WAC NOTES
WAC POSTSEASON AWARDS ANNOUNCED
The WAC men’s basketball postseason award winners as selected by the league’s eight head coaches.
First Team
Vander Joaquim, Hawai‘i, C, 6-10, Jr., Luanda, Angola (College of Eastern Utah)
Deonte Burton, Nevada, G, 6-1, So., Los Angeles, Calif. (Compton Centenial HS)
Olek Czyz, Nevada, F, 6-7, Sr., Gdynia, Poland (Duke)
Wendell McKines, New Mexico State, F, 6-6, Sr., Oakland, Calif. (Richmond HS)
Preston Medlin, Utah State, G, 6-4, So., Carrollton, Texas (Hebron HS)
Second Team
Kevin Olekaibe, Fresno State, G, 6-2, So., Las Vegas, Nev. (Cimarron-Memorial HS)
Kyle Barone, Idaho, C, 6-10, Jr., Garden Grove, Calif. (Pacifica HS)
Raheem Appleby, Louisiana Tech, G, 6-2, Fr., Jacksonville, Ark. (Jacksonville HS)
Dario Hunt, Nevada, F, 6-8, Sr., Colorado Springs, Colo. (Charis Prep School)
Hernst Laroche, New Mexico State, G, 6-1, Sr., Montreal, Quebec, Canada (Vanier College)
Honorable Mention
Zane Johnson, Hawai‘i, G, 6-6, Sr., Phoenix, Ariz. (Arizona)
Deremy Geiger, Idaho, G, 5-11, Sr., Las Vegas, Nev. (Grayson County College)
Trevor Gaskins, Louisiana Tech, G, 6-2, Sr., Alpharetta, Ga. (Ole Miss)
Malik Story, Nevada, G, 6-5, Jr., Pasadena, Calif. (Indiana)
Hamidu Rahman, New Mexico State, C, 6-11, Sr., Somerset, N.J. (American Christian HS)
Brockeith Pane, Utah State, G, 6-1, Sr., Dallas, Texas (Midland JC)
Player of the Year: Deonte Burton, So., G, Nevada
Freshman of the Year: Raheem Appleby, G, Louisiana Tech
Don Haskins Coach of the Year: David Carter, Nevada
All-Defensive Team
Vander Joaquim, Hawai‘i, C, 6-10, Jr., Luanda, Angola (College of Eastern Utah)
Landon Tatum, Idaho, G, 5-11, Sr., San Antonio, Texas (South Plains College)
Trevor Gaskins, Louisiana Tech, G, 6-2, Sr., Alpharetta, Ga. (Ole Miss)
Jerry Evans Jr, Nevada, G, 6-8, So., Lawndale, Calif. (Leuzinger HS)
Dario Hunt, Nevada, F, 6-8, Sr., Colorado Springs, Colo. (Charis Prep School)
All-Newcomer Team
Djim Bandoumel, Idaho, F, 6-7, Sr., Quebec City, Quebec, Canada (Monroe College)
Raheem Appleby, Louisiana Tech, G, 6-2, Fr., Jacksonville, Ark. (Jacksonville HS)
Daniel Mullings, New Mexico State, G, 6-2, Fr., Toronto, Ontario, Canada (Laurier)
James Kinney, San Jose State, G, 6-2, Jr., Champaign, Ill. (Eastern Utah College, Ohio U.)
Kyisean Reed, Utah State, F, 6-6, Jr., Palmdale, Calif. (Antelope Valley JC)
SEEDS SET FOR WAC TOURNAMENT
The WAC’s regular season came to a close on Saturday night. Nevada, the WAC regular season champion, earned the league’s top seed in this week’s WAC Tournament. New Mexico State receives the No. 2 seed, followed by No. 3 Idaho, No. 4 Utah State, No. 5 Louisiana Tech, No. 6 Hawai‘i, No. 7 Fresno State and No. 8 San Jose State.
NM STATE’S MCKINES RECEIVES FINAL WAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK HONOR
New Mexico State’s Wendell McKines has been named the Verizon Western Athletic Conference Men’s Basketball Player of the Week for the week of Feb. 27-March 4. The honor marks the second career WAC Player of the Week for McKines.
McKines, a senior forward from Oakland, Calif. (Richmond HS), led the Aggies to a 1-1 road record last week. McKines pulled down a career-high 18 rebounds and scored 20 points in a come-from-behind win at Fresno State in overtime on Saturday. The performance marked his 16th 20-point game of the season. He tied personal-best marks with four made 3-pointers, including three in the overtime period, and eight 3-point attempts. He also recorded his 18th double-double of the season and 45th of his career in the victory at Fresno State. At Nevada on Thursday night, McKines had a team-high 10 points and 13 rebounds.
On the week, McKines averaged 19.5 points, 15.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game. He hit 8-of-16 three-point field goals on the week.
Other nominees included: Fresno State junior forward Kevin Foster … Idaho senior guard Deremy Geiger … Nevada senior forward Dario Hunt …Utah State sophomore guard Preston Medlin.
WAC TOURNAMENT HEADS TO LAS VEGAS THIS WEEK, TICKETS ON SALE
The 2012 WAC Men’s and Women’s Basketball Tournament will be held March 7-10 at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas. Ticket information is available at www.wacbasketballtournament.com.
NEVADA WINS WAC REGULAR SEASON TITLE
Nevada’s 65-61 victory over New Mexico State on Thursday earned the Wolf Pack its fourth outright WAC Championship. The Pack shared the 2004 and 2008 titles giving them six in the last nine seasons. The Pack won outright titles in three consecutive years; 2005, 2006 and 2007. Head coach David Carter has been associated with all six, five as an assistant.
NM STATE’S MULLINGS BECOMES 13TH WAC PLAYER TO RECORD TRIPLE-DOUBLE
Daniel Mullings became only the third Aggie in school history and 13th player in WAC history to record a triple-double. Mullings scored 28 points, pulled down 12 rebounds and dished out 10 assists, all career-high marks, in a 115-73 win over Hawai’i, Feb. 23. Mullings is the first player to accomplish the feat since 1990 at NM State and only one of 12 players and the lone freshman to achieve a triple-double this season in the NCAA. He also tied a career high with five steals in the game. Mullings also set career-best marks for field goals made (11) and free throw attempts (9).
FRESNO STATE’S OLEKAIBE BECOMES FIRST WAC PLAYER TO SCORE 43 OR MORE POINTS IN A SINGLE GAME SINCE 2007
Fresno State’s Kevin Olekaibe scored a school-record 43 points to help the Bulldogs to a 78-72 win over Seattle U on Feb. 23. The 43 points off the hand of Olekaibe tied for the third-most by any Division I player this year in a single game and marked the most by anyone in the Western Athletic Conference since Utah State’s Jaycee Carroll scored 44 against New Mexico State back on Feb. 5, 2007.
WAC TEAMS GO COMBINED 5-3 IN ESPN SEARS BRACKETBUSTERS GAMES
For an 10th-straight year, the WAC participated in BracketBusters -- a two-day men’s college basketball event pitting NCAA Tournament hopefuls. WAC teams went a combined 5-3 in those matchups. New Mexico State picked up a featured ESPN Sears BracketBuster televised matchup, defeating Drake 71-55 on ESPNU.
WAC Televised BracketBuster Games
New Mexico State def. Drake, 71-55 (ESPNU)
Iona def. Nevada, 90-84 (ESPN2/ESPN3)
WAC Non-Televised BracketBuster Games
Fresno State def. Cal State Northridge, 62-49
Montana def. Hawai‘i, 94-79
Idaho def. Portland State, 77-68
Louisiana Tech def. Central Arkansas, 84-62
San Jose State def. Sacramento State, 79-67
UC Santa Barbara def. Utah State, 72-64
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. 12 this week, according to collegerpi.com. The league also comes in as the 12th-best conference in the nation according to ESPN’s conference power rankings. Nevada currently holds the highest team RPI in the league at No. 48, according to the NCAA.
WAC TEAMS/PLAYERS AMONG NATIONAL STATISTICAL LEADERS
As of March 1, teams from the WAC rank in the top-25 in five team statistical categories. Individual players rank in the top-25 in eight individual stat categories. New Mexico State holds the highest team mark as it ranks 4th nationally in rebound margin at 7.9. Individually, New Mexico State’s Daniel Mullings is tied for first nationally with one triple-double. NMSU’s Wendell McKines ranks sixth nationally with 17 double-doubles. Hawai‘i’s Jeremiah Ostrowski ranks eighth nationally in assists per game at 6.8
KENNETH SMITH SETS LA TECH’S SINGLE GAME ASSISTS RECORD
Freshman guard Kenneth Smith set the Louisiana Tech school record for assists in a game with 15 as the Bulldogs defeated Central Arkansas 84-42 Saturday afternoon in the Thomas Assembly Center in front of 3,977 fans that was a part of SEARS ESPN BracketBuster program. Smith’s 15th assist came at the 3:05 mark of the second half on a layup by freshman forward Stojan Gjuroski. Former Bulldog Bud Dean had held the assists record since Jan. 17, 1969 when he had 14 at Nicholls State. Smith’s 15 assists marks the most assists by a WAC player since Feb. 25, 2005 when UTEP’s Filiberto Rivera dished out 18 against Louisiana Tech. Smith’s 15 assists marks the second-best single-game assist mark in the NCAA this season.
SJSU’S CARTER NAMED TO ACADEMIC ALL-DISTRICT FIRST TEAM
Wil Carter, a senior forward on the San Jose State University men’s basketball team, is one of five NCAA Division I players named to the Capital One Academic All-District VIII first team. Voted on by members of the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA), the Academic All-District team is the first qualifying stage for Academic All-America honors. A co-captain of the 2011-12 San Jose State team, Carter is in his second year with the Spartans after transferring from Salt Lake Community College. The resident of Pocatello, Idaho ranks fourth in the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) in rebounding with an 8.2 per game average. He is third on the San Jose State team in scoring with an 11.3 average.
NMSU’S MCKINES BECOMES WAC’S 12TH MEMBER OF 1,000 PT/1,000 REB. CLUB, NEVADA’S HUNT NEARING SAME FEAT
New Mexico State’s Wendell McKines became a member of the 1,000-career point and 1,000-career rebound club and led the New Mexico State men’s basketball team to a 78-57 win over CSU Bakersfield on Feb. 1. With his 12th rebound of the game with 7:45 minutes remaining, McKines joined the elite club. He is only the second player in NM State history along with Sam Lacey, second active player in the NCAA (T.J. Robinson, Long Beach State) and 12th player in the WAC history to achieve the feat. Dario Hunt is just 10 rebounds shy of acheiveing the same feat. He will be the 13th player in WAC history to do so.
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-) 1,442 points/1,096 reb.
Dario Hunt, Nevada (2008-) 1,057 points/990 reb.
SAN JOSE STATE’S CARTER RECORDS FIRST WAC 20-20 GAME SINCE 2006
San Jose State senior forward Wil Carter scored 21 points and pulled down 20 rebounds in a loss at Hawai‘i on Jan. 7. Carter becomes the first WAC player to score at least 20 points and pull down 20 boards since Louisiana Tech’s Paul Millsap did it in 2006. It also marked the first 20-rebound game by a SJSU player since Chris McNealy did it against Utah in December of 1981. It marks only the eighth 20-rebound performance by a Division I player this season.
WAC TEAM-BY-TEAM NOTES
Fresno State Bulldogs (13-19, 3-11 WAC)
The Bulldogs went 0-2 at home last week ... Fresno State dropped a 75-70 decision to Louisiana Tech before falling 83-78 in overtime to New Mexico State ... against LA Tech, Jonathan Wills scored a team-high 16 points for Fresno State to lead three Bulldogs in double figures ... Garrett Johnson tallied 12 points and Tyler Johnson added 10 for the ‘Dogs ... in the overtime loss to NM State, Kevin Olekaibe netted a game-best 23 points, while Kevin Foster added 20 before fouling out ... Olekaibe finished second in the WAC in scoring for the regular season ... Wills helped send the game into overtime by hitting a 3-pointer with 12.2 seconds left in regulation and fellow senior Steven Shepp dished out six more assists and wrapped up the year by playing the most minutes of any player in the WAC ... Fresno State takes the No. 7 seed into this week’s tournament and will face NM State on Thursday.
Hawai‘i Rainbow Warriors (15-15, 6-8 WAC)
Hawai‘i wrapped up regular season play at home with a pair of losses ... the Rainbow Warriors dropped an 82-63 decision on Thursday before falling 61-60 on Saturday night to Utah State ... against Idaho, Zane Johnson led UH with 18 points, including 4-of-8 shooting from behind the arc ... with his fourth and final three-pointer of the night at the 13-minute mark, Johnson set a new UH career record for three-pointers made (179), surpassing former All-American Predrag Savovic ... Joston Thomas added 16 points, while Jeremiah Ostrowski handed out nine assists ... versus Utah State, an Aggie basket with seven seconds remaining proved to be the game winner for USU ... Joston Thomas led UH with 19 points, while Ostrowski finished with 13 points and four assists, scoring all but two of his points in the second half ... UH takes the No. 6 seed into tournament play and will take on No. 3 Idaho on Thursday.
Idaho Vandals (18-12, 9-5 WAC)
Idaho finished regular season play with a pair of road wins this past week ... theVandals defeated Hawai‘i 82-63 on Thursday night before defeating San Jose State 70-64 ... at UH, Deremy Geiger led all players with 20 points on 6-of-12 shooting, including a 4-of-9 clip on 3-pointers ... Stephen Madison added 17 points and eight rebounds and hit eight of his 10 free throw attempts ... Kyle Barone was an efficient 4-of-5 from the field for nine points, along with eight rebounds ... at San Jose State, Idaho won the game with balance ... Geiger led the team with 16 points on 5-of-7 shooting, while freshman Connor Hill came off the bench for 12 points on 4-of-5 shooting from 3-point range and senior Landon Tatum added 10 points ... Idaho enters this week’s WAC Tournament as the No. 3 sded and will face sixth-seeded Hawai‘i on Thursday at 12 p.m. PT.
Louisiana Tech Bulldogs (16-15, 6-8 WAC)
The Bulldogs went 1-1 on the road last week with a 75-70 win at Fresno State and a 79-69 setback at Nevada ... behind a game-high 16 points from senior Trevor Gaskins and junior Brandon Gibson’s double-double of 12 points and 11 rebounds, Louisiana Tech defeated Fresno State for its fifth-straight win ... Along with Gaskins and Gibson, Appleby added 15 points and senior Romario Souza contributed with 12 points as well ... at Nevada, Souza had a team-high 15 points and six rebounds ... Gaskins scored 13 points, 11 of which came in the second half, while Appleby added 10 points ... Cordarius Johnson contributed 12 points off the bench including two three-pointers ... this week, LA Tech will take the No. 5 seed into the WAC Tournament and will face No. 4 Utah State on Thursday at 8:30 p.m. PT.
Nevada Wolf Pack (25-5, 13-1 WAC)
Nevada went 2-0 at home last week to claim the outright WAC regular season title ... the Wolf Pack defeated New Mexico State 65-61 on Thursday before downing Louisiana Tech 79-69 on Saturday night ... versus NM State, Olek Czyz scored 15 points and Malik Story 14 ... Dario Hunt added 10 points for the Wolf Pack ... Nevada hit 7 of 16 3-point attempts and shot 43 percent overall from the floor ... against LA Tech, Deonte Burton scored 20 points as Nevada rallied from a second-half deficit to beat the Bulldogs ... Hunt added 16 points and 14 rebounds as the Wolf Pack secured the No. 1 seed for next week’s conference tournament ... the Wolf Pack take the top seed into this week’s WAC Tournament in Las Vegas ... Nevada will take on No. 8 San Jose State in the first round of the tournament on Thursday at 6:00 p.m. PT
New Mexico State Aggies (23-9, 10-4 WAC)
New Mexico State went 1-1 on the road last week to wrap up regular season play ... the Aggies dropped a 65-61 decision at Nevada before defeating Fresno State 83-78 in overtime ... at Nevada, Wendell McKines led the Aggies with 19 points and 13 rebounds for his 17th double-double of the season and 44th of his career ... Hernst Laroche had 12 points and five assists, while freshman guard Daniel Mullings supplied 10 points and seven rebounds ... at Fresno State, in the first overtime game of the year, Bandja Sy scored a career-high 22 points, all in the second half, to spark the Crimson and White comeback ... McKines had 20 points and a career-high 18 rebounds for his 18th double-double of the season and 45th of his career ... NM State takes the No. 2 seed into this week’s WAC Tournament in Las Vegas ... the Aggies will face No. 7 seed Fresno State on Thursday at 2:30 p.m. PT
San Jose Spartans (9-21, 1-13 WAC)
San Jose State dropped a pair of home games this past week to conclude regular season play ... the Spartans dropped a 71-61 decision to Utah State before falling 70-64 to Idaho ... against Utah State, James Kinney scored 24 points and forward Wil Carter scored 19 points and pulled down a game-high 13 rebounds for San Jose State ... in the loss to Idaho, James Kinney led all players with 19 points and continued his sharp shooting from three-point range converting 5-of-9 tries ... for the week, the 6-foot-2 junior set a San Jose State single-season record for three-pointers made and was 9-of-18 from three-point range ... Keith Shamburger scored 14 points and Carter added 12 points and a game-high 12 rebounds ... SJSU takes the No. 8 seed into this week’s WAC Tournament and will face top seed Nevada on Thursday at 6 p.m. PT
Utah State Aggies (17-14, 8-6 WAC)
The Aggies finished regular season play with a pair of road wins last week ... USU defeated San Jose State 71-61 before winning 61-60 at Hawai‘i on Saturday night ... at SJSU, Preston Medlin had 26 points in leading Utah State to the win ... Medlin, who added five rebounds and two assists in the game, was 9-of-13 from the field, 5-of-8 from three-point range and 3-for-3 at the free throw line ... Brockeith Pane added 14 points and six assists ... at Hawai‘i, Morgan Grim scored on a spinning layup with seven seconds to play to lead Utah State to a hard-fought come-from-behind road win ... Pane led Utah State with 20 points and Medlin added 19 points and four assists ... Grim scored all nine of his points in the second-half to go along with four rebounds and two blocked shots ... Utah State earns the No. 4 seed at this week’s WAC Tournament and will face No. 5 seed Louisiana Tech on Thursday at 8:30 p.m. PT