2019–20 Texas–Rio Grande Valley Vaqueros men's basketball team
{{short description|American college basketball season}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}
{{Infobox college sports team season
|year=2019–20
|team=Texas–Rio Grande Valley Vaqueros
|sport=Basketball
|image= Utrgv athletics primary logo.png
|image_size=250
|conference=Western Athletic Conference
|division=
|short_conf=WAC
|CoachRank=
|APRank=
|record=14–16
|conf_record=9–7
|head_coach=Lew Hill
|hc_year=4th
|asst_coach1=Jai Steadman
|asst_coach2=Kenya Crandell
|asst_coach3=Luke Mackay
|stadium=UTRGV Fieldhouse
|champion=
|tourney=
|tourney_result=
}}
{{2019–20 WAC men's basketball standings}}
The 2019–20 Texas–Rio Grande Valley Vaqueros men's basketball team represented the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley in the 2019–20 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Vaqueros, led by fourth-year head coach Lew Hill, played their home games at the UTRGV Fieldhouse in Edinburg, Texas as members of the Western Athletic Conference. They finished the season 14–16, 9–7 in WAC play to finish in third place. They were set to be the No. 2 seed in the WAC tournament, however, the tournament was cancelled amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Previous season
The Vaqueros finished the 2018–19 season 20–17, 9–7 in WAC play to finish in 4th place. In the WAC tournament, they defeated Cal State Bakersfield in the quarterfinals,{{Cite news|url=https://goutrgv.com/news/2019/3/14/-4-mens-basketball-pulls-off-first-wac-tournament-victory.aspx|title=#4 Men's Basketball Pulls Off First WAC Tournament Victory|work=University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Athletics|access-date=December 26, 2019|language=en}} before falling to top-seeded New Mexico State in the semifinals.{{Cite news|url=https://goutrgv.com/news/2019/3/15/comeback-falls-short-as-4-mens-basketball-falls-to-1-new-mexico-state-in-wac-tournament-semifinals.aspx|title=Comeback Falls Short as #4 Men's Basketball Falls to #1 New Mexico State in WAC Tournament semifinals|work=University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Athletics|access-date=December 26, 2019|language=en}} They received an invitation to the CollegeInsider.com Tournament, where they defeated Grambling State in the first round,{{Cite news|url=https://wacsports.com/sports/mbkb/2018-19/releases/20190320ydeuid|title=UTRGV Defeats Grambling State to Advance in CIT|work=Western Athletic Conference|access-date=December 26, 2019|language=en}} before losing to Texas Southern in the second round.{{Cite news|url=https://wacsports.com/sports/mbkb/2018-19/releases/20190325xlc4uk|title=UTRGV Season Ends in CIT Second Round|work=Western Athletic Conference|access-date=December 26, 2019|language=en}}
Roster
{{CBB roster/Header|year=2019|team=Texas–Rio Grande Valley Vaqueros|teamcolors=y}}
{{CBB roster/Player|first=Chris|last=Freeman|num=0|pos=G|ft=6|in=6|lbs=190|class=jr|rs=|home=Winston-Salem, North Carolina}}
{{CBB roster/Player|first=Sean|last=Rhea|num=1|pos=F|ft=6|in=8|lbs=230|class=so|rs=y|home=Houston, Texas}}
{{CBB roster/Player|first=Quinton|last=Johnson II|num=2|pos=G|ft=6|in=4|lbs=195|class=fr|rs=y|home=Oklahoma City, Oklahoma}}
{{CBB roster/Player|first=Connor|last=Raines|num=3|pos=F|ft=6|in=6|lbs=190|class=fr|rs=|home=Beacon Falls, Connecticut}}
{{CBB roster/Player|first=Ricky "Doc"|last=Nelson|num=4|pos=G|ft=6|in=1|lbs=170|class=jr|rs=|home=Houston, Texas}}
{{CBB roster/Player|first=Jamal|last=Gaines|num=5|pos=F|ft=6|in=8|lbs=225|class=fr|rs=y|home=Red Oak, Texas}}
{{CBB roster/Player|first=Nick|last=Mora|num=10|pos=G|ft=6|in=1|lbs=167|class=jr|rs=y|home=Weslaco, Texas}}
{{CBB roster/Player|first=Lesley|last=Varner II|link=y|num=11|pos=F|ft=6|in=7|lbs=190|class=sr|rs=|home=Cedar Hill, Texas}}
{{CBB roster/Player|first=Rob|last=McClain Jr.|num=12|pos=G|ft=6|in=5|lbs=185|class=jr|rs=|home=Red Lake, Minnesota}}
{{CBB roster/Player|first=Javon|last=Levi|num=14|pos=G|ft=5|in=11|lbs=175|class=jr|rs=|home=Killeen, Texas}}
{{CBB roster/Player|first=Uche|last=Dibiamaka|num=15|pos=G|ft=6|in=4|lbs=195|class=so|rs=|home=Adelaide, SA, Australia}}
{{CBB roster/Player|first=Isaiah|last=Garcia|num=20|pos=G|ft=5|in=10|lbs=160|class=fr|rs=|home=Weslaco, Texas}}
{{CBB roster/Player|first=Isaiah|last=Fontaine|num=21|pos=F|ft=6|in=9|lbs=200|class=sr|rs=|home=Chelsea, Massachusetts}}
{{CBB roster/Player|first=Jordan|last=Jackson|num=22|pos=G|ft=6|in=3|lbs=180|class=gs|rs=|home=Houston, Texas}}
{{CBB roster/Player|first=Anthony|last=Bratton|num=23|pos=F|ft=6|in=8|lbs=236|class=jr|rs=|home=Omaha, Nebraska}}
{{CBB roster/Player|first=Marek|last=Nelson|num=24|pos=F|ft=6|in=7|lbs=190|class=jr|rs=|home=Plano, Texas}}
{{CBB roster/Footer
|head_coach=
- Lew Hill ({{college|Wichita State}})
|asst_coach=
- Jai Steadman ({{college|Nebraska}})
- Kenya Crandell ({{college|Nebraska–Kearney}})
- Luke Mackay ({{college|East Carolina}})
|roster_url=https://goutrgv.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster
|accessdate=December 26, 2019
}}
Schedule and results
{{CBB schedule start|attend=yes}}
|-
!colspan=12 style={{CollegePrimaryStyle|Texas–Rio Grande Valley Vaqueros}}| Regular season
{{CBB schedule entry
| date = November 5, 2019
| time = 7:00 pm
| nonconf = yes
| away = yes
| opponent = South Dakota State
| site_stadium = Frost Arena
| site_cityst = Brookings, SD
| tv = ESPN+
| score = 57–70
| attend = 1,704
| record = 0–1
}}
{{CBB schedule entry
| date = November 11, 2019
| time = 7:00 pm
| nonconf = yes
| opponent = Howard Payne
| site_stadium = UTRGV Fieldhouse
| site_cityst = Edinburg, TX
| tv = WAC DN
| score = 93–42
| attend = 976
| record = 1–1
}}
{{CBB schedule entry
| date = November 15, 2019
| time = 5:00 pm
| nonconf = yes
| neutral = yes
| opponent = North Dakota State
| site_stadium = American Bank Center
| site_cityst = Corpus Christi, TX
| gamename = Islander Invitational
| tv = Team1Sports
| score = 70–76
| attend = 209
| record = 1–2
}}
{{CBB schedule entry
| date = November 16, 2019
| time = 4:00 pm
| nonconf = yes
| neutral = yes
| opponent = Stony Brook
| site_stadium = American Bank Center
| site_cityst = Corpus Christi, TX
| gamename = Islander Invitational
| tv = Team1Sports
| score = 58–69
| attend = 457
| record = 1–3
}}
{{CBB schedule entry
| date = November 17, 2019
| time = 4:00 pm
| nonconf = yes
| away = yes
| opponent = Texas A&M–Corpus Christi
| site_stadium = American Bank Center
| site_cityst = Corpus Christi, TX
| gamename = South Texas Showdown
| tv =
| score = 55–63
| attend = 978
| record = 1–4
}}
{{CBB schedule entry
| date = November 25, 2019
| time = 7:00 pm
| nonconf = yes
| opponent = Texas A&M International
| site_stadium = UTRGV Fieldhouse
| site_cityst = Edinburg, TX
| tv = WAC DN
| score = 79–52
| attend = 1,005
| record = 2–4
}}
{{CBB schedule entry
| date = November 30, 2019
| time = 7:00 pm
| nonconf = yes
| opponent = Texas A&M–Corpus Christi
| site_stadium = UTRGV Fieldhouse
| site_cityst = Edinburg, TX
| gamename = South Texas Showdown
| tv = WAC DN
| score = 52–55
| attend = 1,760
| record = 2–5
}}
{{CBB schedule entry
| date = December 3, 2019
| time = 7:00 pm
| nonconf = yes
| opponent = Sam Houston State
| site_stadium = UTRGV Fieldhouse
| site_cityst = Edinburg, TX
| tv = WAC DN
| score = 90–86
| overtime = 2OT
| attend = 1,196
| record = 3–5
}}
{{CBB schedule entry
| date = December 6, 2019
| time = 7:00 pm
| nonconf = yes
| opponent = Mid-America Christian
| site_stadium = UTRGV Fieldhouse
| site_cityst = Edinburg, TX
| tv = WAC DN
| score = 92–50
| attend = 718
| record = 4–5
}}
{{CBB schedule entry
| date = December 13, 2019
| time = 7:00 pm
| nonconf = yes
| away = yes
| opponent = Creighton
| site_stadium = CHI Health Center Omaha
| site_cityst = Omaha, NE
| tv = FS1
| score = 58–89
| attend = 16,346
| record = 4–6
}}
{{CBB schedule entry
| date = December 15, 2019
| time = 12:30 pm
| nonconf = yes
| away = yes
| opponent = Omaha
| site_stadium = Baxter Arena
| site_cityst = Omaha, NE
| gamename = Summit League/WAC Challenge
| score = 82–92
| attend = 2,840
| record = 4–7
}}
{{CBB schedule entry
| date = December 21, 2019
| time = 1:00 pm
| nonconf = yes
| away = yes
| opponent = Texas Tech
| opprank = 24
| site_stadium = United Supermarkets Arena
| site_cityst = Lubbock, TX
| tv = FSSW+
| score = 58–68
| attend = 13,516
| record = 4–8
}}
{{CBB schedule entry
| date = December 30, 2019
| time = 6:00 pm
| nonconf = yes
| away = yes
| opponent = Oklahoma
| site_stadium = Lloyd Noble Center
| site_cityst = Norman, OK
| tv = FSOK
| score = 72–91
| attend = 6,755
| record = 4–9
}}
{{CBB schedule entry
| date = January 2, 2020
| time = 9:00 pm
| away = yes
| opponent = California Baptist
| site_stadium = CBU Events Center
| site_cityst = Riverside, CA
| tv = WAC DN
| score = 67–76
| attend = 2,493
| record = 4–10
| conference = 0–1
}}
{{CBB schedule entry
| date = January 9, 2020
| time = 7:00 pm
| opponent = Kansas City
| site_stadium = UTRGV Fieldhouse
| site_cityst = Edinburg, TX
| tv = WAC DN
| score = 76–64
| attend = 708
| record = 5–10
| conference = 1–1
}}
{{CBB schedule entry
| date = January 11, 2020
| time = 7:00 pm
| opponent = Chicago State
| site_stadium = UTRGV Fieldhouse
| site_cityst = Edinburg, TX
| tv = WAC DN
| score = 87–63
| attend = 1,085
| record = 6–10
| conference = 1–2
}}
{{CBB schedule entry
| date = January 16, 2020
| time = 9:00 pm
| away = yes
| opponent = Seattle
| site_stadium = Redhawk Center
| site_cityst = Seattle, WA
| tv = WAC DN
| score = 74–91
| attend = 862
| record = 6–1
| conference = 2–2
}}
{{CBB schedule entry
| date = January 18, 2020
| time = 3:00 pm
| away = yes
| opponent = Utah Valley
| site_stadium = UCCU Center
| site_cityst = Orem, UT
| tv = WAC DN
| score = 70–72
| attend =
| record = 6–12
| conference = 2–3
}}
{{CBB schedule entry
| date = January 25, 2020
| time = 7:00 pm
| opponent = New Mexico State
| site_stadium = UTRGV Fieldhouse
| site_cityst = Edinburg, TX
| tv = WAC DN
| score = 62–67
| attend = 2,618
| record = 6–13
| conference = 2–4
}}
{{CBB schedule entry
| date = January 30, 2020
| time = 7:00 pm
| opponent = Grand Canyon
| site_stadium = UTRGV Fieldhouse
| site_cityst = Edinburg, TX
| tv = ESPN+
| score = 79–87
| attend = 1,165
| record = 6–14
| conference = 2–5
}}
{{CBB schedule entry
| date = February 1, 2020
| time = 7:00 pm
| opponent = Cal State Bakersfield
| site_stadium = UTRGV Fieldhouse
| site_cityst = Edinburg, TX
| tv = WAC DN
| score = 70–59
| attend = 1,065
| record = 7–14
| conference = 3–5
}}
{{CBB schedule entry
| date = February 6, 2020
| time = 7:00 pm
| away = yes
| opponent = Kansas City
| site_stadium = Swinney Recreation Center
| site_cityst = Kansas City, MO
| tv = WAC DN
| score = 73–60
| attend = 1,097
| record = 8–14
| conference = 4–5
}}
{{CBB schedule entry
| date = February 8, 2020
| time = 12:00 pm
| away = yes
| opponent = Chicago State
| site_stadium = Jones Convocation Center
| site_cityst = Chicago, IL
| tv = WAC DN
| score = 75–64
| attend = 378
| record = 9–14
| conference = 5–5
}}
{{CBB schedule entry
| date = February 13, 2020
| time = 7:00 pm
| opponent = Utah Valley
| site_stadium = UTRGV Fieldhouse
| site_cityst = Edinburg, TX
| tv = WAC DN
| score = 80–72
| attend = 2,218
| record = 10–14
| conference = 6–5
}}
{{CBB schedule entry
| date = February 15, 2020
| time = 7:00 pm
| opponent = Seattle
| site_stadium = UTRGV Fieldhouse
| site_cityst = Edinburg, TX
| tv = WAC DN
| score = 79–72
| attend = 1,667
| record = 11–14
| conference = 7–5
}}
{{CBB schedule entry
| date = February 18, 2020
| time = 12:00 pm
| nonconf = yes
| opponent = UT Permian Basin
| site_stadium = UTRGV Fieldhouse
| site_cityst = Edinburg, TX
| tv = WAC DN
| score = 93–80
| attend = 1,012
| record = 12–14
}}
{{CBB schedule entry
| date = February 22, 2020
| time = 8:00 pm
| away = yes
| opponent = New Mexico State
| site_stadium = Pan American Center
| site_cityst = Las Cruces, NM
| tv = WAC DN
| score = 62–78
| attend = 11,680
| record = 12–15
| conference = 7–6
}}
{{CBB schedule entry
| date = February 27, 2020
| time = 9:00 pm
| away = yes
| opponent = Cal State Bakersfield
| site_stadium = Icardo Center
| site_cityst = Bakersfield, CA
| tv = ESPN3
| score = 59–79
| attend = 2,134
| record = 12–16
| conference = 7–7
}}
{{CBB schedule entry
| date = February 29, 2020
| time = 7:00 pm
| away = yes
| opponent = Grand Canyon
| site_stadium = GCU Arena
| site_cityst = Phoenix, AZ
| tv = WAC DN
| score = 88–80
| attend = 7,002
| record = 13–16
| conference = 8–7
}}
{{CBB schedule entry
| date = March 7, 2020
| time = 7:00 pm
| opponent = California Baptist
| site_stadium = UTRGV Fieldhouse
| site_cityst = Edinburg, TX
| tv = WAC DN
| score = 79–76
| overtime = OT
| attend = 1,523
| record = 14–16
| conference = 9–7
}}
|-
!colspan=12 style={{CollegePrimaryStyle|Texas–Rio Grande Valley Vaqueros}}| 2020 WAC men's basketball tournament
|- style="background:#bbbbbb"
| style="text-align:center"|Mar 12, 2020
8:00 pm, ESPN+
| style="text-align:center"| (2)
| vs. (7) Cal State Bakersfield
Quarterfinals
| colspan=2 rowspan=1 style="text-align:center"|Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic{{Cite web|url=https://www.lcsun-news.com/story/sports/college/nmsu/2020/03/12/wac-tournament-cancelled-due-coronavirus-concerns/5029177002/|title = WAC tournament cancelled due to coronavirus concerns}}
| style="text-align:center"|Orleans Arena
Paradise, NV
|-
{{CBB schedule end|rank=| poll=AP Poll|region=|regionname=|timezone=Central}}
Source{{Cite news|url=https://goutrgv.com/sports/mens-basketball/schedule|title=2019-20 Men's Basketball Schedule|work=University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Athletics|access-date=December 26, 2019|language=en}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/team/schedule/_/id/292|title=2019-20 UT Rio Grande Valley Vaqueros Schedule|work=ESPN|access-date=December 26, 2019|language=en}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Texas–Rio Grande Valley Vaqueros men's basketball navbox}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:2019-20 Texas-Rio Grande Valley Vaqueros men's basketball team}}
Category:UT Rio Grande Valley Vaqueros men's basketball seasons
Texas-Rio Grande Valley Vaqueros