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WAC TEAMS POST 6-3 MARK IN POSTSEASON PLAY
Half of the WAC's men's basketball teams participated in postseason play this year, with three of the four earning their program's first postseason victories at the Division I level. NM State earned the league's automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament and fell to third-seeded Baylor. As WAC regular-season champion, CSU Bakersfield received an automatic berth into the National Invitational Tournament and became the first-ever No. 8 seed to advance to the semifinals. Utah Valley and UMKC both won their first-ever postseason games in the College Basketball Invitational (CBI), with the Wolverines advancing to the semifinals and the Roos advancing to the quarterfinals.
CSU BAKERSFIELD TO FACE GEORGIA TECH IN SEMIFINALS OF NIT
The Roadrunners will face sixth-seeded Georgia Tech in the semifinals of the National Invitation Tournament at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, March 28 on ESPN. CSU Bakersfield defeated top-seeded California 73-66 in the first round, No. 4-seed Colorado State 81-63 in the second round and sixth-seeded UT Arlington 80-6 in the quarterfinals to advance to the semifinals at Madison Square Garden. The eighth-seeded ‘Runners, the first No. 8 seed in NIT history to advance to the semifinals, have won three-straight road games in three different time zones to earn the first NIT semifinal appearance for the WAC since 2001, when Tulsa claimed the title. In each of its previous three NIT games, CSU Bakersfield has built a large first-half lead by shooting lights out from three-point range and gone on to the victory.
UTAH VALLEY WINS TWO BEFORE FALLING AT WYOMING IN CBI SEMIFINALS
The Wolverines cruised to their first-ever postseason victory, a 74-49 road win over Georgia Southern in the first round of the College Basketball Invitational, then defeated Rice 85-79 in the quarterfinals before falling 74-68 at Wyoming in the semifinals on Wednesday. Trailing 64-54 with 6:29 remaining, Utah Valley used an 11-1 run to tie the game with 4:30 remaining and took its first lead (67-66) on a pair of Isaac Neilson free throws with 3:20 to play. After a 68-68 tie with 2:23 to play, Wyoming scored six unanswered points to secure the win. Utah Valley shot 37 percent from the floor compared to the 46 percent of Wyoming. The Wolverines out-rebounded the Cowboys 42-32. Neilson led the Wolverines with his 10th double-double of the season of 15 points on 5-of-6 shooting and 12 rebounds. Conner Toolson also scored 15 points, while Brandon Randolph added 10 points and a game-high five assists.
UMKC BEATS GREEN BAY, FALLS AT WYOMING IN CBI QUARTERFINALS
In its first-ever appearance in a postseason tournament, UMKC defeated Green Bay 92-82 in the first round of the College Basketball Invitational before falling 72-61 at Wyoming last Monday. In a game of runs, UMKC trailed by as many as 15 points in both halves. The Roos went on a 14-3 run over to pull within four (64-60) with 3:42 left in the game, but that was the last offensive burst they could mount as Wyoming outscored UMKC 8-1 over the final 2:15 to seal the game. For the game, UMKC shot only 34 percent from the floor and 25 percent from beyond the arc compared to the 49 percent from the field and 44 percent from three-point range of the Cowboys. Dashawn King led UMKC with 16 points, while Kyle Steward added 15 points and Darnell Tillman grabbed a career-best 12 rebounds.
NM STATE FALLS TO BAYLOR IN NCAA TOURNAMENT
NM State saw its season come to a close last Friday in the first round of the NCAA Tournament with a 91-73 loss to third-seeded Baylor. The Aggies led 40-38 at halftime, but were outscored 53-33 in the second half. After NM State scored the first basket in the second stanza, the Bears went on a 30-6 run to go up 68-48 and put the game out of reach. Baylor out-rebounded the Aggies 39-27 and shot 57 percent on the game compared to the 44 percent of NM State. Ian Baker led NM State with 19 points, five assists, three steals and two rebounds. Braxton Huggins also scored 19 points, while Eli Chuha added 11 points on 5-of-8 shooting to go with six rebounds and Jemerrio Jones dished out a team-high seven assists.
THREE WAC PLAYERS NAMED TO NABC ALL-REGION 6 TEAM
Three WAC men's basketball players were named to the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) All-District 6 Team selected and voted on by member coaches of the NABC. NM State's Ian Baker was a first team selection, while Jaylin Airington of CSU Bakersfield and LaVell Boyd of UMKC were named to the second team.
Baker, the WAC Player of the Year, ranked second in the league in assists (4.15), third in both free throw percentage (82.9) and assist-turnover ratio (1.85), fourth in minutes per game (33.09), fifth in scoring (16.7), seventh in steals (1.27), eighth in three-pointers per game (1.91) and 10th in defensive rebounds (3.73). He scored 20 or more points 10 times during the season and was named WAC Player of the Week three times.
A first team All-WAC and All-Defensive Team selection, Airington ranked sixth in the WAC in free throw percentage (79.3), eighth in scoring (14.5) and 13th in rebounding (4.7). He had one game of 30-plus points and four games of 20 or more points this season.
Boyd, a first team All-WAC honoree, ranked second in the WAC in free throw percentage (83.2), third in assists (3.89), fourth in scoring (17.8) and three-pointers per game (2.49), fifth in three-point percentage (40.3) and assist-turnover ratio (1.53), and seventh in minutes per game (31.03). A one-time WAC Player of the Week, he had one game with 30 or more points and 13 games with 20 or more points on the season.
NM STATE WINS WAC TOURNAMENT
After defeating seventh-seeded Chicago State 67-53 in the first round and No. 3-seed UMKC 78-60 in the semifinals, NM State rallied in the second half to beat top-seeded CSU Bakersfield 70-60 in the championship game of the 2017 WAC Tournament title game to earn its seventh tournament title Saturday. Eli Chuha posted his WAC-leading 15th double-double of the season with 16 points and 11 rebounds, while Tournament MVP Ian Baker added 15 points and six assists.
All-Tournament Team
Jaylin Airington, CSU Bakersfield
Dedrick Basile, CSU Bakersfield
Eli Chuha, NM State
Braxton Huggins, NM State
MVP: Ian Baker, NM State
ALL-WAC HONORS
The 2017 All-WAC teams were named, following a vote of the WAC's eight head coaches. NM State's Ian Baker headlined the awards, earning WAC Player of the Year honors, while Seattle U's Matej Kavas was named WAC Freshman of the Year and CSU Bakersfield's Rod Barnes earned Don Haskins WAC Coach of the Year honors for the second year in a row.
Baker was named WAC Player of the Year after ranking second in the league in conference play in assists (5.14) and assist-turnover ratio (2.48), fourth in free throw percentage (82.8), fifth in scoring (17.3) and minutes per game (34.64), ninth in three-pointers per game (1.79) and 12th in rebounding (4.9). He scored in double-digits in 13 of 14 WAC games. Baker was named WAC Player of the Week three times this season.
Kavas earned WAC Freshman of the Year honors after scoring in double figures in nine of 14 WAC games with a season-high 24 points. In conference games only, he ranked fifth in the WAC in three-point field goal percentage (41.3), sixth in three-pointers per game (1.86), 10th in blocked shots (0.57) and 16th in scoring (11.6).
Barnes was named WAC Coach of the Year for the second year in a row after leading the Roadrunners to their first-ever WAC regular-season title. During its 14 WAC games, CSU Bakersfield only allowed its opponent to score more than 65 points three times, holding opponents under 50 points twice and under 60 points six times. Barnes picked up his 100th win at the school this year in just his sixth season at the helm.
SIX WAC TOURNAMENT RECORDS FALL
The following six WAC Tournament records were broken in Las Vegas:
Free throws made/game 32 CSUB (vs. Utah Valley)
Free throws attempted/game 45 CSUB (vs. Utah Valley)
Most rebounds/game 68 Utah Valley (vs. CSUB)
Most personal fouls/game 34 UTRGV (vs. UMKC)
Most turnovers caused/game 28 CSUB (vs. Utah Valley)
Longest tournament game 4OT (3:13) CSUB vs. Utah Valley
WAC STAT LEADERS
NM State leads the WAC in scoring (78.8), scoring margin (10.8), field goal percentage (46.7), three-point field goal percentage defense (29.4), rebounding defense (33.1), rebounding margin (6.3) and offensive rebounds (12.82), while CSU Bakersfield is tops in scoring defense (63.5), field goal percentage defense (37.0), blocks (4.03) and steals (8.26). UMKC leads the WAC in three-point field goal percentage (37.1) and three-pointers per game (9.0), while Seattle U is tops in assists (15.87) and assist-turnover ratio (1.09). Utah Valley leads the WAC in rebounding (39.7) and defensive rebounds (30.68), Grand Canyon is tops in turnover margin (2.23) and UT Rio Grande Valley leads the league in free throw percentage (71.7).
Individually, Grand Canyon's DeWayne Russell leads the WAC in scoring (21.2), assists (5.39) and minutes per game (38.29), while Chicago State's Trayvon Palmer is tops in rebounding (9.4) and defensive rebounds (6.47). NM State's Eli Chuha leads the league in field goal percentage (61.0) and offensive rebounds (3.62), while UT Rio Grande Valley's Nick Dixon leads the league in steals (1.88) and teammate Antonio Green is tops in three-pointers per game (3.47). Seattle U's Brendan Westendorf leads the WAC in free throw percentage (83.3), while NM State's Braxton Huggins is tops in three-point percentage (42.0). CSU Bakersfield's Moataz Aly leads the WAC in blocked shots (1.80) and teammate Brent Wrapp is tops in assist-turnover ratio (2.45).
In WAC games only, NM State led the WAC in scoring (88.0), scoring margin (10.4), three-point field goal percentage defense (28.3), rebounding (41.6), rebounding defense (31.6), rebounding margin (10.1), assists (16.43), assist-turnover ratio (1.34) and offensive rebounds (13.64), while CSU Bakersfield was tops in scoring defense (61.3), field goal percentage defense (37.3), blocks (4.93), steals (8.14) and turnover margin (1.86). UMKC led the league in field goal percentage (45.9) and three-point field goal percentage (37.3), Seattle U was tops in three-pointers per game (8.93), UTRGV led the way in free throw percentage (75.4) and Utah Valley led the WAC in defensive rebounds (29.14).
Individually in WAC games, Dixon led the league in scoring (21.4) and steals (2.0), while Chuha was tops in rebounding (9.9), field goal percentage (63.5) and offensive rebounds (4.29). Russell led the WAC in assists (6.5) and minutes per game (39.14), while teammate Joshua Braun was tops in three-pointers per game (3.0). Green led the WAC in free throw percentage (84.8), while Utah Valley's Ivory Young led the league in three-point percentage (45.7). Aly was tops in blocks (2.17), Wrapp led the league in assist-turnover ratio (3.24) and Palmer was tops in defensive rebounds (7.07).
UMKC'S BOYD SETS PROGRAM ASSISTS RECORD
With seven assists in his team's win over Green Bay on March 15, UMKC senior LaVell Boyd moved his season assist total to 133, breaking the program single-season record. Boyd, passed the previous mark of 131 set by Quinton Day during the 2006-07 season and closed out the season with 136.
CSU BAKERSFIELD'S AIRINGTON SCORES 1,000TH CAREER POINT
In the championship game of the WAC Tournament on March 11, CSU Bakersfield senior forward Jaylin Airington scored the first eight Roadrunner points of the second half and earned his 1,000th career point on a three-pointer with 16:22 to go in the second half. Airington became the 12th member of the 1,000-Point Club at CSUB and now has 1,038 points over three seasons.
BOYD BECOMES FIRST UMKC JUCO TRANSFER TO SCORE 1,000 POINTS
In UMKC's quarterfinal game of the WAC Tournament against UT Rio Grande Valley on March 9, senior guard LaVell Boyd drained a three-pointer to tie the score at 43 with 17:20 left in regulation to became the 11th member of the program's 1,000-Point Club. He is the first junior college transfer to achieve the feat. Boyd closed out his career with 1,061 career points.
CSU'S PALMER SCORES 1,000TH CAREER POINT
Chicago State senior Trayvon Palmer recorded a game-high 17 points, including the 1,000th of his career, in a quarterfinal loss to NM State at the WAC Tournament on March 9. He connected on a pair of free throws at the 1:50 mark of the second half to become the 13th member of Chicago State's 1,000-Point Club and moved into a tie for ninth place on the program's Division I career scoring list.
NMSU'S WEIR BOASTS BEST RECORD OF FIRST-YEAR HEAD COACHES
NM State head coach Paul Weir closed out his first season with a 28-6 mark (.824), the best record of all first year head coaches in NCAA Division I. His record is also second only to Tim Jankovich at SMU (30-5, .857) for the best mark of all coaches that are in their first year coaching at their current school. Weir set school record for wins in a season, surpassing the 1969-70 Final Four team (27-3) led by legendary Aggie head coach Lou Henson.
CSU BAKERSFIELD WINS FIRST-EVER WAC REGULAR-SEASON TITLE
With its wins over UMKC and Chicago State on Feb. 23 and 25, CSU Bakersfield secured its first-ever outright WAC regular season title in any sport. The Roadrunners earned the No. 1 seed in the WAC Tournament.
GCU'S BRAUN REPEATS AS FIRST TEAM ACADEMIC ALL-AMERICAN
For the second year in a row, Grand Canyon redshirt junior Joshua Braun was voted to the Academic All-America® men's basketball first team, becoming the 24th first team Academic All-American® in WAC men's basketball history and just the eighth two-time first team selection in WAC history. Braun is working on a master's degree in business administration and carries a perfect 4.00 grade-point average. He is one of two repeat first team selections on the team this year. The WAC Preseason Player of the Year and a first team All-WAC pick, Braun led the league in WAC play in three-pointers per game (3.0), ranked fourth in scoring (18.6) and minutes per game (36.36), eighth in three-point percentage (39.3) and ninth in free throw percentage (77.8).
DEFENSE REALLY DOES WIN CHAMPIONSHIPS
During its 14 WAC games, CSU Bakersfield only allowed its opponent to score more than 65 points three times. The Roadrunners held WAC opponents under 50 points twice and under 60 points six times. CSUB leads the league in scoring defense, field goal percentage defense, blocks and steals.
UVU SNAPS NM STATE'S 39-GAME WAC HOME WINNING STREAK
When it defeated NM State 84-72 on Feb. 23, Utah Valley snapped the Aggies' 39-game WAC home winning streak, the second-longest conference home win streak in the country. The last time NM State had lost a WAC home game was to a 68-60 defeat to Nevada on Jan. 26, 2012. The Aggies had also won 23-straight home games, the third-most in the NCAA.