WAC Men's Basketball Weekly Release - Dec. 9
UTPA'S KIMASA NAMED WAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Texas-Pan American freshman center Dan Kimasa has been named Western Athletic Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Week for the week of Dec. 1-7. This is his first-ever WAC Player of the Week honor.
The Kigali City, Rwanda, native averaged a double-double of 12.5 points and 10.5 rebounds over a pair of games last week. Kimasa opened the week with a career-high 14 points on 7-of-11 shooting to go along with nine rebounds at Houston. He followed it up with 11 points and a career-high 12 rebounds at Sam Houston State. It was the first time in his career that he had back-to-back double-digit scoring games. Kimasa more than doubled his season averages, as he entered the week averaging 5.7 points and 5.2 rebounds per game.
Other nominees included: Dashawn Richmond of Bakersfield averaged 16.0 points on 58 percent shooting, 5.0 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.5 steals last week ... Grand Canyon's Royce Woolridge averaged 12.5 points on 53 percent shooting, 5.0 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game as the Antelopes went 2-0 last week ... Remi Barry of New Mexico State averaged 14.0 points and 4.5 rebounds per game last week ... Utah Valley's Marcel Davis averaged 10.5 points, 4.5 rebounds 4.5 assists and 1.5 steals per game on the week.
WAC STAT LEADERS
Seattle U leads the WAC in three-point field goal percentage (37.4), rebounding (38.8), rebounding margin (6.5), assists (15.13), assist-turnover ratio (1.16) and three-pointers per game (8.0). New Mexico State is tops in scoring (71.8), scoring margin (5.0), field goal percentage (44.4) and rebounding defense (31.6), and is tied with Missouri-Kansas City in offensive rebounds (14.22), while Bakersfield leads the WAC in scoring defense (65.1), free throw percentage (72.9), field goal percentage defense (39.1) and defensive rebounds (25.88). UMKC is tops in turnover margin (4.44), while Chicago State leads the WAC in steals (10.4). Grand Canyon is tops in three-point field goal percentage defense (24.8) and Texas-Pan American leads the league in blocks (4.5).
Individually, UTPA's Janari Joesaar leads the WAC in scoring (18.6), defensive rebounds (6.88) and minutes per game (33.38), while Kevin Mays of Bakersfield leads the WAC in rebounding (9.8) and offensive rebounds (3.88). UMKC's Martez Harrison is tops in assists (4.33) and steals (2.67), while teammate Shayok Shayok is tied with New Mexico State's Remi Barry for the WAC lead in field goal percentage (56.0). Grand Canyon's Ryan Majerle leads the leagues in free throw percentage (90.9), while Collin Jennings of UMKC is tops in three-point percentage (50.0). Isiah Umipig of Seattle U leads the WAC in three-pointers per game (4.25), while NM State's Pascal Siakam is tops in blocks (2.22) and teammate Ian Baker leads the league in assist-turnover ratio (1.87).
NEW MEXICO STATE EXTENDS HOME WIN STREAK TO 14 GAMES
With a win over UTEP on Dec. 6, New Mexico State extended its home winning streak to 14 games. The Aggies are now 33-2 at the Pan American Center since the start of the 2012-13 season and the streak is the third home court win streak of 11 games or more since the 2011-12 season.
SEATTLE U'S UMIPIG CLIMBING CAREER THREE-POINTERS MADE CHART
In just his second season with the program, Seattle U's Isiah Umipig moved into eighth place on Seattle U's all-time list for made three-pointers with 140, just four behind a tie for sixth place. The senior currently ranks third in the nation in three-pointers per game (4.25) and fifth in three-pointers made (34).
BAKERSFIELD LOSING IN HEARTBREAKING FASHION
Bakersfield has lost four games this season by two points or less including losing the last three by a total deficit of five points - 63-61 to Fresno State, 59-58 to UC Riverside and 68-66 to South Dakota. The Roadrunners also have two seven-point losses this season.
MISSOURI-KANSAS CITY SETS SCHOOL RECORD FOR STEALS IN A GAME
UMKC broke the school record for steals in a game with 22 against William Jewell on Nov. 29, besting the previous mark of 18 set in 2003 vs. Oklahoma State. The ‘Roos also forced 33 turnovers, matching the school record set in 2003 against Norfolk State.
NM STATE'S MULLINGS MOVES INTO NINTH PLACE IN PROGRAM HISTORY IN SCORING
New Mexico State senior Daniel Mullings moved into ninth place on the NM State career scoring list on Nov. 26 and became the ninth Aggie to score 1,500 points at Wyoming on Nov. 29. Mullings, who is sidelined with a broken finger, has 1,512 career points, nine shy of eighth place and 350 away from the record of 1,862 held by Eric Channing (1998-02).
UMKC'S HARRISON EXTENDS DOUBLE-DIGIT SCORING STREAK TO 27 GAMES
Missouri-Kansas City sophomore guard Martez Harrison has reached double-digit scoring in all nine games this season to extend his streak to 27 consecutive games, good for a tie for second place all-time at UMKC.
BAKERSFIELD NEARLY SETS PROGRAM RECORD FOR FEWEST POINTS
When it fell 51-27 at No. 16 San Diego State on Nov. 20, Bakersfield nearly set a program-record for fewest points scored. A late three-pointer by Cortez Conners allowed the Roadrunners to surpass the 26 points scored at Cal Poly Pomona in 1978.
MISSOURI-KANSAS CITY BEATS MISSOURI FOR FIRST TIME IN SCHOOL HISTORY
Missouri-Kansas City opened the season with a 69-61 win at Missouri, the program's first-ever win over the Tigers in school history (1-3). The victory was also the ‘Roos first over a BCS school since a 2003 victory against Kansas State.
BAKERSFIELD PLAYS PROGRAM'S LONGEST GAME IN SEASON OPENER
Bakersfield opened the season with a 100-99 quadruple overtime loss to High Point in the first game of the Rainbow Classic in Honolulu. It was the first time the ‘Runners played a quadruple overtime game, making it their longest contest since Feb. 11, 1989 at Cal State LA.
WAC TOURNAMENT RETURNS TO LAS VEGAS
The 2015 WAC Basketball Tournament returns to the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas for the fifth year in a row. The tournament will be held March 11-14, and will include all seven eligible men's and women's teams.
ESPNU TO TELEVISE WAC TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONSHIP GAMES
ESPN will once again broadcast the WAC men's and women's tournament championship games from the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas on March 14. The women's game will be broadcast on ESPNU at 1 p.m. (PT). The men's championship game will also be broadcast by ESPNU at 8 p.m. (PT).
RETURNING ALL-CONFERENCE PLAYERS
Of the five first team All-WAC players in 2013-14, just one returns for the 2014-15 season in Preseason Player of the Year Daniel Mullings of New Mexico State. Three of the five second team honorees return, including Jerome Garrison of Grand Canyon, Tshilidzi Nephawe of New Mexico State and Seattle U's Isiah Umipig.
Four of the five All-Defensive Team honorees from last year return, including Mullings, Garrison, Aly Ahmed of Bakersfield and Utah Valley's Mitch Bruneel.
All five of the All-Newcomer Team honorees from a year ago return - Umipig, Daniel Alexander of Grand Canyon, Martez Harrison of UMKC, DK Eldridge of New Mexico State and Zach Nelson of Utah Valley.