2022 Record: 17-14 (12-6)
Head Coach: Eric Duft (Career Record 17-14)
Projected Lineup:
PG: Blaise Threatt (Colorado Mesa 18.9 Pts, 5.8 Reb, 3.4 Ast)
SG: Steven Verplancken (13.2 Pts, 2.2 Reb, 1.3 Ast)
SF: Dillon Jones (16.7 Pts, 10.9 Reb, 3.8 Ast)
PF: Dyson Koehler (6.4 Pts, 2.9 Reb, 1.0 Ast)
C: Alex Tew (6.6 Pts, 3.7 Reb, 0.7 Ast)
6: PG KJ Cunningham (6.5 Pts, 1.8 Reb, 1.6 Ast)
7: SG Chris Dockery (RS)
8: SG Viljami Vartiainen
9: C Handje Tamba (1.6 Pts, 1.6 Reb, 0.1 Ast)
10: C Marko Sarenac
11: PF Arnaud Revaz (Maryland 0.0 Pts, 0.4 Reb, 0.0 Ast)
12: SF Louie Jordan (0.5 Pts, 0.5 Reb, 0.2 Ast)
13: SG Nemanja Sarenac
Weber State has the reining Big Sky conference player of the year returning in Dillon Jones. Jones could’ve easily left for the NBA this offseason and he lit up the G-League combine and could’ve snuck into the back end of the 2nd round. Instead, Jones returned to Weber State and stayed loyal to the Wildcats giving them a pro on the roster that is bound to average 20+PPG and 12+RPG. Jones gives Weber State the experience that they need and will be called on again to be the leader of the team.
Weber State struck gold in the portal getting Colorado Mesa point guard Blaise Threatt to join the team. Threatt shot above 52% from the floor overall and above 45% from 3. Threatt was the star player on a D2 team that went 25-6. He’s a do it all talent, in addition to the eye-popping shooting stats mentioned above, Threatt can also attack the glass and get teammates involved while limiting turnovers. As opposing teams key in on Jones, Threatt is going to be a viable #2 scoring option.
Weber State also returns both starters from their front court last season in PF Dyson Koehler and C Alex Tew. Both players excel on the defensive end of the floor and know their roles on the court. They bring a great deal of chemistry and also give the Wildcats more of the experience that they need.
Steven Verplancken is the final returning starter for the Wildcats. The former Southern Illinois product is a terrific three point shooter and will be the primary three point option for the Wildcats. The trio of Threatt-Verplancken-Jones will be the best trio in the big sky conference and cause much concern for opponents alike. Verplancken is also a career 87% free throw shooter and could be the go to guy in crunch time situations.
The bench is not that deep for the Wildcats which is probably the biggest concern going into next season. The first player off the bench should be returning guard KJ Cunningham. He is returning for his 5th season and had a breakout year this past season compared to his first 3 averaging 6.5 PPG this past season compared to an average of 2.8 his first 3 seasons. Chris Dockery is a former 3 star recruit that redshirted this past season and could add a big spark off the bench for the Wildcats.
Weber State also got the commit from a few international freshman. Some of them will likely carve out a role and the team and be in the rotation every game. One of the most notable to commit to the Wildcats was sharpshooter Viljami Vartiainen from Finland. Vartiainen committed to Weber State over Davidson, Bradley, and UCSB. He could be a player to watch in years to come at Weber State.
The expectation for Weber State should be nothing less than a conference championship. They have the pieces within their starting 5 to do it and returning Dillon Jones was a massive victory for them. Jones will by far be the best player in the conference dominating game in and game out. I expect Weber State to win the league and grab a 13 or 14 seed in March giving a 3 or 4 a run for their money.