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UTRGV'S VARNER JR. NAMED WAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK
UT Rio Grande Valley freshman forward Lesley Varner Jr. has been named Western Athletic Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Week for the week of Jan. 16-22. This is the first WAC Player of the Week honor of his career.
The Dallas native had a career week as he nearly posted a triple-double in the Vaqueros' overtime victory against Chicago State. Varner posted his first-career double-double with 14 points on 6-of-10 shooting to go with a career-high 11 rebounds. He also added a career-high seven assists with no turnovers in 32 minutes of action off the bench and a career-high-tying three steals. Varner entered the week averaging 4.3 points on 38.6 percent shooting, 2.0 rebounds, 0.76 assists and 0.76 steals per game. With the victory, UTRGV now sits in a tie for fourth place in the WAC standings.
Other nominees included: CSU Bakersfield's Jaylin Airington finished with 12 points, seven rebounds and two assists in a win over Utah Valley ... Trayvon Palmer of Chicago State averaged 21.5 points, 10.0 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 3.0 steals and 1.0 block as the Cougars went 1-1 on the week ... Grand Canyon's Joshua Braun averaged 19.5 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.5 assists as the Lopes went 2-0 on the week ... Jemerrio Jones of NM State finished with 15 points and 14 rebounds in the Aggies' win over UMKC ... Utah Valley's Zach Nelson finished with 10 points and six rebounds in a three-point loss at CSU Bakersfield last week.
WAC STAT LEADERS
NM State leads the WAC in scoring margin (12.2), free throw percentage (71.7), field goal percentage (47.0), three-point field goal percentage defense (29.2), rebounding defense (33.0), rebounding margin (6.1) and blocks (4.25), while CSU Bakersfield is tops in scoring defense (64.5), field goal percentage defense (38.9), three-point field goal percentage (37.9) and offensive rebounds (13.58). UT Rio Grande Valley leads the league in scoring (80.2), assists (16.41), steals (8.18) and three-pointers per game (9.45), while Utah Valley is tops in rebounding (39.4) and defensive rebounds (30.47). Grand Canyon leads the WAC in turnover margin (2.35) and Seattle U is tops in assist-turnover ratio (1.13).
Individually, Grand Canyon's DeWayne Russell leads the WAC in scoring (22.7), assists (4.83) and minutes per game (37.89), while Utah Valley's Isaac Neilson is tops in rebounding (9.7), field goal percentage (58.0) and blocked shots (1.84). Seattle U's Brendan Westendorf leads the WAC in free throw percentage (88.2), while NM State's Braxton Huggins is tops in three-point percentage (48.3). UT Rio Grande Valley's Nick Dixon leads the league in steals (1.77), while teammate Antonio Green is tops in three-pointers per game (4.23). CSU Bakersfield's Brent Wrapp leads the WAC in assist-turnover ratio (2.68), NM State's Eli Chuha is tops in offensive rebounds (3.8) and Chicago State's Trayvon Palmer leads the WAC in defensive rebounds (6.36).
In WAC games only, NM State leads the WAC in scoring defense (64.8), scoring margin (13.8), field goal percentage (47.6), three-point field goal percentage defense (26.2), rebounding (40.8), rebounding defense (29.8), rebounding margin (11.0) and assist-turnover ratio (1.24), while UTRGV is tops in scoring (78.8), free throw percentage (75.0), steals (9.2), turnover margin (3.8), offensive rebounds (14.4) and three-pointers per game (8.8). Utah Valley leads the league in field goal percentage defense (39.7), blocks (5.0) and defensive rebounds (30.5), while CSUB is tops in three-point field goal percentage (43.9) and Seattle U leads the WAC in is tops in assists (15.75).
Individually in WAC games, Chicago State's Fred Sims Jr. leads the WAC in scoring (20.8), while Chuha is tops in rebounding (10.8) and offensive rebounds (5.4). GCU's Kerwin Smith leads the WAC in field goal percentage (68.4), while teammate Russell is tops in assists (6.75) and minutes per game (39.50). Utah Valley's Brandon Randolph and NM State's Matt Taylor are tied for the lead in free throw percentage (93.3), while UTRGV's Lew Stallworth is tops in steals (2.4). CSUB's Dedrick Basile leads the WAC in three-point percentage (68.8), while Green is tops in three-pointers per game (3.6). Neilson leads the league in blocks (2.25), CSUB's Brent Wrapp is tops in assist-turnover ratio (4.0) and Chicago State's Trayvon Palmer leads the WAC in defensive rebounds (7.2).
NM STATE BOASTS 38-GAME WAC HOME WINNING STREAK
NM State is currently riding a 38-game WAC home winning streak, the second-longest conference home win streak in the country behind Stephen F. Austin. The Aggies' last WAC home loss was a 68-60 loss to Nevada on Jan. 26, 2012. NM State has also won 22-straight home games, fourth-most in the NCAA, and has won 16 consecutive games overall, the third-longest active winning streak in the nation behind Gonzaga (18) and Kansas (17). The Aggies' 18-2 overall record is the best since 1993-94 when the team started the year 16-1 before losing its second game.
GCU'S RUSSELL SCORES 1,000TH CAREER POINT
Grand Canyon senior guard DeWayne Russell scored his 1,000th career point on a three-pointer with 17:58 remaining in the second half at NM State on Jan. 12 to become just the second player in the Division I era to do so, joining teammate Joshua Braun. Russell now has 1,065 career points.
CHICAGO STATE SNAPS 17-GAME WAC LOSING SKID
When it defeated Utah Valley 70-61 on Jan. 12, Chicago State snapped a 17-game WAC losing skid. Its last WAC victory was on Feb. 28, 2015, at home against Utah Valley.
NMSU'S WEIR BOASTS BEST RECORD OF FIRST-YEAR HEAD COACHES
NM State head coach Paul Weir currently has a 18-2 mark (.900), the best record of all first year head coaches in NCAA Division I. His record is also the best mark of all coaches that are in their first year coaching at their current school.
UTRGV'S GREEN ON PACE TO BREAK PROGRAM, WAC RECORD FOR THREE-POINTERS
UT Rio Grande Valley sophomore Antonio Green currently leads the nation with 93 three-point field goals made this season, which ranks fourth in the UTRGV record books. With a minimum of 10 games remaining this season, at his current pace of 4.23 three-pointers per game, Green would finish the season with a UTRGV and WAC record 135 treys, which would also rank in the Top 25 all-time in NCAA history.
GCU'S RUSSELL EXTENDS DOUBLE-FIGURE SCORING STREAK TO 23 GAMES
Grand Canyon senior guard DeWayne Russell has scored in double figures in 23 straight games, dating back to last season. He has led the Lopes in scoring in 13 of his 18 games played this season. Russell leads the WAC in both scoring (22.7) and assists (4.8) and currently ranks ninth in the country in scoring and third in minutes per game (37.89).