DENVER – The 2010-11 Western Athletic Conference men’s basketball media poll has tabbed Utah State as this year’s favorite. San Jose State senior guard Adrian Oliver has been named the preseason Player of the Year. Utah State junior guard Brockeith Pane was tabbed this year’s preseason Newcomer of the Year.
Utah State received 259 points and 19 first-place votes. New Mexico State was picked second with 237 points and eight first place votes. Nevada garnered 190 points and two first place votes for third place followed by San Jose State with 135 points and one first place vote. Fresno State was fifth with 133 points followed by Boise State with 129 points. Louisiana Tech was seventh with 116 points, followed by Idaho (78) and Hawai‘i (73).
Oliver receives the preseason media Player of the Year honor after finishing the 2009-10 season tied for fourth nationally in scoring with a 22.5 points per game average, the highest average by a WAC player since Melvin Ely averaged 23.3 points a game in 2002. Oliver was a first-team all-WAC selection last season.
Pane, this season’s media Newcomer of the Year, is a transfer from Midland Junior College, where he earned first-team all-conference and first-team all-district honors as a sophomore. He helped lead the Chaparrals to a 30-3 record and a No. 1 national ranking for all but two weeks of the season. Pane averaged 12.0 points, 2.9 assists, 2.6 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game, while shooting 47 percent from the field.
The All-WAC team included Oliver, New Mexico State junior forward Troy Gillenwater, New Mexico State senior forward Wendell McKines, Fresno State sophomore center Greg Smith and Utah State senior forward Tai Wesley.
The following is the complete 2010-11 WAC men’s basketball media poll with first-place votes in parentheses (points awarded on a 9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis):
2010-11 Preseason Men’s Basketball Media Poll
Rank Teams (1st Place Votes) Points
1. Utah State (19) 259
2. New Mexico State (8) 237
3. Nevada (2) 190
4. San Jose State (1) 135
5. Fresno State 133
6. Boise State 129
7. Louisiana Tech 116
8. Idaho 78
9. Hawai‘i 73
Preseason Media All-WAC Team
First Team
Troy Gillenwater, Jr., F, New Mexico State
Wendell McKines, Sr., F, New Mexico State
Adrian Oliver, Sr., G, San Jose State
Greg Smith, So., C, Fresno State
Tai Wesley, Sr., F, Utah State
Player of the Year: Adrian Oliver, San Jose State
Newcomer of the Year: Brockeith Pane, Jr., G, Utah State