secure at least eight offensive rebounds and zero defensive boards in a game.
 
10: Marion Humphrey had six steals against Southwestern on Nov. 12 to tie for the 10th most in single game program history.
 
12: Gibson passed out a season-best 12 assists versus UTRGV on Jan. 19, representing the most helpers by any WAC player in a game this year against a D-I opponent.
 
12: The WAC is currently rated as the 12th-best conference (out of 32) in the country.
 
16: UTA's wire-to-wire win at San Francisco ended the Dons' 16-game home non-conference winning streak and was the Mavs' first NET Quad 2 or better non-conference win since an 89-75 victory at BYU (Quad 1) in November of 2017. Two days later, USF defeated then-#25 Arizona State, 97-60.
 
26: The 26 assists UTA issued against UTRGV were the most at home against a D-I foe in nearly six years – since the Mavs passed out 27 on Jan. 23, 2017, versus Louisiana.
 
27: UTA is the least experienced team in the WAC and 27th nationally (337th of 363) this year based off prior D-I playing experience with an average of just 0.91 years per player.
 
50: UTA allowed three-straight opponents from Jan. 19-25 to shoot at least 50 percent from the floor for the first time since 2008.
 
55: The 55 points UTA limited New Mexico State to represented just the second time in the last six seasons that the Mavs have held an opponent to 55 or fewer points on the road (52 at Arkansas State on Jan. 2, 2020). Prior to that, the last time the Mavs did it was on Dec. 16, 2016, when they permitted Bradley to score just 51.
 
260: At #260 in the NET, UTA is the lowest-ranked team in the nation with multiple Quad 2 wins.

NEXT UP

UTA will wrap up the home portion of its 2022-23 schedule next week when the Mavs welcome Southern Utah on Thursday, Feb. 23, for a 7 p.m. tipoff before Grad Day on Saturday, Feb. 25, at 2 p.m. versus Utah Tech.
 
FOLLOW ALONG
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