WAC TEAM-BY-TEAM NOTES
Boise State Broncos (12-5, 3-2 WAC)
Junior guard Anthony Thomas dished out six assists, moving his way up the charts in the Bronco record books as he recorded his 279th career assist, which is good enough for seventh in the Boise State record books ... he now sits 19 assists out of sixth ... the Broncos lost their second consecutive game of the season for the first time since falling to BYU, 56-94, Dec. 10, and San Francisco, 76-79, Dec. 13 ... Boise State was swept on the road for the first time since the 2006-07 season when the Broncos fell in their final two conference games of the season against Nevada, 81-95, and Fresno State, 77-78 ... continuing his streak and proving why he leads the WAC in shooting percentage was junior Kurt Cunningham ... he went 4-for-8 from the field, marking the 16th consecutive game in which he has shot 50 percent or better from the floor.
Fresno State Bulldogs (7-11, 0-4 WAC)
While executing their game plan to near perfection, junior forward Sylvester Seay made a statement with a dominating career-high 32-point night as the Bulldog’s upset bid to stop the Aggie’s 26-game home winning streak ended in a 65-61 loss at Utah State ... sophomore forward Nedeljko Golubovic contributed nine points as an additional low post presence ... Paul George put eight points on the scoreboard despite being constantly double-teamed ... later in the week, Fresno State fought back from a 15-point hole midway through the second half before falling 65-60 to the five-time defending WAC champion Nevada Wolf Pack in the Lawlor Events Center ... Paul George recorded a team-high 16 points and nine rebounds while Golubovic also picked up nine rebounds (tying a career-high) ... Seay added 13 points and eight rebounds in his first game since torching Utah State for 32 points.
Hawai?i Rainbow Warriors (9-8, 1-4 WAC)
Hawai?i went 0-1 last week, dropping a 73-61 decision at home to San Jose State ... Hawai`i led for the better portion of the game until the Spartans went on a decisive 19-3 second-half run. SJSU (8-8, 2-3 WAC) shot 59 percent after the break and out-scored the ’Bows 48-32 in the second half ... the loss was UH’s first against San Jose State since 2004, ending a string of 11 straight wins over the Spartans ... Roderick Flemings led the ’Bows with 18 points, while Bill Amis and Lasha Parghalava each scored 14 points ... Kareem Nitoto finished with 10 points and a team-high five assists ... UH got off to a strong start, racing out to a 12-3 lead in the first five minutes ... UH never trailed in the first half and took a 29-25 lead into the locker room after shooting 55 percent in the first half ... UH next heads to Reno for a meeting with the Nevada Wolf Pack on Thursday, Jan. 22. Tip-off is set for 7:05 p.m. PT
Idaho Vandals (8-10, 2-3 WAC)
The Vandals went 0-2 last week on the road, dropping a 74-71 decision at New Mexico State before falling 74-63 at Louisiana Tech ... at NMSU, a very short-handed Idaho held a late lead, but miscues down the stretch allowed New Mexico State to slip away with the win ... Idaho trailed by as many as eight points early in the second half before climbing back to take a five point lead with 3:25 remaining ... Untimely execution errors and missed free throws allowed New Mexico State to climb back and take the victory ... UI lost Marvin Jefferson to a concussion suffered at practice and, with Luis Augusto out with a lingering foot injury, were forced to play without a true post player ... against Louisiana Tech, Idaho was plagued by poor shooting, sloppy ball handling, and errant passes while La. Tech flexed its muscle with 38 points in the paint and 55-percent shooting in the teams only game of the week.
Louisiana Tech Bulldogs (8-10, 2-3 WAC)
The Louisiana Tech Bulldogs snapped a three-game losing streak against Idaho by a final score of 74-63 in their last contest of a three-game home stand before returning to the road next week ... the Bulldogs started the day on a 4-0 run and took as much as an 18-10 lead early in the first half of play ... Idaho had climbed back in the first half, however, before junior Jamel Guyton converted the rare four-point-play after being fouled while hitting a three-pointer to give the Bulldogs a 24-17 lead ... Tech stayed ahead of Idaho for the remainder of the half and took a 38-30 lead into the halftime locker room ... Kyle Gibson led Tech scorers with 21 points on 8-of-13 shooting, while junior Magnum Rolle added some thunderous dunks in the second half to keep the crowd electrified. Rolle finished with 19 points.
Nevada Wolf Pack (11-7, 4-1 WAC)
Freshman Luke Babbitt was named WAC Player of the Week for a second-straight week after he led the Pack to a pair of wins last week against Boise State and Fresno State ... Babbitt averaged 20.0 points and 11.5 rebounds per game in Nevada’s wins over Boise State and Fresno State ... Babbitt turned in his third double-double of the year with 18 points and 10 rebounds in the win over Boise State. Also matched his career best with two blocks vs. the Broncos ... he followed that up with his fourth two nights later, tying his career high with 22 points and pulling down a career-best 13 rebounds in the win over Fresno State ... Nevada has won a season-long four consecutive games ... the Wolf Pack has outrebounded each of its last seven opponents and holds an 8-3 record when outrebounding its opponents this season ... Nevada has won 22 of its last 24 WAC regular-season home games.
New Mexico State Aggies (9-9, 3-2 WAC)
The Aggies won their lone of the week with a 74-71 victory over Idaho, Jan. 15, in Las Cruces ... Jahmar Young made two free throws with 19 seconds remaining as New Mexico State rallied to beat Idaho 74-71 Thursday night ... Young finished with 15 points as the Aggies notched their first Western Athletic Conference victory at home this season ... Idaho (8-9, 2-2) led 69-64 with 3:25 to play after Luciano de Souza and Mac Hopson both sank 3-pointers ... Kashif Watson’s dunk put the Vandals up 72-71 with 20 seconds left but he fouled Young, who made both of his ensuing free throws ... Jonathan Gibson and Young each added foul shots in the final seconds to seal the victory ... Troy Gillenwater finished with 17 points for New Mexico State while Wendell McKines added 15 points and 14 rebounds ...Terrence Simmons paced Idaho with 15 points.
San Jose State Spartans (8-8, 2-3 WAC)
The Spartans went 1-1 last week, dropping a 61-55 decision at Cal State Bakersfield before defeating Hawai?i 73-61 in Honolulu ... four San Jose State starters scored in double figures, but San Jose State dropped a 61-55 decision to CS Bakersfield ... playing its fifth game in eight days and third in five nights away from home, SJSU was unable to overcome a first half of unforced errors, 20.8 percent field goal shooting and trailed 29-17 at halftime ... in the win over Hawai?i, Graham finished with a season-high 19 points and seemed to go to the basket at will in the second half against Hawai?i’s man-to-man defense ... Mac Peterson also posted a season scoring high with 10 ... he gave SJSU the lead for good, 44-42 with 10:09 remaining, converting a pair of free throws following a technical foul assessed to the Rainbow Warriors’ bench.
Utah State Aggies (17-1, 5-0 WAC)
Utah State continued its home win streak with a pair of victories over Fresno State and Boise State last week ... the Aggies defeated Fresno State 65-61 before taking down Boise State 79-65 ... USU is currently receiving votes in both top-25 polls and is currently ranked 29th in the latest ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll with 31 votes and tied for 36th in the AP poll with 12 votes ... USU’s 17-1 start to this season is the second-best in school history, trailing the 2003-04 team that began the year with a 20-1 record ... USU has won 12 straight games overall, which is a season-high and the third-longest active winning streak in the nation behind Wake Forest (16) and Saint Mary’s (14) ... the team is also 6-0 on the road this year, the best road record in the nation ... Utah State travels to San Jose State on Thursday and Hawai?i on Saturday ... USU has won nine straight WAC games dating back to last season.
WAC NOTES
NEVADA’S BABBITT NAMED WAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Nevada’s Luke Babbitt has been named the Western Athletic Conference Men’s Basketball Player of the Week for Jan. 12-18. The honor marks the second career WAC Player of the Week award for Babbitt.
Babbitt, a freshman from Reno, Nevada (Galena HS), led the Wolf Pack to a pair of wins against Boise State and Fresno State. Babbitt registered an 18-point, 10-rebound double-double in a 77-63 win over Boise State. He also matched his career high with two blocks against the Broncos. He followed up that performance with a 22-point, 13-rebound double-double effort in a 65-60 win against Fresno State. The 13 rebounds against the Bulldogs is a career high for the freshman.
On the week, Babbitt averaged 20.0 points, 11.5 rebounds and 1.0 blocks per game. He shot 50.0 percent from the field (12-of-24) and 83.3 percent from the charity stripe (15-of-18).
Other nominees: Boise State sophomore forward Paul Noonan; Fresno State junior forward Sylvester Seay; New Mexico State freshman forward Troy Gillenwater; San Jose State sophomore guard Justin Graham; and Utah State sophomore forward Tai Wesley.
GAINING MOMENTUM IN TOP-25 AND RPI RANKINGS
As a conference, the WAC continues to climb the RPI rankings, coming in at 12 according to both CollegeRPI.com and RealTimeRPI.com. The WAC ranks a spot ahead of the West Coast Conference (WCC), which comes in at 13. Utah State is now receiving votes in both top-25 polls and is currently ranked 29th in the latest ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll with 31 votes and tied for the 36th spot in the AP poll with 12 votes.
UTAH STATE WIN STREAK
Utah State has won 28 straight games inside the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum, which is tied with Michigan State for the third-longest active home winning streak in the country. Notre Dame has the longest active home winning streak in the nation at 45 games, followed by Kansas (35), Utah State (28) and Michigan State (28). Utah State also owns the nation’s third-longest overall win streak in the country at 12 games, just behind Wake Forest (16) and Saint Mary’s (14).
50-50
WAC teams hold a combined 11-11 home and road record in conference play this season. Utah State, Nevada, and New Mexico State are each 2-0 away from home. Utah State holds an 11-0 overall record on the road this season, the top road mark in the country this season.
YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS
Of the 124 players on rosters in the WAC, 75 (60.5 percent) are made up of juniors and sophomores. There are currently just 20 seniors in the league, eight of which are current starters. There are nearly just as many freshman starters (6) in the league as there are senior starters (8). Juniors and sophomores make up 60.5 percent of the starting lineups on the WAC.
TURNING IT AROUND
After winning eight games last season, Idaho has already matched its win total from last season through 18 games already this year. The Vandals went 8-21 last season and already hold an 8-10 (.444) mark this year. Louisiana Tech, which went 6-24 last season, already has surpassed its win total from last year as the team currently holds an 8-10 mark.
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. Pierce also set the SJSU record for most consecutive three-point baskets made as he connected on nine in a row (5-for-5 in second half at San Diego and 4-for-4 to open the game against Northern Colorado).
WAC TEAMS RANK TOP-10 NATIONALLY IN TWO TEAM STATISTICAL CATEGORIES
As of Jan. 18, WAC teams rank in the top-10 in four team categories and one individual category. Utah State leads the nation in field goal percentage at 51.6 percent. The Aggies also rank second in win-loss percentage at 94.4 percent, sixth in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.46), and seventh in rebound margin (8.6). USU’s Tyler Newbold leads the country in assist-to-turnover ratio at 4.38.
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.
NEVADA’S BABBITT AMONG TOP FRESHMEN IN NATION
The only freshman in WAC history to earn back-to-back WAC Player of the Week honors, Luke Babbitt has opened his first season with Nevada in strong fashion, leading the team in both scoring and rebounding. Babbitt has a chance to become the first Nevada freshman to lead the team in scoring since Terrance Green in 1999-00. He could also become the first freshman to pace the Pack in rebounding since Nick Fazekas averaged 7.6 rebounds per game in 2003-04. He currently ranks sixth among the nation’s freshmen in scoring.
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.
TOP WAC TEAMS OVER LAST FIVE YEARS
Over the last five seasons dating back to 2003-04, Nevada has turned in a 138-46 record, the best record of any WAC team during that time (.750 winning percentage). In conference games, Nevada has won 72 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 138-46 (.750)
2. Utah State 135-43 (.758)
3. Hawai?i 92-75 (.551)
WAC Record (Pct.)
1. Nevada 72-17 (.809)
2. Hawai?i 44-44 (.500)
3. Fresno State 41-45 (.477)
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.
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 16.7 points and 7.8 rebounds, and is shooting 61.4 percent from the field and 83.8 percent from the free throw line. He currently ranks third in the WAC in scoring, third in field goal shooting, first in free throw shooting and third in rebounding.
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