|
Related Material
|
Complete Release.pdf
|
PLAYER OF THE WEEK Rice forward Michael Harris, a senior from Hillsboro, Texas (Hillsboro HS), averaged 21.5 points, 13.5 rebounds and had two double-doubles in a pair of WAC victories last week. He scored 16 points, grabbed 13 rebounds and dished out five assists in a 66-64 overtime win against SMU on Thursday and then had 27 points and 14 boards in a 78-57 victory over Louisiana Tech on Saturday. In the two games combined, Harris was 17-of-25 (.680) from the field and 9-of-11 (.818) from the free throw line. It is Harris fourth career WAC Player of the Week award and first for an Owl player this year.
Others nominated:
Mustafa Al-Sayyad, Sr., C, Fresno State - averaged 14.5 points and 7.5 rebounds in wins over Hawaii and San Jose State. He had a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds versus the Spartans.
Paul Millsap, So., F, Louisiana Tech - averaged 16.5 points and 9.5 rebounds in a split of two games.
Nick Fazekas, So., F, Nevada - averaged 19.5 points and 12.0 rebounds as the Pack beat both San Jose State and Hawaii. He had a double-double against the Rainbow Warriors with 23 points and a career-high 17 rebounds.
Bryan Hopkins, Jr., G, SMU - averaged 26.0 points, 5.0 assists and 3.0 steals as the Mustangs split its two road games. He had 32 points in the overtime win at Tulsa.
Jason Williams, Jr., G/F, UTEP - averaged 15.3 points, 6.3 rebounds and 4.7 assists in three wins last week. For the week, he was 16-of-32 from the field, 4-of-9 from three-point range and 10-of-12 from the free throw line.
Anthony Price, Jr., C, Tulsa - averaged 22.3 points and 6.0 rebounds in three games. He scored a career-high 39 points and grabbed eight rebounds in the overtime game against SMU.
FRESNO STATE, NEVADA AND RICE OPEN CONFERENCE PLAY 2-0 League play began last week and three teams opened their seasons at home by sweeping their opponents. Both Fresno State and Nevada beat Hawaii and San Jose State. It was the first two losses of the season for the Rainbow Warriors. Rice defeated SMU and Louisiana Tech. Its the third year in a row that Fresno State has started 2-0 while Rice is 2-0 for the second straight season. Nevada is 2-0 for the first time in its five-year history in the WAC.
UTEP WINS SEVEN STRAIGHT Last week, the Miners beat Alabama State, Princeton and Boise State to extend its winning streak to seven in a row. The streak is the longest in the WAC and tied for the 11th longest in the nation.
McKRIETH POSTS TRIPLE-DOUBLE Rice senior guard Jason McKrieth recorded the first-ever triple-double in Owl history last Thursday when he scored 15 points, grabbed 14 rebounds and dished out 10 assists in a 66-64 overtime win against SMU. It was the first triple-double by a WAC player since Brandon Hawkins of San Jose State performed the feat on Dec. 18, 2001 against Notre Dame de Namur. It is the 11th triple-double in conference history.
DOUBLE LEADERS The WAC has eight players that lead their teams in two of three statistical categories (points, rebounds, assists):
Jermaine Blackburn, Sr., G/F, Boise State (14.7 ppg, 3.3 apg)
Julian Sensley, Jr., F, Hawaii (13.8 ppg, 2.9 apg)
Paul Millsap, So., F, Louisiana Tech (20.3 ppg, 12.0 rpg)
Nick Fazekas, So., F, Nevada (19.8 ppg, 7.6 rpg)
Michael Harris, Sr., F, Rice (20.6 ppg, 11.0 rpg)
Marquin Chandler, Sr., F, San Jose State (20.0 ppg, 7.7 rpg)
Bryan Hopkins, Jr., G, SMU (17.8 ppg, 4.9 apg)
Jarius Glenn, Sr., F, Tulsa (8.6 rpg, 3.8 apg)
MILLSAP SECOND IN NATION IN REBOUNDING Louisiana Tech forward Paul Millsap dropped to second nationally in this weeks rebounding statistics. The sophomore is averaging 12.0 rebounds per game. Dukes Shelden Williams is first with 12.1 boards per contest. Rice senior Michael Harris is eighth nationally with 11.0 rebounds per game. Last year, Millsap became the first WAC player to finish the season as the nations leading rebounder with 12.5 boards per game.
SIX OVER 19 In this weeks WAC stats, six players are averaging more than 19 points per game. At this time last year, there was only one player with more than 19 points a contest. Rices Michael Harris is first with 20.6 points per game followed by Louisiana Techs Paul Millsap (20.3), San Jose States Marquin Chandler (20.0), Nevadas Nick Fazekas (19.8), UTEPs Omar Thomas (19.8) and Fresno States JaVance Coleman (19.2).
WAC TO CHANGE IN 2005-06 Last year, the WAC issued invitations to Idaho, New Mexico State and Utah State effective July 1, 2005, the same date that Rice, SMU, UTEP and Tulsa are moving to Conference USA. In mens basketball last year, Idaho was 14-16, New Mexico State was 13-14 and Utah State was 25-4.
1,000-POINT SCORERS The WAC has five players that have scored more than 1,000 points in their collegiate careers: Rice senior forward Michael Harris (1,581); Rice senior guard Jason McKrieth (1,209); SMU junior guard Bryan Hopkins (1,072); SMU senior forward Patrick Simpson (1,048); and Tulsa senior forward Jarius Glenn (1,004). SMU senior Eric Castro is next on the list with 834 points.
WAC ON ESPN/SPORTSWEST The WAC has a multi-year contract with both ESPN and SportsWest for coverage of WAC football and basketball. A minimum of 15 basketball games between the two networks are scheduled this season.
BRACKET BUSTER SATURDAY For the third year in a row, the WAC has partnered with ESPN and several other top college basketball conferences for Bracket Buster Saturday, a one-day mens basketball event matching potential NCAA tournament hopefuls against each other. All 10 WAC teams will be involved in this years event to be held on Feb. 19, 2005. ESPN and ESPN2 will present six games while five more games will be produced and distributed in the markets of the competing teams. The match-ups for Bracket Buster Saturday will be determined by ESPN in conjunction with the conferences on Sunday, Jan. 30, 2005.
2005 WAC TOURNAMENT The 2005 WAC Tournament will be held March 8-12 at the Lawlor Events Center in Nevada, Reno. Both the men and women compete during the same week. On the mens side, the seven, eight, nine and 10 seeded teams will play on Tuesday, March 8. The remaining eight teams will all play in the quarterfinals on Thursday, March 10 with the top seed competing versus the winner of the Tuesday eight-nine game, the No. 2 seed vs. the winner of the seven-10 game, the No. 3 seed vs. No. 6 and No 4 vs. No. 5. The winners will play in the semifinals on Friday and the championship game will be Saturday night.
HAWAII OWNS LONGEST HOME STREAK Hawaii owns the WACs longest home winning streak at 11 in a row. It is tied for the 14th longest in the nation. In conference games only, Nevadas 11-game home winning streak is the longest in the WAC.
NATIONAL RANKINGS No WAC teams are ranked in the top 25, but UTEP is receiving votes in the AP poll. The top three WAC teams in the CollegeRPI.com ratings are Rice (15), Hawaii (34) and Nevada (51).
HOME SWEET HOME The WACs 10 teams are a combined 50-18 (.735) at home this season. On the road and in neutral site games, the WAC is 16-26 (.381). In conference games, home teams are 6-3 (.667).
NON-CONFERENCE MARK The WAC is 57-35 (.620) in non-conference games this season, including a 50-35 (.588) mark against Division I teams. In 2003-04, WAC teams were 72-42 (.632) in non-conference games with a 61-41 (.598) mark against Division I teams. The WACs best record ever against non-conference opponents came during the 1974-75 season when it was 73-22 (.768).
HAWAII TOP TEAM OVER LAST FOUR YEARS Over the last four seasons, Hawaii is 75-32 (.701), the best record of any WAC team during that time. In conference games, Hawaii and Nevada have both won 35 games, the most in that same time period. The top five teams in wins (both overall and WAC) over the last four seasons:Overall Record (Pct.) WAC Record (Pct.)1. Hawaii 75-32 (.701) 1. Hawaii 35-21 (.625)
2. Nevada 69-39 (.639) Nevada 35-21 (.625)
3. Fresno State 61-41 (.598) 3. Fresno State 34-22 (.607)
4. Tulsa 61-45 (.575) 4. La. Tech 32-24 (.571)
5. Rice 58-43 (.574) Tulsa 32-24 (.571)
TOP PLAYERS RETURNING A total of five players from both the all-WAC first and second-teams returned this year: Michael Harris, Sr., F, Rice; Filiberto Rivera, Sr., G, UTEP; Paul Millsap, So., F, Louisiana Tech; Jason McKrieth, Sr., G, Rice; and Omar Thomas, Sr., F, UTEP. Four of the five all-newcomer team honorees also returned from last year and include: Millsap, Rivera, Thomas and Nick Fazekas, So., F, Nevada. Millsap was last years WAC Freshman of the Year after averaging 15.6 points and a nation-best 12.5 rebounds per game.
STAT LEADERS BACK Statistically, five of the top 10 scorers returned for the 2004-05 season. SMUs Bryan Hopkins was third in the WAC in scoring last year with a 17.7 point per game average. Others coming back included: Michael Harris, Rice (17.5); Jason McKrieth, Rice (15.8); Paul Millsap, Louisiana Tech (15.6); and Omar Thomas, UTEP (15.5). Millsap was the leading returning rebounder with a 12.5 rpg average last season (1st in the nation), and UTEPs Filiberto Rivera returned after ranking third in the WAC in assists with 4.8 per game.
HARRIS NAMED PRESEASON PLAYER OF THE YEAR In a vote by the WACs head coaches and media, Rice senior forward Michael Harris was picked as the leagues preseason Player of the Year. Last season, Harris averaged 17.5 points and 8.9 rebounds in leading the Owls to a 22-11 record and a berth in the NIT.
FIVE IN POSTSEASON Last year, the WAC had five teams that made appearances in the 2004 postseason tournaments. It was the most since the 1999 season when the WAC placed eight teams as a 16-team conference. In its six previous seasons as a 10-team conference (1993-94-95-96-02-03), the most teams placed into the postseason had been four teams in 1994, 1996 and 2002.
FIVE WITH 20 For the first time in seven seasons as a 10-team conference, the WAC had five teams with 20 or more wins last year. Boise State, Hawaii, Nevada, Rice and UTEP all hit that mark. The last time the WAC had five 20-win teams came in 1998-99 when it was a 16-team conference. The WAC did have five with 20 twice as a nine-team league in 1987-88 and 1989-90.
UTEP HAD NATIONS BIGGEST IMPROVEMENT After a 6-24 record in 2002-03, UTEP finished last year with a 24-8 mark. The 17-game improvement ties the NCAA record (that began being kept track of in 1974) set by Mercer in 2002-03 (6-23 to 23-6).TEAM-BY-TEAM NOTES
Boise State Broncos (6-6, 0-1 WAC)
Is 2-3 in its current seven-game homestand (the longest of any WAC team this season) ... senior forward Jason Ellis will miss 3-8 weeks after undergoing a hernia operation last week ... Boise State leads the WAC in three-point field goals made per game (8.25) ... sophomore Eric Lane (.432) and senior Franco Harris (.414) are 1-2 in the WAC in three-point field goal percentage ... Ellis has 772 rebounds and needs 34 to become the schools all-time leader ... he has 16 career double-doubles, the third most of any active WAC player ... Ellis had started 72 straight games, the longest streak at the time in the WAC ... the Broncos finished last season with 23 wins, one shy of the school record.
Fresno State Bulldogs (8-3, 2-0 WAC)
Is 2-0 in WAC play and has started at least 4-0 in the WAC the past two seasons ... Donovan Morris made all five three-point field goal attempts against Hawaii last week ... Morris and Jack Marlow did not play against San Jose State due to a minor violation of team rules ... sophomore JaVance Coleman has scored in double figures in all 11 games ... he had a streak of scoring 20 or more snapped at four when he scored 15 versus San Jose State on Sunday ... has scored at least 80 points four times this year, one shy of matching its total in the past two years combined ... features a roster with nine freshmen and 10 newcomers ... senior Mustafa Al-Sayyad leads the WAC in blocks with 2.1 per game.
Hawaii Rainbow Warriors (8-2, 0-2 WAC)
Was 8-0 before losing both games last week ... it was the first 8-0 start since an 11-0 start in 1973-74 and the third best start in school history ... has not lost a game by more than three points and has not won a game by more than 13 with six games coming by seven points or less ... UH has had at least 20 wins in two of the last three seasons ... has won 34 straight games when scoring 80 or more points ... Hawaii has won 59 of its last 64 games in Honolulu (92.1 percent) and returns home this week with an 11-game home winning streak ... head coach Riley Wallace is in his 18th year with UH, the second longest stint in WAC history behind UTEPs Don Haskins (30 years) ... his 151 conference wins trails only Haskins 262 victories.
Louisiana Tech Bulldogs (6-5, 1-1 WAC)
Tech won its first game at the Reynolds Center in Tulsa since joining the WAC (1-5) ... the Bulldogs have now won a game on every WAC floor ... Paul Millsap has scored in double figures in 15 straight games ... Millsap led the WAC in double-doubles with 20 last season and has a WAC-high eight this year ... he leads the WAC in rebounding with 12.0 per game ... junior Daevon Haskins leads the WAC in steals with 2.0 per game ... Tech has not allowed its opponents to score 100 points in a game for 320 contests, the longest such streak in the WAC ... the Bulldogs are 21-2 in non-conference home games under head coach Keith Richard ... Tech is 209-54 (.795) at the Thomas Assembly Center, the best winning percentage at home of any WAC team in its current arena.
Nevada Wolf Pack (9-3, 2-0 WAC)
Nevadas 9-3 start is its best since beginning the 1981-82 season 12-3 ... has won five games in a row overall and five straight WAC games, the longest streak in the WAC ... senior Kevinn Pinkney recorded two double-doubles to start WAC play ... sophomore Nick Fazekas, who is 6-11, leads the Pack in three-point field goal percentage (.400) ... Fazekas has scored in double figures in all 12 games this year and has scored 20 or more in six contests ... Nevada leads the WAC in field goal percentage defense (.368), rebounding margin (+8.0) and blocked shots (5.75) ... has won 22 of its last 23 games at home ... has made more free throws (191) than its opponents have attempted (177) ... last year, its 25 wins tied the 1945-46 squad for the most in school history.
Rice Owls (7-3, 2-0 WAC)
Patrick Britton posted career-highs in points (10) and rebounds (6) in the win over Louisiana Tech ... the Owls shot a season-high 58 percent (29-50) from the field against the Bulldogs ... senior Michael Harris has scored at least 20 points in six of his last seven games ... he leads the WAC in scoring with 20.6 points per game ... Harris has scored in double figures in 13 consecutive games ... he has 40 career double-doubles, the most of any active WAC player ... Rice leads the WAC in scoring (76.1), field goal percentage (.486), three-point field goal percentage (.376) and assists (16.9 per game) ... has made more free throws (166) than its opponents have attempted (154).
San Jose State Spartans (3-8, 0-2 WAC)
Plays its fourth straight road game this Saturday at Hawaii ... has not scored more than 59 points in its last five games ... is averaging 58.4 points per game for the season ... is 2-0 when leading at the half, but just 1-7 when trailing at the intermission ... Marquin Chandler has recorded at least 20 points in four straight games and is averaging 22.0 points in those contests ... he has reached double figures in scoring in 12 straight games ... San Jose State has lost six games in a row, the longest losing streak in the WAC, after starting the season with a 3-2 record ... SJSU has not scored 100 points in a game since beating Utah State, 101-85, on Jan. 25, 1979 (726 games).
SMU Mustangs (6-4, 1-1 WAC)
SMU played two overtime games last week and scored two points in the extra session against Rice and 17 in overtime versus Tulsa ... Eric Castro scored a career-high 28 points in the game at Tulsa ... Castro leads the WAC in field goal percentage (.644) ... Bryan Hopkins leads the WAC in three-point field goals made per game (3.0) ... Hopkins has scored at least 20 points in four consecutive games ... he is averaging 27.5 points over those four games ... the Mustangs are 4-0 when shooting better than 50 percent from the field ... SMU leads the WAC in steals (9.3) ... has won 36 of its last 37 games when holding an opponent to less than 60 points.
UTEP Miners (11-2, 1-0 WAC)
Has a seven-game winning streak, the longest in the WAC ... won its own State Farm Sun Bowl Tournament for the second year in a row ... the Miners beat 2004 NCAA participants Alabama State and Princeton ... won at Boise State on Saturday for the first time in four trips to Idaho ... Omar Thomas has scored at least 10 points in 17 straight games, the longest active streak in the WAC ... Filiberto Rivera leads theWAC in free throw percentage (.900) and assists (6.5 apg) ... Rivera dished out 12 assists last week against Alabama State, the most by a WAC player this year ... UTEP leads the WAC in free throw percentage (.766), scoring margin (+15.4) and scoring defense (58.5) ... has made more free throws (233) than its opponents have attempted (205).
Tulsa Golden Hurricane (2-8, 0-2 WAC)
Alvin Pooh Williamson was appointed interim head coach on Dec. 25 following the resignation of John Phillips ... Williamson played point guard for Tulsa in the mid-1990s ... Phillips finished his three-plus year career at Tulsa with a 61-42 record ... Anthony Prices 39 points against SMU were the most for a Hurricane player since Jim King scored 39 against Adams State on Dec. 18, 1962 ... senior Jarius Glenn has 1,004 points and 508 rebounds in his career, becoming the 14th Tulsa player to reach 1,000 points and 500 rebounds ... had its five-year streak of winning at least 20 games snapped last season ... every season that Tulsa has won 20 games, it has either played in the NCAA Tournament or won the NIT Championship.