PLAYER OF THE WEEK ? San Jose State sophomore center C.J. Webster has been named the Western Athletic Conference men’s basketball player of the week for Jan. 7-13. This is the first career WAC Player of the Week honor for the sophomore and the first for the Spartans since the 2004-05 season.
Webster, a sophomore from Missouri City, Texas (Texas State), led the Spartans to wins over Santa Clara and Nevada last week. He helped the Spartans to their first conference win of the season against the Wolf Pack. He recorded his third double-double of the season at Santa Clara helping San Jose State to its first win over the Broncos in six tries. His 11 rebounds led all players. Against the Wolf Pack, he led all players in scoring in the 62-60 win over Nevada with 17 points. Webster had one of his best shooting nights of the season making 7-of-11 from the field. He helped spur a first-half comeback from a 22-11 first-half deficit with back-to-back baskets igniting a 15-2 rally that gave San Jose State a 26-24 advantage.
The two wins put San Jose State at 8-7. This is the first time since the 2001 season that the Spartans have been over .500 for 15 games.
The other nominations were senior forward Reggie Larry, Boise State; senior guard Eddie Miller, Fresno State; junior guard Jordan Brooks, Idaho; senior guard Marcelus Kemp, Nevada and junior forward Gary Wilkinson, Utah State.
WEEK THREE OF WAC PLAY ? The WAC has one remaining undefeated team in conference play, Utah State. This week, the Aggies will host second-place Boise State and Idaho. The Broncos will also travel to Nevada. Louisiana Tech is the last team in the WAC without a conference win. The Bulldogs will to do that this week against New Mexico State in Las Cruces. Three games will be on ESPN FullCourt this week: both games at Utah State and the game at New Mexico State.
COACH MORRILL GOES FOR RECORD ? Stew Morrill is 225-80 (.738) in his 10th year as the head coach at Utah State and is tied with legendary coach E. Lowell Romney (1920-41) for the most wins in school history. Morrill tied the record at home against New Mexico State last week. Coach Morrill is also second all-time in school history in games coached with 305 behind Romney (382).
BRONCOS OFF TO BEST START SINCE ?98-’99 SEASON ? Boise State’s 12-4 start is one of the seven best starts to a season in school history and the best by a Bronco team since the Broncos started 12-4 during the 1998-99 season. Boise State’s best start came during the 1987-88 season when the team won 16 of its first 17 games. Through the first 16 games, only the 87-88 team, the 88-89 team (13-3) the 69-70 team (13-3) and the 94-95 team (13-3) have put together a better start. In addition to the 98-99 team, the 86-87 team matched this year’s 12-4 start.
NEVADA-UTAH STATE RESCHEDULE GAME ? The postponed men’s basketball game between Nevada and Utah State has been rescheduled for Monday, Feb. 11.
The game, which was originally scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 5, was postponed due to high winds and snowfall in the Reno area over the weekend. The Utah State men’s basketball team was unable to travel to Reno the day prior to the game due to the weather conditions. Tip-off for the Feb. 11 game is set for 7:05 p.m. at Lawlor Events Center in Reno.
The Wolf Pack will play three games that week, taking on the Aggies on Monday evening and traveling to Boise State on Thursday, Feb. 14 and to Idaho on Saturday, Feb. 16. Utah State also take on Hawai?i in Honolulu on Feb. 16. Fans who already purchased tickets for the Utah State game should use their existing tickets for the rescheduled game. Fans with questions should call or visit the Wolf Pack Ticket Office at Legacy Hall at 775-348-PACK (7225).
WAC STRIKES A DEAL WITH GREAT ALASKA SHOOTOUT ? Athletic director Dr. Steve Cobb announced Tuesday that the University of Alaska Anchorage Athletic Department has signed a scheduling agreement with the Western Athletic Conference for the Carrs/Safeway Great Alaska Shootout.
Under the 5-year deal, the WAC will send one men’s team per year to the prestigious college basketball tournament, starting with the 31st annual Shootout in 2008.
“This is a great opportunity for the WAC and its basketball programs,” said WAC commissioner Karl Benson. “This tournament has a national tradition that attracts top-caliber teams that we are excited to be a part of. We also appreciate the national attention that is delivered by the exposure from ESPN.”
The 2008 Shootout will be played Nov. 26-29 at Anchorage’s Sullivan Arena.
WAC ON ESPN ? The WAC has a multi-year contract with ESPN for coverage of WAC football and basketball. Utah State will play at New Mexico State on ESPN2 on Jan. 26.
WE’RE GOING STREAKING ? Utah State has won seven-straight games, which is tied for the 14th-longest active streak in the nation and the longest by an Aggie team since the 2006-07 club won eight straight games. Overall, USU has won nine of its last 10 games after starting the year with a 3-4 record. During its current seven-game winning streak, Utah State is averaging 80.9 points and shooting 52.7 percent from the field, 39.3 percent from three-point range and 81.1 percent from the free throw line, while its opponents are averaging 63.0 points and shooting 38.8 percent from the field, 32.5 percent from three-point range and 68.5 percent from the free throw line.
O’REILLY ESPNU BRACKETBUSTERS ? For the sixth year in a row, the WAC has partnered with ESPN and several other top college basketball conferences for the O’Reilly ESPNU BracketBusters, a weekend men’s basketball event matching potential NCAA tournament hopefuls against each other. All nine WAC teams will be a part of this year’s pool of teams. The event will be held February 22-24, and ESPN2 and ESPNU will present 11 games. The match-ups for Bracket Buster Saturday will be determined by ESPN in conjunction with the conferences about three weeks before the event.
FRESNO STATE PACKING THE STANDS ? Fresno State is leading the WAC in home attendance, over 2,200 more fans per more game than the No. 2 program in the league, Utah State. The Save Mart Center has seen an average of 10,465 fans per game through seven games. The Aggies average 8,257 per contest. Last season, the Dogs ranked No. 33 in the NCAA in attendance average at more than 11,000 fans per game.
CARROLL CURRENTLY SEVENTH ALL-TIME IN SCORING IN THE STATE OF UTAH ? With his 2,056 career points, senior guard Jaycee Carroll currently ranks seventh all-time in the state of Utah in scoring. In fact, Carroll is one of just 10 collegiate players in the “Beehive State” to ever score 2,000 points. Utah’s Keith Van Horn holds the state’s scoring record with 2,542 points, followed by BYU’s Danny Ainge (2,467), Utah’s Billy McGill (2,321), BYU’s Michael Smith (2,319), BYU’s Devin Durrant (2,285) and Utah State’s Greg Grant (2,127). Other in-state players to hit the 2,000-point plateau other than Carroll are Weber State’s Bruce Collins (2,019), USU’s Wayne Estes (2,001) and Utah’s Josh Grant (2,000).
BIG WIN FOR SPARTANS ? San Jose State’s 62-60 win over Nevada on January 10 marked the first time in 11 tries the Spartans defeated the Wolf Pack. Before January 10, the last San Jose State victory over Nevada was on March 2, 2002 in Reno.
AMONG THE BEST IN THE NATION ? Boise State is still first in the nation in field-goal percentage (.523). Utah State is still third in the nation in free throw percentage (.785) behind IUPUI which is first (.798). Individually, Utah State’s Jaycee Carroll is now second in the nation in free throw percentage (.929) and fifth in three-point field goal percentage (.505). Nevada’s JaVale McGee is 10th in the country in blocked shots (3.1 bpg). Boise State’s Matt Nelson is up to second in field goal percentage (.675), while teammate Reggie Larry is 21st (.603).
DOUBLE TROUBLE ? Nevada has seen three different players turn in its six double-doubles this season, led by sophomore JaVale McGee who has four. Most recently, McGee turned in 10 points and 12 rebounds Saturday at Hawai’i. He had 18 points and 11 rebounds Dec. 31 against Cal State Stanislaus, turned in 15 points and a career-best 18 rebounds Dec. 16 vs. UCF and nabbed his first career double-double Nov. 24 at UNLV, matching his career best with 20 points and pulling down a then career-high 13 rebounds. McGee has just missed two other double-doubles with 19 points and nine rebounds Nov. 28 vs. Cal and 11 points and nine rebounds Dec. 19 vs. Colorado State. Senior Marcelus Kemp tallied his second career double-double with 20 points and a career-high-tying 12 rebounds Dec. 1 at Pacific, while senior Demarshay Johnson turned in his first career double-double with 12 points and a career-high 11 boards Nov. 13 at UC Irvine.
WAC TOURNAMENT TO RETURN TO RENO IN 2009 ? Western Athletic Conference commissioner Karl Benson announced that the WAC Board of Directors awarded the 2009 and 2010 WAC Men’s and Women’s Basketball Tournaments to the University of Nevada and the Reno-Sparks Convention and Visitors Authority. The tournaments will be held in the 11,485-seat Lawlor Events Center, located on the campus of the University of Nevada.
The WAC tournaments were last held in Reno in 2006. The 2007 tournaments were held in Las Cruces, New Mexico at New Mexico State University, as will the 2008 tournaments before returning to Reno in 2009.
CARROLL SEVENTH IN NCAA IN THREE-POINT PERCENTAGE ? Senior guard Jaycee Carroll has a career shooting percentage of 46.0 percent from three-point range, which ranks seventh all-time in the history of the NCAA at the Division I level. Tony Bennett of Green Bay holds the NCAA record for three-point shooting at 49.7 percent (290-584), followed by Stephen Sir of Northern Arizona who shot 46.9 percent (323-689), David Olson of Eastern Illinois who shot 46.6 percent (262-562), Ross Land of Northern Arizona who shot 46.4 percent (308-664) and Steve Novak of Marquette who shot 46.1 percent (354-768). Carroll is also 37 made three-pointers shy of ranking 25th all-time in NCAA history in that category.
NEW MEXICO STATE TO HOST 2008 WAC TOURNAMENT ? Las 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.
SUPER SENIORS ? The WAC seniors are leading the way offensivley this season. Eight of the top 10 leading scorers in the league are seniors. Utah State’s Jaycee Carroll leads the way, averaging 21.2 ppg. The guard is the only player in the WAC averaging over 20 ppg. Boise State’s senior duo of Reggie Larry (19.4 ppg) and Matt Nelson (16.5 ppg) are third and tied for sixth, respectively in the league in scoring. There is just one underclassman in the top 10 in scoring, Louisiana Tech’s Kyle Gibson (14.6) which is good enough for 10th in the WAC. New Mexico State’s Justin Hawkins is the only junior in the top 10. He is fourth in the league in scoring, averaging 18.0 ppg.
TEAM LEADERS ? The WAC has seven schools with players who lead their team in two of three statistical categories (points-rebounds-assists). Utah State’s Jaycee Carroll is the only player in the WAC to average over 20.0 ppg, averaging 21.2 ppg. Idaho’s Jordan Brooks is the only player to lead in all three categories.
Reggie Larry, Sr., F, Boise State (19.4 ppg, 8.9 rpg)
Kevin Bell, Sr., G, Fresno State (17.1 ppg, 6.0 apg)
Bobby Nash, Sr., G/F, Hawai?i (15.5 ppg, 5.1 rpg)
Jordan Brooks, Jr., F, Idaho (12.1 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 3.8 apg)
Kyle Gibson, So., G, Louisiana Tech (14.6 ppg, 6.5 rpg)
Justin Graham, Fr., G, San Jose State (12.2 ppg, 3.1 apg)
Jaycee Carroll, Sr., G, Utah State (21.2 ppg, 6.1 rpg)
NEVADA TOP TEAM OVER LAST FOUR YEARS ? Over the last four-seasons dating back to 2004-05, Nevada has turned in a 90-24 record, the best record of any WAC team during that time (.789 winning percentage). In conference games, Nevada has won 44 games, the most in that same time period. The top three teams in wins (both overall and WAC) over the last four seasons:
Overall Record (Pct.) WAC Record (Pct.)
1. Nevada 90-24 (.789) 1. Nevada 44-8 (.846)
2. Utah State 82-34 (.707) 2. New Mexico St. 24-12 (.667)
3. Hawai?i 57-47 (.548) 3. Utah State 22-12 (.647)
UTAH STATE’S CARROLL NEAR RECORDS ? Senior guard Jaycee Carroll is closing in on several Utah State career records, as he ranks second all-time in both three-pointers attempted (669) and 10-point games (103). He is also second in games started (114), second in total minutes played (3,899), fourth in field goals made (734), fourth in field goals attempted (1,443), fourth in free throw percentage (.851) and fifth in minutes per game (33.6). Carroll also ranks eighth all-time in steals (107), eighth in games played (116), ninth in points per game (18.1), 18th in rebounding (574) and 20th all-time in assists (232).
CARROLL AND KEMP NAMED TO NAISMITH AND WOODEN WATCH LISTS ? Utah State’s Jaycee Carroll and Nevada’s Marcelus Kemp continue to receive national attention this fall and were recently named to the preseason watch list for the 2007-08 Naismith Trophy presented by AT&T, the Atlanta Tipoff Club announced. Last week, both were named one of 50 preseason candidates for the 2007-08 John R. Wooden Award.
The Naismith Trophy watch list, which consists of 50 players, was compiled by the Atlanta Tipoff Club’s Board of Selectors, which based its preseason criteria on player performances from last season and expectations for the 2007-08 season. There were 17 seniors and 17 juniors on the preseason list, along with 16 sophomores. The list does not include incoming freshmen, although those student-athletes will be considered in the first vote in January, 2008. The Naismith Trophy is the most prestigious national award presented annually to college basketball’s player of the year.
Boise State Broncos (12-4, 3-1 WAC)
Boise State’s 12-4 start is the best since the 1998-99 season ... Boise State leads the nation in field goal percentage (52.3 percent), while senior forward Matt Nelson is second in the nation, making 104-of-154 field goals (67.5 percent) ... the Broncos continue to lead the WAC in scoring (81.8), scoring margin (+9.1), field goal percentage (52.3) and steals (7.69 per game) ... Boise State is tied with Utah State for the WAC lead in assists (18.00 apg) ... senior forward Reggie Larry leads the WAC in rebounding, pulling down 142 in the first 16 games to average 8.9 rpg ... the Broncos are averaging 85.6 points on the road.
Fresno State Bulldogs (9-8, 2-1 WAC)
Fresno State’s four turnovers against Idaho was the fewest this season, second-fewest in Bulldog history ... Fresno State leads the WAC in turnover margin (+2.71) ... the Bulldogs are also atop the WAC in 3-point field goals made (8.71 per game), led by senior guard Eddie Miller who continues to lead the WAC averaging 3.47 3-point field goals made per game ... senior guard Kevin Bell has 514 career assists, tying TCU’s Prince Fowler for No. 14 on the all-time WAC list ... freshman Ned Golubovic has come off the bench to score eight points in each of his three WAC games this season ... Fresno State plays four of its first five WAC games on the road.
Hawai?i Rainbow Warriors (6-10, 2-2 WAC)
Hawai?i began the week with a thrilling 65-64 win over San Jose State, defeating the Spartans for the second time in ten days ... senior guard Matt Gibson scored the game-winning basket with 11 seconds left ... Gibson leads the Rainbow Warriors in scoring, averaging 16.2 points per game ... senior guards/forwards Bobby Nash (15.5 ppg) and Riley Luettgerodt (12.5 ppg) round out Hawai?i’s scorers averaging double figures so far this season ... as a team the Rainbow Warriors are second in the WAC in free throw percentage (.727) and fifth in scoring (69.5 ppg) and field goal percentage (.434) ... Hawai?i hosts Fresno State on Saturday, Jan. 19.
Idaho Vandals (4-11, 1-3 WAC)
Idaho picked up its first conference win of the season, defeating Louisiana Tech Jan. 10 ... junior forward Jordan Brooks leads the Vandals with 12.1 ppg and 5.8 rpg, followed by senior forward Michael Crowell who is averaging 9.3 ppg and 5.4 rpg ... junior guard Mike Hall has 29 3-pointers in the past five games, which is the most by any player in the WAC in that span ... as a team Idaho is second in the WAC in steals (7.00 per game), third in in 3-point field goal percentage (.355) and 3-point field goals made (7.07 per game) and eighth in scoring, averaging 65.3 ppg ... Idaho takes to the road to face Nevada on Jan. 17 and Utah State Jan. 19.
Louisiana Tech Bulldogs (3-12, 0-3 WAC)
Louisiana Tech lost a pair of road games at Idaho and Boise State ... the Bulldogs shot a season-high 52 percent from the floor in the Idaho contest ... junior guard Drew Washington scored a career-high 20 points (7-of-12 from the field and a perfect 5-5 from the free throw line) at Boise State ... sophomore guard Kyle Gibson leads Louisiana Tech with 14.6 points and 6.5 rebounds per game, and is ninth and seventh in those categories in the WAC, respectively ... as a team the Bulldogs are averaging 57.5 points per game and .389 field goal percentage, compared to opponents’ 69.9 points and .465 field goal percentage.
Nevada Wolf Pack (9-6, 1-1 WAC)
Nevada began WAC play with a split on the road, losing at San Jose State before defeating Hawai?i for Coach Fox’s 90th career victory ... Marcelus Kemp scored a season-high 29 points in the win against the Rainbow Warriors ... four Nevada players are averaging in double figures for scoring, including Kemp who leads the Pack and is third in the WAC with 19.3 ppg, sophomore JaVale McGee (12.9 ppg), sophomore Brandon Fields (11.6 ppg) and freshman Armon Johnson (11.0 ppg) ... McGee and the Wolf Pack continue to lead the WAC in blocked shots per game ... McGee is 10th in the nation averaging 3.12 blocks per game, while Nevada is averaging 6.33 bpg.
New Mexico State Aggies (9-10, 3-1 WAC)
New Mexico State begins a three-game home stand when the Aggies host Louisiana Tech, Saturday, Jan. 19 ... senior guard/forward Justin Hawkins leads the team with 18.0 points and 7.8 rebounds per game ... freshman guard Jahmar Young had a career-high 33 points in a 76-73 win at Boise State, Jan. 10 ... he was the first Aggie to score 33 points since Duane John achieved the feat against New Mexico, Dec. 3, 2003 ... as a team, the Aggies rank first in rebounding offense (39.9), rebounding margin (+6.5) and offensive rebounds (14.21).
San Jose State Spartans (8-8, 1-3 WAC)
San Jose State nabbed its first WAC win in a 62-20 defeat of Nevada on Jan. 10 ... the victory snapped an eight-game losing streak against the Wolf Pack ... C.J. Webster scored a game-high 17 points in the win ... San Jose State already has three more victories than it had last season ... the Spartans lost a close contest to Hawai?i on Nov. 14 ... DaShawn Wright became the second Spartan this season to score 20 or more points in a game with his game and season-high 20 points against Hawai?i ... San Jose State next will face Fresno State without team-leading scorer Justin Graham who fractured his right elbow in the loss.
Utah State Aggies (12-5, 2-0 WAC)
With its 2-0 conference record Utah State sits atop the WAC and is off to its best conference start since the 2003-04 season ... Utah State leads the WAC in three-point shooting (.381) and assists per game (18.00), and is second in overall shooting (.492). ... Jaycee Carroll leads the WAC and is second in the nation in free throw shooting, making 65 of 70 for 92.9 percent ... Carroll also leads the WAC in scoring (21.2 ppg) and three-point shooting (50.5 percent) ... Utah State has won seven straight games, which is tied for the 14th-longest active streak in the nation and the longest by an Aggie team since the 2006-07 club won eight straight games.