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NM STATE'S JEMERRIO JONES NAMED WAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK
NM State senior forward Jemerrio Jones has been named Western Athletic Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Week for the week of Feb. 5-11. This is his second WAC Player of the Week honor of the season and of his career.
The Memphis, Tenn. native averaged 20.0 rebounds, 16.5 points, 1.5 assists and 1.5 steals in a pair of wins last week to keep the Aggies undefeated in WAC play. Jones opened the week with 20 rebounds, six points, three assists and two steals in a 26-point win over CSU Bakersfield. He then willed the Aggies to a thrilling 74-70 victory over Grand Canyon in front of a sellout crowd at the Pan American Center by recording his 15th double-double of the season and his third-straight 20-rebound game, finishing with game highs of 20 points and 27 rebounds. Jones is just the eighth player since the 2010-11 season to pull down 20 or more rebounds three or more times in a season. It is also the first time an Aggie has pulled down 20-plus rebounds in three-consecutive games and the first Aggie to tally 20 rebounds three times in a single-season since Sam Lacey did so during the 1968-69 season. Jones ranks second nationally in total rebounds (317) and rebounds per game (12.7) and 10th in double-doubles (15).
Other nominees included: CSU Bakersfield's Damiyne Durham averaged 18.5 points and 4.0 rebounds in a pair of games last week ... Deionte Simmons of Chicago State averaged 17.5 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.5 steals over two games last week ... Grand Canyon's Casey Benson averaged 12.5 points, 9.5 rebounds and 4.5 assists in a pair of games last week ... Jordan Giles of Kansas City averaged 20.5 points and 7.5 rebounds as the Roos went 2-0 last week ... Seattle U's Morgan Means averaged 15.5 points, 3.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists over two games last week ... Javon Levi of UT Rio Grande Valley averaged 10.0 points, 5.5 assists, 3.5 rebounds and 2.0 steals in a pair of wins ... Utah Valley's Akolda Manyang averaged 18.5 points, 10.0 rebounds and 2.0 blocks over two games last week..
WAC STAT LEADERS
NM State leads the WAC in scoring defense (61.7), scoring margin (12.8), field goal percentage defense (38.8), rebounding (41.2), rebounding margin (8.9), offensive rebounds (13.0) and defensive rebounds (28.2), while Utah Valley is tops in scoring (79.4), field goal percentage (48.1), three-point field goal percentage (37.7), rebounding defense (31.9), blocks (4.1) and assist-turnover ratio (1.2). Grand Canyon leads the league in three-point field goal percentage defense (27.5) and assists (16.8), while Seattle U is tops in free throw percentage (76.4) and three-pointers per game (9.3). Kansas City leads the WAC in turnover margin (2.4) and UT Rio Grande Valley is tops in steals (7.7).
Individually, UTRGV's Nick Dixon leads the WAC in scoring (20.8), while NM State's Jemerrio Jones is tops in rebounding (12.7), offensive rebounds (3.9) and defensive rebounds (8.8). CSU Bakersfield's Moataz Aly leads the league in field goal percentage (73.2), while teammates Jarkel Joiner and Brent Wrapp lead the league in free throw shooting (90.4) and assists (5.1), respectively. Kansas City's Broderick Robinson leads the WAC in steals (1.6), while Seattle U's Matej Kavas is tops in three-point percentage (47.7) and three-pointers per game (2.8). Utah Valley's Akolda Manyang leads the league in blocked shots (2.3), while UTRGV's Javon Levi is tops in assist-turnover ratio (2.8) and Seattle U's Jordan Hill leads the WAC in minutes per game (32.7).
In WAC games only, NM State leads the league in scoring (77.8), scoring defense (57.9), scoring margin (19.9), field goal percentage defense (35.4), three-point field goal percentage defense (24.5), rebounding (44.8), rebounding margin (12.0), offensive rebounds (14.3), defensive rebounds (30.4) and three-pointers per game (8.3), while Utah Valley is tops in field goal percentage (46.7), three-point field goal percentage (41.1), assists (16.6) and assist-turnover ratio (1.4). UTRGV leads the WAC in free throw percentage (74.4) and turnover margin (3.0), CSUB is tops in rebounding defense (31.4). Chicago State leads the WAC in steals (8.3) and Seattle U is tops in blocks (3.8).
Individually in WAC games, Dixon leads the league in scoring (21.9), while Jones is tops in rebounding (15.0), offensive rebounds (4.2) and defensive rebounds (10.8). Aly leads the WAC in field goal percentage (67.4), while Chicago State's Cameron Hadley is tops in free throw percentage (88.5). Utah Valley's Brandon Randolph leads the league in assists (5.4), while teammate Conner Toolson is tops in steals (2.2). NM State's Gabe Hadley leads the WAC in three-point field goal percentage (55.0), while teammate Zach Lofton is tops in three-pointers per game (3.4). Seattle U's Aaron Menzies leads the WAC in blocks (2.4), while teammate Hill is tops in minutes per game (35.4) and UTRGV's Levi leads the WAC in assist-turnover ratio (3.9).
NMSU'S JONES FIRST PLAYER THIS CENTURY TO GRAB 20+ BOARDS IN THREE-STRAIGHT GAMES
NM State senior Jemerrio Jones has grabbed 20 rebounds in three straight contests. He is confirmed to be the only player this century to have accomplished the feat and is believed to be the only player ever to do so.
UTRGV COMPLETES SEASON SWEEP OF CSU BAKERSFIELD
UTRGV senior Moe McDonald came up with a tip-in with 0.7 seconds left to propel the Vaqueros to a 68-66 victory and complete the season sweep of defending WAC Champion CSU Bakersfield on Feb. 10. This is the first time UTRGV has swept the defending WAC champions since joining the conference in 2013-14. This is also the first time UTRGV has swept CSU Bakersfield in a two-game series since 2007-08.
KANSAS CITY DRAINS 13 THREE-POINTERS AGAINST UTAH VALLEY
Kansas City hit 13 three-pointers in the win over Utah Valley on Feb. 10. It was the most long balls the Roos have drained in WAC play this season and tied the third-most they've made all season.
UTRGV SETS SEVERAL MARKS WITH WIN OVER GRAND CANYON
UT Rio Grande Valley knocked off second-place Grand Canyon 83-81 on Feb. 8. It was UTRGV's first victory over the Lopes since Jan. 24, 2015, snapping a six-game skid. UTRGV shot 43.8 percent from behind the arc against a GCU team that was holding opponents to 27.3 percent from downtown entering the game. UTRGV is just the third team to hit seven three-pointers against GCU this season. UTRGV now has a program-tying five WAC wins, a feat last accomplished in 2013-14, its first season in the WAC. UTRGV last won more conference games (six) in 1995-96 as a member of the Sun Belt Conference.
CSUB'S WRAPP LOOKS TO BECOME PROGRAM ASSIST LEADER
With seven assists against UT Rio Grande Valley on Feb. 10, CSU Bakersfield senior Brent Wrapp moved his career total to 495, 25 shy of the all-time school record of 520. Wrapp is ranked 12th among NCAA Division I active leaders in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.5) and 17th in assists, tied for 19th all-time in WAC history. In addition, with 554 career points, Wrapp looks to become just the second ‘Runner in school history to post 500 points and 500 assists in a career.