2025–26 Western Athletic Conference men's basketball season

The 2025–26 Western Athletic Conference men's basketball season involved play by members of the Western Athletic Conference (WAC), since renamed as the United Athletic Conference (UAC). It began with practices in October followed by the start of the 2025–26 NCAA Division I men's basketball season in early November 2025. Conference play began in January 2026. This was the WAC's 64th season of basketball. The WAC competed with seven teams due to two teams having left the conference since the prior season. Seattle and Grand Canyon both joined other conferences since the prior year. The WAC tournament was held in March 2026 with all seven teams competing for the automatic bid to the 2026 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament. All rounds were played at the Orleans Arena in the Las Vegas-area community of Paradise, Nevada. California Baptist won the tournament title and received the conference's automatic bid to the 2026 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament. It was the first appearance in the program's history.

This was the last season under the WAC name. California Baptist and Utah Valley joined the Big West Conference and Southern Utah and Utah Tech joined the Big Sky Conference on July 1, 2026. At that time, the WAC rebranded as the United Athletic Conference (UAC), previously the name of a football-only alliance between the WAC and the Atlantic Sun Conference (ASUN). Three remaining teams—Abilene Christian, Tarleton State, and UT Arlington—were joined by 6 new members of the rebranded UAC.

Pre-season

WAC Preseason polling +Men's Basketball Coaches Preseason Poll Place Team Points First place votes 1. California Baptist 335 2. Utah Valley 291 3. Abilene Christian 270 4. UT Arlington 221 5. Tarleton 190 6. Utah Tech 90 7. Southern Utah 80

WAC Preseason All-Conference First Team

NameSchool Yr. Pos. Dominique Daniels Jr.† California Baptist GradG Bradyn Hubbard Abilene Christian SeniorF Raysean Seamster UT Arlington SeniorF Ethan Potter Utah Tech SeniorF Trevan Leonhardt Utah Valley JuniorG † Denotes Preseason Player of the Year

Regular season Early season tournaments Team Tournament FinishAbilene ChristianJacksonville Classic1–1California BaptistAcrisure Series3–0Southern UtahUrban-Bennett Invitational1–1Tarleton StateSMU Multi-Team Event 1–1UT ArlingtonWeber State Tournament1–1Utah TechRainbow Classic1–2Utah ValleyCancun Challenge3–0

Records against other conferences 2025–26 records against non-conference foes:

Regular season Power Conferences & GonzagaRecordACC 0–2Big East 0–1Big Ten 0–1Big 12 0–10Pac-12 0–0SEC 0–1Gonzaga 0–1Power Conference Total 0–16Other NCAA Division I ConferencesRecordAmerica East 0–0American 2–0A-10 0–0ASUN 1–0Big Sky 6–2Big South 1–0Big West 5–1CAA 0–2CUSA 2–0Horizon 0–0Ivy League 0–0MAAC 1–1MAC 1–0MEAC 0–0MVC 1–0Mountain West 0–4NEC 0–1OVC 1–0Patriot League 0–0SoCon 1–0Southland 3–2SWAC 6–0Summit 4–1Sun Belt 0–2WCC (except Gonzaga) 3–3Other Division I Total 38–19 Non-Division I Total 18–0NCAA Division I Total 38–35

Record against ranked non-conference opponents This is a list of games against ranked opponents only:

Date Visitor Home ScoreNovember 7, 2025Utah Tech#13 ArizonaL, 93–67 November 17, 2025 Southern Utah #19 GonzagaL, 122–50 December 3, 2025 California Baptist #9 BYUL, 60–91 December 16, 2025 Abilene Christian #1 ArizonaL, 62–96December 19, 2025Abilene Christian#10 BYUL, 67–85

Team rankings are reflective of AP poll when the game was played, not current or final ranking.

Rankings

  Improvement in ranking Drop in rankingRVReceived votes but were not ranked in Top 25NVNo votes received   Pre Wk2 Wk3 Wk4 Wk5 Wk6 Wk7 Wk8 Wk9 Wk10 Wk11 Wk12 Wk13 Wk14 Wk15 Wk16 Wk17 Wk18 Wk19Wk20 FinalAbilene Christian APNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVCNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVCalifornia Baptist APNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVCNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVSouthern Utah APNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVCNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVTarleton State APNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVCNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVUT Arlington APNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVCNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVUtah Tech APNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVCNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVUtah Valley APNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVCNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNV

Head coaches

Coaching changes No coaching changes were made during the offseason.

Coaches Note: Stats shown are before the beginning of the season. Overall and WAC records are from time at current school. Team Head coach Previous job Seasons at school Overall record WAC record WAC titles NCAA tournaments NCAA Final Fours NCAA ChampionshipsAbilene Christian Brette Tanner (Associate HC) 5th 70–62 () 36–36 () 0 0 0 0California Baptist Rick Croy St. Mary's (assistant) 13th 118–99 () 55–61 () 0 0 0 0Southern UtahRob JeterWestern Illinois3rd22–40 ()9–27 ()0000Tarleton State Billy Gillispie Ranger College 6th 78–74 () 46–38 () 0 0 0 0UT ArlingtonK. T. TurnerKentucky (assistant)3rd33–32 ()19–17 ()0000Utah Tech Jon Judkins Snow College 21st 53–96 () 24–62 () 0 0 0 0Utah Valley Todd Phillips (Associate HC) 3rd 41–25 () 26–10 () 1 0 0 0 Notes: Overall and WAC records, conference titles, etc. are from time at current school and are through the end of the 2024–25 season. Records and season totals only include time spent at Division I as head coach. NCAA tournament appearances are from time at current school only. NCAA Final Fours and Championship include time at other schools.

Postseason

WAC tournament

The WAC tournament was held in March 2026 with all seven teams competing for the automatic bid to the 2026 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament. All rounds were held at the Orleans Arena in the Las Vegas-area community of Paradise, Nevada.

NCAA tournament

Teams from the conference that were selected to participate: 1 SeedRegionSchoolFirst FourFirst roundSecond roundSweet SixteenElite EightFinal FourChampionship California Baptist L 60–68 vs. KansasBidsW-L (%):TOTAL:

National Invitation Tournament Number from the conference that were selected to participate: 1

SeedSchoolFirst roundSecond roundQuarterfinalsSemifinalsFinalsUtah Valley L 78–79 vs. George WashingtonW-L (%):TOTAL:

Index to colors and formattingWAC member wonWAC member lost *Denotes overtime period

Awards and honors

Players of the week Throughout the conference regular season, the WAC offices name a player of the week and a newcomer of the week each Monday.

WeekPlayer of the WeekSchool Newcomer of the WeekSchoolNovember 10Dominique Daniels Jr.California BaptistChance TrujilloUtah TechNovember 17Dior JohnsonTarleton StateDior JohnsonTarleton StateNovember 24Dior JohnsonTarleton StateDior JohnsonTarleton StateDecember 1Ethan PotterUtah TechJordan MullerCalifornia BaptistDecember 8Jackson HolcombeUtah ValleyCam McDowellTarleton StateDecember 15Dominique Daniels Jr.California BaptistNoah BolangaUtah TechDecember 22Ethan PotterUtah TechCbo NewtonAbilene ChristianDecember 29Bradyn HubbardAbilene ChristianMarcell McCrearyUT ArlingtonJanuary 5Dior JohnsonTarleton StateDior JohnsonTarleton StateJanuary 12Bradyn HubbardAbilene ChristianDior JohnsonTarleton StateJanuary 20Ethan PotterUtah TechDior JohnsonTarleton StateJanuary 26Dominique Daniels Jr.California BaptistJaiden FeroahSouthern UtahFebruary 2Dominique Daniels Jr.California BaptistElijah DuvalSouthern UtahFebruary 9Chance TrujilloUtah TechChance TrujilloUtah TechFebruary 16Dominique Daniels Jr.California BaptistElijah DuvalSouthern UtahFebruary 23Ethan PotterUtah TechElijah DuvalSouthern UtahMarch 2Dominique Daniels Jr.California BaptistTanner HayhurstSouthern UtahMarch 9Dominique Daniels Jr.California BaptistElijah DuvalSouthern Utah

Totals per school - Players of the week School Player of the weekNewcomer of the weekTotalAbilene Christian University213California Baptist University718Southern Utah University66Tarleton State University369University of Texas at Arlington11Utah Tech University538Utah Valley University11Total181836

All-WAC

First team

NameSchoolBradyn HubbardAbilene ChristianDominique Daniels, Jr.‡California BaptistEthan Potter Utah TechJackson HolcombeUtah ValleyTrevan LeonhardtUtah Valley

‡ WAC Player of the Year

Second team

NameSchoolMartell WilliamsCalifornia BaptistElijah DuvalSouthern UtahDior JohnsonTarleton StateMarcell McCrearyUT ArlingtonNoah BolangaUtah Tech

All-Freshman team NameSchoolJordan MullerCalifornia BaptistElijah Duval†Southern UtahAndy SigiscarTarleton StateJordan LoweryUT ArlingtonTanner DavisUtah Tech † Freshman of the Year

All-Defensive team NameSchoolRich Smith‡Abilene ChristianJaiden FeroahSouthern UtahJordan MizellTarleton StateJackson HolcombeUtah ValleyTrevan LeonhardtUtah Valley

‡WAC Defensive Player of the Year

Other awards Sixth Man of the Year: Dior Johnson, Tarleton State

Coach of the Year: Jon Judkins, Utah Tech

Home game attendance TeamArenaCapacityGame 1Game 2Game 3Game 4Game 5Game 6Game 7Game 8Game 9Game 10Game 11Game 12Game 13Game 14Game 15Game 16Total Average% of CapacityAbilene ChristianMoody Coliseum3,6001,5231,0256545849237189581,2291,2611,329†1,8181,1961,1741,08015,4721,10531%California BaptistCBU Events Center5,0504,386†5,0883,7662,6172,4253,6012,0123,4382,2643,9073,0523.0792,8714,2944,68151,4813,43268%Southern UtahAmerica First Event Center5,3001,4898017095657969558051,151853771†2,2311,54060211,1261,01119%Tarleton StateEECU Center8,0001,6611,3531,1231,3581,2131,3518119871,0191,5672,2672,1192,183 †3,187 1,502 76024,4611,52919%UT ArlingtonCollege Park Center7,0001,153763†2,9341,2751,4828411,3731,4571,1401,1401,1521,4661,55517,7311,36419%Utah TechBurns Arena4,7791,5751,2371,2461,1071,2372,5241,7931,540†3,8332,0082,7861,9432,274 3,11628,2192,01642%Utah ValleyUCCU Center8,5001,4092,1141,3741,4231,4571,4262,1711,872†2,5512,5171,5812,245 2,364 2,355 2,09428,9531,93023%Total42,229179,58512,39632%

Bold – At or exceed capacity; attendance is for regular season only †Season high

See also

2025–26 Western Athletic Conference women's basketball season United Athletic Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year

References