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UTAH VALLEY'S JAKE TOOLSON NAMED WAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Utah Valley sophomore guard Jake Toolson has been named Western Athletic Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Week for the week of Nov. 14-19. This is his first-ever WAC Player of the Week honor.
The Gilbert, Ariz., native averaged 20.0 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.5 assists in a pair of wins last week, including an 84-71 road win at Idaho State and an 80-71 win over reigning Big West champion UC Davis in the Wolverines' home opener. Toolson opened the week with a career-high 27 points, knocking down 12-of-15 shots from the field, including a perfect 2-for-2 from beyond the arc. He also dished out four assists and pulled down five rebounds. He followed it up with 13 points in the win over UC Davis, connecting on 4-of-7 shots from the field and a perfect 4-for-4 at the charity stripe. Toolson also dished out a career-high five assists and pulled down five rebounds. On the week, Toolson shot an impressive 72.7 percent from the field, including a 60 percent mark from long range and a perfect 5-for-5 from the free throw line. He also had a 4.5 assist-to-turnover ratio.
Other nominees included: CSU Bakersfield's Shon Briggs averaged 13.3 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game last week ... Fred Sims Jr. of Chicago State averaged 14.7 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.3 steals per game over three games ... Grand Canyon's Joshua Braun averaged 24.5 points on 66.7 percent shooting, 3.0 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.5 blocks in a pair of wins ... Broderick Robinson of Kansas City averaged 11.0 points and 4.5 rebounds on the week ... NM State's Zach Lofton averaged 23.0 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.0 assists as the Aggies went 1-1 on the week ... Matej Kavas of Seattle U averaged 16.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.0 blocks on the week ... UT Rio Grande Valley's Nick Dixon averaged with 24.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.0 steals and 1.7 assists as the Vaqueros went 2-1 on the week.
WAC STAT LEADERS
Grand Canyon leads the WAC in scoring defense (54.3), scoring margin (18.3), field goal percentage (47.7), field goal percentage defense (33.1), three-point field goal percentage (37.9), three-point field goal percentage defense (21.6) and blocks (6.0), while NM State is tops in rebounding (45.7), rebounding defense (29.7), rebounding margin (16.0), assist-turnover ratio (1.3) and offensive rebounds (17.3). Seattle U leads the league in free throw percentage (83.2), assists (16.4) defensive rebounds (30.4) and three-pointers per game (10.4), while Chicago State is tops in steals (9.8), Kansas City leads the WAC in turnover margin (4.5) and UT Rio Grande Valley is tops in scoring (84.5).
Individually, NM State's Zach Lofton leads the WAC in scoring (23.7), while teammate Jemerrio Jones is tops in rebounding (15.0), offensive rebounds (7.0) and defensive rebounds (8.0). CSU Bakersfield's Moataz Aly leads the league in field goal percentage (83.3), while Utah Valley's Brandon Randolph is tops in assists (5.0) and minutes per game (33.8). Three players - CSUB's Jarkel Joiner, Seattle U's Morgan Means and Utah Valley's Jake Toolson - are perfect in free throw shooting (100.0), while Chicago State's Anthony Harris leads the WAC in steals (2.4). Grand Canyon's Joshua Braun leads the league in three-point percentage (57.9) and three-pointers per game (3.7), while teammate Keonta Vernon is tops in blocked shots (2.0). NM State's AJ Harris leads the WAC in assist-turnover ratio (3.0).
GCU'S BRAUN BECOMES PROGRAM THREE-POINT RECORD HOLDER
WAC Preseason Player of the Year Joshua Braun broke the Grand Canyon all-time career three-point record against Robert Morris on Nov. 13, hitting his 198th career long ball in the second half. He now has 204 three-pointers, seven shy of the WAC Top 20.
SEATTLE U LEADS THE WAC IN FREE THROW SHOOTING, FOUR PLAYERS PERFECT AT THE LINE
The Redhawks' 83.2 percent free throw shooting leads the WAC and ranks second in the country. Four players - Morgan Means, Aaron Nettles, Richaud Gittens and Mattia Da Campo - have yet to miss a free throw this season, going a combined 26-for-26. Means leads the group with a perfect 11-for-11 from the charity stripe.
GRAND CANYON'S 10-GAME WIN STREAK BEST IN NATION
With a pair of wins last week, Grand Canyon extended its active winning streak to 10 games, the longest current streak in the nation. The Lopes are two games ahead of last year's NCAA Champion, North Carolina.
KANSAS CITY AVERAGING FOUR MORE STEALS THAN OPPONENTS
Kansas City currently ranks third in the WAC with 9.3 steals per game. The Roos are averaging 4.0 more steals than their opponents, as their opponents are nabbing 5.3 steals per contest.
GCU LEADING WAC IN FIELD GOAL PERCENTAGE OFFENSE AND DEFENSE
Grand Canyon leads the WAC in scoring margin, thanks to having the best field goal percentage on offense and lowest field goal percentage on defense, producing a scoring margin of 18.3. The Lopes are the last unbeaten team in the WAC.
SEATTLE U DRAINS 15 THREE-POINTERS AGAINST DETROIT MERCY
Seattle U hit the century mark in points for the second time this season in a 102-71 win over Detroit Mercy on Nov. 18. The Redhawks hit 15 three-pointers in the win, marking the first time the team has made 15 or more threes in a game since Feb. 29, 2011, when it tallied 16 against Longwood.
UTRGV'S KIMASA CLIMBING PROGRAM BLOCKS CHART
UT Rio Grande Valley senior Dan Kimasa currently ranks third all-time in career blocks with 89. He is 18 away from Melvin Thomas (1987-90) in second place with 107.
CSU BAKERSFIELD'S WRAPP NABS 100TH CAREER STEAL
The WAC's active career steals leader, CSU Bakersfield senior Brent Wrapp nabbed his 100th career steal in his team's season opener against Whittier College on Nov. 10. Wrapp now has 101 steals on his career.
SEATTLE U SCORES PROGRAM-RECORD 121 POINTS
Seattle U put on an offensive display in its home opener against visiting Puget Sound on Nov. 12, pouring in a Division I program-record 121 points on its way to a convincing 121-70 victory in the Connolly Complex. Five different players scored in double digits - Richaud Gittens (26), Josh Hearlihy (23), Matej Kavas (17), Aaron Menzies (15) and Morgan Means (14).
UTRGV HAS FIVE PLAYERS IN DOUBLE-DIGIT SCORING IN SEASON OPENER
UT Rio Grande Valley had five players score in double-figures in its season-opening loss against Nicholls State - Xavier McDaniel (27), Nick Dixon (17), Jordan Jackson (14), Leslie Varner Jr. (13) and Moe McDonald (11).
NELSON CLIMBING UVU CAREER RECORD CHARTS
Zach Nelson currently ranks in the Top 10 in 15 different Utah Valley career statistical categories. The forward ranks second all-time in defensive rebounds (383), third in rebounds (510) and games started (90), fourth in blocks (77), sixth in minutes played (2530), seventh in blocks per game (0.8), field goals made (346), field goals attempted (707), three-point field goals attempted (256) and assists (215), eighth in points (886), offensive rebounds (127) and defensive rebounds per game (4.2), and ninth in rebounds per game (5.5) and field goal percentage (48.9).
KEY NON-CONFERENCE MATCHUPS
WAC teams have several key non-conference matchups this season, including 33 games against teams that advanced to the NCAA Tournament or NIT last season. The complete list is below.
Games vs. 2017 NCAA Tournament Teams
Nov. 10 Utah Valley at Kentucky
Nov. 10 Kansas City at Wichita State
Nov. 11 Utah Valley at Duke
Nov. 12 Chicago State at Purdue
Nov. 13 NM State at Saint Mary's
Nov. 14 Kansas City at Kansas State
Nov. 16 Chicago State at Notre Dame
Nov. 16 CSU Bakersfield at Arizona
Nov. 18 UC Davis at Utah Valley
Nov. 25 Utah Valley at North Dakota
Nov. 28 UT Rio Grande Valley at SMU
Nov. 29 Chicago State at Marquette
Nov. 29 CSU Bakersfield at UCLA
Dec. 9 Seattle U at Saint Mary's
Dec. 11 Chicago State at Northwestern
Dec. 22 UT Rio Grande Valley at Oklahoma State
Dec. 22 South Dakota State at Kansas City
Dec. 23 Grand Canyon at Louisville
Dec. 23 NM State vs. Miami
Dec. 27 Chicago State at Wisconsin
Dec. 27 CSU Bakersfield at Arkansas
Games vs. 2017 NIT Teams
Nov. 10 Chicago State at Iowa
Nov. 22 UT Rio Grande Valley at Georgia Tech
Nov. 22 Colorado State at NM State
Nov. 29 Brigham Young at Utah Valley
Nov. 30 South Dakota at Kansas City
Dec. 5 CSU Bakersfield at Fresno State
Dec. 9 Chicago State at Oakland
Dec. 16 NM State vs. Illinois
Dec. 16 UT Arlington at UT Rio Grande Valley
Dec. 19 California at Seattle U
Dec. 28 NM State at UC Irvine
Dec. 30 Grand Canyon at Illinois