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NM STATE'S SIAKAM NAMED WAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK
NM State sophomore forward Pascal Siakam has been named Western Athletic Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Week for the week of Feb. 1-7. This is his fifth WAC Player of the Week honor of the season and the seventh of his career.
The Douala, Cameroon, native averaged 22.0 points on 62 percent shooting, 13.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 2.0 blocks and 1.0 steals as the Aggies went 2-0 on the week to take sole possession of first place in the WAC standings. In a 20-point win over Grand Canyon last Thursday, Siakam led all players with 17 points and 16 rebounds to go along with three assists, two blocks and two steals. He followed it up with game highs of 27 points, 11 rebounds and two blocks and added four assists in a 98-74 victory over Utah Valley. Siakam picked up his 20th and 21st double-doubles of the season to lead the NCAA in double-doubles and move his career total to 28. His 27 points against UVU marked the eighth time Siakam has scored 25 or more points this season and his 16 boards versus GCU was the sixth time he grabbed 15 or more rebounds.
Other nominees included: CSU Bakersfield's Dedrick Basile averaged 17.5 points, 6.0 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.0 steals in a pair of victories ... Joshua Braun of Grand Canyon averaged 16.0 points and 7.5 rebounds as the Lopes went 1-1 on the week ... Missouri-Kansas City's Martez Harrison averaged 21.5 points, 3.0 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.5 steals in a pair of losses ... William Powell of Seattle U averaged 14.0 points on 73 percent shooting, 9.0 rebounds and 3.5 assists as the Redhawks went 2-0 on the week ... UT Rio Grande Valley's Dan Kimasa averaged 12.0 points, 9.5 rebounds, 1.5 steals and 1.0 assists in a pair of losses last week ... Marcel Davis of Utah Valley averaged 22.0 points, 6.0 assists, 4.0 rebounds and 1.5 steals as the Wolverines went 1-1 on the week.
WAC STAT LEADERS
NM State leads the WAC in field goal percentage (47.2), field goal percentage defense (39.8), rebounding (41.9), rebounding defense (31.0), rebounding margin (10.9) and defensive rebounds (29.21), while CSU Bakersfield is tops in scoring defense (64.2), blocks (5.25), assists (16.0), turnover margin (1.96) and assist-turnover ratio (1.25). Grand Canyon leads the WAC in scoring (77.4), scoring margin (8.7) and three-point field goal percentage defense (32.0), while Chicago State is tops in steals (8.15) and offensive rebounds (13.19). Utah Valley leads the league in free throw percentage (73.4) and three-pointers per game (8.38) and Seattle U is tops in three-point field goal percentage (37.7).
Individually, NM State's Pascal Siakam leads the WAC in scoring (22.2), rebounding (12.0), blocked shots (2.17), offensive rebounds (4.25), defensive rebounds (7.79) and minutes per game (35.25). Grand Canyon's Grandy Glaze is tops in field goal percentage (61.3), while teammates DeWayne Russell and Joshua Braun lead the WAC in assists (5.5) and three-point field goal percentage (45.9), respectively. NM State's Ian Baker is tops in free throw percentage (86.3), while CSU Bakersfield's Dedrick Basile, Damiyne Durham and Brent Wrapp are tops in steals (1.88), three-pointers per game (2.91) and assist-turnover ratio (2.7), respectively.
In WAC games only, NM State leads the WAC in scoring margin (11.6), field goal percentage (48.7), rebounding (42.3), rebounding defense (31.8), rebounding margin (10.6), blocks (5.89), offensive rebounds (13.0) and defensive rebounds (29.33), and is tied with Utah Valley for the lead in assists (16.67). Utah Valley is tops in scoring (80.2), free throw percentage (77.6), three-point field goal percentage (40.3) and three-pointers per game (9.89), while Chicago State leads the WAC in steals (7.89) and turnover margin (2.78). Seattle U is tops in field goal percentage defense (38.7) and three-point field goal percentage defense (30.3), while CSUB leads the league in scoring defense (62.7) and UT Rio Grande Valley is tops in assist-turnover ratio (1.41).
Individually in WAC games, Braun leads the WAC in scoring (21.1), while Siakam is tops in rebounding (12.7), offensive rebounds (4.78) and defensive rebounds (7.89). NM State's Johnathon Wilkins leads the league in field goal percentage (62.2), while Utah Valley's Marcel Davis is tops in assists (5.67). Baker leads the WAC in free throw percentage (91.7), while Basile is tops in steals (2.22) and Durham is tied with UMKC's LaVell Boyd for the lead in three-pointers per game (2.78). UTRGV's Dakota Slaughter leads the WAC in three-point field goal percentage (45.7), while teammate Antonio Green is tops in minutes per game (36.0). CSUB's Justin Hollins leads the WAC in blocks (2.78), while Russell is tops in assist-turnover ratio (3.54).
SEATTLE U POSTS LONGEST WIN STREAK SINCE JOINING WAC
With victories over Chicago State and Missouri-Kansas City last week, Seattle U extended its WAC winning streak to five games. This is the Redhawks' longest conference win streak since joining the league in 2012.
CSU BAKERSFIELD DEFENSE DOMINATES
In a win over Chicago State on Feb. 6, CSU Bakersfield held the Cougars to just 23 first-half points. It was the 16th time this season that CSUB held its opponent to less than 30 points in the first half. The ‘Runners held Chicago State to just 48 points in the game, the second-lowest single-game total this season for a CSUB opponent.
NM STATE BOASTS 33-GAME WAC HOME WINNING STREAK
NM State is currently riding a 33-game WAC home winning streak, the second-longest in the country behind the 34 straight Southland wins by Stephen F. Austin. The Aggies' last WAC home loss was on Jan. 26, 2012, to Nevada. NM State is 5-0 at the Pan American Center in WAC play this season, went 7-0 in 2014-15, 8-0 in 2013-14, 9-0 in 2012-13 and 4-0 to close out the 2011-12 season.
SIAKAM FINALIST FOR KARL MALONE POWER FORWARD OF THE YEAR AWARD
NM State's Pascal Siakam is one of the 10 finalists for the 2016 Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year Award as announced by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. The award is named after Hall of Famer and two-time NBA MVP Karl Malone. The honor, in its second year, recognizes the top power forwards in Division I men's college basketball. A national committee comprised of top college basketball personnel determined a watch list of 20 candidates in October, which has now been narrowed to 10. In March, five finalists from the list will be presented to Malone and the Hall of Fame's selection committee. The winner will be presented at the ESPN College Basketball Awards presented by Wendy's from Club Nokia in Los Angeles, Calif., on Friday, April 8.
UMKC'S HARRISON CLIMBING CAREER SCORING CHART
The WAC's active career leader in points (1,453), Missouri-Kansas City junior Martez Harrison currently ranks fourth on the UMKC scoring chart. Harrison is also the WAC's active leader in free throws made (462), steals (140) and assists (344).
ROADRUNNERS BREAK PROGRAM DIVISION I RECORD FOR BLOCKS
In a loss at Grand Canyon on Jan. 29, CSU Bakersfield blocked seven shots, including a career-high-tying four by Aly Ahmed, to break the program Division I record for single-season blocks. The ‘Runners now have 126 on the season and need 40 more to reach the CSUB all-time record.
SEATTLE U SWEEPS WAC ROAD TRIP FOR FIRST TIME EVER
On Jan. 29 and 31, Seattle U swept a WAC road weekend for the first time since joining the conference in 2012-13, defeating Utah Valley (73-62) and Grand Canyon (59-57). In defeating the Lopes, Seattle U overcame a seven-point halftime deficit for its first-ever victory over the Lopes after five previous losses.
NM STATE'S MENZIES EIGHTH ON WAC WINS CHART
NM State head coach Marvin Menzies is eighth on the all-time WAC victories chart with 98 wins. He needs three more wins to tie Ned Wulk of Arizona State (1962-78) in seventh place with 101. Menzies also ranks ninth in overall wins at 191, two shy of matching Gary Colson of New Mexico and Fresno State (1980-94) in eighth place with 193. With a WAC record of 98-37, Menzies' WAC winning percentage is 72.6, third on that list.
UTRGV'S HINES, KIMASA MOVING UP CAREER BLOCKS CHART
UT Rio Grande Valley student-athletes Shaquille Hines and Dan Kimasa are two of the best blocking threats in program history. Hines, a senior, ranks fourth all-time in career blocks (69), while the sophomore Kimasa is sixth (64).
NM STATE'S SIAKAM CLIMBING PROGRAM BLOCKS CHART
NM State sophomore Pascal Siakam has 52 blocked shots this season, good for seventh all-time in the Aggie single-season record books. His 113 career blocks ranks seventh on the program career list, three shy of a tie for sixth place. Siakam also has 968 career points and 551 career rebounds and looks to become the first sophomore in NM State history to reach the 1,000-point mark.