WAC NOTES
SAN JOSE STATE’S SHAMBURGER NAMED VERIZON WAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK
San Jose State’s Keith Shamburger has been named the Verizon Western Athletic Conference Men’s Basketball Player of the Week for the week of Dec. 26-Jan. 1. The honor marks the first career WAC Player of the Week award for Shamburger.
Shamburger, a sophomore guard from Los Angeles, Calif. (Serra HS), was named Most Valuable Player at the Elgin Baylor Classic after leading the Spartans to the Classic title with a 2-0 record. Shamburger helped SJSU defeat Coppin State 81-66 and Seattle U 84-74 to claim the title. The Elgin Baylor Classic title marks SJSU’s first in-season tournament sweep since winning the 1996 Cable Car Classic.
In the win over Coppin State, Shamburger helped San Jose State wipe out a 15-point first-half deficit with three three-point baskets in the final 5:37 of the opening half as the Spartans took a 38-36 halftime lead. His six free throws in the final three minutes dispelled any hopes of Coppin State staging a comeback against the Spartans. Shamburger also helped SJSU set a single-game school record with 16 three-point baskets by making four in the Coppin State victory. He finished the game against Coppin State with 18 points, seven assists and four rebounds.
Shamburger ignited a 10-0 rally in the championship game with a pair of free throws with 7:51 remaining to break a 50-50 tie with Seattle U, giving the Spartans a lead they did not relinquish the rest of the night. He scored 16 points, dished out seven assists and pulled down four rebounds in the win over Seattle U.
On the week, Shamburger averaged 17.0 points, 7.0 assists and 4.0 rebounds per game. He committed only three turnovers and was credited with one steal at the Classic.
Other nominees included: Fresno State sophomore guard Tyler Johnson … Hawai‘i junior forward Joston Thomas … Idaho senior guard Deremy Geiger … Louisiana Tech junior guard Brandon Gibson … Nevada junior guard Malik Story … New Mexico State senior forward Wendell McKines.
WEEK 8 WAC HIGHLIGHTS
San Jose State’s 2-0 record to win the Elgin Baylor Classic in Seattle highlighted the week for the WAC. The two wins helped SJSU to its first tournament title since winning the 1996 Cable Car Classic. Keith Shamburger led the Spartans to the pair of wins, averaging 17.0 points and 7.0 assists over the two games as he was named MVP of the Classic. The Spartans set a school record with 16 three-point baskets against Coppin State. Fresno State went 2-0 with a win at Pacific and a win at home over Boise State. Fresno State had three different players average double figures over the two games. Nevada defeated Cedarville in its only game of the week. New Mexico State went 2-1 on the week with wins over Arkansas-Pine Bluff and CSU Bakersfield. Four players, led by Wendell McKines’ 19.7 points per game, averaged double figures scoring over the three games. Utah State missed a three-point basket at the buzzer that would have upset No. 15 Mississippi State on the road, but took the loss 66-64.
WAC CONTINUES RISE ON RPI AND ESPN CONFERENCE POWER RANKINGS LIST
After starting the season as low as No. 28 on the conference RPI list, the WAC has surged its way to No. 16 this week, according to collegerpi.com. The league also comes in as the 13th-best conference in the nation according to ESPN’s conference power rankings, sandwiched between the Horizon league and the MAC. New Mexico State currently holds the highest team RPI in the league at No. 88 this week.
SAN JOSE STATE HITS SCHOOL-RECORD 16 THREES, RANKS AS FOURTH-BEST SINGLE GAME PERFORMANCE IN THE NATION
San Jose State set single-game school records with 16 three-point baskets made and 40 three-point baskets attempted in the December 29 victory over Coppin State at the Elgin Baylor Classic.
The previous records in these categories were 14 made 3-pointers in a 2005 game against Louisiana Tech and 32 3-point tries in a 2011 game versus Boise State. The 16 made threes ranks as the fourth-best single-game performance in the nation this season.
WAC TEAMS/PLAYERS AMONG NATIONAL STATISTICAL LEADERS
As of Jan. 1, teams from the WAC rank in the top-25 in five team statistical categories. Individual players rank in the top-25 in six individual stat categories. Idaho holds the highest team mark as it ranks eighth nationally in three-point percentage at 42.0 percent. Idaho also ranks 12th in the nation in overall field goal percentage at 49.5 percent. Individually, Nevada’s Malik Story holds the highest national mark, ranking sixth in three-point field goal percentage at 50 percent. New Mexico State’s Wendell McKines ranks eighth nationally with eight double-doubles.
NMSU’S MCKINES ON HIS WAY TO ELITE 1,000 POINT/1,000 REBOUND CLUB
With 1,137 career points and 918 career rebounds, New Mexico State senior forward Wendell McKines is on his way to the 1,000 points/rebounds club. There is currently only one active player in all of Division I that has at least 1,000 points and 1,000 rebounds (T.J. Robinson, Long Beach State - 1,480 points/1,002 rebounds). McKines will become just the 12th player in WAC history to reach the double-milestone.
WAC All-Time 1,000 point/1,000 rebound List
| Keith Van Horn, Utah (1993-97) |
2,542 points/1,074 reb. |
| Nick Fazekas, Nevada (2003-07) |
2,464 points/1,254 reb.
|
| Bob Elliot, Arizona (1973-77) |
2,131 points/1,083 reb. |
| Michael Harris, Rice (2001-05) |
2,014 points/1,111 reb. |
| Josh Grant, Utah (1988-93) |
2,000 points/1,066 reb. |
| Kenny Thomas, UNM (1996-99) |
1,931 points/1,032 reb. |
| Micahel Cage, SDSU (1980-84) |
1,846 points/1,317 reb. |
| Reginald Slater, UW (1988-92) |
1,809 points/1,197 reb. |
| Al Fleming, Arizona (1973-76) |
1,765 points/1,190 reb. |
| Paul Millsap, LA Tech (2003-06) |
1,708 points/1,172 reb. |
| Mitch Smith, Utah (1985-89) |
1,628 points/1,036 reb. |
| Wendell McKines, NMSU (2007-pres) |
1,137 points/918 reb. |
UTAH STATE AND HAWAI‘I IMPRESS AT HOLIDAY TOURNAMENTS
Utah State went a perfect 3-0 at the Athletes in Action Classic in Logan to win the championship. The Aggies defeated UT-Arlington 73-69, Saint Peter’s 72-47 and Kent State 81-62 to claim the title. Hawai‘i went 2-1 at the the Hawaiian Airlines Diamondhead Classic in Honolulu. The Rainbow Warriors dropped a close 65-62 decision to Auburn in its tournament opener before winning its next two games, an 84-82 overtime victory over then No. 14 Xavier and a 75-68 win against Clemson.
WAC TOURNAMENT RETURNS TO LAS VEGAS, TICKETS ON SALE NOW
The 2012 WAC Men’s and Women’s Basketball Tournament will be held March 7-10 at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas and will include all eight WAC teams. All-session tickets for the 2012 Western Athletic Conference Basketball Tournament presented by Verizon are available for purchase now. All-session tickets include access to each men’s and women’s tournament game, totaling 14 games in eight sessions. All-session tickets are on sale Friday through the Orleans Arena Box Office. Tickets will also be available for purchase through each WAC school’s ticket office. Fans are strongly encouraged to purchase tickets from their institution’s ticket office or online to avoid service fees associated with ticket sales through the Orleans Arena. Single-session tickets, which allow access to the two games listed in the session will be sold only on the day of the respective game, and can only be purchased through the Orleans Arena. Fans who wish to attend only the women’s tournament games may purchase a women’s tournament all-session ticket through the Orleans Arena ticket office.
INDIVIDUAL WAC SINGLE-GAME PERFORMANCE RANKS NATIONALLY
Utah State’s Preston Medlin hit eight three-point field goals in a win at Idaho State on Nov. 26. That performance is the third-best mark in the nation this season.
ESPN SEARS BRACKETBUSTERS
For the 10th year in a row, the WAC has partnered with ESPN and several other top college basketball conferences for ESPN Sears BracketBusters, a weekend men’s basketball event matching potential NCAA tournament hopefuls against each other. All eight WAC teams will be a part of this year’s pool of teams. The event will be held February 18. The match-ups for Sears BracketBuster Saturday will be determined by ESPN in conjunction with the conferences about three weeks before the event.
WAC TEAM-BY-TEAM NOTES
Fresno State Bulldogs (7-8, 0-0 WAC)
Fresno State went 2-0 this past week ... the Bulldogs won at Pacific, 55-47, before taking down Boise State at home, 72-59 ... at Pacific, senior Jonathan Wills scored all of his 12 points in the second half to help the Bulldogs secure the win ... Tyler Johnson tallied his first double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds, eight of each coming in the second half ... against Boise State, senior point guard Steven Shepp led four Bulldogs in double figures by scoring a career-high 18 points on 7-of-9 shooting from the field and dished out seven assists with no turnovers to ignite the Bulldogs’ aggressive offensive effort ... Tyler Johnson and Jerry Brown added 12 points apiece for the Bulldogs, who kept Boise State winless in road games ... Fresno State will be going for its first win in Logan over Utah State since 2007, when the Bulldogs surged past the Aggies for a 71-66 triumph.
Hawai‘i Rainbow Warriors (8-6, 0-0 WAC)
Hawai‘i went 1-1 this past week ... the Rainbow Warriors defeated South Carolina State 100-73 before falling 74-69 at home to No. 19 UNLV ... in the win over South Carolina State, Hauns Brereton gave UH a huge jolt off the bench, scoring a career-high 22 points ... Brereton scored 10 of the team’s first 12 points after the break, including a rim-rattling dunk that gave UH a 50-48 lead, just its second lead of the game and one they wouldn’t relinquish ... Zane Johnson added 14 points for the Bows, while Joston Thomas recorded his second career double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds ... against UNLV, Joston Thomas recorded his second straight double-double with 16 points and a career-high 15 rebounds to lead UH ... the Rainbow Warriors now enter league play when it hosts San Jose State on Saturday.
Idaho Vandals (7-7, 0-0 WAC)
Idaho went 0-1 last week with a 76-73 setback to Boise State on a neutral floor in Nampa, Idaho ... playing in front of a raucous crowd of 7,540 that was a 50/50 split between the two schools, the in-state rivals played a close game for the sixth time in the last seven meetings ... the Vandals had a chance to tie with 0.5 seconds remaining, inbounding on the offensive baseline, but junior Kyle Barone’s corner 3-pointer grazed the far iron as time expired ... It was the 24th time since 1971 that an Idaho-Boise State game was decided by fewer than five points ... Deremy Geiger led Idaho with 17 points on 6-of-11 shooting with a 4-of-8 performance from 3-point range that included a 38-foot buzzer beater to end the first half ... Stephen Madison added 16 points, eight rebounds and two assists, while Barone had 11 points and seven rebounds ... Idaho starts WAC play this week, hosting Nevada and Fresno State.
Louisiana Tech Bulldogs (8-7, 0-0 WAC)
Louisiana Tech split a pair of games this past week ... the Bulldogs defeated Spring Hill 69-41 at home before taking a 73-65 loss to SMU on the road ... against Spring Hill, Freshman guard Raheem Appleby scored a game-high 17 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, a career-best, for his first career double-double ... sophomore guard Kenyon McNeail added 14 points on 4-of-5 shooting from beyond-the-arc as he was the only other Bulldog to reach double-figures in scoring on the night ... Michale Kyser and Brandon Gibson contributed nine and eight points, respectively ... at SMU, Gibson scored a career-high 22 points ... Raheem Appleby was the only other Tech player to reach double-figures as he had 11 points, all of which came in the second half ... LA Tech begins WAC play Saturday night in the Thomas Assembly Center against New Mexico State.
Nevada Wolf Pack (10-3, 0-0 WAC)
Malik Story scored 19 points as Nevada held off Division II Cedarville (Ohio) for a 71-61 victory on Wednesday night in the team’s only game of the week ... Dario Hunt and Deonte Burton added 13 points each as the Wolf Pack won their seventh straight game ... the Wolf Pack didn’t pull away from the Yellow Jackets until Burton had a dunk and layup for a 65-57 lead with 2:45 remaining ... Jerry Evans, who scored eight points, had a three-point play for a 68-60 lead with 1:15 to go ... Nevada scored the final 11 points of the first half to take a 38-36 halftime lead. Story had 17 points in the first half thanks to five 3-pointers ... Nevada opens WAC play this week as the team travels to play at Idaho on Thursday and at Utah State on Saturday.
New Mexico State Aggies (10-5, 0-0 WAC)
The Aggies defeated Arkansas-Pine Bluff, 81-65, Dec. 31, with five players in double figures in the five-game home stand finale ... Wendell McKines tallied a game-high 22 points and 14 rebounds for his eighth double-double of the year and 35th of his career ... Hernst Laroche added 15 points and Bandja Sy supplied 13 points and a career-high four blocked shots off the bench ... as a team, the Aggies blocked a season-high eight shots against the Golden Lions ... NM State fell to New Mexico, 89-69, Dec. 28, to split the season series with its in-state rivals after winning the first meeting of the year in Albuquerque ... McKines recorded a game-high 25 points and 15 rebounds for his seventh double-double of the year ... Hamidu Rahman added a season-high 19 points ... NM State also won 73-72 at CSU Bakersfield on Monday night with Daniel Mullings scoring a career-high 21 points.
San Jose Spartans (6-8, 0-0 WAC)
San Jose State won a pair of games over Coppin State (81-66) and Seattle U (84-74) to claim the Elgin Baylor Classic title in Seattle last week ... against Coppin State, Keith Shamburger was one of three San Jose State players to make four 3-point baskets as the Spartans set a single-game school record with 16 3-point baskets in the win ... Shamburger led the Spartans with 18 points and seven assists ... reserve guards Calvin Douglas and D.J. Brown each scored 14 points making four 3-points apiece in the process ... James Kinney scored a career-high 31 points leading San Jose State to the Elgin Baylor Classic title with the win over Seattle University in the championship game ... Kinney was 12-of-21 from the field including 6-of-12 from 3-point range ... the Spartans are next in action on Saturday for the start of WAC play at Hawai‘i.
Utah State Aggies (8-6, 0-0 WAC)
Danny Berger’s three-pointer with two seconds remaining bounced off the front of the rim and Utah State’s upset bid at No. 15 Mississippi State ended with a 66-64 loss here Saturday afternoon ... Utah State led 64-62 with 2:42 remaining following a Kyisean Reed jumper and had a chance to go up four on its next possession before it missed two free throws ... Mississippi State then tied the game on a putback basket by Arnett Moultrie, followed by a pair of free throws from Dee Bost to give the home team the two-point lead with 34 seconds to play ... with fouls to give, MSU committed a pair of personals in the final seconds and then held on for the two-point win ... Preston Medlin led Utah State with 15 points, while senior guard Brockeith Pane added 11 points, five rebounds and three assists ... Utah State returns to action on Thursday when it begins WAC play at home against Fresno State at 7 p.m.