WAC Men's Basketball Tournament
Tournament results
Table:
Year

Winner

Score

Opponent

MVP

Venue

1984

UTEP

62–55

New Mexico

Juden Smith, UTEP

Special Events Center (El Paso, Texas)

1985

San Diego State

87–81

UTEP

Luster Goodwin, UTEP

Special Events Center (El Paso, Texas)

1986

UTEP

65–64

Wyoming

Eric Leckner, Wyoming

Arena-Auditorium (Laramie, Wyoming)

1987

Wyoming

64–62

New Mexico

Eric Leckner, Wyoming

The Pit (Albuquerque, New Mexico)

1988

Wyoming

79–75

UTEP

Eric Leckner, Wyoming

Marriott Center (Provo, Utah)

1989

UTEP

73–60

Colorado State

Tim Hardaway, UTEP

Jon M. Huntsman Center (Salt Lake City, Utah)

1990

UTEP

75–58

Hawaii

Greg Foster, UTEP

Special Events Center (El Paso, Texas)

1991

BYU

51–49

Utah

Shawn Bradley, BYU

Arena-Auditorium (Laramie, Wyoming)

1992

BYU

73–71

UTEP

Eddie Rivera, UTEP

Moby Arena (Fort Collins, Colorado)

1993

New Mexico

76–65

UTEP

Ike Williams, New Mexico

Delta Center (Salt Lake City)

1994

Hawaii

73–66

BYU

Trevor Ruffin, Hawaii

Delta Center (Salt Lake City)

1995

Utah

67–54

Hawaii

Keith Van Horn, Utah

The Pit (Albuquerque, New Mexico)

1996

New Mexico

64–60

Utah

Kenny Thomas, New Mexico

The Pit (Albuquerque, New Mexico)

1997

Utah

89–68

TCU

Keith Van Horn, Utah

Thomas & Mack Center (Paradise, Nevada)

1998

UNLV

56–51

New Mexico

Kenny Thomas, New Mexico

Thomas & Mack Center (Paradise, Nevada)

1999

Utah

60–45

New Mexico

Alex Jensen, Utah

Thomas & Mack Center (Paradise, Nevada)

2000

Fresno State

75–72

Tulsa

Courtney Alexander, Fresno State

Selland Arena (Fresno, California)

2001

Hawaii

78–72

Tulsa

Carl English, Hawaii

Reynolds Center (Tulsa, Oklahoma)

2002

Hawaii

73–59

Tulsa

Predrag Savović, Hawaii

Reynolds Center (Tulsa, Oklahoma)

2003

Tulsa

75–64

Nevada

Kevin Johnson, Tulsa

Reynolds Center (Tulsa, Oklahoma)

Consulting the tabular data and the passages listed below.

Provide an answer to this question: In what conference does the 2001 winning team currently play in ? Output only the correct answer as {"answer": "YOUR ANSWER"}. Use only the information given.

The 1984 Western Athletic Conference Men 's Basketball Tournament was held March 7-10 at the Special Events Center in El Paso , Texas . This was the first edition of the tournament . Top-seeded UTEP defeated New Mexico in the inaugural championship game , 44-38 , to clinch their first WAC men 's tournament championship . The Miners , in turn , received an automatic bid to the 1984 NCAA Tournament while second-seeded BYU , who fell in the semifinal round , received an at-large bid .
The UTEP Miners is the name given to the sports teams of the University of Texas at El Paso ( UTEP ) . They are informally referred to as the Miners , UTEP , or Texas-El Paso . UTEP was a member of the Western Athletic Conference from 1967 to 2005 , when they joined Rice , Tulsa , and SMU in leaving the WAC for Conference USA . The UTEP Miners are best known as the only team in Texas to win a NCAA Men 's Basketball Championship . UTEP 's colors are orange and blue and the mascot is a miner named Paydirt Pete .
The New Mexico Lobos men 's basketball team represents the University of New Mexico , competing in the Mountain West Conference ( MWC ) in NCAA Division I. UNM established basketball as a varsity sport in 1899 and began competing with regional colleges after establishing an athletics department in 1920 . Lobo basketball first achieved national prominence after Bob King was hired as head coach in 1962 . King transformed a moribund program into a consistent winner and produced future ABA MVP Mel Daniels . The Lobos won the Western Athletic Conference ( WAC ) championship in 1964 and 1968 , making frequent appearances in national rankings . The team reached the NIT tournament final in 1964 and received its first bid to the NCAA tournament in 1968 . The success of the program continued after King departed , winning WAC titles in 1974 , 1978 , and 1994 , winning the conference tournament in 1993 and 1996 , and regularly earning post-season tournament bids . The Lobos became frequent participants in the NCAA tournament during the 1990s and have made fifteen appearances overall , as well as nineteen NIT appearances . They have won the MWC regular season championship and the conference tournament four times each . In addition to Daniels , other prominent players produced by the Lobo program include five-time NBA champion Michael Cooper , three-time NBA champion Luc Longley , NBA all-star Danny Granger , and Kenny Thomas . The most renowned enduring feature of the Lobo basketball program is its home venue , known as The Pit , recognized as one of the best college basketball arenas in the country . The Pit opened in 1966 and the Lobos have been dominant playing there , winning over eighty percent of their games , while regularly placing among national leaders in attendance . The arena has frequently hosted NCAA tournament games , including the 1983 NCAA Final Four that featured one of the most memorable finishes in tournament history .
The Don Haskins Center , formerly known as the Special Events Center , is the home of UTEP Miners men 's and women 's basketball . The venue is located in the heart of El Paso , Texas . In addition to hosting sporting events , the Don Haskins Center is also used by many area schools , such as El Paso Community College , for graduation and commencement ceremonies . Due to its large seating capacity , the center is also the city 's premier entertainment venue and has hosted big-name acts such as pop star Shakira 's Tour of the Mongoose , Oral Fixation Tour and The Sun Comes Out World Tour , Britney Spears during her Circus Tour , comedian George Lopez and rock band KISS .
El Paso ( /ɛl ˈpæsoʊ/ ; from Spanish , the pass ) is a city and the county seat of El Paso County , Texas , United States , in the far western part of the state . The 2018 population estimate for the city from the U.S. Census was 682,669 , making it the 22nd largest city in the United States . Its metropolitan statistical area ( MSA ) covers all of El Paso and Hudspeth counties in Texas , and has a population of 840,758 . El Paso stands on the Rio Grande across the Mexico-United States border from Ciudad Juárez , the most populous city in the Mexican state of Chihuahua with 1.4 million people . Las Cruces , in the neighboring U.S. state of New Mexico , has a population of 215,579 . On the U.S. side , the El Paso metropolitan area forms part of the larger El Paso-Las Cruces CSA , with a population of 1,060,397 . Bi-nationally , these three cities form a combined international metropolitan area sometimes referred to as the Paso del Norte or the Borderplex . The region of 2.5 million people constitutes the largest bilingual and binational work force in the Western Hemisphere . The city is home to three publicly traded companies , and former Western Refining , now Andeavor . as well as home to the Medical Center of the Americas , the only medical research and care provider complex in West Texas and Southern New Mexico , and the University of Texas at El Paso , the city 's primary university . The city hosts the annual Sun Bowl college football post-season game , the second oldest bowl game in the country . El Paso has a strong federal and military presence .
The 1985 Western Athletic Conference Men 's Basketball Tournament was held March 4-7 at the Special Events Center in El Paso , Texas . In their first season in the WAC , San Diego State defeated defending champions UTEP in the championship game , 87-81 , to clinch their first WAC men 's tournament championship . The Aztecs , in turn , received an automatic bid to the 1985 NCAA Tournament while top-seeded UTEP additionally received an at-large bid .
The San Diego State Aztecs are the athletic teams that represent San Diego State University ( SDSU ) . San Diego State currently sponsors six men 's and thirteen women 's sports at the varsity level . The Aztecs compete in NCAA Division I ( FBS for football ) . Its primary conference is the Mountain West Conference . The women 's water polo team participates in the Golden Coast Conference after leaving the Big West Conference in July 2013 . The men 's soccer team participates as an associate member of the Pac-12 Conference . The women 's rowing team is a member of the American Athletic Conference ( The American ) , following moves from the Western Intercollegiate Rowing Association ( WIRA ) to Conference USA ( C-USA ) in 2013 and from C-USA to The American in 2014 . San Diego State 's football team had intended to move to the Big East Conference beginning in 2013 with the remainder of its current Mountain West sports moving to the Big West , but on January 17 it was reported that all of San Diego State 's athletic teams would be readmitted to the Mountain West . News reports ( especially on local radio ) often mention Montezuma Mesa or news from the mesa when discussing San Diego State-related sports events . The San Diego State campus is known as Montezuma Mesa , as the university is situated on a mesa overlooking Mission Valley and is located at the intersection of Montezuma Road and College Avenue in the city of San Diego .
The 1986 Western Athletic Conference Men 's Basketball Tournament was held March 4-8 at the Arena-Auditorium at the University of Wyoming in Laramie , Wyoming . UTEP defeated top-seeded Wyoming in the championship game , 65-64 , to clinch their second WAC men 's tournament championship . The Miners , in turn , received an automatic bid to the 1986 NCAA Tournament . Third-seeded Utah , who lost in the quarterfinal round , also earned an at-large bid .
The University of Wyoming men 's basketball program , which competes in the Mountain West Conference , has a lengthy tradition dating back to 1905 . Wyoming won the 1943 NCAA championship under Hall of Fame coach Everett Shelton and behind star guard Ken Sailors , who pioneered the jump shot that is now the standard in basketball . Wyoming has made a total of 15 appearances in the NCAA Tournament . Since the Mountain West was formed in 1999 , Wyoming has won two conference titles , including an outright championship in 2002 . Prior to that , Wyoming won five championships in the Western Athletic Conference , eight championships in the Skyline Conference , and one championship in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference .
Eric Charles Leckner ( born May 27 , 1966 ) is a retired American professional basketball player who was selected by the Utah Jazz in the first round ( 17th overall ) of the 1988 NBA Draft . He attended Mira Costa High School in Manhattan Beach , California , and played collegiately at the University of Wyoming . A center , Leckner played in 8 NBA seasons for the Utah Jazz , Sacramento Kings , Charlotte Hornets , Philadelphia 76ers , Detroit Pistons and Vancouver Grizzlies . His best year as a pro was during the 1993-94 season when he appeared in 71 games and averaged 5.1 ppg for the 76ers .
Arena-Auditorium is a 15,028-seat multi-purpose arena in Laramie , Wyoming . The arena opened in 1982 and has since been the home of the University of Wyoming Cowboys basketball team , as well as home to the Cowgirls basketball team since 2003 . It replaced the previous home of Cowboys basketball , War Memorial Fieldhouse . [ citation needed ] Nicknamed the Dome of Doom and the Double A , the Arena-Auditorium is the highest NCAA Division I college basketball court in the nation , built at an elevation of 7,220 ft ( 2,201 m ) . The facility hosted the 1986 and 1991 Western Athletic Conference men 's basketball tournaments . It also hosted the West Regional of the 2006 NCAA Wrestling Tournament . The largest crowd to watch a basketball game at the Arena-Auditorium was on March 2 , 2002 when Wyoming played Utah in men 's basketball . Wyoming won that game by a final score of 57-56 in front of 16,089 people . In 2007 the Cowgirls hosted 5 Women 's National Invitation Tournament ( WNIT ) games at the Double A , plus the March 31st WNIT championship game in which Wyoming beat the Wisconsin Badgers 72-56 . For the title game against Wisconsin , the women 's basketball team sold out the Double A in less than 14 hours following their semi-final victory against Kansas State . [ citation needed ] The 15,462 in attendance was largest crowd ever for a women 's basketball game played at the University of Wyoming , as well as the second biggest crowd ever at the Double A and second biggest in WNIT tournament history . Then-Senator Barack Obama spoke to a capacity crowd at the AA on March 7 , 2008 .
Laramie /ˈlærəmi/ is a city in and the county seat of Albany County , Wyoming , United States . The population was 30,816 at the 2010 census . Located on the Laramie River in southeastern Wyoming , the city is west of Cheyenne , at the junction of Interstate 80 and U.S. Route 287 . Laramie was settled in the mid-19th century along the Union Pacific Railroad line , which crosses the Laramie River at Laramie . It is home to the University of Wyoming , WyoTech , and a branch of Laramie County Community College . Laramie Regional Airport serves Laramie . The ruins of Fort Sanders , an army fort predating Laramie , lie just south of the city along Route 287 . Located in the Laramie Valley between the Snowy Range and the Laramie Range , the city draws outdoor enthusiasts with its abundance of outdoor activities . In 2011 , Laramie was named as one of the best cities in which to retire by Money Magazine , which cited its scenic location , low taxes , and educational opportunities .
The 1987 Western Athletic Conference Men 's Basketball Tournament was held March 5-8 at the Pit at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque , New Mexico . Wyoming defeated tournament hosts New Mexico in the championship game , 64-62 , to clinch their first WAC men 's tournament championship . The Cowboys , in turn , received an automatic bid to the 1987 NCAA Tournament . The tournament 's top two seeds , UTEP and BYU , also earned at-large bids to the tournament .
The Pit , formally named Dreamstyle Arena , is an indoor arena in Albuquerque , New Mexico , serving primarily as the home venue of the University of New Mexico Lobo basketball teams . The facility opened in 1966 as University Arena but gained the nickname The Pit due to its innovative subterranean design , with its playing floor 37 feet ( 11 m ) below street level . The arena is located on the UNM South Campus and has a seating capacity of 15,411 for basketball and up to 13,480 for concerts , with 40 luxury suites and 365 club seats . The Pit is widely recognized as one of the top college basketball venues in the U.S. , and as one of the loudest . The New Mexico Lobos have enjoyed tremendous success at The Pit , winning over 80% of their games there , and attendance has consistently been among the best in college basketball . Renovations completed in 2010 added more space and state-of-the-art amenities for fans , coaches and players . The Pit has frequently hosted NCAA basketball tournament games , including the 1983 Final Four , which featured one of the most famous games in college basketball history where North Carolina State upset Houston .
Albuquerque ( /ˈælbəkɜːrki/ ( listen ) AL-bə-kur-kee ; Navajo : Beeʼeldííl Dahsinil [ pèːʔèltíːl tɑ̀xsɪ̀nɪ̀l ] ; Eastern Keres : Arawageeki ; Jemez : Vakêêke ; Zuni : Alo : ke : k'ya ; Jicarilla Apache : Gołgéeki'yé ) , abbreviated as ABQ , is the most populous city in the U.S. state of New Mexico , and the 32nd-most populous city in the United States . The city 's nicknames are The Duke City and Burque , both of which reference its 1706 founding by Nuevo México governor Francisco Cuervo y Valdés as La Villa de Alburquerque , named in honor of then Viceroy the 10th Duke of Alburquerque , the Villa was an outpost on El Camino Real for the Tiquex and Hispano towns in the area ( such as Barelas , Corrales , Isleta Pueblo , Los Ranchos , and Sandia Pueblo ) . Since the city 's founding it has continued to be included on travel and trade routes including Santa Fe Railway ( ATSF ) , Route 66 , Interstate 25 , Interstate 40 , and the Albuquerque International Sunport . The population census-estimated population of the city as 560,218 in 2018 , it is the principal city of the Albuquerque metropolitan area , which has 915,927 residents as of July 2018 . The metropolitan population includes Rio Rancho , Bernalillo , Placitas , Zia Pueblo , Los Lunas , Belen , South Valley , Bosque Farms , Jemez Pueblo , Cuba , and part of Laguna Pueblo . This metro is included in the larger Albuquerque-Santa Fe-Las Vegas combined statistical area , with a population of 1,171,991 as of 2016 . The CSA constitutes the southernmost point of the Southern Rocky Mountain Front megalopolis , including other major Rocky Mountain region cities such as Cheyenne , Wyoming , and Denver , Colorado , with a population of 5,467,633 according to the 2010 United States Census . Albuquerque serves as the county seat of Bernalillo County , and is in north-central New Mexico . The Sandia Mountains run along the eastern side of Albuquerque , and the Rio Grande flows north to south through its center , while the West Mesa and Petroglyph National Monument make up the western part of the city . Albuquerque has one of the highest elevations of any major city in the U.S. , ranging from 4,900 feet ( 1,490 m ) above sea level near the Rio Grande to over 6,700 feet ( 1,950 m ) in the foothill areas of Sandia Heights and Glenwood Hills . The civic apex is found in an undeveloped area within the Albuquerque Open Space ; there , the terrain rises to an elevation of approximately 6880+ feet ( 2,097 m ) . The economy of Albuquerque centers on science , medicine , technology , commerce , education , entertainment , and culture outlets .
The 1988 Western Athletic Conference Men 's Basketball Tournament was held March 9-12 at the Marriott Center at Brigham Young University in Provo , Utah . Wyoming defeated UTEP in the championship game , 79-75 , to clinch their second overall , as well as second consecutive , WAC men 's tournament championship The Cowboys , in turn , received an automatic bid to the 1988 NCAA Tournament . They were joined in the tournament by BYU and UTEP , both of whom received at-large bids .
The Marriott Center is a multi-purpose arena in the western United States , located on the campus of Brigham Young University in Provo , Utah . It is home to the BYU Cougars men 's and women 's basketball teams . The seating capacity for basketball games at the Marriott Center is officially 18,987 . The largest basketball arena in the West Coast Conference ( in which BYU competes for most sports , except football ) , it is among the largest on-campus basketball arenas in the nation . In addition to basketball , the Marriott Center is used for weekly devotionals and forums . The elevation of the court is approximately 4,650 feet ( 1,420 m ) above sea level .
Provo /ˈproʊvoʊ/ is the third-largest city in Utah , United States . It is 43 miles ( 69 km ) south of Salt Lake City along the Wasatch Front . Provo is the largest city and county seat of Utah County . It is home to Brigham Young University , and Sundance Resort is located just northeast of the city . While Father Silvestre Vélez de Escalante , a Spanish Franciscan missionary-explorer , is considered the first European visitor to the area that would become Provo , the first permanent settlement was established in 1849 as Fort Utah . The name was changed to Provo in 1850 , in honor of Étienne Provost , an early French-Canadian trapper . Provo 's climate lies in the transition zone between a humid subtropical climate and humid continental climate , with temperatures averaging between about 94 °F or 34.4 °C in the summer and 40 °F or 4.4 °C in the winter . Average annual precipitation ( rain and snow ) is just under 20 inches ( 51 cm ) . The population of Provo has grown from 2030 in 1860 to an estimated 116,702 in 2018 . The 2010 census showed slightly more females than males , with over 55% of the population living as couples , and almost 35% of households having children under the age of 18 . The population is over 90% Christian , with almost 89% being Latter Day Saints . The economy in Provo is powered by many different businesses and organizations , including over 100 restaurants , two shopping malls , multiple universities and colleges , a number of small companies , and several large international businesses .
The 1989 Western Athletic Conference Men 's Basketball Tournament was held March 8-11 at the Jon M. Huntsman Center at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City , Utah . UTEP defeated top-seeded Colorado State in the championship game , 73-60 , to clinch their third WAC men 's tournament championship The Miners , in turn , received an automatic bid to the 1989 NCAA Tournament . They were joined in the tournament by regular season champions Colorado State , who earned an at-large bid .
The University of Texas at El Paso ( UTEP ) is a public research university in El Paso , Texas . It is a member of the University of Texas System . UTEP is the second-largest university in the United States to have a majority Mexican American student population ( about 80% ) after the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley . It is classified among R1 : Doctoral Universities - Very high research activity . The university 's School of Engineering is the nation 's top producer of Hispanic engineers with M.S . and Ph.D. degrees . UTEP is home to the Sun Bowl stadium , which hosts the annual college football competition the Sun Bowl every winter . The campus is one of the few places in the world outside of Bhutan or Tibet to have buildings created with the Dzong architectural style . It sits on hillsides overlooking the Rio Grande river , with Ciudad Juárez in view across the Mexico-United States border .
The Colorado State Rams are the athletic teams that represent Colorado State University ( CSU ) . Colorado State 's athletic teams compete along with 8 other institutions in the Mountain West Conference , which is an NCAA Division I conference and sponsors Division I FBS football . The Conference was formed in 1999 , splitting from the former 16-member Western Athletic Conference . CSU has won 9 MWC tournament championships and won or shared 11 regular season titles . Rams football teams won or shared the Mountain West title in 1999 , 2000 and 2002 . Hughes Stadium ( capacity : 34,000 ) was home to Rams football from 1968 through 2016 . The field at Hughes Stadium , named Sonny Lubick Field after the Rams ' coach , underwent a $ 15.2 million renovation for the fall 2005 season . Hughes Stadium was replaced for the 2017 season by the new Colorado State Stadium ( capacity 41,000 ) , whose playing field also bears Lubick 's name ; the stadium 's name was changed to Canvas Stadium in 2018 . Moby Arena ( capacity : 9,000 ) originally constructed in 1966 and remodeled in 1996 , is home to the men 's and women 's basketball teams , as well as the CSU Rams volleyball team . The official school colors are green and gold . The CSU fight song and Fum 's song are two popular school songs . Colorado State has three major rivalries .
Timothy Duane Hardaway Sr. ( born September 1 , 1966 ) is an American retired basketball player . At 6 ft ( 1.83 m ) tall , he was best known for his crossover dribble which was dubbed the UTEP Two-step by television analysts . He is the father of current NBA player Tim Hardaway Jr .
The Jon M. Huntsman Center is a 15,000-seat indoor arena in the western United States , on the campus of the University of Utah in Salt Lake City . It is the home of the Utah Utes of the Pac-12 Conference , the primary venue for basketball and gymnastics .
Salt Lake City ( often shortened to Salt Lake and abbreviated as SLC ) is the capital and most populous municipality of the U.S. state of Utah , as well as the seat of Salt Lake County , the most populous county in Utah . With an estimated population of 200,591 in 2018 , the city is the core of the Salt Lake City metropolitan area , which has a population of 1,222,540 ( 2018 estimate ) . Salt Lake City is further situated within a larger metropolis known as the Salt Lake City-Ogden-Provo Combined Statistical Area , a corridor of contiguous urban and suburban development stretched along a 120-mile ( 190 km ) segment of the Wasatch Front , comprising a population of 2,606,548 ( as of 2018 estimates ) . It is one of only two major urban areas in the Great Basin . The world headquarters of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ( LDS Church ) is located in Salt Lake City . The city was founded in 1847 by followers of the church , led by Brigham Young , who were seeking to escape persecution that they had experienced while living farther east . The Mormon pioneers , as they would come to be known , entered an arid valley and immediately began building , planning , and extending an extensive irrigation network which could feed the population and foster future growth . Salt Lake City 's street grid system is based on a standard compass grid plan , with the Salt Lake Temple at the origin . Due to its proximity to the Great Salt Lake , the city was named Great Salt Lake City . In 1868 , the 17th Utah Territorial Legislature dropped the word Great from the city 's name . Immigration of international members of the church , mining booms , and the construction of the first transcontinental railroad initially brought economic growth , and the city was nicknamed the Crossroads of the West . It was traversed by the Lincoln Highway , the first transcontinental highway , in 1913 .
The 1990 Western Athletic Conference Men 's Basketball Tournament was held March 7-10 at the Special Events Center at the University of Texas at El Paso in El Paso , Texas . UTEP defeated Hawaii in the championship game , 75-58 , to clinch their fourth overall , and second consecutive , WAC men 's tournament championship The Miners , in turn , received an automatic bid to the 1990 NCAA Tournament . They were joined in the tournament by the WAC regular season co-champions Colorado State and BYU , who both earned at-large bids ( both teams lost their WAC quarterfinal games to lower seeds ) .
The Hawaii Rainbow Warriors basketball team represents the University of Hawaii at Manoa in NCAA men 's competition . ( Women 's sports teams at the school are known as Rainbow Wahine . ) The team currently competes in the Big West Conference after leaving its longtime home of the Western Athletic Conference in July 2012 . The team 's most recent appearance in the NCAA Division I Men 's Basketball Tournament was in 2016 , with them getting their first NCAA Tournament victory that same year as well . The Rainbow Warriors are coached by Eran Ganot .
Gregory Clinton Foster ( born October 3 , 1968 ) is an American retired professional basketball player . He currently is an assistant coach with the Atlanta Hawks after spending 2013-14 season as the assistant for player development of the Philadelphia 76ers and assistant coach with the Milwaukee Bucks of the National Basketball Association ( NBA ) .
The 1991 Western Athletic Conference Men 's Basketball Tournament was held March 6-9 at the Arena-Auditorium at the University of Wyoming in Laramie , Wyoming . BYU defeated rival Utah in the championship game , 51-49 , to clinch their first WAC men 's tournament championship . The Cougars , in turn , received an automatic bid to the 1991 NCAA Tournament . They were joined in the tournament by Utah , the WAC regular season champion , and New Mexico .
The BYU Cougars men 's basketball team represents Brigham Young University in NCAA Division I basketball play . Established in 1902 , the team has won 27 conference championships , 3 conference tournament championships and 2 NIT Tournaments ( 1951 and 1966 ) , and competed in 29 NCAA Tournaments . It currently competes in the West Coast Conference . From 1999-2011 , the team competed in the Mountain West Conference .
The Utah Utes men 's basketball team represents the University of Utah as an NCAA Division I program that plays in the Pac-12 Conference . They are currently led by head coach Larry Krystkowiak and play their home games at the Jon M. Huntsman Center . The school has made the NCAA Tournament 27 times , which ranks 20th in NCAA history and tied for third most appearances behind UCLA and the University of Arizona in the Western United States . They last made the tournament in 2016 . Utah won the NCAA Championship in 1944 , defeating Dartmouth College 42-40 for the school 's only NCAA basketball championship . However , the school also claims the 1916 AAU National Championship , which was awarded after winning the AAU national tournament . They have also won the NIT once , defeating Kentucky in 1947 . In 1998 , the Utes played in the NCAA championship game , losing to Kentucky .
Shawn Paul Bradley ( born March 22 , 1972 ) is a German-American former basketball player who played center for the Philadelphia 76ers , New Jersey Nets , and Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association ( NBA ) . At 7 ft 6.36 in ( 2.30 m ) tall , Bradley was one of the tallest players in NBA history . Bradley was born in Landstuhl , West Germany as his family was stationed at the U.S. Military base medical facility , and grew up in Castle Dale , Utah . He also holds German citizenship . Bradley was featured in the ESPN 30 for 30 short documentary Posterized given his propensity for being on the wrong end of a lot of great dunks .
The 1992 Western Athletic Conference Men 's Basketball Tournament was held March 11-13 at Moby Arena at Colorado State University in Fort Collins , Colorado . Top-seeded BYU repeated as tournament champions by defeating UTEP in the championship game , 73-71 , to clinch their second overall WAC men 's tournament championship . Both teams shared the WAC regular season conference title . The Cougars , in turn , received an automatic bid to the 1992 NCAA Tournament . They were joined in the tournament by UTEP , who earned an at-large bid .
Eddie Rivera ( born 7 July 1970 ) is a Puerto Rican basketball player . He competed in the men 's tournament at the 1996 Summer Olympics .
Moby Arena is an 8,745-seat basketball arena in Fort Collins , in the U.S. state of Colorado . The arena , officially known as the Colorado State Auditorium-Gymnasium , was opened on January 27 , 1966 , with a victory over New Mexico State . The arena was built to replace South College Gymnasium , which was built in 1926 and seated 1,500 people .
Fort Collins is a municipality in northern Colorado , which serves as the seat of Larimer County . Situated on the Cache La Poudre River along the Colorado Front Range , Fort Collins is located 56 mi ( 90 km ) north of the Colorado State Capitol in Denver . With a 2018 estimated population of 167,830 , it is the fourth most populous city in Colorado after Denver , Colorado Springs , and Aurora . Fort Collins is a midsize college city , home to Colorado State University and Front Range Community College 's Larimer campus .
The 1993 Western Athletic Conference Men 's Basketball Tournament was held March 10-13 at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City , Utah . This was the first WAC tournament not held on a campus arena . New Mexico defeated UTEP in the championship game , 76-65 , to clinch their first WAC men 's tournament championship . The Lobos , in turn , received an automatic bid to the 1993 NCAA Tournament . They were joined in the tournament by the conference 's regular season co-champions , Utah and BYU , who received at-large bids to the tournament .
Vivint Smart Home Arena is an indoor arena located in Salt Lake City , Utah . The building is owned by the Miller Family Legacy Trust . The arena is the home of the Utah Jazz of the National Basketball Association ( NBA ) and has been the home venue for other professional athletic teams such as the Utah Blaze of the Arena Football League and the Utah Starzz of the Women 's National Basketball Association ( WNBA ) . It seats 18,306 for basketball , has 56 luxury suites , and 668 club seats . Opened in 1991 , the arena was known as the Delta Center , under a naming rights deal with Delta Air Lines , which has a hub at Salt Lake City International Airport . Salt Lake City-based EnergySolutions purchased the naming rights in November 2006 , after Delta decided not to renew their 15-year contract due to filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy the year prior . From 2006 to 2015 , it was known as EnergySolutions Arena . On October 26 , 2015 , the arena was renamed as part of a 10-year naming rights contract with the Provo-based home security system provider Vivint . The arena was also home to the figure skating and short track speed skating competitions of the 2002 Winter Olympics , where it was referred to as the Salt Lake Ice Center .
The 1994 Western Athletic Conference Men 's Basketball Tournament was held March 9-12 at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City , Utah . Hawaii defeated BYU in the championship game , 73-66 , to clinch their first WAC men 's tournament championship . The Rainbow Warriors , in turn , received an automatic bid to the 1994 NCAA Tournament . They were joined in the tournament by the conference 's regular season champions , New Mexico , who received an at-large bid to the tournament .
Trevor Ruffin ( born September 26 , 1970 in Buffalo , New York ) is an American professional basketball player formerly in the NBA and the ABA . The 6 ' 1 point guard played at the University of Hawaiʻi from 1992-1994 . While leading the Rainbow Warriors to a 1994 NCAA Tournament appearance , Trevor set the school 's single game individual scoring record with 42 points vs. the University of Louisville . He entered the NBA undrafted in 1994 , where he played with the Phoenix Suns and the Philadelphia 76ers from 1994-1996 . He played with the PAOK from Thessaloniki Greece in 1995 . He was waived by the ABA 's Buffalo Rapids/Silverbacks during the 2005-2006 season due to injury but returned as interim head coach in November 2006 following the resignation of Richard Jacob . He has since been succeeded by Marc Fulcher . Although he only started in 24 out of 110 career NBA games , Ruffin was known to provide instant point production when he entered the game as a substitute . Similar to another 6 ' 1 former Phoenix Sun guard Eddie House , Ruffin provided instant offense when he came into the game off the bench . In fact , during his rookie season with Phoenix in 1994-95 , he averaged 29.2 points per 40 minutes ( nearly 5 points in 6.5 minutes per game ) while playing as a 12th man behind Elliot Perry and Kevin Johnson .
The 1995 Western Athletic Conference Men 's Basketball Tournament was held March 8-11 at The Pit at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque , New Mexico . Top-seeded Utah defeated defending champions Hawaii in the championship game , 67-54 , to clinch their first WAC men 's tournament championship . The Utes , in turn , received an automatic bid to the 1995 NCAA Tournament . They were joined in the tournament by BYU , who received an at-large bid to the tournament .
Keith Adam Van Horn ( born October 23 , 1975 ) is an American former professional basketball played in the National Basketball Association ( NBA ) from 1997 to 2006 . A forward , Van Horn finished his collegiate career at the University of Utah as the all-time leading scorer in the history of the Western Athletic Conference ( WAC ) . He was a consensus first-team All-American in 1997 . Van Horn was selected by the Philadelphia 76ers with the second pick in the 1997 NBA draft and was traded to the New Jersey Nets on draft night . In his first NBA season , he was named to the 1997 NBA All-Rookie Team . Van Horn played for the Nets from 1997 to 2002 , leading the team in scoring in the 1997-98 and 1998-99 seasons , finishing fifth in the NBA in scoring in the 1998-99 season , and was a key member of the 2001-02 Nets ' team that made the NBA Finals . He would also go on to play for the 76ers , the New York Knicks , the Milwaukee Bucks , and the Dallas Mavericks . Van Horn averaged 16 points and nearly seven rebounds per game during his NBA career .
The 1996 Western Athletic Conference Men 's Basketball Tournament was held March 6-9 at The Pit at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque , New Mexico . Hosts New Mexico upset top-seeded , defending champions Utah in the championship game , 64-60 , to clinch their second WAC men 's tournament championship . The Lobos , in turn , received an automatic bid to the 1996 NCAA Division I Tournament . They were joined in the tournament by WAC regular season champions Utah , who received an at-large bid .
Kenneth Cornelius Thomas ( born July 25 , 1977 ) is an American retired professional basketball player who played eleven seasons in the National Basketball Association ( NBA ) . He attended Austin High School , in El Paso , Texas , for three seasons before moving to Albuquerque , New Mexico to play for Albuquerque High School during his senior season . Averaging 25.2 points and 16.9 rebounds each game , Thomas helped Albuquerque to a 22-3 record and Class 4A state title . Parade named him a boys ' basketball All-American in 1995 . Thomas attended the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque , one of the highest-profile recruits to ever attend the school . He is second on the Lobos ' all-time scoring list ( 1,931 points ) , career blocks list ( 239 ) , and career dunks list ( 114 ) , and leads the school 's lists in career rebounds ( 1,032 ) , freshman scoring ( 484 ) and rebounding ( 256 ) , and personal fouls for a season ( 118 ) and career ( 383 ) . Thomas is one of eight Lobos to be selected as an All-American ( 1998 ) . Kenny led the Lobos to four consecutive NCAA Tournament first round wins . UNM was an amazing 71-3 in The PIT in Kenny 's four years with the Lobos including 41 consecutive wins . < Courtesy UNM SID > The Houston Rockets selected Thomas as the 22nd pick in the 1999 NBA Draft . He led his team in rebounds for the 1999-2000 season , making him one of only two rookies to do so . Thomas was consistently among the team leaders in rebounds and blocked shots before being traded to the Philadelphia 76ers during the 2002-03 season .
The 1997 Western Athletic Conference Men 's Basketball Tournament was held March 4-8 at the Thomas & Mack Center at the University of Nevada , Las Vegas in Paradise , Nevada . Top-seeded Utah easily defeated tenth-seeded TCU in the championship game , 89-68 , to clinch their second WAC men 's tournament championship . The Utes , in turn , received an automatic bid to the 1997 NCAA Division I Tournament . Utah would ultimately defeat Navy , UNC Charlotte , and Stanford on their way to the Elite Eight , where they lost Kentucky . They were joined in the tournament by Tulsa and New Mexico , who earned at-large bids .
The TCU Horned Frogs are the athletic teams that represent Texas Christian University . The 18 varsity teams participate in NCAA Division I and in the Football Bowl Subdivision ( FBS ) for football , competing mostly in the Big 12 Conference . The school was a founding member of the Southwest Conference and was a member of the Western Athletic Conference , Conference USA , and the Mountain West Conference before joining the Big 12 . Two TCU teams participate outside the Big 12 in sports not sponsored by that conference . The rifle team competes in the Patriot Rifle Conference , and the beach volleyball team is set to join the Coastal Collegiate Sports Association ( CCSA ) for the 2018-19 school year . The horned frog nickname and mascot refer to the Texas horned lizard , also known as the horned frog .
Thomas & Mack Center is an arena located on the campus of the University of Nevada , Las Vegas in Paradise , Nevada . It is home of the UNLV Runnin ' Rebels basketball team of the Mountain West Conference .
Paradise is an unincorporated town and census-designated place ( CDP ) in Clark County , Nevada , United States , adjacent to the city of Las Vegas . The population was 231,858 as of 2017 , making it the most populous CDP in the United States . As an unincorporated town , it is governed by the Clark County Commission with input from the Paradise Town Advisory Board . Paradise was formed on December 8 , 1950 . Paradise contains McCarran International Airport ; the University of Nevada , Las Vegas ( UNLV ) ; and most of the Las Vegas Strip . Paradise contains most tourist attractions in the Las Vegas area , excluding downtown . Despite this , the name Paradise remains relatively unknown because all of the ZIP Codes serving Paradise are assigned the default place name Las Vegas .
The 1998 Western Athletic Conference Men 's Basketball Tournament was held March 3-7 at the Thomas & Mack Center at the University of Nevada , Las Vegas in Paradise , Nevada . Hosts UNLV upset New Mexico in the championship game , 56-51 , to clinch their first WAC men 's tournament championship . The Rebels , in turn , received an automatic bid to the 1998 NCAA Tournament . They were joined in the tournament by three other WAC members , New Mexico , TCU , and Utah , who all earned at-large bids . Utah , who was also the WAC regular season champion , ultimately went on to the national championship game , losing to Kentucky , while knocking off San Francisco , Arkansas , West Virginia , Arizona , and North Carolina on their way to title game .
The UNLV Runnin ' Rebels are the mens basketball team that represent the University of Nevada , Las Vegas , in the Mountain West Conference of the National Collegiate Athletic Association ( NCAA ) ; it plays at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas . As of 2009 , UNLV had the fourth-highest winning percentage ( .712 ) in Division I history , ranking behind Kentucky , North Carolina and Kansas , but ahead of UCLA and Duke . UNLV is 33-19 all-time in the NCAA tournament with a 63.5 winning percentage . In July 2008 , ESPNU named the program the eighth most prestigious collegiate basketball program in the nation since the 1984-85 season .
The 1999 Western Athletic Conference Men 's Basketball Tournament was held March 2-6 at the Thomas & Mack Center at the University of Nevada , Las Vegas in Paradise , Nevada . This was the final tournament before the formation of the Mountain West Conference . Top-seeded Utah defeated New Mexico in the championship game , 60-45 , to clinch their third WAC men 's tournament championship . The Utes , in turn , received an automatic bid to the 1999 NCAA Tournament . They were joined in the tournament by two other WAC members , New Mexico and Tulsa , who all earned at-large bids .
Alex Jensen ( born May 16 , 1976 ) is an American former professional basketball player and current assistant coach for the Utah Jazz of the National Basketball Association ( NBA ) and of the German national team . He was a standout college player at the University of Utah .
The 2000 Western Athletic Conference Men 's Basketball Tournament was held March 9-11 at the Selland Arena at Fresno State University in Fresno , California . Hosts Fresno State upset top-seeded Tulsa in the championship game , 75-72 , to clinch their first WAC men 's tournament championship . However , most of the Bulldogs ' season was later vacated by the NCAA for using an ineligible player . The Bulldogs , nonetheless , received the WAC 's automatic bid to the 2000 NCAA Tournament . They were joined in the tournament by WAC regular season champion Tulsa , who earned an at-large bid .
The Fresno State Bulldogs are the athletic teams that represent California State University , Fresno ( commonly referred to as Fresno State ) . The university is a member of NCAA Division I 's Mountain West Conference ( MW ) . It was a member of the Western Athletic Conference from 1992 until 2012 , when it left for the Mountain West alongside fellow WAC member Nevada . Fresno State had also been a member of the Big West Conference since the 1969-70 ( the conference was known as the Pacific Coast Athletic Association at that time until 1988 ) , and a member of the California Collegiate Athletic Association from its beginning in the 1939-40 season ( when Fresno State was in NCAA Division II ) . The university has won two NCAA Division I Championships , in softball ( 1998 ) and baseball ( 2008 ) . Fresno State currently sponsors nine men 's and thirteen women 's sports at the varsity level .
The Tulsa Golden Hurricane men 's basketball team represents the University of Tulsa in Tulsa , in the U.S. state of Oklahoma . The team participates in the American Athletic Conference . The Golden Hurricane hired Frank Haith from Missouri on April 17 , 2014 to replace Danny Manning , who had resigned to take the Wake Forest job after the 2013-14 season . The team has long been successful , especially since the hiring of Nolan Richardson in 1980 . Many big-name coaches previously worked at Tulsa , like University of Kansas coach Bill Self and Minnesota coach Tubby Smith . The Hurricane have been to the NCAA Tournament 14 times in their history . In addition , they have won two National Invitation Tournaments , in 1981 and 2001 , and one CBI tournament . In 2005 , Street & Smith 's named the University of Tulsa as the 59th best college basketball program of all time .
Courtney Jason Alexander ( born April 27 , 1977 ) is an American former professional basketball player who was a member of three teams in the NBA .
Selland Arena is a multi-purpose arena built in 1966 that makes up part of a four-venue complex of the Fresno Convention and Entertainment Center in Fresno , California . It is named after former Fresno mayor Arthur L. Selland and has had over 10 million people walk through its doors in its over 40-year history . The arena originally had a 6,582 seating capacity , but a US $ 10 million expansion project in 1981 increased the seating to its current capacity of 10,132 . Before the 1997-1998 Fresno State basketball season , capacity was increased to 10,220 . The Selland Arena underwent an additional $ 15 million renovation in November 2006 , that included the installation of new seats , a new video replay scoreboard , message boards and a new ice-cooling system for hockey games . Currently , the arena is operated by SMG under contract from the City of Fresno .
Fresno ( /ˈfrɛznoʊ/ FREZ-noh ; Spanish for ash tree ) is a city in and the county seat of Fresno County , California , United States . It covers about 112 square miles ( 290 km2 ) in the center of the San Joaquin Valley , the southern portion of California 's Central Valley . Named for the abundant ash trees lining the San Joaquin River , Fresno was founded in 1872 as a railway station of the Central Pacific Railroad before it was incorporated in 1885 . The city has since become an economic hub of Fresno County and the San Joaquin Valley , with much of the surrounding areas in the Metropolitan Fresno region predominantly tied to large-scale agricultural production . The population of Fresno grew from 134,000 in 1960 to 428,000 in 2000 . With a census-estimated 2018 population of 530,093 , Fresno is the fifth-most populous city in California , the most populous inland city in California , and the 34th-most populous city in the nation . Fresno is near the geographical center of California . It lies approximately 220 miles ( 350 km ) north of Los Angeles , 170 miles ( 270 km ) south of the state capital , Sacramento , and 185 miles ( 300 km ) southeast of San Francisco . Yosemite National Park is about 60 miles ( 100 km ) to the north , Kings Canyon National Park is 60 miles ( 100 km ) to the east , and Sequoia National Park is 75 miles ( 120 km ) to the southeast .
The 2001 WAC Men 's Basketball Tournament was held in the Reynolds Center in Tulsa , Oklahoma . The winners of the tournament were the # 5 seeded Hawaii Warriors .
Carl Jerome English ( born February 2 , 1981 ) is a Canadian professional basketball player and general manager for the St. John 's Edge of the National Basketball League of Canada . A shooting guard , he has also played for the Canadian national team . Born in St. John 's , Newfoundland , English was a member of the provincial youth team and shone with his local school Fatima Academy , before moving to St. Thomas Aquinas . He spent four seasons at the NCAA Division I level with Hawaii , the first of which he redshirted due to injury . He earned All-WAC accolades in his final two years of college and left with the second-most career three-pointers in school history . After going undrafted in the 2003 NBA draft , English began his professional career in the NBA D-League . In 2005 , he signed with Italian team Virtus Bologna . English subsequently joined Zadar in Croatia , where he was one of the best scorers . In 2007 , he moved to Spain for several years , leading the top Spanish league in scoring with Estudiantes in 2013 . He returned to his hometown in 2017 with NBL Canada team St. John 's Edge and was named Most Valuable Player and Canadian of the Year in his first season .
Donald W. Reynolds Center is an 8,355-seat multi-purpose arena in Tulsa , Oklahoma . The arena opened in 1998 and is named for Donald W. Reynolds . It is home to the University of Tulsa Golden Hurricane basketball and volleyball teams .
Tulsa /ˈtʌlsə/ is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 45th-most populous city in the United States . As of July 2018 [ update ] , the population was 403,035 , an increase of 11,129 since the 2010 Census . It is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area , a region with 991,005 residents in the MSA and 1,251,172 in the CSA . The city serves as the county seat of Tulsa County , the most densely populated county in Oklahoma , with urban development extending into Osage , Rogers , and Wagoner counties . Tulsa was settled between 1828 and 1836 by the Lochapoka Band of Creek Native American tribe . For most of the 20th century , the city held the nickname Oil Capital of the World and played a major role as one of the most important hubs for the American oil industry . Historically , a robust energy sector fueled Tulsa 's economy ; however , today the city has diversified and leading sectors include finance , aviation , telecommunications and technology . Two institutions of higher education within the city have sports teams at the NCAA Division I level , Oral Roberts University and the University of Tulsa . It is situated on the Arkansas River between the Osage Hills and the foothills of the Ozark Mountains in northeast Oklahoma , a region of the state known as Green Country . Considered the cultural and arts center of Oklahoma , Tulsa houses two art museums , full-time professional opera and ballet companies , and one of the nation 's largest concentrations of art deco architecture . The city has been called one of America 's most livable large cities by Partners for Livable Communities , Forbes , and Relocate America . FDi Magazine in 2009 ranked the city no .
The 2002 WAC Men 's Basketball Tournament was held in the Reynolds Center in Tulsa , Oklahoma . The winners of the tournament were the # 1 seeded Hawaii Warriors .
Predrag Savović ( Serbian Cyrillic : Предраг Савовић ; born 21 May 1976 ) is a Serbian former professional basketball player . Among many teams in his professional career he played for KK Partizan Belgrade , the NBA 's Denver Nuggets and Iurbentia Bilbao of the Spanish ACB .
The University of Hawaiʻi Rainbow Warriors and Rainbow Wāhine are the athletic teams that represent the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa ( UH ) , in Honolulu , Hawaiʻi . The UH athletics program is a member of the Big West Conference in most sports and competes at the NCAA Division I level . It comprises seven men 's , 12 women 's , and two coed athletic teams .
The 2003 WAC Men 's Basketball Tournament was held in the Reynolds Center in Tulsa , Oklahoma . The winners of the tournament were the # 1 seeded Tulsa Golden Hurricane .
The Nevada Wolf Pack men 's basketball program is a college basketball team that represents the University of Nevada , Reno . The team is currently a member of the Mountain West Conference , which is a Division I conference in the National Collegiate Athletic Association ( NCAA ) . The program began in 1913 and has won 23 regular season conference championships and five conference tournament championships . Nevada won a CBI Title in 2016 vs. Morehead State 2-1 in the series .