WAC TEAM-BY-TEAM NOTES
Boise State Broncos (8-3, 0-0 WAC)
Boise State picked up its second straight win on the road this season as junior Anthony Thomas led the Broncos in their 75-72 win over San Diego ... during the first half of play, Thomas went a perfect 6-for-6 from the field, including 4-for-4 from three-point range ... the win over the Toreros not only marked the second victory on the road for the Broncos this season, but is the first time since last season during Boise State’s final road trip of the year that it posted back-to-back wins on the road ... junior Kurt Cunningham went 3-for-3 from the line and extended his streak of consecutive free throws made to 14 ... Cunningham, who currently leads the WAC in shooting percentage, went 2-for-2 from the field at CSU Bakersfield and 6-for-10 from the field at San Diegoj ... BSU improved their record to 8-3 for the second consecutive season.
Fresno State Bulldogs (6-7, 0-0 WAC)
Sylvester Seay led the Bulldogs during the final rounds of the Findlay Toyota Las Vegas Classic with 17.5 points and 6.5 rebounds per contest while draining 7-of-9 from the charity stripe, hitting a pair of 3-pointers and grabbing seven offensive boards in the twin set of games played on back-to-back days ... after sweeping the first two rounds of the Las Vegas Classic in Fresno during Finals Week by defeating Northern Colorado (70-65) and USC Upstate (72-47), the Bulldogs traveled to Las Vegas to complete tournament play ... despite a valiant first half battle, the ?Dogs fell to Creighton (84-65) in the third round and lost to Rick Majerus’ Saint Louis Billikens (56-52) in the final round ... senior guard Dwight O’Neil earned a spot on the All-Tournament team by averaging 14 points and four assists during the four games ... junior forward Sylvester Seay averaged 17.5 points in Las Vegas to lead the team.
Hawai?i Rainbow Warriors (6-4, 0-0 WAC)
Hawai?i went 1-1 last week, defeating UC Riverside 56-46 before dropping a 74-58 decision to Colorado State ... junior forward Roderick Flemings led the Rainbow Warriors over the two games, averaging 19.0 points and 5.0 rebounds per game ... he helped UH extend its home win streak to six games with a game-high 16 points, including 10-of-13 shooting from the line, in a 56-46 win over UC Riverside ... he also tallied a game-high 22 points, his fifth game with 20 or more points, in a 74-58 loss to Colorado State ... The Rainbow Warriors continue play this week against George Washington on Dec. 29 in the consolation bracket of the Outrigger Hotels Rainbow Classic ... Hawai?i will also play on Dec. 30 against a team to be determined ... UH then opens WAC play against Boise State in Honolulu on Jan. 3.
Idaho Vandals (6-6, 0-0 WAC)
Idaho did not play last week ... the previous week, the team defeated South Carolina State 81-68 on Dec. 17 ... the Vandals then downed Texas Southern 67-46 on Dec. 20 before dropping a 55-41 decision the very next day (Dec. 21) to Washington State ... Kashif Watson led the team over the three games, averaging 14.0 points per game ... Mac Hopson led the Vandals in the win over South Carolina State with 18 points ... Watson had 18 points in the victory against Texas Southern ... Hopson also had a team-high 10 points in the loss to Washington State ... the Vandals already have six wins this season, nearly matching the eight-win game total from all of last season ... Hopson continues to lead the Vandals in scoring this season at 16.3 points per game ... Idaho is back in action against in-state rival Idaho State on Dec. 29 in Pocatello, Idaho.
Louisiana Tech Bulldogs (6-7, 0-0 WAC)
Louisiana Tech went 1-1 last week, defeating TCU 72-67 at home before dropping a 78-55 decision at 10th-ranked UCLA ... Kyle Gibson led the Bulldogs with 23 points and six rebounds in the win against TCU ... Louisiana Tech shot 55.6 percent against the Horned Frogs ... Jamel Guyton and Kenneth Cooper also reached double digit scoring against TCU with 15 and 11 points, respectively ... at UCLA, Magnum Rolle led all scores with 17 points, along with seven rebounds ... Rolle connected on 8-of-10 shots against the Bruins ... Gibson was also in double figures with 11 points against UCLA ... Gibson averaged 17.0 points over the two games while shooting 71.4 percent from the field ... this week, Louisiana Tech opens WAC play at San Jose State on Jan. 3.
Nevada Wolf Pack (7-5, 0-0 WAC)
Luke Babbitt hit two key jump shots down the stretch and the Nevada Wolf Pack outlasted the Idaho State Bengals 68-63 in Nevada’s lone game last week ... Babbitt, who finished with a team-high 16 points, connected on a 15-foot jumper from the right side to give Nevada (7-5) a 62-57 lead with 1:30 to play ... the 6-foot-9 freshman also drained an 18-footer from the top of the key for a 64-60 lead with 53 seconds to go ... Nevada had led by as many as 12 (45-33) in the second half and 13 (26-13) in the first half ... Nevada went on a 15-2 run midway through the first half to seemingly take control of the game. Joey Shaw, Armon Johnson and Ray Kraemer each connected on 3-pointers during the run as Nevada took a 32-23 halftime lead ... this week, Nevada will host the No. 1 ranked team in the nation when North Carolina visits Reno on Dec. 31 ... the game will be televised on ESPN2.
New Mexico State Aggies (6-6, 0-0 WAC)
Sophomore guard Jahmar Young had a season-high 30 points to lead New Mexico State past Loyola Marymount 104-62 in the Aggies’ highest scoring game this season ... junior guard Jonathan Gibson added 20 points for New Mexico State, while sophomore forward Wendell McKines hit 12 points and 12 rebounds. New Mexico State went 17-for-27 from 3-point range and shot 53.7 percent from the field. The 17 3-pointers were two short of a school record ... Young also led NMSU with 18 points in the first in-state rivalry game of the season at New Mexico, Tuesday, Dec. 23, at The Pit in Albuquerque, N.M. ... the Aggies fell to the Lobos, 76-62, in front of UNM’s largest crowd of the season, 17,197. McKines and Gibson contributed 12 points each ... this week, NMSU hosts New Mexico on Dec. 30 before opening WAC play at Fresno State on Jan. 3.
San Jose State Spartans (6-4, 0-0 WAC)
C.J. Webster had his best week of the season scoring 50 points and pulling down 23 rebounds in the three San Jose State games in which the Spartans were 2-1 ... Webster scored a season-high 20 points and shared game-high rebounding honors with eight in the Spartans’ 82-76 win over San Francisco ... he also contributed 15 points and corralled five rebounds in the 87-78 loss to Saint Mary’s in the first round of the Shamrock Office Solutions Classic ... Webster ecorded his first double-double of the season with 15 points and 10 rebounds in an 84-59 win over William Jessup in the consolation game of the tournament ... Webster earned WAC player of the week honors for his efforts ... this week, San Jose State prepares for WAC play as it will host Louisiana Tech on Jan. 3.
Utah State Aggies (9-1, 0-0 WAC)
Utah State’s Spectrum magic lives on as Tai Wesley’s tip-in with 0.1 second left propelled the Aggies past the Utes of Utah, 66-64, in another classic clash between the in-state foes who were meeting for the 221st time last week ... it marked USU’s only game of the week ... Wesley, a sophomore forward, put back sophomore Tyler Newbold’s layup attempt after the Aggies inbounded the ball with 2.4 seconds remaining. After the officials reviewed the play, junior guard Jared Quayle knocked down Utah’s last-ditch attempt to spark the celebration ... it was USU’s sixth-straight win over Utah in the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum and the Aggies’ seventh win over the Utes in the last 11 meetings overall. Utah State is now 59-51 vs. Utah at home but the Utes still hold the all-time series lead, 129-92 ... this week, Utah State hosts the Gossner Foods Duel in the Desert Dec. 29-31.
WAC NOTES
SAN JOSE STATE’S WEBSTER NAMED WAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK
San Jose State’s C.J. Webster has been named the Western Athletic Conference Men’s Basketball Player of the Week for the week of Dec. 22-28. The honor marks the second career WAC Player of the Week award for Webster.
Webster, a junior from Missouri City, Texas (Texas State), helped the Spartans to a 2-1 record last week with wins over San Francisco and William Jessup. Webster scored a season-high 20 points and pulled down a game-high eight rebounds in SJSU’s 82-76 win over San Francisco. He contributed 15 points with five rebounds against Saint Mary’s while shooting 70 percent (7-of-10) from the field. Webster registered a double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds in an 82-61 win over William Jessup. Webster was named to the Shamrock Office Solutions Classic all-tournament team for his efforts against Saint Mary’s and William Jessup.
On the week, Webster averaged 16.7 points, 7.7 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game. He shot 64.7 percent from the field (22-of-34) and 50 percent from the charity stripe (6-of-12).
Other nominees included: Boise State junior Anthony Thomas scored 20 points, pulled down eight rebounds and dished out five assists in a road win over San Diego ... Fresno State junior Sylvester Seay averaged 17.5 points and 6.5 rebounds in a pair of games at the Findlay Toyota Las Vegas Classic ... Hawai?i forward Roderick Flemings averaged 19.0 points and 5.0 rebounds as UH went 1-1 last week ... New Mexico State sophomore Jahmar Young posted a season-high 30 points with a career-high seven three-point field goals in a win over Loyola Marymount ... Utah State sophomore Tai Wesley scored 18 points, including the game-winning basket with 0.1 seconds remaining to propel USU to a 66-64 win against in-state rival Utah.
UTAH STATE’S WILKINSON EARNS SPOT ON NATIONAL WATCH LISTS
Utah State’s Gary Wilkinson has been named one of 50 players to headline the Naismith Trophy watch list. The watch list was compiled by the Atlanta Tipoff Club’s Board of Selectors, which based its criteria on player performances from the previous year and expectations for the 2008-09 college basketball season. The Naismith Trophy presented by AT&T will be awarded at the 2009 NCAA Men’s Final Four in Detroit, Mich. He was also named one of 30 candidates for the 2008-09 Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award, which is presented annually to the NCAA Division I Student-Athlete of the Year. Wilkinson, a 6-9 senior forward from South Jordan, Utah is the only player from the Western Athletic Conference to be selected for both the Naismith and Lowe’s CLASS award. Entering the 2008-09 season, Wilkinson was voted as the WAC’s preseason Player of the Year by the media after earning second-team all-WAC honors as a junior. As a senior, Wilkinson is averaging 17.3 points and 7.8 rebounds, and is shooting 64.3 percent from the field and 81.0 percent from the free throw line. He currently ranks fourth in the WAC in scoring, third in field goal shooting, fifth in free throw shooting and third in rebounding.
SAN JOSE STATE’S PIERCE SETS SCHOOL THREE-POINT MARKS
Forward Tim Pierce became the new San Jose State career record holder for 3-points baskets made. He broke the old record of 123 set by Michael Quinney. Pierce also holds the SJSU all-time record for 3-point field goal attempted at 394.
WAC TEAMS RANK TOP-10 NATIONALLY IN TWO TEAM STATISTICAL CATEGORIES
As of Dec. 22, teams from the WAC rank top-10 or better in two team statistical categories. Utah State currently leads the nation in field goal percentage at 52.9 percent. The Aggies also rank eighth in the country in rebound margin (10.1). Individually, Utah State’s Gary Wilkinson ranks second nationally in field goal percentage with a 69.5 percent clip.
USU POSTS SECOND-BEST DEFENSIVE EFFORT IN NCAA HISTORY
Utah State accomplished a rare feat Nov. 25 in its 75-49 home win against Weber State as it held the Wildcats without a field goal for the final 16:20 of the game, which according to the NCAA is the second-longest field goal drought in NCAA history. The longest stretch in NCAA history one team has held another without a field goal was on Feb. 25, 1979 when Duke held North Carolina scoreless for 20:48. For Utah State, its defensive effort against Weber State is the best since Feb. 15, 2006, when it held Idaho scoreless for 13:53, which was the third-longest scoring drought in NCAA history. USU also had a 37-0 run against the Vandals, which is an NCAA record, and it held Idaho without a field goal for 16:01 during that game, which was the second-longest streak in NCAA history before the WSU game.
IDAHO SETS SCHOOL RECORD FOR LARGEST MARGIN OF VICTORY
Idaho’s 54-point victory over UC Irvine on Nov. 28 was its largest margin of victory over a Division I opponent in school history. The previous record was a 53-point margin against Pacific in 1983. It ranked as the second largest margin ever at Idaho behind a 111-34 win over Northwest College in 1987.
TOP WAC TEAMS OVER LAST FIVE YEARS
Over the last five seasons dating back to 2003-04, Nevada has turned in a 134-44 record, the best record of any WAC team during that time (.753 winning percentage). In conference games, Nevada has won 68 games, the most in that same time period. The top three teams in wins (both overall and WAC) over the last five seasons:
Overall Record (Pct.)
1. Nevada 134-44 (.753)
2. Utah State 125-43 (.744)
3. Hawai?i 88-71 (.553)
WAC Record (Pct.)
1. Nevada 68-16 (.810)
2. Hawai?i 43-40 (.518)
3. Fresno State 41-41 (.500)
UTAH STATE’S HOME WIN STREAK CONTINUES
Utah State has won 58 straight regular season non-conference home games, which is the second-longest streak in the nation behind Duke who has won 60 straight. When including postseason play, USU has won 34 straight home games against non-conference opponents and 58 of its last 60 overall. The last time Utah State lost a non-conference home game during the regular season was on Jan. 8, 2000 against BYU, 82-73. The team has also won 21 straight games inside the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum, which is the seventh-longest active winning streak in the country. BYU has won 53 straight home games, which is the longest streak in the nation.
FRESNO STATE’S GEORGE PUTS DOWN DUNK THAT LANDS NO. 1 ON SPORTCENTER’S TOP PLAYS
Paul George highlighted Fresno State’s game at Saint Mary’s (11/17) with a memorable dunk that landed as the No. 1 play on Sportscenter’s Top 10 “Plays of the Day” for Nov. 18, 2008 and opened the preview highlights for the broadcast. The dunk, where the freshman slashed straight to the basket and delivered an emphatic one-handed slam on two Gael defenders, beat a pair of Lebron James’ and other professional highlights for the top spot.
WAC TEAMS GO PERFECT IN EXHIBITION PLAY
WAC teams went a perfect 14-0 in exhibition play this season. Boise State, Fresno State, Hawai?i, New Mexico State, and Utah State each went 2-0, while Idaho, San Jose State, Nevada, and Louisiana Tech each went 1-0.
WAC TOURNAMENT TO RETURN TO RENO IN 2009
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 tournament features all nine men’s and women’s teams. The WAC tournaments were last held in Reno in 2006. The 2007 and 2008 tournaments were held in Las Cruces, New Mexico at New Mexico State University.
ESPNU BRACKETBUSTERS
For the seventh year in a row, the WAC has partnered with ESPN and several other top college basketball conferences for 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 20-21. The match-ups for Bracket Buster Saturday will be determined by ESPN in conjunction with the conferences about three weeks before the event.
TOP PLAYERS RETURNING
The WAC returns one player from last year’s all-WAC second team, Utah State forward Gary Wilkinson. No players return from the first team. Three of the five named to the all-newcomer team return: Armon Johnson (G, Nevada), C.J. Webster (C, San Jose State), and Wilkinson. Nevada guard Lyndale Burleson is the lone returner from last season’s all-defensive team. Nevada’s Johnson was the 2007-08 WAC Freshman of the Year.
TOURNAMENT OPPONENTS
WAC teams could face at least 16 non-conference opponents that played in last year’s NCAA Tournament, including three teams in last years’ Final Four (Kansas, North Carolina, UCLA). Idaho and Nevada lead the conference with three games scheduled apiece.
2007-08 NATIONAL POSTSEASON TOURNAMENT TEAMS ON WAC SCHEDULE
Idaho at Michigan State, Nov. 16
Cal State Fullerton at Hawai’i, Nov. 16
Boise State at Siena, Nov. 17
Nevada at San Diego, Nov. 18
Idaho at Gonzaga, Nov. 18
New Mexico State at USC, Nov. 18
Fresno State at St. Mary’s, Nov. 19
UNLV at Fresno State, Dec. 3
New Mexico State at Kansas, Dec. 3
UNLV at Nevada, Dec. 6
Utah State vs. BYU, Dec. 6 (SLC, UT)
San Jose State at San Diego, Dec. 8
Washington State at Idaho, Dec. 21
Boise State at San Diego, Dec. 22
Louisiana Tech at UCLA, Dec. 28
North Carolina at Nevada, Dec. 31