WAC Men's Basketball Weekly Release - Feb. 10
NM STATE'S NEPHAWE NAMED WAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK
New Mexico State senior center Tshilidzi Nephawe has been named Western Athletic Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Week for the week of Feb. 2-8. This is his first-ever WAC Player of the Week honor.
The Johannesburg, South Africa, native averaged a double-double of 14.0 points and 11.5 rebounds to go along with 1.0 assist and 1.0 block per game last week as the Aggies went 2-0 on the week to take a two-game lead atop the WAC standings. He shot a blazing 76.9 percent (10-of-13) from the field over the two games. Nephawe opened the week with eight points and 11 rebounds in a win at Chicago State. In a road win over second place Missouri-Kansas City on Saturday, he posted season highs of 20 points and 12 rebounds.
Other nominees included: Bakersfield's Jaylin Airington averaged 15.0 points on 60 percent shooting, 3.5 rebounds and 3.0 assists as the Roadrunners went 1-1 on the week ... Clarke Rosenberg of Chicago State averaged 20.0 points, 7.0 rebounds and 5.5 assists as the Cougars went 1-1 on the week ... Grand Canyon's Ryan Majerle averaged 17.5 points on 60 percent shooting and 3.5 rebounds as the Antelopes picked up a pair of WAC road wins ... Martez Harrison of Missouri-Kansas City averaged 19.5 points, 5.5 assists and 1.5 steals as the Kangaroos went 1-1 last week ... Seattle U's Jarell Flora averaged 18.0 points and 5.0 rebounds as the Redhawks went 1-1 on the week ... Shaquille Hines of Texas-Pan American averaged 19.5 points on 68 percent shooting, 5.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists on the week.
WAC STAT LEADERS
New Mexico State leads the WAC in scoring (68.9), scoring defense (61.6), scoring margin (7.3), field goal percentage (46.2), three-point field goal percentage defense (29.6), rebounding (36.0), rebounding defense (29.4), rebounding margin (6.6), blocks (3.76) and offensive rebounds (13.08). Seattle U is tops in field goal percentage defense (40.4), three-point field goal percentage (39.3), assists (14.64), assist-turnover ratio (1.11), defensive rebounds (24.82) and three-pointers per game (7.41), while Bakersfield leads the league in free throw percentage (72.4). Missouri-Kansas City leads the WAC in steals (8.52) and turnover margin (3.0).
Individually, UTPA's Janari Joesaar leads the WAC in scoring (18.3) and minutes per game (34.79), while New Mexico State's Pascal Siakam is tops in field goal percentage (57.0), blocks (1.80) and offensive rebounds (3.44). Kevin Mays of Bakersfield leads the league in rebounding (8.0), while teammates Aly Ahmed and Brent Wrapp are tops in defensive rebounds (5.09) and assist-turnover ratio (2.44), respectively. Marcel Davis of Utah Valley is tops in assists (4.09), while Seattle U's Isiah Umipig leads the WAC in free throw percentage (81.5) and three-pointers per game (3.77). UMKC's Martez Harrison leads the league in steals (1.80), while Remi Barry of New Mexico State is tops in three-point percentage (50.0).
In WAC games only, New Mexico State leads the league in scoring defense (54.5), scoring margin (12.8), field goal percentage (47.9), three-point field goal percentage defense (28.2), rebounding (35.5), rebounding defense (26.1), rebounding margin (9.4), blocks (4.38) and defensive rebounds (23.5). Grand Canyon is tops in scoring (71.0), three-point field goal percentage (39.8), assist-turnover ratio (1.57) and three-pointers per game (8.5), while Chicago State leads the WAC in free throw percentage (78.8) and offensive rebounds (13.38). UMKC is tops in steals (6.88) and turnover margin (5.63), Seattle U leads the league in field goal percentage defense (38.7) and Utah Valley is tops in assists (13.88).
Individually in WAC games, Harrison is tops in scoring (18.1), while New Mexico State's Tshilidzi Nephawe leads the league in rebounding (9.1), field goal percentage (64.4) and defensive rebounds (5.71). Seattle U's Emerson Murray leads the league in steals (1.75) and is tied with Bakersfield's Brent Wrapp in assist-turnover ratio (4.00), while Umipig and CSUB's Javonte Maynor lead the league in three-pointers per game (2.88). Grand Canyon's DeWayne Russell leads the WAC in assists (4.75), while Joesaar is tops in free throw percentage (92.9) and minutes per game (37.12). New Mexico State's Daniel Mullings leads the league in three-point field goal percentage (70.0), while teammate Siakam is tied with Chicago State's Joshua Meier in offensive rebounds (3.75), and UTPA's Dan Kimasa is tops in blocks (2.13).
UTPA'S BOGA NABS 100TH CAREER STEAL
At the 6:54 mark in the second half at Chicago State on Feb. 7, Texas-Pan American senior Shaquille Boga nabbed his 100th career steal. The guard now has 101 steals on his career, 15 shy of the all-time program Top 10 list.
SEATTLE U SETS SCHOOL RECORD FOR FEWEST POINTS ALLOWED
When Seattle U held Utah Valley to just 33 points on Feb. 7, it was the lowest total allowed by the Redhawks as a Division I school to a Division I opponent, besting the previous mark of 36 in an 85-36 win over Portland State during the 1958-59 season.
UMKC'S HARRISON EXTENDS DOUBLE-DIGIT SCORING STREAK TO 43 GAMES
Missouri-Kansas City sophomore guard Martez Harrison has reached double-digit scoring in all 25 games this season to extend his streak to 43 consecutive games, good for second place all-time at UMKC. He also has 18 career games with 20 or more points, including nine this season.
SEATTLE U'S UMIPIG CLIMBING CAREER THREE-POINTERS CHART
In just his second season with the program, Seattle U's Isiah Umipig currently ranks second all-time on the Seattle U career three-pointers list with 189, 50 shy of the record. The senior currently ranks third in the nation in both three-pointers per game (3.77) and three-pointers made (83).
CSUB'S MAYNOR HITS 200TH CAREER THREE-POINTER
His three-pointer with three seconds remaining in the game against Grand Canyon on Feb. 7 was the 200th of his career for Bakersfield senior Javonte Maynor. In his third season with the Roadrunners, Maynor ranks second all-time with 200 career three-pointers. He trails only Kenny Warren, who hit 278 treys from 1990-94 in Division II.
BAKERSFIELD LOSSES COME IN HEARTBREAKING FASHION
Of Bakersfield's 14 losses this season, 12 have been my eight points or less. The Roadrunners have three one-point losses, three two-point losses, a three-point loss, a four-point loss, a six-point loss, two seven-point losses and one eight-point defeat.
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).