ARLINGTON – The UT Arlington men's basketball team returns to the College Park Center this week for its final two home games of the season, beginning Thursday, Feb. 23, at 7 p.m. against Southern Utah.
 

GAMEDAY INFORMATION
Game 28	UT Arlington (10-17, 5-9 WAC) vs. Southern Utah (18-9, 10-4 WAC)
Date | Time	Thursday, Feb. 23 | 7 p.m.
Location	College Park Center (7,000)
Tickets	UTATickets.com
Video	ESPN+
Audio	620 AM | Varsity Network App
Live Stats	StatBroadcast
Game Notes	UT Arlington | Southern Utah | WAC

GAMEDAY PROMOS

• Presenting Sponsor
  • Baylor, Scott & White Orthopedic and Spine Hospital Arlington
• National Anthem Performance
  • Butler Elementary Choir
• Halftime Recognition
  • Movin' Mavs Wheelchair Basketball National Champions
• Giveaways: Starry Night & FSL Night
  • Chance to win $10,000, Starry Swag Bags and T-shirts AND the first 250 Fraternity and Sorority Life (FSL) students get a concession voucher. Additionally, one lucky winner will leave with a 50-inch TV.

OPENING TIP(s)

• UTA is coming off an impressive 75-70 road win over Stephen F. Austin on Saturday. That victory gave the Mavericks their program-record third NET Quad 2 win of the season (San Francisco and Sam Houston), and it was also interim head coach Royce Johnson's first career win at the collegiate level in just his second game.
   
• UTA has seven Division-I triumphs this year, and three have been of the Quad 2 variety. The Mavs are the only team in the nation with single-digit D-I victories but three Quad 2 wins. Additionally, the only team in the country with more Quad 2 win that has a losing record is Washington State with four (13-15 overall).
   
• On Monday, Chendall Weaver won his fourth Western Athletic Conference Freshman of the Week honor in the last seven opportunities (Jan. 9, Jan. 23, Feb. 6, Feb. 20) after averaging a team-best 15.5 points to go along with 6.5 rebounds and three assists in UTA's two games. He is the only player in the WAC to have collected four weekly honors (either Player or Freshman of the Week). California Baptist's Taran Armstrong holds the WAC record for Freshman of the Week honors with five set last year. In total, UTA has a conference-high five Freshman of the Week recognitions this season thanks to Brandon Walker collecting the designation on Dec. 5.
   
• Both true freshmen, Walker and Weaver accounted for 43 percent (56 of 131) of UTA's points and 45 percent (30 of 67) of its non-team rebounds last week at Sam Houston and SFA.
   
• The Mavs rank 11th in the nation in offensive rebounding at 13.2 per game (1st: College of Charleston, 13.9). 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 (team bests of 10.9 PPG, 7.8 RPG) has not played in UTA's last three games, and he remains questionable for Thursday's contest with a hip injury. Wilson 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) After starting WAC play 0-5, UTA is 5-4 in its last nine league games, and three of those setbacks have been by 10 points or less.
 
2) Kyron Gibson (10.8 PPG) is coming off consecutive single-digit scoring performances. The last time he did that, the next two games he scored 20 at Abilene Christian and delivered a season-high 22 versus California Baptist.
 
3) After connecting at just 26.4 percent from 3-point range against non-conference D-I opponents, UTA is shooting 35.9 percent in WAC play, keyed by Aaron Cash (38.7 to 44.9), Weaver (20.0 to 42.5) and Gibson (36.4 to 37.7).
 
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.

KEY NUMBERS FROM SFA

UTA tied a season high with 11 made 3-pointers at SFA on Saturday as the Mavs shot 50 percent (11-22) from beyond the arc – their best percentage when making double-digits 3s in a game this year. That helped fuel a 52-percent clip from the field (26-50), which was the 2nd-best on the campaign behind only a 54-percent effort versus Sam Houston on Feb. 4. Additionally, UTA's 75 points were the 2nd-most this season against a D-I opponent (85 vs. UTRGV on Jan. 19).
 
That offense helped overcome an uncharacteristic 20 turnovers compared with just nine by SFA – only the fourth time since 2010 that UTA has had 20+ and an opponent has had single digits. Surprisingly, the Mavs are now 3-1 in such games, with the most recent occurrence coming in a 67-63 win at Fordham (21 and eight) on Nov. 26, 2016.

ABOUT THE MATCHUP

• This will be UTA's first-ever meeting with Southern Utah, which is the third-highest-ranked WAC team in the NET Rankings as the Thunderbirds enter at #104, making this a Quad 3 game for UTA (it would be another Quad 2 opportunity if it were on the road).
   
• SUU brings in one of the nation's most prolific offenses as the T-Birds average 84.1 points per game to rank 4th in the country. SUU also ranks in the top-25 nationally per game in free throws made (3rd, 17.6), free throws attempted (4th, 24.3), defensive rebounds (12th, 28.1), rebounds (17th, 39.2) and fastbreak points (25th, 13.6). Additionally, KenPom ranks SUU as the 20th-fastest team in the nation as it averages just 15.8 seconds per offensive possession.
   
• The Thunderbirds enter action currently possessing the #3 seed in the WAC Tournament, which gets underway in less than two weeks. With 2.98 résumé-seeding system points (more info below), SUU holds a .40 lead over #4 Seattle U (2.58). The top-4 seeds receive a bye to the quarterfinals.
   
• Four Thunderbirds average double-figure scoring: Tevian Jones (18.3), Maizen Fausett (12.1), Harrison Butler (11.3) and Drake Allen (11.1); Jason Spurgin stands just outside at 9.9. Butler (6.9) and Fausett (6.7) lead the way in rebounds for SUU, and Allen paces the team with 3.2 assists a game. 
   
• SUU is in its first season in the WAC after spending 2012-22 in the Big Sky Conference.

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 alone in 4th place with a 9-5 league record, the Lumberjacks would be the #6 seed due to accumulating just 0.96 points, and Seattle U (tied 5th place) would be the #4 seed (2.58 points). UTA (-4.35) would be the #12 seed despite currently sitting alone in 10th place at 5-9.
 
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 (6x)
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)
Pedro Castro: 14
Montez Young Jr.: 14
Dario Domingos: 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.
 
2: UTA is just two 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.
 
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, tied) and assists (26).
 
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.
 
13: UTA has used 13 different starting lineups this season, including six in the last seven games.
 
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.

NEXT UP

UTA will honor graduate students Pedro Castro and Aaron Cash as part of Grad Day on Saturday, Feb. 25, at 2 p.m. versus Utah Tech for the final home game of 2022-23.
 
FOLLOW ALONG
For updates, behind-the-scenes photos, videos and more engaging and personal content, be sure to follow the men's basketball program on Twitter (@UTAMavsMBB), Instagram (@UTAMavsMBB) and Facebook (/UTAMavsMBB).