HAWAI?I’S SMITH NAMED WAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Hawai?i’s Tanya Smith has been named the Western Athletic Conference Women’s Basketball Player of the Week for the week of Nov. 19. Smith, a senior center from Sydney, Australia (Janali), led the Hawai?i women’s basketball team to 2-1 record and a second place finish in the Waikiki Beach Marriott Classic this past week. Smith was named to the All-Tournament team after registering three consecutive double-double performances. The fourth-year center posted 15 points, 13 rebounds, three assists, and three blocks in UH’s season-opening 80-75 win over Washington. She followed that performance up with a 12-point, 17-rebound effort in a loss to UC Davis. Smith then recorded 11 points, 11 rebounds, four assists, and four blocks in a 67-51 win over Northern Arizona. On the week, she averaged 12.7 points, 13.7 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 2.3 blocks per game.
Other nominees included: Fresno State’s Tierre Wilson led the Bulldogs in scoring with 14 points against Brigham Young ... Nevada junior Dellena Criner led the Wolf Pack to a 1-1 record last week, averaging 18.5 points and 5.5 rebounds while recording a .379 clip from the field ... Senior guard Taylor Richards led Utah State in scoring in both games last week, netting 12 points against Portland State and 16 points versus Portland.
NMSU’S NEAL AND UH’S SMITH REACH STATISTICAL MILESTONES
Senior forward Sherell Neal became the 16th New Mexico State women’s basketball player to score over 1,000 career points in the Aggies season opener Nov. 9, when she led the team to a 65-61 victory at UC Irvine. Neal now has 1,004 points which, ranking her first among active players in the Western Athletic Conference. Neal had 19 points off of 8-of-12 shooting from the field and pulled down 11 rebounds. She made the team’s only 3-pointer in the game and added a block and a steal. Neal currently stands in fourth place on the school’s career block list, two shy of moving into third place and she sits in fourth place all-time in rebounds per game. Neal’s double-double was the 26th of her career and was her 11th consecutive game with 10-plus rebounds and 10-plus points, dating back to last season. Hawai?i’s Tanya Smith pulled down 41 rebounds in three games at the Waikiki Beach Marriott Classic Nov. 16-18, helping her reach the 500 career rebound mark. Smith now has 504 career rebounds and is about to break the UH career top-10 list. The 504 career rebounds ranks her second among current WAC players, behind only Neal, who has 734 career boards.
SENIORS RULE -- SO FAR
Four of the top five scorers in the Western Athletic Conference so far this season are seniors. New Mexico State senior Sherell Neal currently leads the pack at 19.0 points per game. Fresno State senior Tierre Wilson ranks third at 18 points a game, NMSU senior Anikia Jawara is fourth at 16.0, and Utah State senior Taylor Richards ranks fifth at 15.3 points a contest. Senior also currently hold four of the top five spots in the rebounding category.
TOUGH SCHEDULE
Through just two weeks in the early season, WAC teams have already played six games featuring a 2007 NCAA Tournament or WNIT opponent. No. 13 Cal snuck by Fresno State 83-79 on Nov. 9. Boise State defeated 2007 WNIT opponent Montana 67-61 on Nov. 11, and Hawai?i defeated 2007 NCAA Tournament team Washington 80-75 on Nov. 16. WAC teams are 2-4 against 2007 post season tournament teams so far this season. This week, Louisiana Tech, Nevada, and Fresno State will take on 2007 national postseason tournament teams.
LOOKING FOR WIN NUMBER 1
Five WAC teams will be looking for their first win of the season this week. Louisiana Tech plays its first official game this week, traveling to play Western Kentucky on Nov. 20. Fresno State (0-2), Utah State (0-3), San Jose State (0-3), and Idaho (0-3) seek their first win of the season this week.
WAC TEAMS TO PLAY IN SIX DIFFERENT THANKSGIVING TOURNAMENTS
Teams from the Western Athletic Conference will play in six different tournaments around the country this week. Hawai?i will host the Jack in the Box Rainbow Classic Nov. 23-25. Idaho will travel to participate in the Husky Classic in Seattle, Wash., Nov. 23-25. Nevada will travel to UTEP for the UTEP Thanksgiving Classic, Nov. 23-24. Boise State will travel to Moraga, Calif., to play in the Hilton Concord Thanksgiving Classic Nov. 23-24. Louisiana Tech will travel to Memphis, Tenn., to play in the Lady Tiger Thanksgiving Classic Nov. 24-25, and New Mexico State will stay at home to host the Thanksgiving Classic Nov. 23-24 in Las Cruces.
WATCH OUT FOR THE WAC
With six of the top 10 scorers returning from the 2006-07 season, the Western Athletic Conference is set for another exciting women’s basketball season. Katie Madison of Idaho (19.1) and Sherell Neal of New Mexico State (15.7) return as the top two scorers from just a season ago. The WAC has several key non-conference matchups this season. WAC teams could play at least 18 teams that advanced to either the NCAA Tournament or the Women’s National Invitational Tournament (WNIT) last season. WAC teams will face one team that advanced to the Sweet Sixteen (Arizona State), one team that reached the Final Four (LSU), and Louisiana Tech will face defending national champion Tennessee.
BOISE STATE FAVORED IN PRESEASON POLLS
Boise State, the 2006-07 Western Athletic Conference regular season co-champion and tournament title winner, was selected as the favorite by both the coaches and the media in the WAC preseason polls. The Broncos received seven of the nine first-place votes in the coaches poll and nine of the 15 top votes in the media poll.
PRESEASON ALL-WAC TEAMS ANNOUNCED
Along with the preseason polls, the coaches and media also voted on preseason all-WAC teams. Both the coaches and media selected Boise State junior guard Jessica Thompson, the 2007 WAC Tournament MVP, as the WAC’s preseason Player of the Year. Thompson was also selected to both the coaches and media’s first team all-WAC.
In the coaches poll, junior Nevada guard Dellena Criner and Hawai’i senior forward Tanya Smith, 2006-07 first team all-WAC honorees, also earned spots on the preseason team. New Mexico State forward Sherell Neal and Fresno State guard Tierre Wilson round out the first team. Second-team selections include Shanavia Dowdell (Louisiana Tech), Brandi Fitzgerald (Nevada), Tasha Harris (Boise State), Katie Madison (Idaho) and Taylor Richards (Utah State).
The media’s all-WAC team included Thompson, Criner, Neal, Madison, and Wilson.
NEW MEXICO STATE TO HOST 2008 WAC TOURNAMENT
Lac Cruces and New Mexico State University will host the 2008 WAC Tournament, March 11-15. It will be the second year in a row that the event will be held at the Pan American Center. The tournament features all nine men’s and women’s teams. Boise State defeated host New Mexico State in last year’s tournament championship game, 49-46.
RETURNING STAT LEADERS
Six of the top 10 scorers return for the 2007-08 season, including the top two scorers, Katie Madison of Idaho (19.1) and Sherell Neal of New Mexico State (15.7). Also returning is Nevada’s Dellena Criner who was fourth in scoring (14.6) and Tierre Wilson who as fifth in scoring (14.4). Boise State’s Jessica Thompson, who was seventh in scoring, averaging 13.7 ppg also returns along with New Mexico State’s Anikia Jawara who was eighth (13.1). Seven of the top 10 rebound leaders return. Neal is the leading returning rebounder with a 10.8 rpg average last season (first in the WAC). Hawai?i’s Tanya Smith was second in rebounding last year, averaging 9.2 rpg. Other returning rebounds leaders are: Idaho’s Katie Madison (8.9), New Mexico State’s Anikia Jawara (7.5), San Jose State’s Brittany Powell (6.4), Fresno State’s Tierre Wilson (6.4) and Idaho’s Sara Dennehy (6.4).
LETTERWINNER/STARTER CAPSULE
Nevada returns the most starters, returning all five. Boise State and Hawai?i both return four starters. Idaho returns the fewest with two. Following is a list of teams, the number of letterwinners returning and lost and starters returning and lost.
KEY NON-CONFERENCE MATCHUPS
The WAC has several key non-conference matchups this season. WAC teams could play at least 18 teams that advanced to either the NCAA Tournament or the Women’s National Invitational Tournament (WNIT) last season. WAC teams will face one team that advanced to the Sweet Sixteen (Arizona State), one team that reached the Final Four (LSU) and Louisiana Tech will face defending national champion, Tennessee.
Games vs. 2006-07 Postseason Teams:
California def. Fresno State, 83-79, Nov. 9
Oregon def. San Jose State, 67-32, Nov. 10
Boise State def. Montana, 67-61, Nov. 11
Hawai?i def. Washington, 80-75, Nov. 16
BYU def. Fresno State, 59-87 Nov. 17
Gonzaga def. Nevada, 55-93, Nov. 17
Louisiana Tech at Western Kentucky, Nov. 20
Nevada vs. Stephen F. Austin, Nov. 23
Oklahoma State at Fresno State, Nov. 24
Louisiana Tech at Tennessee, Nov. 26
Utah State at Idaho State, Nov. 28
Utah at Fresno State, Dec. 1
New Mexico at New Mexico State, Dec. 2
New Mexico State at BYU, Dec. 5
Washington at Boise State, Dec. 7
Nevada at UC Riverside, Dec. 9
Mississippi State at Louisiana Tech, Dec. 13
Idaho at Montana, Dec. 15
Utah State at Utah, Dec. 15
Fresno State at Arizona State, Dec. 17
LSU at Louisiana Tech, Dec. 20
New Mexico State at New Mexico, Dec. 21
Boise State at Idaho State, Dec. 29
BYU at Utah State, Dec. 29
Fresno State at UC Riverside, Dec. 29