Tourney Tidbits

As mentioned yesterday, the UTA men start the conference tournament tomorrow against Grand Canyon in the late game. On the eve of the Western Athletic Conference tournament games at the Orleans Arena, here's some random conference tournament factoids surrounding the men's program.

UTA has been the seventh seed eight times amongst the three conference they have been a part of since the Southland Conference's first tourney in 1981. There were some years only four or six teams would qualify and UTA didn't make it. But this does not contain when UTA finished seventh and did not make a conference tournament.

UTA was a seventh seed seven times in the SLC, once in the Sun Belt Conference and now once in the WAC. Using math to state the obvious, this is the ninth time UTA will be a seven seed.

In 1983, '84, '86, '95, '06, '10 and '20, UTA went 0-1. The Mavericks balanced the losses to several teams over that span as they lost to Arkansas State, Northeast Louisiana, now Louisiana-Monroe, McNeese State, Northeast Louisiana again, Sam Houston State, Stephen F. Austin and Coastal Carolina in those years listed.

There has been one year, and one year only where UTA won a game as the seventh seed. It was probably the most memorable conference tourney run for UTA as they went 3-0, beating Lamar, Sam Houston and then Northwestern State in the championship game to earn their first and still only NCAA tournament appearance.

UTA's overall record as a seven seed is 3-7.

Head Coach Bob "Snake" LeGrand has the most appearances in a conference tournament as the seven seed, leading UTA three times. Eddie McCarter and Scott Cross are number two with two each. Chris Ogden is right behind with one and this will be K.T. Turner's first time. 

Only one coach who has played in multiple conference tournament has a winning record. It is not a shock and real fans know. Cross is 11-10. With a win, Coach Turner will join him as he was 2-1 last year. With a loss in the first game, Coach Turner will be an even .500. In that event, he will join Jerry Stone, who is 1-1.

Two coaches have zero wins, Greg Young and "Snoop" Johnson are 0-1. Coach LeGrand went 1-6, the worst winning percentage of all Maverick coaches beyond the two previous coaches. The second worse? The guy that former Athletic Director Jim Baker thought could do a better job than Cross. Ogden's winning percentage is 25 percent.

Overall, UTA is 23-37 in conference tournaments. By conference, the Mavericks were 13-25 in the Southland, 6-9 in the Sun Belt (losing their last four) and are currently 4-3 in the WAC.

The WAC has played the conference tournament in Las Vegas every year UTA has been a member and holds the same record in the city as they do in the WAC.

UTA has the most wins in the quarterfinals, as well as losses, an overall 13-17 mark. In years where UTA played in tournaments involving more than eight teams and didn't receive a bye, they made the quarterfinals once in six tries, a 1-5 record. Their best winning percentage is in the semi-finals at 8-8. Their worst is in the finals, 1-7.

Against GCU, UTA is 0-2, as their season ended against the Antelopes the previous two years in the WAC tourney. Only Tarleton State is in the field this year with a previous game against UTA in a conference tourney. Brandyn Talbot's late three sealed a 1-0 record against the Texans last year.

UTA has made the WAC championship in their first and third year in the WAC. In the lone even year, the Mavs were eliminated in the first game. This will be the fourth year.

UTA has missed the conference tourney four times. In the winter of 1987, UTA played as an independent and was unable to qualify for any tournament. This was from the fallout of football's disbandment. The SLC required member institutions to sponsor football at the time and UTA was an independent in men's sports. In a twist, the women were not an independent as the two genders were considered separate.