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WAC TOURNAMENT PREVIEW: MBB vs. ACU

LAS VEGAS – For the 10th consecutive year, Seattle University men's basketball is in Las Vegas, Nev., for the 2022 Hercules Tires Western Athletic Conference Basketball Tournament. The Orleans Arena once again hosts this year's tournament, which began Tuesday, Mar. 8. The second seed Redhawks (23-8) have earned a bye into the tournament semifinal round on Friday, March 11. Seattle U will face the winner of Thursday's quarterfinal game between third seed Stephen F. Austin and fifth seed Abilene Christian. Tip-off on Friday is set for 8:30 p.m. PT on ESPN+. The tournament's championship game is set for Saturday, Mar. 12 at 7:00 p.m. on ESPNU.

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WAC TOURNAMENT PREVIEW: MBB vs. ACUWAC TOURNAMENT PREVIEW: MBB vs. ACU

LAS VEGAS – For the 10th consecutive year, Seattle University men's basketball is in Las Vegas, Nev., for the 2022 Hercules Tires Western Athletic Conference Basketball Tournament. The Orleans Arena once again hosts this year's tournament, which began Tuesday, Mar. 8. The second seed Redhawks (23-8) have earned a bye into the tournament semifinal round on Friday, March 11. Seattle U will face the winner of Thursday's quarterfinal game between third seed Stephen F. Austin and fifth seed Abilene Christian. Tip-off on Friday is set for 8:30 p.m. PT on ESPN+. The tournament's championship game is set for Saturday, Mar. 12 at 7:00 p.m. on ESPNU.

FOLLOW THE REDHAWKS

HISTORY MAKERS

  • Seattle U clinched its first ever WAC regular season title on Saturday, March 5 with a 74-66 win over Chicago State on Senior Day.
  • The Redhawks completed WAC play with a 14-4 record, sharing the top honor with NM State and Stephen F. Austin.
  • By virtue of head-to-head records, NM State earned the WAC Tournament top seed, Seattle U earned the second seed and SFA is the third seed.
  • The WAC regular-season title represents the first-ever conference title as a full Division I member, and just the second conference title all-time. The 2006-07 Seattle U squad tied for first in the Division II Great Northwest Athletic Conference.
  • The win over Chicago State was the 23rd of the season, marking just the sixth time in program history the feat has been achieved. The last 23-win team was the 1957-58 NCAA runner-up squad led by Elgin Baylor.

2022 HERCULES TIRES WAC TOURNAMENT

  • With the conference expansion to 13 teams, the 2022 WAC Tournament has expanded to a 10-team field.
  • As announced in April 2020, the WAC shortened the eligibility period for participation by transitioning institutions to two years, making CBU eligible beginning in 2021. Dixie State and Tarleton will be eligible in 2023.
  • NM State is the No. 1 seed, followed by No. 2 Seattle U, No. 3 SFA, No. 4 Grand Canyon, No. 5 Sam Houston, No. 6 Abilene Christian, No. 7 Utah Valley, No. 8 California Baptist, No. 9 UTRGV and No. 10 Chicago State.
  • The winner of the WAC Tournament will be the automatic qualifier to the NCAA Tournament unless it is a transitioning institution. In such case the automatic qualifier will be the regular season champion.

REDHAWKS' WAC TOURNAMENT HISTORY

  • Seattle U brings a 5-8 record from eight previous WAC Tournament appearances into this year's event.
  • In 2020-21, the fifth-seeded Redhawks opened with an 83-66 win over California Baptist in the opening round, then fell to eventual tournament champions Grand Canyon, 81-47, in the semifinals.
  • The 2019-20 tournament was halted before the Redhawks could take to the court. Seattle U had earned the third seed, matching their highest seed in eight years of WAC play.
  • In 2018-19, the sixth-seed Redhawks dropped an 84-75 decision to third-seed Grand Canyon in the opening round of play.
  • In 2017-18, the fourth-seed Redhawks downed fifth-seed UTRGV 77-60 in the opening round, securing a 20-win season under then first-year Head Coach Jim Hayford. They would go on to take top-seed New Mexico State to the limit before falling, 84-79, to the eventual champs.
  • In 2016-17, the fifth-seed Redhawks went 0-1 with a 65-53 loss to fourth-seed Utah Valley in the opening round.
  • In 2015-16, the third-seed Redhawks topped sixth-seed UTRGV in the quarterfinals, 75-52, advancing to face eventual tournament champ CSU Bakersfield in the semifinals. The 'Runners sent SU to a 72-47 setback.
  • In 2014-15, third-seed Seattle U defeated sixth-seed Chicago State, 49-45, in the first round. The next night, Isiah Umipig tied a WAC Tournament record with eight made three-pointers to lead the Redhawks over UMKC, 69-63. In the championship game, New Mexico State scored the first nine points of the game on its way to an 80-61 victory over the Redhawks.
  • Entering the 2013-14 tournament as the seventh seed, the Redhawks battled second-seeded New Mexico State throughout the contest, holding a six-point lead halfway through the second half. After New Mexico State rallied back, Seattle U had a chance to send the game into overtime, but a last-second putback would not fall, giving the Aggies a 70-68 victory.
  • In 2012-13, the Redhawks lost to Texas State, 68-56, in the first round, as Seattle U was the 10th seed.

ALL-WAC HONORS
Chris Victor was named Don Haskins WAC Coach of the Year and Darrion Trammell and Cameron Tyson were both named First Team All-WAC as the Western Athletic Conference announced its 2022 postseason awards as voted on by the league's 13 head coaches. Trammell was also named to the five-member All-Defensive Team while Tyson was named to the five-member All-Newcomer Team.

Victor became interim head coach days before the season began, then was named the 18th head coach in Seattle U history on March 1 after leading the Redhawks to a 23-8 record overall, including 14-4 in WAC play. Trammell, just one of two repeat First Team honorees, averaged 18 points, 3.9 rebounds, 4.9 assists and 2.3 steals during WAC play. Tyson averaged 14.7 points and 4.8 rebounds over 18 WAC contests. His 57 total threes and 3.2 threes per game during league play both led all players.

ABOUT THE SERIES VS STEPHEN F. AUSTIN & ABILENE CHRISTIAN
Seattle U and Stephen F. Austin have just one previous meeting with the Redhawks earning a 70-62 win on Jan. 26 at Climate Pledge Arena. Riley Grigsby led Seattle U with 18 points, including 13 in the first half, to go along with nine boards. Cameron Tyson added 17 points and Darrion Trammell added 10 points and eight assists.

Seattle U and Abilene Christian have just one previous meeting with the Redhawks earning a 72-62 win on Jan. 20 in Abilene, Texas. The Redhawks rode a stellar first half shooting (52%) while holding the Wildcats to 28%). Cameron Tyson led four Redhawks in scoring with 20 points. Riley Grigsby had 15 points, Darrion Trammell had 14 and Kyree Brown came of the bench to add 12.

BEST FIRST SEASON AT THE HELM
As Head Coach Chris Victor collected his 23rd win of the season on March 5, he became the all-time winningest Seattle U coach in their first year leading the program. Just five Seattle U coaches have hit the 20-win marker in their first season:

  • 23 wins - Chris Victor, 2021-22, 23-8 (thru games on 3/5/22)
  • 22 wins - John Castellani, 1956-57, 22-3
  • 22 wins - Bob Boyd , 1963-64, 22-6
  • 21 wins - Vincent Cazzetta, 1958-59, 21-6
  • 20 wins - Jim Hayford, 2017-18, 20-14

NEXT TO 1,000
While Riley Grigsby surpassed 1,000 career points on Jan. 28 versus Sam Houston, two more Redhawks have the milestone marker in eyesight. Cameron Tyson enters Seattle U's March 11 WAC Tournament semifinals game 10 points shy of 1,000 (990 career points to date) during his NCAA DI collegiate career. Darrion Trammell also needs just 31 points to reach 1,000 (969 career points to date).

TRAMMELL THE THIEF

  • Darrion Trammell has been ranked among the nation's best in steals this season, and is now swiping his way into the Seattle U record book.
  • With one steal on March 5 vs. Chicago State, he hit 77 for the season, tying him for 2nd in Seattle U's single-season record book with Andre Lang (1993-94)
  • Topping the Seattle U single-season steals list is Ray Brooks (1984-85) with 84.
  • Trammell also has 118 career steals and sits just shy of breaking into the Seattle U career top-10.

TYSON FOR THREE

  • Cameron Tyson drained nine three pointers on Feb. 16 at UTRGV, matching the Seattle U single-game record. The feat was previously achieved first by Aaron Waite on Jan. 6, 1990 versus Alaska Pacific, then matched by Bernard Seals on Mar. 3, 2005 versus Western Washington.
  • With 101 made threes through 31 games, Cameron Tyson is 3rd on Seattle U's single-season top-10 list for single season three pointers.
  • Tyson now trails only Isiah Umipig who holds the top two single-season records.
  • Umipig drained 106 threes in 2013-14, then followed with 123 threes in 2014-15.
  • Tyson's personal single-game record is 10, set last season against Our Lady of the Lake while playing for University of Houston.

TEAM THREE POINT RECORD WATCH
The Redhawks have drained 299 three pointers this season, ranking among the best in the country. The total ranks second for a single-season in Seattle U's all-time record book. The 2021-22 squad currently sits 13 made 3s behind the program record of 312, set in 2017-18.

NATIONAL RANKS
In games played through March 8, Seattle U ranks among the nation's top 50 in 10 team categories:

  • 12th in 3-pt FG attempts (884)
  • 14th in 3-pt FG per game (9.6)
  • 18th in 3-pt FGs made (299)
  • 23rd in FT% (76.7)
  • 19th in turnover margin (3.5)
  • 35th in defensive rebounds per game (27.48)
  • 36th in FG% defense (40.3)
  • 43rd in won-loss % (74.2)
  • 47th in turnovers forced (14.9)
  • 47th in scoring margin (8.5)

In games played through March 8, Seattle U ranks among the nation's top 50 in 10 individual categories:

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