Following Fresno State?™s non-conference matchup against Iona tonight, the WAC season gets underway this Thursday with four league games. Louisiana Tech travels to Boise State, New Mexico State is at Idaho for each team?™s first ever WAC game, San Jose State hosts Utah State and Nevada is at Hawai'i to cap Thursday night?™s games.
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XBOX LIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK ?“ Utah State forward Nate Harris, a senior from Smithfield, Utah (Sky View HS), was named the MVP of Utah State?™s own 2005 Gossner Foods Holiday Classic last week as he helped lead the Aggies to a 2-0 record with wins over Arkansas-Little Rock and Binghamton. In the first game, Harris scored a game-high 23 points and added seven rebounds, two assists and a steal. In the championship game versus Binghamton, he scored 17 points and was 5-of-6 from the field and 7-of-8 from the free throw line. For the week, he was 16-of-19 (.842) from the field. It is Harris?™ first career WAC Player of the Week award and second for an Aggie this season.
Others nominated:
Coby Karl, Jr., G, Boise State - scored 16 points and had five rebounds, six assists and four steals in the win over Eastern Washington. He also made two clutch free throws with less than five seconds to play to clinch the 76-72 win.
Kevin Bell, So., G, Fresno State - recorded his first career double-double with 11 points and 10 assists in the Bulldogs?™ 65-60 win over San Francisco. He was 4-of-6 from the field and also had two steals.
Nick Fazekas, Jr., F, Nevada - played in three games and averaged 20.3 points and 7.3 rebounds. He reached the 20-point mark twice with 26 points versus Louisiana-Lafayette and 21 points at Saint Mary?™s. Fazekas was 22-of-39 (.564) from the field and 13-of-16 (.813) from the free throw line for the week.
Tyrone Nelson, So., F, New Mexico State - scored 22 points and pulled down nine rebounds in a 69-63 loss against Texas Tech last week. He was 8-of-13 from the field and 6-of-7 from the free throw line.
HOLIDAY TOURNAMENTS ?“ Over the past two weeks, four WAC teams competed in holiday tournaments. Hawai'i took third place in the eight-team Outrigger Hotels Rainbow Classic. The Rainbow Warriors beat Loyola Marymount, lost to Colorado State and then beat Northwestern State. Boise State lost its first round game of the ASU Holiday Tournament to host Arizona State but rebounded with a win over San Francisco. Last week, Utah State won its own Gossner Foods Classic be beating Arkansas-Little Rock and Binghamton. San Jose State lost both of its games at the Holiday Station Stores Classic in Bozeman, Mont., against Northern Illinois and host Montana State.
Players named to all-tournament teams:
Coby Karl, Jr., G, Boise State
Ahmet Gueye, Jr., F, Hawai'i
Alex Elam, Sr., G/F, San Jose State
Nate Harris, Sr., F, Utah State (MVP)
Jaycee Carroll, So., G, Utah State
Chaz Spicer, Jr., F, Utah State
WAC SCHOOLS STREAM VIDEO OF HOME GAMES ?“ Idaho, Nevada, San Jose State and Utah State have had hardware installed to stream live video and audio of its home games via the WAC?™s website at www.wacsports.com. Additional teams will have hardware installed in the coming weeks and will be added to the schedule.
NATIONAL RANKINGS ?“ Nevada dropped out of both the AP and ESPN/USA Today coaches top 25 polls but is receiving votes in both polls.
1,000-POINT SCORERS ?“ The WAC has three players that have scored more than 1,000 points in their collegiate careers. Those players with points and all-time school ranking: Nevada junior forward Nick Fazekas (1,333-9th), Louisiana Tech junior forward Paul Millsap (1,332-21st); and Utah State senior forward Nate Harris (1,100-25th). Three other players are getting close: Hawai'i?™s Julian Sensley (909); Boise State?™s Coby Karl (906); and Louisiana Tech?™s Corey Dean (882).
KARL LEADS TEAM ?“ Boise State?™s Coby Karl is the only player in the WAC to lead his team in scoring, rebounding and assists. The WAC has six other players that lead their teams in two of those three statistical categories
Coby Karl, Jr., G, Boise State (15.0 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 4.5 apg)
Quinton Hosley, Jr., G/F, Fresno State (19.6 ppg, 9.2 rpg)
Tanoris Shepard, Sr., G, Idaho (13.8 ppg, 3.6 apg)
Paul Millsap, Jr., F, Louisiana Tech (20.9 ppg, 11.5 rpg)
Nick Fazekas, Jr., F, Nevada (20.2 ppg, 8.4 rpg)
Tyrone Nelson, So., F, New Mexico State (16.5 ppg, 8.0 rpg)
Demetrius Brown, Sr., F, San Jose State (14.3 ppg, 4.9 rpg)
UTAH STATE/NEVADA TOP TEAMS OVER LAST FOUR YEARS ?“ Over the last four seasons, Utah State is 81-24 (.771), the best record of any WAC team during that time. In conference games, Nevada has won 40 games, the most in that same time period.
MILLSAP 7TH IN NATION IN REBOUNDING ?“ Louisiana Tech junior forward Paul Millsap dropped to seventh nationally in this week?™s rebounding statistics with 11.5 per game. Arkansas-Little Rock?™s Rashad Jones-Jennings is first with 12.4 per contest. Millsap was the nation?™s leading rebounder in each of the past two seasons. As a freshman, he became the first WAC player to lead the nation in rebounding with 12.5 boards per game. Last year, he became the first player to lead the country in rebounding in back-to-back seasons since American?™s Kermit Washington did it in 1971-72 and 1972-73. Millsap was also the first ever to take consecutive rebounding titles as a freshman and sophomore. No player has ever won three NCAA rebounding titles.
UTAH STATE OWNS LONGEST HOME STREAK ?“ With its two wins last week in the Gossner Foods Classic, Utah State has now won nine games in a row at home, the longest active streak in the WAC.
HOME SWEET HOME ?“ The WAC?™s nine teams are a combined 39-12 (.765) at home this season. On the road and in neutral site games, the WAC is 17-33 (.340).
NON-CONFERENCE MARK ?“ The WAC is 56-44 (.560) in non-conference games, including a 50-44 (.532) mark against Division I teams. In 2004-05, WAC teams were 63-45 (.583) in non-conference games with a 55-45 (.550) mark against Division I teams. The WAC?™s best record ever against non-conference opponents came during the 1974-75 season when it was 73-22 (.768).
WAC ON ESPN/SPORTSWEST ?“ The WAC has a multi-year contract with both ESPN and SportsWest for coverage of WAC football and basketball. Currently, 22 basketball games between the two networks are scheduled this season.
BRACKET BUSTER SATURDAY ?“ For the fourth year in a row, the WAC has partnered with ESPN and several other top college basketball conferences for Bracket Buster Saturday, a one-day men?™s basketball event matching potential NCAA tournament hopefuls against each other. All nine WAC teams will be involved in this year?™s event to be held on Feb. 18, 2006. 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 Monday, Jan. 30, 2006.
NEVADA TO HOST 2006 TOURNAMENT ?“ For the second consecutive year, Nevada?™s Lawlor Events Center (11,200) will host the WAC Basketball Tournament. The dates for this season?™s tournament are March 9-11. Due to self-imposed penalties, Fresno State will not compete in the 2006 tournament. Therefore, with an eight-team field, there will be no first round games as in years past. The quarterfinals will begin on Thursday, March 9. As announced on Nov. 11, New Mexico State will be the host for the 2007 and 2008 tournaments.
TWO WAC PLAYERS NAMED TO WATCH LISTS ?“ Louisiana Tech junior forward Paul Millsap and Nevada junior forward Nick Fazekas have been named as two of the top 50 preseason candidates for the 2005-06 Wooden Award and Naismith Trophy.
FAZEKAS NAMED PRESEASON PLAYER OF THE YEAR ?“ In a vote by the WAC?™s head coaches and media, Nevada junior forward Nick Fazekas was picked as the league?™s preseason Player of the Year. Last season, Fazekas led the WAC in scoring with 20.7 points per game and also pulled down 9.4 rebounds per contest. He helped lead the Wolf Pack to a 25-7 record and to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
TEAM-BY-TEAM NOTES
Boise State Broncos (7-4, 0-0 WAC)
Has won four of its last five games ... against Eastern Washington, the Broncos had four players score in double figures led by Coby Karl?™s 16 points ... Karl added six assists, five rebounds and four steals ... has scored more than 70 points in just one of its last three games after scoring at least 70 in seven of its first eight contests ... junior guard Coby Karl has started 50 consecutive games, tied for the longest current streak in the WAC ... he is the only player in the WAC to lead his team in scoring (15.0), rebounds (5.2) and assists (4.5) ... Karl leads the WAC in free throw percentage (.863) ... the Broncos lead the WAC in free throw percentage (.700) and field goal percentage defense (.398).
Fresno State Bulldogs (7-3, 0-0 WAC)
Has a three-game winning streak ... is 3-0 in its current five-game homestand ... leads the WAC in scoring with 75.0 points per game ... sophomore guard Kevin Bell is fourth in the nation in assists with 6.8 per game ... both Quinton Hosley and Ja?™Vance Coleman have scored 20 or more points in the same game five times this season including three of the last four contests ... Coleman leads the WAC in three-point field goals made per game (3.1) ... junior forward Quinton Hosley has scored at least 20 points in six of the 10 games this season ... Hosley leads the WAC in steals with 2.70 per game ... has more than twice as many blocks (45-22) than its oppopnents ... has recorded 10 or more steals in six of 10 games.
Hawai'i Rainbow Warriors (7-4, 1-0 WAC)
Is 4-2 in its current seven-game homestand, the longest for a WAC team this season ... faces Nevada in its next home game and is 8-9 all-time versus the Wolf Pack ... the game against Pennsylvania last week was its fifth in 10 days ... junior Ahmet Gueye leads the WAC in field goal percentage (.634) and blocked shots (2.64) ... senior forward Julian Sensley missed the Northwestern State game last month due to an injury, snapping his string of 70 consecutive games played ... Sensley needs eight rebounds to become the 10th Rainbow Warrior to reach 500 in his career ... guard Bobby Nash is out for the remainder of the season with a shoulder injury ... is 40-1 when scoring 80 or more points since 2000 ... has lost 16 of its last 18 road games.
Idaho Vandals (3-7, 0-0 WAC)
Faces New Mexico State on Thursday for the first time since both of the schools were members of the Big West in 2000 ... against Portland State, Tanoris Shepard recorded his first double-double with 13 points and a career-high 10 rebounds ... was 3-3 last month, its most wins in the month of December since 1999 ... has won just four road games since the 2003-04 season ... has not allowed its opponents to score 100 points in a game for 412 contests, the longest such streak in the WAC ... announced a time change for the Nevada game on Feb. 20 ... the game will now begin at 2:05 p.m. instead of the originally scheduled time of 7:05 p.m. due to the Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival.
Louisiana Tech Bulldogs (7-6, 0-0 WAC)
Junior forward Paul Millsap leads the WAC in scoring (20.9 ppg) and rebounding (11.5) ... no WAC player has finished the season leading the conference in both of those categories since Utah?™s Josh Grant in 1992-93 ... Millsap had a career-low five rebounds in the game at Wisconsin last week ... he hasn?™t had double figures in rebounds in the last two games after doing so the previous 15 games ... Millsap has scored 20 or more points in 32 contests during his career ... Millsap is the WAC?™s active leader in double-doubles with 52 and is the school?™s career leader ... he has started 50 consecutive games, tied for the longest current streak in the WAC.
Nevada Wolf Pack (10-2, 0-0 WAC)
Its 10-2 start is its best since also starting 10-2 in 1978-79 ... had its 14-game road winning streak snapped against Saint Mary?™s last Saturday ... has been outrebounded the past two games after winning the battle of the boards in nine of its first 10 games ... has won its last nine WAC games and has a 10-game WAC road winning streak ... plays three of its first five WAC games on the road ... has made one less free throw (206) than its opponents have attempted (207) ... junior forward Nick Fazekas has scored 20 or more points in 32 contests in his career ... he has started 50 consecutive games, tied for the longest current streak in the WAC ... has won its last 32 games when holding an opponent to under 60 points.
New Mexico State Aggies (4-7, 0-0 WAC)
Tyrone Nelson just missed his fifth double-double of the year with 22 points and nine rebounds in the loss against Texas Tech ... Nelson sat out last year after transferring from Prairie View A&M where he was named the SWAC Freshman of the Year in 2004 ... Mike Mitchell came off the bench against Texas Tech to score 14 points, one more than the entire Red Raiders?™ reserves ... has four players averaging in double figures in points, the most in the WAC ... has had three or more players score in double figures in eight of its 11 games, including the last six ... Reggie Theus, in his first year as a head coach, was an assistant at Louisville when the Cardinals advanced to last year?™s Final Four ... Theus played 13 years in the NBA and was a two-time All-Star.
San Jose State Spartans (4-9, 0-0 WAC)
Junior guard Carlton Spencer picked up his first career double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds in the game against Montana State ... lost both games last week in the final five seconds ... has lost eight of its last nine games after winning three of its first four ... is the only team in the WAC to win more games away from home (3) than at home (1) ... is 1-8 in its previous nine WAC openers ... has won two road games for the first time since the 2002-03 season ... has not won three road games since going 5-9 away from home in 2000-01 ... its four wins have all come by double digits ... has not scored 100 points in a game since beating Utah State, 101-85, on Jan. 25, 1979 (757 games).
Utah State Aggies (8-3, 0-1 WAC)
Has a four-game winning streak ... held its last two opponents to less than 50 points ... has allowed more than 69 points in a game just once this season ... leads the WAC in scoring defense (62.2 ppg) ... has won 37 straight games at home during the month of December ... has won 36 consecutive regular season non-conference home games ... Jaycee Carroll has scored in double figures in 14 straight games, the longest active streak in the WAC ... Carroll is seventh in the nation in three-point field goal percentage (.500, 33-66) ... the Aggies have participated in the postseason (4 NCAAs, 2 NITs) the past six years ... has a home record of 398-102 (.796) at the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum, the best winning percentage of any WAC team at its current arena.