WAC TEAM-BY-TEAM NOTES
Boise State Broncos (17-9, 7-5 WAC)
Boise State dropped a pair of games last week, falling to in-state rival Idaho 56-54 before taking a 93-81 setback at Portland State ... against Idaho, Mark Sanchez led the Broncos with 17 points and eight rebounds ... Anthony Thomas added 10 points, but it wasn’t enough as Idaho connected on a shot in the final seconds to sneak past the Broncos ... in the ESPNU BracketBuster loss at Portland State, Sanchez again led Boise State with 16 points while Jamar Greene and Ike Okoye each added 14 ... Thomas chipped in 11 points in the road loss ... overall on the week, Sanchez led Boise State, averaging 16.5 points per game ... he also pulled down 6.5 rebounds per game ... Paul Noonan, who just missed a three-point bucket to defeat Idaho, averaged 11.5 points per game last week ... this week, Boise State will play one game as it travels to Ruston to play Louisiana Tech on Saturday.
Fresno State Bulldogs (11-17, 2-10 WAC)
In front of a national audience on ESPN2, Fresno State welcomed a season-high 9,830 fans to the Save Mart Center as three Bulldogs reached double figures in a close 73-69 defeat to Hawai’i ... junior Sylvester Seay scored a game-high 22 points and grabbed nine rebounds ... freshman guard Paul George finished with 16 points while sophomore Nedeljko Golubovic added a career-high 15 points for Fresno State by finding his stroke from long range with four 3-pointers ... in the Bulldogs’ final non-conference game of the regular season, Seay notched his third straight 20-plus scoring night and freshman guard Mychal Ladd earned his third career double-double as Fresno State beat UC Davis 71-70 ... four Bulldogs reached double figures for the eighth time this season ... Seay led the `Dogs with 20 points ... this week, Fresno State hosts Nevada on Thursday and Idaho on Saturday.
Hawai?i Rainbow Warriors (13-13, 5-8 WAC)
Junior Roderick Flemings led UH to its second road win of the year with 22 points and 12 rebounds in 73-69 win at Fresno State ... the performance marked his fifth double-double of the season ... Flemings hit 12-of-13 from the line in the win over Fresno State ... Kareem Nitoto finished with 12 points and five assists, while Bill Amis poured in 11 ... UH played its starters for the majority of the game, but got a lift from the bench as Brandon Adams scored 12 points on 5-of-7 shooting in 27 minutes ... Hawai?i nearly completed a monumental comeback before eventually falling to UC Irvine, 76-70 ... UH was led by Kareem Nitoto who finished with 18 points ... Nitoto scored all but two of his points after the break to spearhead Hawai`i’s second-half rally ... Bill Amis finished with his second career double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds ... Roderick Flemings and Adhar Mayen each contributed 12 points.
Idaho Vandals (13-13, 6-6 WAC)
Mac Hopson led Idaho to a 2-0 record and a pair of firsts last week... Hopson helped the Vandals to their first win at Boise State since 1999 and their first BracketBusters victory in four tries... averaged a team-best 17.5 points, 5.0 assists, and 2.5 steals while adding 3.5 rebounds per game in two games last week... Hopson received WAC Player of the Week honors for his efforts ... Marvin Jefferson scored on a put-back with 4.3 seconds left to lift Idaho to its first win at Boise State since 1999 by the score of 56-54 ... Hopson led all scorers with 18 points and added five rebounds and four assists ... Jefferson tallied 15 points on 6-of-11 shooting and added six rebounds and three blocks. Watson finished with just six points but hit 4-of-4 free throws in the second half and grabbed six rebounds ... this week, Idaho travels to play San Jose State on Thursday and Fresno State on Saturday.
Louisiana Tech Bulldogs (12-16, 4-9 WAC)
Tech junior Kyle Gibson averaged 19.3 points per game this past week leading the Bulldogs to a 2-1 overall record ... Gibson scored 21 points two times; first against New Mexico State in a heartbreaking loss after a ferocious Tech rally and against Houston Baptist at home ... he also scored 16 points in a non-conference win against Murray State on the road ... in the BracketBuster win over Murray State, Magnum Rolle’s 25 points and 11 rebounds led the Bulldogs to victory while Gibson and Ashaolu both scored 16 points apiece. Isacc Miles and Tyler Holloway both scored 14 points for the Racers ... Tech returns home for the final two home regular season games of the year beginning with the New Mexico State Aggies Thursday, Feb. 26, at 7 p.m. in the Thomas Assembly Center.
Nevada Wolf Pack (16-10, 8-4 WAC)
Freshman Luke Babbitt’s free throw with 1.8 seconds left helped Nevada beat Virginia Commonwealth 71-70 in an ESPNU BracketBuster game last week ... Babbitt and junior Brandon Fields had 15 points each to lead Nevada (16-10). Sophomores Malik Cooke and Armon Johnson had 13 each ... Armon Johnson sparked an 18-5 Nevada rally with a three-point play with 5:01 to play and gave the Wolf Pack its first lead of the half at 68-67 with 28.6 seconds left ... junior Joey Shaw, who finished with 11 points for Nevada, hit a pair of free throws to make it 70-67 with 13.7 seconds left. Maynor missed a 3-pointer on the ensuing possession and Babbitt was fouled after getting the rebound with 1.8 left ... he missed the first of two free throws, but hit the second to give Nevada a 4-point lead. Rodriguez was just across the opposite free-throw line when he threw in the rainbow at the buzzer for the final margin.
New Mexico State Aggies (15-12, 8-5 WAC)
The Aggie men’s basketball team won its fourth consecutive game when NM State defeated Cal State Fullerton, 94-86, in the ESPNU BracketBuster game, Feb. 21, in Las Cruces ... the Aggies had six players in double-figures with sophomore guard Gordo Castillo leading the way with a career-high 20 points. The NM State offense was strong against the Titans and the Aggies only missed five shots in the second half (18-of-23) ... the Aggies began the week when they avoided a late game Louisiana Tech surge to defeat the Bulldogs, 65-63, Feb. 16, in Las Cruces. Sophomore guard Jahmar Young led the Aggies with 16 points. Sophomore forward Wendell McKines recorded his 13th double-double of the season with 10 points and 12 rebounds. Freshman guard Hernst Laroche tallied a career-high nine assists and now owns the NM State freshman assists record.
San Jose State Spartans (11-14, 4-8 WAC)
The Spartans split their two games last week ... San Jose State ended Utah Valley’s four-game winning streak (52-47) on February 17 and lost to UC Riverside (53-52) on February 21 ... the Utah Valley win on February 17 marked the third
time this season a San Jose State opponent failed to score 50 points in a game and the tenth game the opponent did not convert at least 40 percent of its field goal attempts ... the Spartans had a three-game stretch before the Utah Valley win in which the opponents combined to make 55.4 percent (92-of-166) of their field goal tries ... Utah Valley made 37.7 percent of its attempts in the San Jose State game ... Justin Graham’s was credited with his 48th steal of the season in the UC Riverside game and set a new single-season school record ... this week, San Jose State hosts Idaho on Thursday before welcoming Hawai?i on Saturday.
Utah State Aggies (25-3, 12-1 WAC)
With a win against Hawai?i Thursday, Utah State will claim its first outright Western Athletic Conference regular season title ... USU also won a share of the 2008 WAC regular season championship ... overall, it would be USU’s second outright regular season league title under head coach Stew Morrill joining the 1999-2000 team that went 16-0 in the Big West Conference ... Utah State is ranked tied for 26th with Utah in the latest ESPN/USA Today Coaches poll with 22 votes and 32nd in the latest Associated Press poll with16 votes ... last week, USU was ranked 23rd in the coaches poll and 27th in the AP poll ... Utah State is 25-3 on the season following its 75-64 road loss at Saint Mary’s Saturday ... Utah State is led by senior forward Gary Wilkinson who is averaging 16.8 points and 7.4 rebounds per game, and is shooting 58.5 percent from the field and 85.2 percent from the free throw line.
WAC NOTES
IDAHO’S HOPSON NAMED WAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Idaho’s Mac Hopson has been named the Western Athletic Conference Men’s Basketball Player of the Week for Feb. 16-22. The honor marks the first career WAC Player of the Week award for Hopson.
Hopson, a junior from Portland, Ore. (Washington State), led the Vandals to a pair of wins over Boise State (56-54) and Cal State Northridge (78-75). Hopson led Idaho to its first win at Boise State since 1999, scoring a game-high 18 points on 7-of-14 shooting. He also added five rebounds, four assists and one steal in the win. The junior guard also helped the Vandals to their first-ever BracketBuster win. Hopson registered 17 points on 6-of-8 shooting in the victory against Cal State Northridge. He also had six assists and four steals in the game.
On the week, Hopson averaged 17.5 points, 5.0 assists, 3.5 rebounds, and 2.5 steals per game. He shot 59.1 percent (13-of-22) from the field and was 2-of-3 from long range. He also hit 7-of-12 free throws.
Other nominees: Fresno State junior Sylvester Seay; Hawai?i junior Roderick Flemings; Louisiana Tech junior Kyle Gibson; New Mexico State sophomore Gordo Castillo; and Utah State junior Jared Quayle.
WAC AMONG ELITE COMPANY AS EACH LEAGUE MEMBER BOASTS 10 OR MORE WINS
As of Feb. 24, the WAC is one of only two conferences in the nation to boast 10-plus wins for each of its member schools. Each member of the WAC has double digit wins this season. The SEC is the only other conference in the country that has achieved the same mark. It also denotes the first time that each of the WAC’s member institutions have had 10 or more wins since the 2001-02 season.
WAC CONTINUES TO CLIMB RPI CHARTS
As a conference, the WAC continues to climb the RPI rankings, coming in at 11 for the first time this season according to both CollegeRPI.com and RealTimeRPI.com. The WAC ranks just ahead of the Horizon, Metro Atlantic, Colonial, and West Coast Conferences. Utah State’s men’s basketball team continues to climb the RPI chart, coming in at a WAC-best and season-high 27. After being ranked the previous two weeks, USU continues to receive votes in both the AP and Coaches Polls. USU’s No. 21 ranking in the Feb. 9 AP poll marks the highest for a Utah State team since Feb. 9, 2004 when that Aggie team was ranked 19th in the nation. Boise State and Nevada also hold top-100 RPI marks at 89 and 91, respectively.
WAC GOES 5-4 IN BRACKETBUSTER GAMES
Western Athletic Conference teams went 5-4 in the seventh annual ESPNU BracketBusters ? a multi-day men’s basketball event matching NCAA Tournament hopefuls against each other which took place this past week. Three of the WAC’s games were televised nationally, including Nevada, Utah State and Boise State.
2009 WAC ESPNU BracketBusters Results
Nevada def. Virginia Commonwealth, 71-70
Television: ESPNU
Louisiana Tech def. Murray State, 69-60
Saint Mary’s def. #23 Utah State, 75-64
Television: ESPN2
Portland State def. Boise State, 93-81
Television: ESPNU
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 surpassed its win total from last season. The Vandals went 8-21 last season and now hold an 13-13 (.500) mark this year. Louisiana Tech, which went 6-24 last season, has also surpassed its win total from last year as the team currently holds an 12-16 mark.
UTAH STATE’S OVERALL WIN STREAK COMES TO AN END, HOME STREAK STILL ALIVE
Utah State’s win streak ended at 19 games with a loss to Boise State on Feb. 19. The streak is the longest in the nation this year and is tied for the longest in school history with the 1999-2000 team that also won 19 straight games. Before its loss to Boise State, Utah State had also won 16 straight WAC games dating back to the 2007-08 season including eight straight on the road. USU’s 16 straight WAC victories ranks second all-time in the conference. Utah holds the record for most consecutive WAC wins at 19, set from the 1997-98 to 1998-99 seasons. The Aggies currently hold the nation’s second-best home win streak in the country at 32 games. Kansas holds the top home win streak at 39 games.
SAN JOSE STATE WAC ROAD SUCCESS
This year’s San Jose State team is the first in school history to win three conference road games in a season since joining the WAC in 1996. The Spartans picked up wins at Fresno State, Hawai?i and Louisiana Tech. The 1994 Spartans are the last SJSU team to win at least four conference road games, posting a 6-3 win-loss record en route to an overall 15-12 mark.
WAC RANKS TOP-15 NATIONALLY IN FIVE TEAM STATISTICAL CATEGORIES
As of Feb. 23, the WAC ranks in the top-15 in five team categories. Utah State ranks fourth the nation in win-loss percentage (89.3) and field goal shooting at 49.7 percent. Utah State also ranks 11th in assist-to-turnover ration (1.37) and 14th in rebound margin (7.1). New Mexico State ranks seventh nationally in three-point field goal percentage with a team mark of 40.3. Individually, Utah State’s Tyler Newbold ranks second in the nation in assist-to-turnover ration at 3.86)
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 AND FRESNO STATE’S GEORGE 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 fifth among the nation’s freshmen in scoring. Fresno State freshman Paul George is also among the nation’s elite freshman. George currently ranks sixth among the nation’s freshman in scoring at 15.4 points per game.
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, Utah State has turned in a 144-47 record, the best record of any WAC team during that time (.754 winning percentage). In conference games, Nevada has won 76 games, the most in that same time period. The top three teams in winning percentage (both overall and WAC) over the last five seasons:
Overall Record (Pct.)
1. Utah State 144-47 (.754)
2. Nevada 143-49 (.745)
3. Boise State 112-75 (.599)
WAC Record (Pct.)
1. Nevada 76-20 (.792)
2. Utah State 44-17 (.721)
3. Boise State 58-56 (.509)
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 16.8 points and 7.4 rebounds, and is shooting 58.5 percent from the field and 85.2 percent from the free throw line.
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. 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 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 RETURNS TO RENO
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. The tournament will be presented by Verizon Wireless.