The college basketball offseason is here, and we decided to have some fun over the next few months, ranking ALL 364 teams in D1. Number 89 is Weber State basketball.
Before you say we’re crazy – or that all of this is up for debate, let’s go over the very intricate process of how we came to this conclusion. We took a very statistical approach – with the help of Chat GPT – taking into consideration everything from March Madness wins and finishes, to AP Poll appearances, to conference players of the year. And then, a good friend of ours, Scott Blanchard, took our approach to the MAX.
Click here to visit the FIRST article, which explains how the formula works!
Here’s the breakdown of Weber State basketball!
NCAA Tournament Success
- Championships: 0
- Finals appearances: 0
- Final Fours: 0
- Elite Eights: 0
- Sweet 16s: 2
- NCAA wins: 6
- Bids: 16
Consistency Over Time
- Wins per season: 18.3
- Bids per season: 0.25
- AP Polls: 7
Player Quality & Talent
- All-Americans: 0
- NBA players drafted & played: 8
- Conference Players of the Year: 12
Conference & Other Success
- Conference regular season titles: 22
- Conference tournament titles: 10
- NIT titles: 0
- Other tournament titles: 0
Overall scoop on Weber State basketball
There’s a lot to talk about when it comes to Weber State basketball, but you can’t start anywhere else than with Damian Lillard. “Dame Dolla” made headlines in a Wildcats jersey, averaging 24.5 points per game as a senior. While he never actually led them to the NCAA Tournament, he scored 1,934 points and hit 246 threes, both ranking in the top five in program history. And since then, Lillard has become one of the greatest NBA players of the 21st century and is a surefire Hall of Famer.
But Weber State has had so much more history that helped them get in the top 100. For one, they’ve reached the NCAA Tournament 16 times in 63 seasons. From 1968 to 1983, they went 10 times, led by coaches Dick Motta, Phil Johnson, Gene Visscher, and Neil McCarthy. McCarthy was also a great coach for New Mexico State, the previous program in our rankings.
But for Weber State, these tournaments often led to runs, going to the Sweet 16 in 1969 and 1972 and the round of 32 in 1979. They were no stranger to making it to March Madness and then giving the top teams a bit of a scare.
And during these decades, the Wildcats absolutely ran the Big Sky, winning the regular season title in 1965, 1966, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1976, 1979, 1980, 1983, and 1984. It’s no wonder they have 22 of them, the most in Big Sky history. Statistically, Weber State basketball has been the best program in the storied history of the Big Sky Conference, with more wins, regular season titles, and NCAA Tournaments. Only Montana has won more Big Sky Tournaments, with 12, t0 Weber State’s 10.
Obviously, Weber State doesn’t have the complete Cinderella run to an Elite 8 or a Final Four that many mid-majors in the top 100 have. But what they do have is a very consistent six-plus decades of work. The Wildcats have had 30 20/30-win seasons and 52 campaigns with a record of .500 or better. They have had one of the greatest stretches of winning and don’t seem to be slowing down either. Just look at promising player Dillon Jones also in the NBA!