THIS WEEK'S SCHEDULE
December 8 (Tuesday)
Fresno Pacific at Nevada, 7:00 p.m. PT
San Jose State at San Francisco, 7:00 p.m. PT
Fresno State at Pepperdine, 7:00 p.m. PT
Television: Bulldog Sports Network, ESPN360
December 9 (Wednesday)
Boise State at Idaho State, 7:00 p.m. MT
Idaho at Washington State, 8:00 p.m. PT
Television: Fox Sports Northwest
Cal State Bakersfield at San Jose State, 7:00 p.m. PT
Louisiana Tech at Arizona, 8:00 p.m. PT
Television: Fox Sports Net Arizona
Chaminade at Hawai‘i, 7:00 p.m. HT
Television: KFVE-Hawaii
December 12 (Saturday)
Eastern Oregon at Idaho, 5:00 p.m. PT
Louisiana Tech at Centenary, 7:00 p.m. CT
Utah Valley at Utah State, 7:00 p.m. MT
Television: CW30-Utah
San Diego at Boise State, 7:00 p.m. MT
South Dakota State at Nevada, 7:00 p.m. PT
Brigham Young at Fresno State, 7:00 p.m. PT
Television: Bulldog Sports Network
Chicago State at Hawai‘i, 7:00 p.m. HT
Television: KFVE-Hawaii
December 13 (Sunday)
New Mexico State at UTEP, 7:00 p.m. MT
WAC TEAM-BY-TEAM NOTES
Boise State Broncos (4-3, 0-0 WAC)
Boise State dropped an 84-77 decision at Illinois in the team’s only game last week ... Ike Okoye led the Broncos (4-3) with 20 points and nine rebounds ... LaShard Anderson scored 14 points against Illinois ... Robert Arnold had 13, while Anthony Thomas helped with 10 points for Boise State ... down the stretch, the Broncos managed to chip away at the Illini’s double-digit second-half lead, using a 13-4 run to get within two points with 20 seconds left in the game ... Illinois (6-2) converted all six of its free-throw attempts in the final seconds to seal the win ... this week, Boise State travels to play in-state rival Idaho State on Wednesday before retuning home to host San Diego on Saturday.
Fresno State Bulldogs (3-4, 0-0 WAC)
Fresno State defeated San Diego 69-37 this past week … Fresno State’s 32-point victory (69-37) over the Torreos is the Bulldogs’ largest since Jan. 30, 2006, when the Dogs beat the Idaho Vandals, 89-54 … Fresno State held San Diego to only 37 points after giving up an average of 68.2 points in the first six games … this was the first time this season that the Bulldogs have committed fewer turnovers than an opponent (11-16), had their bench score more than an opponent (24-23) … earlier in the week, Fresno State returned to its old home, Selland Arena, where the team played its first home game in the facility since 2003, losing to Pacific, 70-58 …this week, Fresno State visits Pepperdine and hosts BYU.
Hawai‘i Rainbow Wahine (3-4, 0-0 WAC)
Hawai‘i went 1-1 last week, falling 80-70 at UC Irvine before returning home to defeat Lamar 96-78 ... UH’s 96 points versus Lamar was its highest output since 2003 ... UH set season highs for points, field goal percentage (.550), assists (23) and 3-pointers made (9) against Lamar ... Petras Balocka led the effort against Lamar, recording 20 points and a career-high 20 rebounds ... Balocka grabbed more than half of UH’s rebounds as the Bows out-rebounded Lamar, 39-31 ... it marked the highest rebound total since Bob Nash’s school record 30 rebounds in 1971 ... it was also the first 20/20 performance since Nash’s 28 points and 30 rebounds versus Arizona State ... this week, UH hosts Chaminade and Chicago State.
Idaho Vandals (5-2, 0-0 WAC)
Idaho went 1-1 last week, dropping a 95-93 decision at Cal State Northridge before defeating No. 25 Portland 68-48 at home ... with its win over No. 25 Portland on Sunday, Idaho beat its first ranked opponent since taking down No. 16 Iowa in the first round of the 1982 NCAA Tournament … the last time Idaho beat a ranked opponent in the regular season was in 1981, when the Vandals beat No. 15 Oregon State at Corvallis … Sunday’s game was also the first time a ranked, non-conference opponent had played on an Idaho court … Sunday’s game against Portland marked the 350th consecutive game in which Idaho has made a 3-pointer … this week, Idaho hosts Eastern Oregon.
Louisiana Tech Bulldogs (7-1, 0-0 WAC)
Louisiana Tech went 2-0 last week, extending its winning streak to five games, its most since winning five in the 2004-05 season … Louisiana Tech defeated ULM on a buzzer-beating three-pointer by Kyle Gibson … Tech routed Northwestern State 98-70 … the 98 points scored was the most by a Bulldog team since scoring 99 at Nevada in 2003 … three Bulldogs reached 20 points against NSU, the second time this season the feat had been accomplished … head coach Kerry Rupp improves to 10-3 all-time versus teams from the state of Louisiana … over the two games, Gibson averaged 27.5 points, 6.5 rebounds and four assists … LA Tech plays at Arizona on Wednesday before facing Centenary on Sunday.
Nevada Wolf Pack (2-4, 0-0 WAC)
Nevada returns home to start a season-long four-game homestand Tuesday with Fresno Pacific ... Tuesday will mark Nevada’s first home game in 17 days after the team played three consecutive road games ... sophomore Luke Babbitt has turned in a double-double in each of the last five games, including 17 points and 10 rebounds Saturday at Pacific ... Nevada turned in a season-low 58 points in last week’s loss at Pacific but is still ranked second in the WAC in scoring at 78.2 points per game ... that is up from the 70.6 ppg the Wolf Pack averaged last season ... Nevada hosts Fresno Pacific on Tuesday before hosting South Dakota State on Saturday.
New Mexico State Aggies (2-5, 0-0 WAC)
The Aggies met both rivals on the hardwood last week ... in the second meeting of the season with in-state rival New Mexico, junior guard Gordo Castillo scored a season-high 17 points off the bench but the Aggies fell to the Lobos, 75-58 at The Pit in Albuquerque ... junior guard Jahmar Young added 14 while senior guard Jonathan Gibson contributed 10 points ... for the first time this season, the Aggies posted a rebounding edge, 36-32, but lost ... NM State had a tough outing in the first meeting of the season with I-10 rival UTEP ... the Aggies suffered a 79-58 loss to the Miners at home ... Young led NM State with 17 points while sophomore center Hamidu Rahman recorded a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds.
San Jose Spartans (3-3, 0-0 WAC)
San Jose State went 1-1 last week with a 78-71 loss at home to Saint Mary’s before an 82-74 victory at Utah Valley ... San Jose State ended a 25-year, 19-game winless streak in the state of Utah with the victory over Utah Valley ... the Spartans’ last win in the state of Utah before the Utah Valley triumph occurred on Dec. 29, 1984 when the Spartans captured the Utah Classic hosted by the University of Utah. San Jose State topped the Utes, 72-70, one night after beating Ohio University, 67-62 ... after six games this season, five different players have been or shared team high scoring honors ... this week, San Jose State travels to play San Francisco on Tuesday before hosting Cal State Bakersfield on Wednesday.
Utah State Aggies (4-3, 0-0 WAC)
Senior guard Jared Quayle led Utah State to a 1-1 record last week as it defeated Brigham Young (71-61) and lost to Saint Mary’s (68-63) ... against the Cougars, Quayle scored a game-high 22 points to go along with five rebounds and four assists ... against the Gaels, he had 13 points, nine rebounds, five assists and two steals ... the win over BYU was USU’s fourth-straight win over the Cougars in the Spectrum to improve to 59-51 vs. the Cougars on its home court ... it was the Aggies sixth victory in the last nine meetings ... the loss to Saint Mary’s halts the Aggies’ 37-game home winning streak and 65-game regular season non-conference home winning streak, as well as their 41-straight home non-conference victory streak.
WAC NOTES
LOUISIANA TECH’S GIBSON NAMED VERIZON WIRELESS WAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Louisiana Tech’s Kyle Gibson has been named the Verizon Wireless Western Athletic Conference Men’s Basketball Player of the Week for the week of Nov. 30-Dec. 6. The honor marks the second career WAC Player of the Week award for Gibson.
Gibson, a senior guard from Los Angeles, Calif. (Dorsey HS), helped the Bulldogs to a 2-0 record last week with wins over ULM and Northwestern State. Gibson scored 26 points, including the game-winning three-pointer as time expired to give Louisiana Tech a 76-73 victory over ULM. Gibson also scored a career-high 29 points with a career-high seven assists in a 98-70 win against Northwestern State.
On the week, Gibson averaged 27.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.5 steals per game. He shot 59.3 percent from the field (16-of-27) and 92.3 percent from the free throw line (12-of-13).
Other nominees included: Boise State senior forward Ike Okoye … Fresno State senior forward Sylvester Seay … Hawai‘i senior forward Petras Balocka … Idaho senior guard Kashif Watson … Nevada junior guard Armon Johnson … Utah State senior guard Jared Quayle.
LOUISIANA TECH AND IDAHO OFF TO RECORD STARTS
With a 7-1 record to start the season, Louisiana Tech is off to its best start since starting 8-1 in the 1990-91 season in which the Bulldogs finished 20-10 and won the America South Conference Tournament. At 5-2, Idaho is off to its best start since 1989-90, when the Vandals also started 5-2. That Idaho team went on to finish 25-6, win the Big Sky regular-season and tournament titles and face Louisville in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
NEW MEXICO STATE’S GIBSON AND NEVADA’S JOHNSON BECOME MEMBERS OF 1,000 POINT CLUB
Jonathan Gibson scored a career-high 30 points against Oklahoma Panhandle State (11/21) to become the 25th player in NM State history to top the 1,000-points mark for his career. With a jumper with 12:30 to go in the second half, Nevada junior guard Armon Johnson scored his 1,000th career point, become the 19th player in Nevada school history to reach that milestone. Gibson and Johnson are the only current WAC player with 1,000 or more career points.
WAC TEAMS AMONG NATIONAL STATISTICAL LEADERS
Teams from the WAC rank in the top-25 in five team statistical categories, while eight players rank in the top-25 in the individual rankings. Utah State holds the highest team mark, ranking second nationally in free throw percentage at 80.6. Idaho ranks eighth in the nation in team three-point field goal percentage at a 44.3 percent clip. Individually, New Mexico State’s Jonathan Gibson holds the top national mark as he ranks 10th nationally in three point field goals per game at 3.4. Louisiana Tech’s Olu Ashaolu ranks 11th in the nation in field goal percentage at 64.3.
IDAHO AND UTAH STATE PICK UP WINS AGAINST TEAMS FROM LAST YEAR’S NCAA TOURNAMENT
WAC teams will play at least 15 non-conference games against opponents that played in last year’s NCAA Tournament, including last year’s national champion (North Carolina). Idaho opened its season with two of its first three games against 2009 NCAA Tournament teams. Idaho beat both Utah and North Dakota State on their home floors and started the season 2-1. The WAC is currently 2-3 against 2009 NCAA Tournament teams, with both wins coming from Idaho.
Idaho def. Utah, 94-87 (Nov. 13)
Utah def. Utah State, 68-67 (Nov. 18)
Washington def. San Jose State, 80-70 (Nov. 20)
Brigham Young def. Hawai‘i, 83-65 (Nov. 20)
Idaho def. North Dakota State, 81-69 (Nov. 21)
VCU def. Nevada, 85-76 (Nov. 27)
North Carolina def. Nevada, 80-73 (Nov. 29)
Utah State def. Brigham Young, 71-61 (Dec. 2)
Cal State Northridge def. Idaho, 95-93 (Dec. 3)
Illinois def. Boise State, 84-77 (Dec. 5)
Louisiana Tech at Arizona, Dec. 9
Fresno State vs. Brigham Young, Dec. 12
New Mexico State at UCLA, Dec. 15
Morehead State at Utah State, Dec. 22
Portland State at Boise State, Dec. 21
Nevada vs. Brigham Young, Dec. 22
UTAH STATE’S HOME WIN STREAK ENDS
For the first time since March 3, 2007, Utah State dropped a game at the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum. The Aggies had won 37 straight home games before its loss to Saint Mary’s on Dec. 5. The loss also halted Utah State’s 65-game regular season non-conference home winning streak, as well as its 41-straight home non-conference victory streak.
NEVADA PUTS UP A LEAGUE-HIGH 112 POINTS IN WIN OVER HOUSTON
Nevada’s 112 points in its Nov. 21 win over Houston marked the most for the Wolf Pack since the team turned in a 117-88 win over Northwestern State on Dec. 19, 1991. The team’s 61 points in the first half also mark the most points in a half since Nevada scored what is believed to be a school-record 71 points in the second half of a 117-88 win over Northwestern State on Dec. 19, 1991.
WAC RPI ON THE RISE
After sitting at 12th just a week ago, the WAC’s RPI continues to rise as it currently sits at 11, according to both CollegeRPI.com and RealTimeRPI.com. San Jose State holds the top RPI in the conference at 55, followed by Nevada at 65.
UTAH STATE’S JARED QUAYLE CANDIDATE FOR LOWE’S SENIOR CLASS AWARD
Utah State’s Jared Quayle has been named one of 30 candidates for the 2009-10 Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award, which is presented annually to the NCAA Division I Student-Athlete of the Year. It is the third year in a row that a Utah State player has been named one of 30 national candidates for this award as Jaycee Carroll was selected as one of 10 finalists in 2008 and Gary Wilkinson was one of 30 candidates in 2009. Quayle, a 6-1 senior guard from Perry, Utah is the only player from the state of Utah and the only player from the Western Athletic Conference to be selected for this award.
ESPNU BRACKETBUSTERS
For the eighth 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 Feb. 20. The match-ups for Bracket Buster Saturday will be determined by ESPN in conjunction with the conferences about three weeks before the event.
WAC TOURNAMENT TO RETURN TO RENO IN 2010
The Western Athletic Conference Men’s and Women’s Basketball Tournaments return to the University of Nevada and the Reno-Sparks Convention and Visitors Authority in 2010. The tournaments will be held in the 11,485-seat Lawlor Events Center, located on the campus of the University of Nevada. This year’s tournament will feature eight men’s and eight women’s teams.