WAC TEAM-BY-TEAM NOTES
Boise State Broncos (6-1, 0-0 WAC)
The wins over both Wyoming and Colorado State marked the first victories over those two schools for Head Coach Greg Graham ... marked Boise State’s first win over Colorado State since 1976 when the Broncos beat the Rams, 60-52 ... Boise State boasts a record of 2-0 this season against the Mountain West as the Broncos prepare to take on their final MWC opponent of the season, BYU (8-0) ... Boise State’s 6-1 start marks the best start for the Broncos under Greg Graham ... Last time the Broncos had such a strong start was during the 2003-04 season when Boise State started out 9-1 and earned a berth into the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) ... the last time the Broncos had a five-game winning streak after starting the season off at 1-1 was in 1997-98 when Boise State went 17-13, 9-7 in the Big West ... BSU plays at BYU on Dec. 10 before hosting San Francisco on Dec. 13.
Fresno State Bulldogs (3-4, 0-0 WAC)
The Bulldogs recorded their first road victory by beating Pacific, 66-64 ... the ?Dogs shot a season-high 56.3 percent from the field as they also outrebounded the Tigers, 29-28 ... Fresno State also won the battle of the boards against perennial postseason contender, UNLV, 38-31, and had two Bulldogs record more than 20 points in a game for the first time this season ... freshman reserve guard Mychal Ladd came up a rebound shy of his first career double-double (19 points, 9 rebounds) in the Bulldogs win over Pacific and contributed 32 points off the bench on the week ... Over the two games, Paul George led the Bulldogs in scoring, averaging 23.5 points per game ... George also pulled down 11 rebounds over the two games ... he shot 67.9 percent from the field in the two games ... this week, Fresno State will host Cal State Bakersfield on Dec. 10 and Montana on Dec. 14.
Hawai?i Rainbow Warriors (3-2, 0-0 WAC)
Hawai`i used a strong second-half effort to outlast Prairie View A&M, 78-70, Monday night at the Stan Sheriff Center ... UH trailed by as many as 11 points, but eventually wore down the Panthers after halftime to improve to 3-2 with its third straight win ... after trailing by eight at halftime, UH ramped up its play on both sides of the ball. Hawai`i held the Panthers (3-5) to just 34 percent shooting after the break, while on the offensive end, used its superior size advantage to sink 14-of-16 (88 percent) field goals and 19-of-25 free throws (76 percent) ... Roderick Flemings proved to be the driving force in the win, finishing with 22 points and 13 rebounds for his first career double-double ... the native of Dallas, Texas, shot 7-of-9 from the field and 7-of-8 from the free throw line, while scoring all but three of his points in the second half ... he also added three assists, two blocks and a steal.
Idaho Vandals (4-4, 0-0 WAC)
Idaho went 1-1 on the road last week, defeating Sacramento State 72-58 before dropping a 68-65 decison at Portland ... Mac Hopson had a big week for the Vandals, scoring 36 points (18.0 ppg.) over the two games ... Hopson also tallied 13 assists and shot nearly 62 percent from the field during the week ... Brandon Wiley also played well, averaging 17.5 points per contest while shooting 76.2 percent (16-of-22) ... Trevor Morris and Marvin Jefferson also averaged double digit scoring last week at 11.5 and 10.5 points per game, respectively ... Wiley led the Vandals with 19 points against Sacramento State on 9-of-13 shooting ... Hopson and Morris each had 15 points in the win against the Hornets ... Hopson recorded a game-high 21 points in the loss at Portland ... this week, Idaho travels to play South Carolina State on Wednesday.
Louisiana Tech Bulldogs (3-4, 0-0 WAC)
Louisiana Tech took the early lead Saturday night and never relinquished and bested in-parish foe Grambling State 77-47 at home in the team’s only game last week ... Tech blasted through the first half to outscore the Tigers 42-19 in the first half of play thanks to the scoring of redshirt freshman Olu Ashaolu’s 11 first-half points and junior Kenneth Cooper’s 10 ... it would not change in the second half, either, as the Bulldogs still manage to outscore Grambling State 35-28 for the final stanza to win 77-47 ... Cooper led the Bulldogs with 14 points for the night on 6-of-12 shooting with six rebounds ... Ashaolu finished the night with 13 points, while junior Magnum Rolle totaled 12 points with six boards ... Rolle was perfect from the field and the free throw line ... the Bulldogs also out-rebounded the Tigers 47 to 29.
Nevada Wolf Pack (3-4, 0-0 WAC)
The Wolf Pack went 1-1 last week ... the team defeated Colorado State 82-76 on the road before taking a home loss to UNLV, 64-57 ... Armon Johnson led the Pack with 44 points (22.0 ppg) over the two games ... Johnson shot a two-game combined 51.6 percent (16-of-31) from the field and 80 percent (12-of-15) from the free throw line ... freshman Luke Babbitt also averaged double digits, scoring 14.0 points per game on the week ... Babbitt led the Pack on the boards, averaging 7.0 per game ... Joey Shaw helped with 10.5 points per game over the two contests ... the Wolf Pack registered a 43.5 team field goal percentage over the two games while limiting opponents to a 41.8 percent mark ... Nevada continues play this week against Sonoma State on Tuesday, Dec. 9 and Sunday, Dec. 14 against Southern Illinois ... both games will be played in Reno.
New Mexico State Aggies (2-4, 0-0 WAC)
The Aggies went 0-2 last week, dropping games at No. 25 Kansas and North Texas ... Jahmar Young led the Aggies on the week, averaging 18.0 points per game over the two contests ... Young shot 57.9 percent from the field (11-of-19) and went 11-of-12 from the charity stripe during the week ... Young led New Mexico State with a 19-point effort at North Texas ... three others also reached double digits against North Texas, including Jonathan Gibson (15), Troy Gillenwater (15), and Wendell McKines (14) ... Young also led the team with a 17-point performance against No. 25 Kansas, connecting on 4-of-8 shots from the field ... Gibson, Gillenwater and McKines each reached double digit scoring in the game against the Jayhawks ... this week, New Mexico State hosts Sacramento State on Dec. 11 before welcoming UTEP on Dec. 14.
San Jose State Spartans (2-3, 0-0 WAC)
San Jose State played only one game last week ... despite struggling with its offense, San Jose State held a six-point lead, 52-46 with 5:47 left in its game against Santa Clara ... free throw shooting, which has plagued the Spartans this season, was a problem the rest of the way as the Broncos came from behind for a 59-56 win ... San Jose State (2-3) was 15-of-27 from the free throw line and just 2-of-4 in the final 30 seconds after DaShawn Wright tied the game, 54-54 with 2:56 to go, converting two free throws ... San Jose State went to the free throw line with nine two-shot or 1-and-1 opportunities in the final 20 minutes and made both free throws just twice ... Tim Pierce led the Spartans in scoring with 18 points and missed a three-point basket try from the right wing at the end of regulation time that could have tied the game ... SJSU plays at San Diego on Dec. 8.
Utah State Aggies (5-1, 0-0 WAC)
Utah State went 1-1 last week, defeating UC Irvine 74-62 at home before dropping a 68-63 decision to Brigham Young on a neutral floor in Salt Lake City ... Tyler Newbold led the Aggie effort against UC Irvine with a game-high 21 points on 8-of-11 shooting ... Newbold also knocked down three shots from long range and pulled down seven rebounds in the game ... Deremy Geiger helped with 14 points and Tai Wesley added 10 in the win ... Against BYU, Gary Wilkinson led Utah State with 22 points on 6-of-11 shooting, including a 10-of-11 mark at the free throw line ... Wilkinson also had nine rebounds against the Cougars ... Wesley helped with 12 points and Newbold had 11 against BYU ... Newbold also had a career-high nine rebounds in the effort ... this week, Utah State travels to play Utah Valley on Dec. 13 in Orem, Utah.
WAC NOTES
BOISE STATE’S SANCHEZ NAMED WAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Boise State’s Mark Sanchez has been named the Western Athletic Conference Men’s Basketball Player of the Week for the week of Dec. 1-7. The honor marks the second WAC Player of the Week award this season for Sanchez.
Sanchez, a senior from Tucson, Ariz. (Pima CC), led Boise State to a pair of wins over Mountain West Conference foes Wyoming and Colorado State. Sanchez scored a team-high 24 points on 11-of-18 shooting with nine rebounds against Wyoming. He also scored the game-winning shot in the final second to give the Broncos an 86-85 victory over the previously undefeated Cowboys. Against Colorado State, Sanchez recorded his second career double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds.
On the week, Sanchez averaged 20.0 points, 9.5 rebounds, and 2.0 assists, while shooting 53.1 (17-of-32) percent from the field.
Other nominees included: Fresno State freshman Paul George led the Bulldogs to their first road win of the season with a 24-point performance against Pacific ... Hawai?i junior Roderick Flemings scored 22 points and pulled down 13 rebounds in a home win against Prairie View A&M ... Utah State sophomore Tyler Newbold scored a career-high 21 points in a win over UC Irvine and posted a career-high nine rebounds against BYU.
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 a 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 Tuesday night.
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 130-43 record, the best record of any WAC team during that time (.751 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 130-43 (.751)
2. Utah State 124-45 (.734)
3. Hawai?i 86-68 (.559)
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 57 straight regular season non-conference home games, which is the second-longest streak in the nation behind Duke who has won 59 straight. When including postseason play, USU has won 33 straight home games against non-conference opponents and 57 of its last 59 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 eighth-longest active winning streak in the country. BYU has won 51 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