CBS’ Doyel has the guts to step back from the controversy trap

Good journalism isn’t easy.

That’s especially true when a juicy story comes along that’s sure to rile up the masses, generating lots of readers and charged opinions. Those stories force editors and reporters to make critical decisions about the validity of sources and effort required to seek comment from an opposing side.

In the emerging brouhaha about the transfer of Todd O’Brien from Saint Joseph’s to UAB, we have an awful lot of information spewing from the O’Brien side and almost nothing from the Hawks’ side.

If you missed the background, Sports Illustrated’s website ran a lengthy column by O’Brien, who outlined his journey through college basketball, which has landed him at UAB as a graduated senior with one remaining year of eligibility. However, before O’Brien can play for the Blazers, Saint Joseph’s must grant him a full release from his scholarship. And supposedly coach Phil Martelli refuses to do so. Without that release, O’Brien won’t play college hoops again.

Frankly, it’s hard to imagine a legitimate reason for not letting a guy play, especially for a team in a different conference and not on the Hawks’ schedule. But that’s not the point.

As the media outcry has sided with O’Brien — who is seeking legal recourse to force his way onto the court — only a handful of commentators have taken a measured approach to this story. So I tip my hat to CBS Sports’ Gregg Doyel, a man with plenty of strong opinions, for leaping into the fray waiving a gigantic caution flag.

While everyone is crying foul, Doyel cried, “Wait!” He rightfully observed that Saint Joseph’s is remaining mum because they are respecting student-athletes’ privacy. The bottom line is we don’t know the Saint Joseph’s side of the story, and we might not for some time. So it’s presumptuous at best and flat-out wrong at worst to side with the supposed victim in this story.

Of course, it’s far less engaging to remain on the fence when others are going all in and calling for Martelli’s ouster. That bloodlust is unhealthy and not reflective of this country’s innocent-until-PROVEN-guilty judicial system. If mob rule dictated justice, we’d have a lot of major mistakes to apologize for whenever we learned the truth — if we ever learned the truth.

A good journalist’s duty is to present clear, accurate and precise information. Commentators who espouse opinions based on incomplete information aren’t doing anyone any good. As unsexy as it may be, we all need to follow Doyel’s lead and wait and see. Let the established rules play out in the NCAA, and if the courts get involved, let the state and local laws as interpreted by the courts decide the matter.

But there’s no need to call for Martelli’s head on a platter until there’s substantiated evidence that he acted like a callous, vindictive control freak.

We go coast to coast with news from around the college basketball nation.

Kentucky had no problems getting past Samford, 82-50, even without Terrence Jones, who missed the game to recuperate from a dislocated pinky, writes the Associated Press’ Colin Fly.

California will be without one its big men this week as sophomore Richard Solomon recovers from a left foot injury, writes Diamond Leung for ESPN.com’s “College Basketball Nation” blog. The sophomore forward is one of the team’s best rebounders, averaging 6.9 rpg, and he’ll miss at least the team’s games against UNLV Dec. 23.

Miami will get back DeQuan Jones, who figured to play a bigger role for the Hurricanes this season — if for no other reason than he’s one of the bigger players on the teams. Jones missed the first month and a half of the season because the school suspended him for the season while the NCAA investigated his possible involvement in the recruiting scandal that has rocked the university. However, according to an Associated Press report, the Hurricanes have reversed that decision, and Jones could be back in the lineup as early as this week.

Some tech-savvy pranksters punked Oregon’s website Sunday night and Monday morning, writes the Washington Post’s Steve Yanda, and the hackers posted some disparaging comments about Virginia that were attributed to Oregon coach Dana Altman. The Ducks lost to the Cavaliers 67-54, and the hacker made up comments ranging from Mike Scott’s hair to the Ducks’ pregame meal. Oregon apologized to the Cavaliers for the malfeasance.

New Mexico State is bringing suspended guard Christian Kabongo back into the fold after the sophomore had been suspended for two games for making obscene gestures in a game against UTEP, writes ESPN.com’s Diamond Leung for the “College Basketball Nation” blog.

NCAA Division I programs couldn’t get enough support to overturn a rule that bans universities from hosting high school prep tournaments, according to an Associated Press report.

Houston boosters might have lost as much as 40 percent of their investments in the David Salinas Ponzi scheme affair, according to the Associated Press. Salinas committed suicide last year, a few weeks before the Securities and Exchange Commission filed a lawsuit that detailed the deceptive investments and behavior that swindled a bunch of Division I programs and coaches.

The NCAA’s $2,000 hot mess

We go coast to coast with other news from the college basketball nation

The NCAA is entering new levels of ridiculous mismanagement. The Associated Press reports that the NCAA might reconsider giving new scholarship student-athletes a $2,000 stipend, though it would have to allow players who have already signed letters of intent to receive the extra cash while banning those who sign later.

Ohio State superstar Jared Sullinger is still hurting from recurring back spasms, and coach Thad Matta didn’t want to say when Sullinger will be back in the lineup for the Buckeyes, according to a CBS Sports.com wire report. But Sullinger answered that question Wednesday night when the Buckeyes beat down USC Upstate 82-58 and Sullinger played 24 minutes and got 12 points and 10 rebounds.

Nobody will face criminal charges in the Xavier/Cincinnati brawl, the Associated Press reports. Joe Deters, a Hamilton County, Ohio, prosecutor, looked into the matter, deciding not to pursue charges against anyone. One of the factors was Xavier center Kenny Frease’s satisfaction with an apology from Cincinnati’s Yancy Gates, who decked Frease in the head during the debacle.

Seton Hall will gain some more depth this weekend with the return of freshman Brandon Mobley, who had been out with a dislocated shoulder and torn labrum since the summer, according to the Associated Press.

Don’t skip your court appearances. Nothing good can happen. Just ask Kansas’ Ben McLemore. The freshman is under arrest after skipping a Dec. 6 court appearance for a citation related to underage alcohol possession, according to a CBS Sports.com wire report.

Also on the list of bad behavior is taunting fans by grabbing your crotch. New Mexico State sophomore Christian Kabongo did that, and now he’s suspended, writes Diamond Leung for ESPN.com’s “College Basketball Nation” blog.

Syracuse still has Melo — Fab Melo that is. If you thought I was talking about Carmelo Anthony, well, I kinda was. The NBA star who led the Cuse to a championship is convinced that Melo 2.0 and the rest of the crew have the talent to win another championship for the first time since 2003.

I’m not gonna lie — I love the fan experience. And if you tell me that a team in California’s tradition is to throw tortillas when a victory is in hand, I find it amusing. I mean, a flying tortilla — presumably uncooked soft tortilla — won’t hurt anyone. Except when your team is only up two and the officials consider giving the home crowd a technical. Yep, that’s how UC-Santa Barbara’s 65-61 win against San Diego went down, writes Diamond Leung for ESPN.com. When the fans started tossing tortillas, the officials considered tossing out a T. They opted to go with a public announcement that any more thrown items would produce two free throws for the Toreros. The fans settled down, and the Gauchos won.

In a time of tribulation, college hoops shows the good in sports

The Jimmy V Classic couldn’t have come at a more necessary time this year.

College sports have had a rough run in recent months. Throughout the summer, fans had to try to figure out which conference their favorite team would be playing in when all the moving and shaking subsides. The motivation for conference realignment is all about the dollar bills, often at the expense of any sport not named football — and with little consideration for rivalries that make sports thrilling to watch and play.

But conference realignment was utterly benign compared to the chaos that erupted in State College, Pa., when one of the NCAA’s premier football programs crumbled under the weight of allegation after allegation of sexual misconduct by Jerry Sandusky, a former coordinator. Exacerbating the situation, coach Joe Paterno and Penn State officials appear to have covered up the activities, and it cost one of college football’s legends his job.

Then scandal crept into college hoops, at another sacred program. Coach Jim Boeheim has built Syracuse into a top program, and he relied on his top assistant, Bernie Fine, to help get the Orange there. But allegations of sexual abuse have surrounded Fine, and university officials fired him. Syracuse has received plenty of criticism for possibly failing to do enough to report the rumors of the abuse to police nearly 10 years ago, and Boeheim passionately defended his friend and assistant when ESPN first reported the allegations. He has had to backtrack from those statements, and some experts are calling for his ouster.

Yuck.

With such greed and alleged corruption percolating in college sports, it’d be easy to become disillusioned.

But resist the urge. Or to put it another way: “Don’t ever give up.”

Former NC State coach Jim Valvano made that phrase the motto of the foundation named for him after he died of cancer in 1993. Since his death, ESPN has partnered with the Jimmy V Foundation to raise funds for cancer research. The money goes directly to research, and it goes to a broad range of medical experts toiling to find a cure, not just for popular causes such as breast or prostate cancer but also rarer cancers that have a far worse death rate.

The annual Jimmy V Classic serves as a forum for ESPN to reach a national audience to urge donations, in addition to showcasing a few of the country’s best teams. If that’s not a great role for sports in U.S. society, I don’t know what is.

We go coast to coast with other news from the college basketball nation

Utah doesn’t have a Division I win yet on the season, and the Utes could struggle some more to pick that up after indefinitely suspending Josh Watkins, according to the Associated Press. Watkins has been Utah’s best player by far, averaging 17.7 ppg and 4.9 apg.

Things aren’t much better for one of the Utes’ biggest rivals, the Utah State Aggies. Diamond Leung, of ESPN.com’s “College Basketball Nation” blog, writes that Brady Jardine could be out all season after injuring his foot Nov. 19 in the team’s win against Southern Utah. Jardine is one of the team’s top rebounders, averaging 7.7 rpg.

West Virginia v. the Big East continues to froth in the legal system, with the Big East’s lawyers moving for a dismissal of West Virginia’s lawsuit attempting to get the Mountaineers out of the conference and into the Big 12 ahead of the Big East’s mandatory 27-month waiting period, according to the Associated Press’ Vicki Smith.

We don’t place a ton of stock in the polls in general, but Harvard’s arrival this week is newsworthy. As CBS Sports.com reports, it’s the first time that the Crimson have ever appeared in the top 25, and they are the first Ivy League team to reach the polls since Princeton in 1998.

Games to watch Tuesday

• Missouri vs. Villanova, 7 pm EST (Jimmy V Classic)
• George Mason at Virginia, 7 pm EST
• Kent State at James Madison, 7 pm EST
• Robert Morris at Duquesne, 7 pm EST
• Iowa at Northern Iowa, 8 pm EST
• Washington vs. Marquette, 9 pm EST (Jimmy V Classic)
• Long Beach State at Kansas, 9 pm EST
• Memphis at Miami, 9 pm EST

Bracket Breakdown: Which Teams Rose and Fell?

When Texas reached No. 1 in the polls in mid-January, the Longhorns looked like a lock to cruise to a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Fans and experts were eagerly awaiting Texas’ clash with Kansas in Austin, which many figured could determine the overall No. 1 seed.

However, the Longhorns fell into a tailspin and finished the season by losing nine of 16 games. Instead of receiving a No. 1 seed, Texas will have to face a No. 1 seed in the second round. The selection committee gave the disintegrating Longhorns a No. 8 seed in the East region. The Longhorns will face No. 9 Wake Forest in New Orleans with a possible second-round match up against No. 1 Kentucky. That’s a dramatic fall in less than two months.

A few other teams appeared on pace for great seeds before faltering down the stretch.

• Purdue fell to No. 4 after remaining in consideration for a No. 1 seed as recently as two weeks ago. The loss of forward Robbie Hummel might derail the Boilermakers’ Final Four aspirations.
• Wake Forest lost five of its final six games, including an opening-round ACC tournament game to No. 12-seed Miami. As a result, the selection committee dropped the Demon Deacons to a No. 9 seed, which could be considered generous.
• Utah State looked to be in contention for a No. 8 or 9 seed before losing the WAC championship game to New Mexico State. The selection committee gave Utah State a No. 12 seed as a result.
• Tennessee has wins against Kansas and Kentucky this season, but the Volunteers’ last game was a 30-point drubbing to the Wildcats in the SEC tournament. A lack of other quality wins and that blowout led to the Volunteers falling to a No. 6 seed.

While some teams played their way down to worse seeds, a few other stormed through February and early March to rise in seeding. Notre Dame is the most notable ascender because the Fighting Irish were barely in bubble contention when superstar Luke Harangody went down to injury. But the Irish found a way to rattle off six straight wins before falling to West Virginia in the Big East tournament semifinals. That win streak included upsets of Pittsburgh — twice — Georgetown, Connecticut and Marquette. The streak added several great wins to a profile that already featured a marquee win in South Bend against West Virginia. The late season resurgence delivered Notre Dame an invitation to the NCAA Tournament as a No. 6 seed, one of the most remarkable late-season charges in recent years.

Here are some of the other late bloomers.

• En route to a No. 3 seed, Georgetown also had a late run in the Big East with wins against Cincinnati, Syracuse and Marquette.
• Before losing to Georgia Tech in the ACC tournament quarterfinals, Maryland had won nine of 10 games, including a huge victory against Duke in College Park and road wins at Virginia, Virginia Tech, North Carolina State and Florida State. The selection committee gave the ACC co-champion a No. 4 seed.
• Ohio State enters the NCAA Tournament as a No. 2 seed thanks to a sensational finish in which the Buckeyes won 13 of their last 14 games, including three wins against Illinois and solid victories against Minnesota and Michigan State.

Bracket Breakdown: Mock Tournament 10.0

In mere hours, the selection committee will lift the mystery on the 2010 NCAA Tournament, unleashing bracket madness throughout the country.

As Selection Sunday arrives, the Mock Tournament has once again undergone significant changes. We have a new No. 1 seed, West Virginia, and fewer major conference bubble teams thanks to upset victories by Houston and New Mexico State. UTEP and Utah State take two at-large bids, turning the Conference USA and WAC into two-bid conferences.

The bubble could contract further today if Mississippi State wins the SEC championship. Today’s action could produce other changes to the brackets.

• Temple and Richmond could swap spots as No. 4 and No. 5 seeds if the Spiders beat the Owls.
• Florida would be the first team out if the Bulldogs win.

We have only four more games to go before all automatic bids are accounted for. Enjoy the games, and check back later to see how closely the Mock Tournament comes to predicting the field.

Here are the latest brackets and links to previous projections.

• Mock Tournament 9.0
• Mock Tournament 8.0
• Mock Tournament 7.0
• Mock Tournament 6.0
• Mock Tournament 5.0
• Mock Tournament 4.0
• Mock Tournament 3.0
• Mock Tournament 2.0
• Mock Tournament 1.0

Teams in bold have won an automatic bid.

Bracket Breakdown: Three Conference Tournaments That Bubble Teams Should Fear

Conference tournaments will start in about two weeks, and bubble teams from San Diego State to Connecticut will cross their fingers that the NCAA Tournament-worthy favorites from one-bid conferences take care of business.

Three conference tournaments in particular figure to stress out the fringe tournament teams. The Horizon League, Missouri Valley Conference and Western Athletic Conference have the looks of one-bid conferences. But if those conferences’ leaders fail to receive the automatic bid by winning their conference tournament, they have a good shot of making the tournament with an at-large bid.

Butler is the most comfortable conference leader of the three, as the Bulldogs remain undefeated in the Horizon League. Despite posting only two wins against the RPI top 50, the Bulldogs are ranked No. 17 in the RPI, thanks largely to a non-conference slate ranked No. 14 in difficulty. The good news for bubble teams is that the Horizon League tournament will be in Butler’s backyard in Indianapolis. And Butler has dominated the Horizon League’s most likely threats, beating Cleveland State, Wright State and Green Bay six times by an average of 14 points.

In the Missouri Valley, Northern Iowa has four more conference wins than second-place Wichita State. The Panthers sport a higher RPI than Butler at 15, though that will likely change tomorrow because Northern Iowa dropped a road game to Bradley, only the team’s second loss in conference play. Despite two losses to teams outside the RPI top 100, Northern Iowa still figures to receive an at-large bid if necessary because the team is 22-3 and has two wins against the RPI top 50. However, Northern Iowa’s road to the conference’s automatic bid is tougher than Butler’s. The tournament will be in St. Louis, and the Panthers have not exactly blown out most MIssouri Valley opponents — winning by less than 10 points in six of 13 victories.

Utah State would likely join the bubble if the Aggies lose in the WAC tournament in Reno, Nev. Although the Aggies have the best marquis win of Butler, Northern Iowa and Utah State — against BYU — they also have the most losses, six, including two against teams outside the RPI top 100. Utah State has a respectable strength of schedule hovering around 100, and the Aggies might continue to rise if they finish strongly in the 10th toughest conference. With four home games remaining, the Aggies could easily enter the WAC tournament with 24 wins. However, playing in Reno means the Nevada Wolf Pack will have home-court advantage knowing they must earn the conference’s automatic bid to make the NCAA Tournament. If Utah State loses to the Wolf Pack in the WAC championship game, the conference could end up with two bids in the NCAA Tournament.

With nearly half the Big East on the bubble, several prominent teams, such as Louisville, Connecticut and Marquette, will need to hope that Butler, Northern Iowa and Utah State ensure that seemingly one-bid conferences don’t unexpectedly become two-bid conferences. All three conference favorites will face upset-minded opponents in their tournaments, especially when their opponents know they can only earn an NCAA Tournament bid by receiving an automatic bid.

WAC Preview

Western Athletic Conference 2007-08 Preview

by Phil Kasiecki

Although perceived as a mid-major by many, the WAC had a solid season in 2006-07 by any standard. New Mexico State and Nevada went to the NCAA Tournament, while Utah State and Fresno State had strong teams that didn’t quite make it. Four teams reached 20 or more wins, the most in the conference since 2003-04, and all four teams that participated in the BracketBusters won their game.

While this season shapes up to be a nice one for the conference, the times will only get better if recent recruiting efforts are any indicator. Conference schools have long been able to pick up transfers from high-major schools and some junior college stars, but several schools have hauled in excellent players from the prep ranks this year as well. Several freshmen could easily have played in BCS conferences, and others are solid pickups that might be a slight notch below that level but should be excellent players in this conference. The best freshman in the conference, Herb Pope, could have played in any BCS conference, and players like Louisiana Tech’s Olu Ashaolu and D.J. Wright also come in with nice reputations.

This recruiting is important in the immediate because while a majority of the teams return three starters, no team returns more than that and a couple of teams return just one. That means there is playing time available, particularly in the form of starting jobs, and a good number of them could go to talented newcomers.

One interesting note with newcomers is that a half of the teams could see a new starter at the point guard spot. In most cases, the starter from last season has departed, and in a couple a newcomer looks like a good bet to supplant last year’s starter. As the point guard spot is notoriously difficult to adjust to in Division I, this could have a sizeable effect on how their teams live up to their potential.

Three teams had a coaching change since the end of last season. Louisiana Tech saw the end of Keith Richards’ tenure after some recent struggles, although he had his share of success. Kerry Rupp was hired to take his place, and while the Bulldogs will be young, Rupp’s presence is already being felt with the work he did on the recruiting trail late in the spring and summer. Hawai’i did not renew the contract of Riley Wallace, replacing him with long-time assistant and former player Bob Nash. In June, Reggie Theus left New Mexico State for the Sacramento Kings in the NBA, replacing him with Marvin Menzies. Like Theus, Menzies was an assistant at Louisville before taking this job.

Preseason Awards
Player of the Year: Marcelus Kemp, Nevada
Top Newcomer: Herb Pope, New Mexico State
Defensive Player of the Year: Fred Peete, New Mexico State
Best NBA Prospect: Herb Pope, New Mexico State

All-WAC Team
Kevin Bell, Sr. G, Fresno State
Jaycee Carroll, Sr. G, Utah State
Justin Hawkins, Jr. G-F, New Mexico State
Marcelus Kemp, Sr. G, Nevada
Reggie Larry, Sr. F, Boise State

New Mexico State Aggies (25-9, 11-5 WAC)
Projected Starters:
So. G Jonathan Gibson (2.6 ppg)
Jr. G Fred Peete (9.5 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 2.6 apg, 1.5 spg)
Jr. G-F Justin Hawkins (15.6 ppg, 6.6 rpg, 2.3 apg, 1.3 spg)
Fr. F Herb Pope
Jr. C Hatila Passos (8.7 ppg, 6.1 rpg)
Schedule Highlights: Nine home games highlight a challenging non-conference schedule, with half of them coming in two in-season events. After early trips to Ohio and Duke, the Aggies are in the Legends Classic at home and then go to Newark, NJ to play Texas and either Tennessee or West Virginia. They later host the Lou Henson Classic, then have New Mexico to start three more in a row at home, and they close it out at New Mexico (completing the in-season home-and-home) and at Louisville. They also host a BracketBusters game in February. WAC play begins with three of four on the road, but a three-game homestand that ends with Nevada and Utah State follows it.
Outlook: There may be a new man leading the way, but the Aggies still have the most talent in the conference and plenty of depth. There isn’t a senior on the roster, but Hawkins and Peete were big keys to last season’s championship and Passos was a solid role player inside who did some dirty work, and Martin Iti is another presence in the middle. Late signee Wendell McKines will also get some minutes right away. Pope instantly becomes this team’s most talented player, and along with Hawkins will form a deadly duo and Hartford transfer Paris Carter will be in the mix as well. The big question is at the point guard spot, and not just because they turned the ball over nearly 17 times per game last season. The Aggies will need someone to take over between Gibson, who played limited minutes last year, and newcomers Chris Cole (Hartford transfer) and JayDee Luster. The Aggies host the WAC Tournament, and that along with the talent should add up to a formula for another NCAA Tournament bid.

Nevada Wolf Pack (29-5, 14-2 WAC)
Projected Starters:
So. G Brandon Fields (2.1 ppg)
Sr. G Marcelus Kemp (18.5 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 2.4 apg)
Sr. F Demarshay Johnson (redshirt)
So. F JaVale McGee (3.3 ppg, 2.2 rpg)
Sr. C David Ellis (2.2 ppg, 1.8 rpg)
Schedule Highlights: A four-game homestand in December highlights a challenging non-conference schedule. Included is part of an in-season home-and-home with Central Florida, while they also host West Coast contender Santa Clara and California. Among the road dates are UNLV, improved Pacific, Northern Iowa and North Carolina, as well as a BracketBusters game.
Outlook: The Wolf Pack lost a lot with the graduation of Nick Fazekas and the early departure of Ramon Sessions, along with two underrated starters, but don’t count them out yet. Not helping matters is that the fall hasn’t been good to them in terms of player turnover. The big blow among the holdovers is that Lyndale Burleson, who might have been the incumbent at the point, is academically ineligible for the fall semester. That means someone like Fields or freshman Armon Johnson will need to run the team in the early going. Kemp’s return gives them three senior starters, with Johnson a capable player as long as he can keep up the work in the classroom and Ellis needing to get better now that he’ll be the man in the middle. McGee showed some promise last year, and there is talent among the newcomers, including junior college transfer Roy Kraemer on the wing. Tyrone Hanson figured to get some time there, but he was kicked off the team in October, and Richie Phillips suffered a knee injury that will keep him out through most of non-conference play. Don’t expect the Wolf Pack to be near the top of the conference in scoring again with their personnel losses; instead, they key will be reproducing last season’s defensive effort as opponents shot less than 41 percent against them, third-best in the conference.

Utah State Aggies (23-12, 9-7 WAC)
Projected Starters:
Sr. G Kris Clark (3.5 ppg, 1.7 rpg, 4.2 apg)
Sr. G Jaycee Carroll (21.3 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 1.8 apg)
Sr. F Nick Hammer (3.7 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 1.2 apg)
Sr. F Stephen Ducharme (10.2 ppg, 5.1 rpg)
Jr. F-C Gary Wilkinson (junior college transfer)
Schedule Highlights: The Aggies have nine home games in non-conference play, including two in the Gossner Foods Holiday Classic and a BracketBusters game. The home slate is highlighted by Ohio Valley favorite Austin Peay, West Coast contender Santa Clara and Summit League contender Oral Roberts. Road games include Big West contender Cal Poly and dark horse UC-Irvine, Utah, and two games in the South Padre Island Invitational against Vanderbilt and either Bradley or Iowa. They get a chance to begin WAC play with some momentum, as four of the first five games are in Logan, though the one road game is at Nevada and New Mexico State is one of the home opponents.
Outlook: Stew Morrill’s team continues to be a consistent winner, and this year should be no different as four seniors return and are joined by a talented group of newcomers. Carroll leads the way as one of the best players in the conference, having led the conference in scoring last season with his sweet stroke from long range. Clark is an underrated floor leader who had a 2.2 assist/turnover ratio last season, and he’ll have a few other options to get the ball to this year. There isn’t great experience behind them in the backcourt, but there is talent. Wilkinson should start right away and make an impact inside with Ducharme, and there is good depth here as talented newcomers Brayden Bell and Muduo Niang are available on the bench, while Hammer should move into the starting lineup. Although their offense can win them some games, the Aggies will need to improve defensively if they are to be a championship team. Opponents shot over 45 percent from the field against them last season, which was better than just one team.

Fresno State Bulldogs (22-10, 10-6 WAC)
Projected Starters:
Sr. G Kevin Bell (9.6 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 5.6 apg, 1.3 spg)
Sr. G Eddie Miller (10.5 ppg, 2.2 rpg)
So. G-F Bryan Harvey (transfer from Louisville)
Sr. F Hector Hernandez (11.2 ppg, 5.2 rpg)
Sr. F Rekalin Sims (transfer from Kentucky)
Schedule Highlights: The first five games in non-conference play will be at home, including three in three days as they host the Pape Slam. They have five more home games in the non-conference slate, including Big West contender Pacific and a BracketBusters game. The most challenging road games will be at Southland contender Sam Houston State, UNLV, Arizona and Stanford.
Outlook: Even with the departures of Quinton Hosley and Dominic McGuire, the Bulldogs might have more talent than anyone in the WAC except New Mexico State, and there is some good experience, albeit not among some of their more talented players. That all adds up to them being a dark horse. Bell and Miller are a solid backcourt, with Bell posting a 1.15 assist/turnover ratio last season and leading the conference in assists. Harvey should give them a boost now that he’s back in his home state, and Dwight O’Neil is back after missing last season with an injury. In the frontcourt, Hernandez won’t get much pub but will produce, while Sims injects more talent into the group. There are plenty of options up front, from seniors Shawn Taylor and Alex Blair to junior James Tchana, who only played in six games due to injury last season and freshman Brandon Webster, who might be a redshirt candidate given the depth. The Bulldogs were the best defensive team in the conference last season, but they were out-rebounded. The latter is something they hope the frontcourt will improve upon.

Boise State Broncos (17-14, 8-8 WAC)
Projected Starters:
So. G Anthony Thomas (5.4 ppg, 1.7 rpg, 1.6 apg, 1.2 spg)
Sr. G Matt Bauscher (4.5 ppg, 1.8 rpg, 1.6 apg)
Sr. F Reggie Larry (14.1 ppg, 8.1 rpg, 1.4 bpg)
Sr. F Tyler Tiedeman (4.4 ppg, 2.0 rpg, 1.2 apg)
Sr. F Matt Nelson (13.5 ppg, 8.9 rpg, 1.5 apg)
Schedule Highlights: The Broncos open the season with two of their eight non-conference home games, the second of which is against Washington State. They will also host Brigham Young and a BracketBusters game. Notable road games include West Coast contender San Francisco and Albany in a return of last year’s BracketBusters game. Early on in WAC play, they have a chance to get some momentum going, as the toughest of the first four games is against New Mexico State, and that game is at home. Right after that is a tough trip with games at Utah State and Nevada two days apart.
Outlook: Larry and Nelson form the top returning forward duo in the conference and will carry this team often. Both can score and rebound, and if they get help from Tiedeman or someone like junior college transfer Mark Sanchez, little-used sophomore Kurt Cunningham or freshman Zack Moritz, there won’t be any concerns at all up front. The real concern is in the backcourt with the departures of Coby Karl and Eric Lane. Thomas was the WAC’s top freshman last season, and he’ll likely be joined by Bauscher in the starting lineup. Bauscher should be pushed by late junior college addition Jamar Greene. The backcourt question marks are even more concerning since the Broncos turned the ball over more than all but two WAC teams last season.

Hawai’i Rainbow Warriors (18-13, 8-8 WAC)
Projected Starters:
Sr. G Matt Gibson (10.2 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 3.5 apg, 1.7 spg)
Sr. G Bobby Nash (11.2 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 2.1 apg)
Sr. F Riley Luettgerodt (6.2 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 1.3 apg)
Sr. F P.J. Owsley (6.0 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 1.3 apg)
Sr. C Stephen Verwers (2.8 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 1.0 apg)
Schedule Highlights: The Rainbow Warriors won’t be heading to the mainland much in non-conference play, as they’re at home for all but three games. They’ll hit the road for games at New Mexico and San Diego as well as a BracketBusters game. Highlights on the home slate include Illinois, hosting the Rainbow Classic, and they’ll also play New Mexico and San Diego at home. In WAC play, they have an early three-game homestand.
Outlook: A new era begins in Honolulu with Bob Nash now at the helm, although there’s probably not anyone in the college game who knows the program as well as he does since he played there and spent 24 years as an assistant before getting this job. He inherits a team with plenty of seniors and some good talent despite a couple of key personnel losses, and it starts with the backcourt of Gibson and son Bobby. Both will be expected to score more, while Luettgerodt is capable of scoring more and should be better in his second season. He could also be pushed out of the starting lineup to let talented freshman Kareem Nitoto run the team and push Gibson off the ball. Inside is where the question marks lie, as Owsley and Verwers are serviceable but don’t have much behind them. With their frontcourt questions, the Rainbow Warriors will need to replicate last season’s excellent defense as opponents shot just 40 percent from the floor against them. It wouldn’t hurt if they cut down on their league-leading turnover total at the offensive end as well.

Louisiana Tech Bulldogs (10-20, 7-9 WAC)
Projected Starters:
Jr. G Drew Washington (4.8 ppg, 2.2 rpg, 2.1 apg)
So. G Kyle Gibson (4.5 ppg, 1.6 rpg)
Fr. G-F D.J. Wright
Fr. F Olu Ashaolu
Sr. F Keith Smith (4.6 ppg, 2.6 rpg)
Schedule Highlights: The non-conference schedule includes five home games with an in-season home-and-home with Arkansas-Pine Bluff. Southland contender McNeese State and a BracketBusters game are the highlights at home. Among the road games are trips to Mississippi State and Texas Tech, as well as three games in the Mississippi Gulf Coast Classic. WAC play gets difficult right away: after opening with Fresno State at home, they play three straight on the road and come home for Utah State and Nevada, then go on the road for Hawai’i and Fresno State.
Outlook: The Bulldogs are basically starting over all around, as they have just one senior who has played significant minutes, five freshmen and a new head coach in Kerry Rupp. There is some promise, however, and the Bulldogs could pull off a win or two that no one expects along the way. Washington is the lone returning starter, and along with Gibson and talented freshman Wright will form the perimeter unit. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see Gibson pushed out by a newcomer like freshmen Orren Tims and Dwayne Lathan. Ashaolu is the team’s most talented player and was a steal for this program to pick up late, as he’s capable of putting up double-doubles. Smith is the only senior to play significant minutes in his career. They don’t project to be contenders, but the Bulldogs are starting to rebuild already under Rupp.

San Jose State Spartans (5-25, 4-12 WAC)
Projected Starters:
Sr. G Jamon Hill (9.7 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 2.6 apg, 1.2 spg)
So. G Darion Goins (3.5 ppg, 1.3 rpg)
Jr. F DeVonte Thomas (4.4 ppg, 3.2 rpg)
Jr. F Tim Pierce (8.3 ppg, 3.3 rpg)
Sr. F Lance Holloway (3.1 ppg, 4.3 rpg)
Schedule Highlights: The Spartans open the season in the First Shot Exempt Tournament at Middle Tennessee State. They won’t play their first of four home games until December, when they host West Coast contender Santa Clara and Big Sky contender Northern Arizona. A trip to Michigan State highlights the road games, while they also travel to Santa Clara to complete an in-season home-and-home and for a BracketBusters game. In WAC play, February begins with a tough five-game stretch: home against New Mexico State, at Nevada and Utah State, then Utah State at home two games later.
Outlook: The third season of coach George Nessman’s tenure may be where the Spartans begin to turn the corner after 11 wins the first two years and some roster turnover that leaves them with only Hill and Holloway as returning starters and neither being a sure bet to start this season. Hill is the incumbent to run the show, but either he or Goins could be supplanted by redshirt freshman Justin Graham, a 6’4″ combo guard. Pierce showed signs that he could be a good scorer last season, while Thomas and Holloway could be supplanted by newcomers like freshman Oliver Caballero or Pepperdine transfer Chris Oakes. The Spartans have plenty of room for improvement, but it is perhaps most pronounced at the offensive end as they were next-to-last in both scoring and field goal percentage last season.

Idaho Vandals (4-27, 1-15 WAC)
Projected Starters:
Jr. G Terrence Simmons (junior college transfer)
Jr. G Trevor Morris (6.5 ppg)
Sr. F Clyde Johnson (4.8 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 1.1 apg)
Sr. F Michael Cromwell (3.9 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 1.1 apg)
Sr. F Darin Nagle (9.3 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 1.9 bpg)
Schedule Highlights: The Vandals have five home games in non-conference play, including half of their in-season home-and-home with South Dakota State. They have two early road tests at Gonzaga and Washington State, and later play at Arizona State and are on the road in a BracketBusters game. To start WAC play, the Vandals trade three-game stretches at home and then on the road, with the latter being a difficult one: Fresno State, Nevada and Utah State.
Outlook: Only five letterwinners return for the Vandals, making this another transition year as personnel goes. There are five junior college transfers among their nine newcomers, and each could start at some point in the season as only Nagle looks to be safe in the starting lineup among holdovers. Johnson and Cromwell figure to at least be key reserves if they don’t start, pushed by Jordan Brooks and Luis Augusto and freshman Phillip Thomas. Morris started three games last year, but will be pushed strongly by Brandon Brown and Mike Hall, as well as Washington State transfer Mac Hopson. The great deal of turnover will make winning this season exceedingly difficult, but if newcomers can come in and make a difference, it will be a step in the right direction for the program.

Conference Outlook

Another good year is shaping up for the WAC, with New Mexico State and Fresno State having the most talent. Neither team also boasts the most experience, which will open the door for teams with more experience like Nevada and Utah State, both of whom have excellent established coaches leading the way. Hawai’i will be a factor, if only from their ability to defend their home court, as they enter a new era, and don’t be surprised if Louisiana Tech wins a couple of games no one expects with their newcomers as Kerry Rupp already has that program moving forward.

The conference has a mix of holdovers and talented newcomers that will challenge coaches to meld together to win games. The challenge is a little higher since the recruiting of late has been so good that a number of the newcomers could easily come in and start right away. In the long run, that bodes well for the conference while it has challenges to manage egos in the short run.

WAC Preview

Western Athletic Conference 2006-07 Preview

by Phil Kasiecki

It’s a new season, but a couple of things won’t be new in the Western Athletic Conference in 2006-07, notably places in the standings. Most notably, Nevada should still be the favorites with the return of Nick Fazekas, who tested the NBA waters in the off-season. His return, as well as that of three other starters and head coach Mark Fox, whose name came up for head coaching vacancies this off-season, ensures that the Wolfpack should stay atop the standings.

But the Wolfpack will have challengers in a conference with a lot of newcomers expected to play key roles. New Mexico State has veterans as well as touted newcomers, and the Aggies will contend if they all meld together come January. Fresno State has enough talent and experience to be dangerous as well, Hawaii always has a big homecourt advantage and Stew Morrill’s teams at Utah State always have enough players to contend.

Only one coaching change happened this off-season, with George Pfeifer taking over at Idaho. The Vandals have a new look in personnel this season as well, so contending looks to be a year or two away. As mentioned, Fox’s name came up in the off-season, but he opted to stay in Reno. Rumors continue to persist that Hawaii head coach Riley Wallace will retire in the foreseeable future, but he’s still there and has a team that could be a dark horse this season.

Most teams will count on newcomers to provide some help, with a few needing them to come through right away. A good number come from the junior college ranks, while there are also a few possible impact transfers from four-year schools, which means teams are getting newcomers that have college experience.

Preseason Awards

Player of the Year: Nick Fazekas, Nevada
Top Newcomer: Justin Hawkins, New Mexico State
Defensive Player of the Year: Kyle Shiloh, Nevada

All-WAC Team
Jaycee Carroll, Jr. G, Utah State
Nick Fazekas, Sr. C, Nevada
Quinton Hosley, Sr. F, Fresno State
Coby Karl, Sr. G, Boise State
Tyrone Nelson, Jr. F, New Mexico State

Nevada (27-6, 13-3 WAC)
Projected Starters:
Jr. G Ramon Sessions (4.7 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 4.9 apg, 1.2 spg)
Sr. G Kyle Shiloh (8.7 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 2.2 apg)
Jr. G-F Marcellus Kemp (15.0 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 1.3 apg)
Sr. F-C Nick Fazekas (21.8 ppg, 10.4 rpg, 2.1 apg, 1.1 spg)
Jr. C David Ellis (1.6 ppg, 1.1 rpg, 8.2 mpg)
Schedule Highlights: Eight home games dot the challenging non-conference schedule, with notable home opponents including UNLV, Big West contender Pacific and America East contender Maine. Notable road games are at Oregon State, at California, at MAC favorite Akron and Gonzaga in Seattle. The most notable part of the WAC schedule is a three-game road stretch right after the BracketBusters game (in Reno) in late February.
Outlook: The Wolfpack are still clear favorites with Fazekas’ return, although they would still be a contender without him. As good as Fazekas is, he has an excellent support cast on the perimeter, led by a finally-healthy Kemp, the emerging Shiloh with his great stroke, and Sessions, who has started since his freshman year. As Sessions continues to improve, so will the team, although the more important barometer of the team’s success may be the development of the inside complements to Fazekas as there is not much experience there. Demarshay Johnson won’t play for at least the first semester due to academics, so it’s up to players like David Ellis and freshman JaVale McGee to give the Wolfpack another inside presence, and this team doesn’t have much proven depth. The non-conference schedule will prepare them well for WAC play, so they’ll get a chance to develop some depth along the way.

New Mexico State (16-14, 10-6 WAC)
Projected Starters:
Sr. G Elijah Ingram (13.4 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 3.1 apg)
Jr. G Justin Hawkins (transfer from Utah)
Sr. F David Fisher (8.8 ppg, 6.3 rpg)
Jr. F Tyrone Nelson (17.8 ppg, 8.7 rpg, 1.6 apg, 1.6 spg)
Jr. C Martin Iti (transfer from Charlotte)
Schedule Highlights: Nine home games are on tap in non-conference, including hosting the Lou Henson Classic and a game in the BracketBusters. The home slate includes Big West contender Pacific, in-state rival New Mexico, and UTEP. Among the road games on tap are trips to Arizona, New Mexico and UTEP (completing a home-and-home for this year with the last two). In WAC play, the Aggies have a three-game road stretch and then host Nevada early, but finish the regular season with three straight at home before a trip to Nevada.
Outlook: The Aggies have talent, but also have to get several newcomers integrated into the scheme and have had distractions. Hawkins and Kansas State transfer Fred Peete will get plenty of minutes on the perimeter, where Ingram can run the show but needs to look less for his own shot. Nelson has the talent to be one of the WAC’s best, but two off-court incidents before the season mean that’s a concern. Iti was an underachiever at Charlotte, but he could help Nelson be that much better inside. Two key areas for improvement are defense, as only two WAC teams allowed opponents to shoot better from the field, and taking care of the ball, as Ingram’s 104 turnovers helped the Aggies lead the WAC in turnovers.

Fresno State (15-13, 8-8 WAC)
Projected Starters:
Jr. G Kevin Bell (7.6 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 5.9 apg, 1.6 spg)
Jr. G Dwight O’Neil (10.8 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 1.9 apg, 1.4 spg)
Sr. G Ja’Vance Coleman (17.5 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 2.2 apg)
Sr. F Quinton Hosley (18.6 ppg, 9.2 rpg, 1.4 apg, 2.1 spg)
Jr. F Hector Hernandez (8.9 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 1.1 bpg)
Schedule Highlights: The Bulldogs open the season hosting a tournament with Winston-Salem State, UC Irvine and Sun Belt contender South Alabama. Six more home games are on tap in non-conference play, notably Creighton and Stanford, and a seventh is a home game in BracketBusters. They have a three-game road stretch mixed in, with Oregon State being the most notable opponent. After opening WAC play with back-to-back home games, they have a tough three-game road stretch that starts in Hawaii and ends in Nevada.
Outlook: The Bulldogs might have the most talent in the conference, but the talent mix might be a problem since a lot of it is on the wing. All five starters return, led by All-WAC candidates Hosley and Coleman, and California transfer Dominic McGuire and Louisville transfer Bryan Harvey both should figure into the equation; McGuire started 23 games at Cal two seasons ago. Bell should only get better as the steady floor leader with all the scoring options, though his leadership will be a key to their success. In the frontcourt, Hernandez is a good role player who could get some help from Rekalin Sims, who never lived up to his billing at Kentucky but might fare better with the change of scenery. Besides the talent, this team has a year under Steve Cleveland, which will only help, but the right mix of players must be found for the talent to be fully harnessed.
While the Bulldogs will score, they won’t win if they don’t improve on the defensive end, where they allowed opponents to shoot over 46 percent from the field last season, and improvement on the glass is a must after they had the worst rebounding margin in the WAC last season.

Utah State (23-9, 11-5 WAC)
Projected Starters:
Jr. G Jaycee Carroll (16.3 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 2.6 apg)
Jr. G Mikel Watson (redshirt)
Sr. G Durrall Peterson (7.2 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 2.1 apg)
Sr. F Chaz Spicer (7.9 ppg, 2.8 rpg)
Jr. C Arvydas Vaitiekus (redshirt)
Schedule Highlights: The Aggies have six non-conference home games on the slate, notably in-state rival Utah. Road games weren’t easy to come by, as the most notable one is at Brigham Young. They are also on the road in the BracketBusters and will be in the Top of the World Classic. After beginning WAC play with two road games, they trade three home games and three road games in a row, the latter concluding with a tough stretch at Nevada and at Hawaii.
Outlook: Stew Morrill’s teams have been consistent winners, but he has a tougher challenge this season thanks to the departure of three key starters from last season’s team. Returning starters Carroll and Peterson ensure that the wing will be fine, as Carroll has a sweet stroke and plays a solid all-around game. The questions come in at the point, where Watson doesn’t have much experience at this level, and the post, where Spicer needs to improve now that he’ll be a starter and Vaitiekus gives them size but is an unknown quantity.
Morrill’s teams are always efficient, so although last season’s 50 percent showing from the field will be tough to repeat, it’s not impossible. The real key will be repeating last season’s good rebound margin since they forced the fewest turnovers at the defensive end.

Hawaii (17-11, 10-6 WAC)
Projected Starters:
Jr. G Matt Gibson (redshirt)
Sr. G Matt Lojeski (13.6 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 2.3 apg, 1.3 spg)
Jr. G-F Bobby Nash (redshirt)
Sr. F Ahmet Gueye (12.2 ppg, 7.7 rpg, 1.2 apg, 2.5 bpg)
Jr. C Stephen Verwers (transfer from Colorado State)
Schedule Highlights: The Rainbows will be tested in non-conference play, starting at UNLV (which returns the game in December) and hosting Oregon State before the Great Alaska Shootout, where they open with Hofstra and then play either Marshall or California. They host the Rainbow Classic, opening with San Francisco. In WAC play, they open with two straight road games and alternate with two straight home games the rest of the way. The toughest road swing is likely to be at the beginning of February, when Fresno State and Nevada loom.
Outlook: The Rainbows have talent, but questions loom about the effectiveness of a few likely starters due to injuries. Gibson and Nash redshirted last season, while Gueye tore up his knee in March and has had to rehab the entire off-season. It will be a challenge to integrate Verwers and the redshirts into the starting lineup and find the right mix, especially with four junior college transfers also figuring into the picture.
The Rainbows are always tough at home, meaning that some road wins are the key to reaching the NCAA Tournament. If they can repeat their defensive showing from last year, when they were third in the WAC in field goal percentage defense, they will have a chance even if they have some struggles on offense with the lineup changes.

Boise State (14-15, 6-10 WAC)
Projected Starters:
Sr. G Eric Lane (11.4 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 3.1 apg)
Sr. G Coby Karl (17.2 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 4.0 apg)
Jr. G Matt Bauscher (8.5 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 2.2 apg)
Jr. F Reggie Larry (junior college transfer)
Jr. F Matt Nelson (transfer from Eastern Washington)
Schedule Highlights: Seven home games are on tap in a challenging non-conference slate that includes a home-and-home with Colorado State. Notable home games are against Brigham Young and one in BracketBusters, while road highlights are at Wyoming, Washington State, Big Sky favorite Montana and West Coast Conference contender Loyola Marymound. WAC play begins with three of four and five of seven at home, but the first two aren’t easy: Utah State at home and Nevada on the road. They also close the season with a tough stretch: Nevada at home, then at Fresno State and Hawaii.
Outlook: Carl is one of the conference’s best, and Lane and Bauscher combine with him for an experienced perimeter unit. That’s a good start, but they were part of last season’s sub-.500 showing. Larry and Nelson figure to give them a lift, as does redshirt freshman guard Anthony Thomas. There looks to be enough talent and experience for this team to make a push toward the top, but they have to prove themselves with more consistency.
The Broncos should be among the leaders in scoring again, but they need to improve on the glass with two new starters and take better care of the basketball.

Louisiana Tech (20-13, 11-5 WAC)
Projected Starters:
So. G Drew Washington (2.2 ppg, 1.2 rpg, 1.1 apg)
Sr. G Trey McDowell (5.7 ppg, 1.4 rpg)
Sr. F Jerome Richardson (5.9 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 1.6 apg)
Sr. F Chad McKenzie (6.0 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 1.7 apg)
Jr. C Shawn Taylor (junior college transfer)
Schedule Highlights: The Bulldogs open in the Texas A&M Tournament, where the host school will pose a challenge as well as Saint Louis. Southern Illinois and Texas Tech highlight three non-conference home games, while they have a home-and-home with Southern (consecutive games one week apart). Road games with LSU and Arkansas close out a challenging non-conference slate. After starting with two home games in WAC play, the Bulldogs play five of six on the road.
Outlook: The Bulldogs return an experienced team, but they lost a good deal of talent with the departures of Paul Millsap and Daevon Haskins. Millsap dominated inside before leaving for the NBA Draft and was a big reason they led the WAC in rebounding margin last season, and he will be the toughest player to replace in the conference. Someone has to emerge as a go-to guy among the holdovers, while Washington moves into the starting lineup after capably backing up Haskins last season.
The loss of scoring is particularly striking because the Bulldogs scored less than all but two WAC teams last season, meaning they’ll likely have to repeat their excellent defensive showing (second in the WAC) to have a chance to win games.

San Jose State (6-25, 2-14 WAC)
Projected Starters:
Jr. G Jamon Hill (junior college transfer)
Sr. G Carlton Spencer (9.8 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 3.0 apg)
So. F Tim Pierce (transfer from Arizona State)
So. F Kerry Wooldridge (transfer from Minnesota)
Sr. C Menelik Barbary (6.2 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 1.2 bpg)
Schedule Highlights: Just three home games are on tap in a difficult non-conference schedule, with the most notable opponent being Big West favorite Long Beach State. They open in the College Basketball Experience Classic at Stanford, then getting either Air Force or Long Beach State. Then the challenging road games keep coming: Arizona State, Saint Mary’s, Brigham Young, Big West contender Cal State Fullerton and Duke. The Spartans hardly get a break in WAC play: early on, a three-game homestand has Nevada, Fresno State and Utah State.
Outlook: Spartan fans will need a program, as there are eight newcomers that should help the program move in the right direction. Spencer and Barbary should be the leaders, while Hill, Pierce and Wooldridge look like the best newcomers. If they can make an impact, the Spartans have a chance to move up in the standings, but this season is a building block for the future.

Idaho (4-25, 1-15 WAC)
Projected Starters:
Jr. G Mario Mackey (junior college transfer)
Sr. G Keoni Watson (10.4 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 2.5 apg, 1.2 spg)
Jr. G Miles Webb (junior college transfer)
Jr. F Mike Kale (junior college transfer)
Jr. F-C Darin Nagle (junior college transfer)
Schedule Highlights: Six home games are on tap in the non-conference slate, including an appearance in the BracketBusters event. Washington State is the most notable home opponent, while notable road games are at Gonzaga and Washington. They play home-and-home series this season with North Dakota State and South Dakota State. WAC play gets tough right away, with consecutive road games at Fresno State and Nevada, then New Mexico State at home.
Outlook: New head coach George Pfeifer takes over a team with just three players who return from last season, when he was an assistant. Eight junior college transfers join the program, which gives them college experience but not at this level. Watson looks to be the best holdover and will be counted on to lead the way. This is the beginning of a rebuilding phase for Pfeifer, and the success of his tenure won’t be judged on this season.

Conference Outlook

The WAC has six teams with solid postseason potential, with the top three teams looking particularly strong compared to the others. Utah State and Hawaii are dark horses, while Boise State could earn an NIT bid if their veterans play up to their experience. But there is one big variable in all of this, which is the newcomers: each team will have newcomers playing a key role in some way, shape or form. They may count on newcomers to start, play a key role off the bench, or find a way to integrate them into the rotation with holdovers. It all means that a good race should be ahead this season in the WAC, with some postseason bids following it.

WAC Notebook

Western Athletic Conference Notebook

by Mitch McLaughlin

Entering the 2005-06 season, all of the focus on the Western Athletic Conference was on the team that was picked by everyone to at least represent the conference in the Big Dance this March. That team, the Nevada Wolf Pack, was well on its way to being just the second WAC team since 2000 to be seeded lower than 8th in the NCAA tournament. Tulsa was a 7th seed in the South Region in 2000 and advanced all to the Elite 8 that season. Before last week, Nevada was 10-1 with their only being to no. 18 UCLA in a game that was played in nearby Anaheim. However in their last three games, the Wolf Pack are only 1-2 with losses to St. Mary’s and Hawaii and are no longer ranked in either of the top 25 polls.

One constant for Nevada has been junior forward Nick Fazekas, the conference’s player of the year a season ago. Fazekas scored a career-high 35 points in Nevada’s upset win at Kansas in November. He is the top scorer among conference performers with 21.7 ppg and is one of six WAC players to lead their teams in scoring and rebounding so far this season.

Joining Fazekas are Coby Karl of Boise State (15.3 ppg, 5.3 rpg), Quinton Hosley of Fresno State (19.8 ppg, 10.2 rpg), Paul Millsap of Louisiana Tech (20.7 ppg, 11.9 rpg), Tyrone Nelson of New Mexico State (16.7 ppg, 8.3 rpg) and Nate Harris and Utah State (18.1 ppg, 7.2 rpg). Karl is the only player in the conference to lead his team in those two categories and assists as well.

Louisiana Tech junior forward Paul Millsap moved up to second nationally this past week in rebounding statistics with 11.9 per game. Arkansas-Little Rock’s Rashad Jones-Jennings is first with 12.1 per contest. Millsap was the nation’s leading rebounder in each of the past two seasons. As a freshman, he became the first WAC player to lead the nation in rebounding with 12.5 boards per game. Last year, he became the first player to lead the country in rebounding in back-to-back seasons since American’s Kermit Washington did it in 1971-72 and 1972-73. Millsap was also the first ever to take consecutive rebounding titles as a freshman and sophomore. No player has ever won three NCAA rebounding titles. He was also named conference player of the week after averaging 19.5 points, 15.0 rebounds and 3.0 blocked shots in two road victories for the Bulldogs. It was Millsap’s second player of the week honor this season and fifth of his career.

Battle at the top of the standings this week – Both Hawaii and Louisiana Tech have started the season with 2-0 marks and the two teams meet in Ruston, La., this Thursday night. The Rainbow Warriors opened WAC play in mid-December with a win over Utah State and then beat Nevada at home last week. The Bulldogs won both of its games on the road last week at Boise State and Idaho. Hawaii is looking to go 3-0 for the first time since winning is first six WAC games of the 2001-02 season while Louisiana Tech has never been 3-0 in the WAC.

Team Notebooks

Hawaii (8-4 overall, 2-0 in conference)

The Rainbow Warriors opened the season with one of the biggest upsets so far in college basketball with their win over then No. 5 Michigan State 84-62 in Honolulu. That has catapulted them to a 7-1 home record and a good start to the conference season with wins over Utah State and Nevada, the teams projected to finish 1 and 2 in the conference standings. Senior forward Julian Sensley has led the team with his 15.7 points and 3.4 assists per game averages.

The Rainbow Warriors face a tough stretch to finish out January with four of six on the road. They face fellow 2-0 Louisiana Tech Jan. 12 and then travel to New Mexico State for a Jan. 14 contest. After two home games, they go to Nevada Jan. 28 and Utah State Jan. 31.

Louisiana Tech (9-6, 2-0)

After opening the season with a one-point loss at home to Yale, the Bulldogs have responded by winning their last five at home and enter this week 2-0 after two road wins at Boise State and Idaho. The Bulldogs had a tough non-conference road schedule playing and losing to three ranked opponents. They were defeated by then No. 18 Alabama 73-63 in late November and then last month lost to then No. 4 Memphis 76-58 and to then No. 22 Wisconsin 78-52. The Bulldogs have gotten great performances from Millsap as evident from his two player-of-the-week honors so far. The junior forward is the team’s only player averaging double digits in points.

After their two road wins, they get a break with three of the next four at home, including the conference’s two other undefeated teams in Hawaii and Fresno State. They then go to Utah State Jan. 18 in what should be another decisive game in the conference standings.

Fresno State (8-4, 1-0)

The Bulldogs opened the conference season last week with a big double-overtime victory over Utah State 99-96. They have opened the year 6-1 at home with their only loss being a one-point defeat to Iona. They have only two wins away from Fresno these being at Cal Poly and then against Iowa State who has an 11-4 record up to this point. The Bulldogs have three of the conferences best performers thus far this season. Junior swingman Quinton Hosley is one of two players averaging over 10 rebounds a game (10.2 rpg) and is third in the league in scoring his 19.8 ppg. They also have one of the more impressive backcourts with junior Ja’Vance Coleman who is fourth in the league in scoring with his 18.8 points and sophomore Kevin Bell is leading the conference in assists with his 6.7 average.

Fresno State has a tough stretch coming up with three of four on the road and they play some of the conferences best team in this stretch. After going to Las Cruces, N.M. to face New Mexico State, they play at Louisiana Tech Jan. 14 before a home game on Jan. 18 against Nevada, following that with a Jan. 22 road match-up against Hawaii.

Nevada (11-3, 1-1)

The Wolf Pack were the odds-on favorite to win the conference entering the season and even if they don’t win the conference tournament, they still have a good shot at getting in the field of 65 in March, but have been upset twice in the past few weeks. St. Mary’s upset them 89-80 in overtime, followed by a 73-69 loss in Honolulu. They are undefeated in Reno with a 6-0 record and have had some impressive wins over schools from bigger conferences. They won at UNLV and at Kansas in back-to-back games in November and last month defeated Georgia in Reno. Fazekas has showed that he is the conference’s best NBA prospect by averaging 21.7 ppg and 8.9 rpg thus far, but they have gotten help from Marcelus Kemp and Mo Charlo who are the only players averaging in double figures in points.

In the next four games, Nevada has three of them at home with a road match-up with Fresno State Jan. 18 followed by a Jan. 24 home game against Utah State.

Boise State (8-5, 1-1)

The Broncos were projected to be a team that would finish near the middle of the pack in the conference and that’s where they sit right now. They only played one team from a major conference in Arizona State and were defeated 64-49 in that game. They did play BYU and lost a close 80-77 game in Provo, Utah. They have two wins away from Boise in victories over Weber State and San Francisco. They did play seven of eight teams from the Big Sky with wins over Montana, Montana State, Weber, Sacramento State and Eastern Washington. Their top performer this year is junior guard Coby Karl who is making his push for conference honors being the only player in the WAC to lead his team in all three major statistical categories. He’s pacing the Broncos with 15.3 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.3 assists. Fellow guards Eric Lane and Matt Bauscher are their only other players averaging in double figures in points.

After opening conference play by splitting their two home contests (loss to La. Tech and win over New Mexico State) the Broncos will play five of their next seven on the road. They play two of the conference’s top teams each year in Utah State and Nevada this weekend, both games on the road, and will go to Hawaii Jan. 24.

New Mexico State (5-8, 1-1)

The Aggies were picked to finish in the bottom third of the conference and even though they’ve had some good performances they haven’t surprised anybody under new head coach Reggie Theus. They did split with interstate rival New Mexico, each team winning on its home court and they’ve won two games away from home including their conference opener at Idaho. A pair of sophomores has led the team so far. Forward Tyrone Nelson leads the team in both scoring and rebounding with his 16.7 and 8.3 averages and guard Mike Mitchell is second in both with 14.3 points and 4.0 rebounds.

This week, the Aggies get two of the top teams in the conference in Las Cruces with games against Fresno State and Hawaii. They then go on a three-game road trip highlighted by back-to-back contests against Louisiana Tech and Fresno State. They will play Fresno State twice over a four-game span.

Utah State (9-4, 1-2)

These Aggies would be the conference’s biggest disappointment thus far, but it’s only three games into the conference season and all of three of their games have been on the road. They lost to Hawaii 69-59 in mid-December before losing to Fresno State 99-96 in double overtime last weekend. The Aggies are 6-0 at home so far and will have plenty of chances to get back in the conference race with more home conference games left. They play their next three at home finishing up the home-stand with a big game with Louisiana Tech. They will face Nevada their next time out on Jan. 24.

Utah State is one of two teams in the conference with two guys averaging at least 18 points a game (Fresno State being the other) as Nate Harris and Jaycee Carroll are tied with the team lead at 18.1 ppg. Senior big man Cass Matheus is second on the team in rebounding and third in scoring. Those are the only three players averaging in doubled figures in points.

San Jose State (4-11, 0-2)

The Spartans and new head coach George Nessman were picked to finish towards the bottom of the conference but they have a chance to not finish in last place for the first time since 2002-03. The Spartans started the season 3-1 but have since lost 10 of their last 11 games. The lone win in that stretch came against Long Beach State. Surprisingly they are 1-6 at home and 3-5 on the road. They opened the conference season with two of the better teams at home with losses against Utah State and Nevada. After two road games this week at Boise State and Idaho they return for a three game home-stand with games against Louisiana Tech, New Mexico State and Boise State.

The top performer so far has been senior forward D.J. Brown. He’s leading the team in both scoring and rebounding averages (14.2 ppg, 5.0 rpg). Fellow senior Alex Elam is the only other player scoring in double figures with 12.5 points.

Idaho (3-9, 0-2)

The Vandals are in their first season in the WAC and after struggling last season in the Big West they are struggling once again this season. They do have three home victories over Southern Utah, Eastern Oregon and North Dakota State, but they haven’t faired very well against tougher competition. They opened the season with losses against the three top programs in the state of Washington. They lost at Gonzaga 69-60, to Washington 90-67 and to Washington State 63-37. Their only other road game was a loss at Portland State 81-48. They opened the conference season competitively with losses to New Mexico State and Louisiana Tech by only a combined 15 points. They will try to pull a major upset in their next four road games with games at Nevada, Utah State, Fresno State and Hawaii over the next month. They do have San Jose State and Boise in that stretch at home.

WAC Preview

Western Athletic Conference 2005-06 Preview

by Mitch McLaughlin

Entering the 2005-06 season, the Western Athletic Conference is adjusting to a massive realignment. The domino effect of schools switching conferences, which started on the East Coast, has had a big impact on the WAC. Rice, SMU, Tulsa and UTEP all left for Conference USA, and New Mexico State, Utah State and Idaho have filled those vacancies. Utah State has been a power in the Big West the past few years, going to four of the last six NCAA tournaments, including an upset victory against Ohio State in the first round of the 2001 tourney.

Utah State, like the rest of the conference, will focus on knocking off the conference’s best team, Nevada. The Wolf Pack enter the season as the favorite to win the conference once again and were ranked in preseason polls. It’s the first time a WAC team has been ranked in the preseason by the two major polls since Utah, New Mexico and TCU were in both polls in 1998.

There are many reasons the Wolf Pack enter the season as the favorite to represent the WAC in the NCAA Tournament for a third consecutive season. Nevada returns the reining conference player of the year in junior forward Nick Fazekas and starting guards Ramon Sessions and Kyle Shiloh.

Other noteworthy changes in the conference include a bunch of new coaches, as a third of the teams switched leaders. Former BYU coach Steve Cleveland is the new head man at Fresno State, former Cal assistant George Nessman is at San Jose State, and former Louisville assistant Reggie Theus arrives at New Mexico State.

Preseason Awards

1st Team All-WAC:
Nick Fazekas, Nevada
Paul Millsap, Louisiana Tech
Julian Sensley, Hawaii
Ja’Vance Coleman, Fresno State
Ramon Sessions, Nevada

Honorable Mention: Jaycee Carroll, Utah State

Player of the Year: Nick Fazekas, Nevada
Fazekas was the WAC’s top performer in 2004-05 as a sophomore, averaging 20.7 points and 9.4 rebounds per game. Although he’s 6-11, he has the ability to shoot from the outside and is also difficult to defend in the paint.

Newcomer of the Year: Elijah Ingram, New Mexico State and Jerome Richardson, Louisiana Tech
Ingram enters as a junior after playing two seasons at St. John’s. He started in 47 of 52 games for the Red Storm, averaging double digits in scoring during both of his seasons there. He should see considerable action in the backcourt at New Mexico State this season. Richardson is a junior who spent the past two seasons at Frank Phillips College, where he was named a first-team NJCAA All-American last season after averaging 20.0 points, 6.8 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game. He is a projected starter for the Bulldogs.

Most Underrated: David Pak, Utah State
Pak’s impact doesn’t necessarily appear in the box score, but rather on the scoreboard. He only averaged 6.1 points and 3.1 assists per game last season, but he runs the offense and plays good defense. Utah State made the NCAA tournament with Pak running the team as the point guard a year ago.

Most Improved Player: Eric Lane, Boise State
Lane was supposed to have a breakout year last season, but struggled early and then had an off-court incident that slowed his season. He finished the year strong, scoring in double figures in seven of Boise State’s final nine games and putting the Broncos in the WAC tournament final.

Ascending Team: Hawaii
The Rainbow Warriors have a strong recruiting class and experience led by preseason All-WAC guard Matt Gibson. Hawaii is projected to be one of the top contenders behind Nevada after three of the top five teams from a year ago left the conference.

Descending Team: Idaho
The Vandals struggled in the Big West conference, finishing 6-12 in conference and 8-22 overall. They will have even a tougher time in the WAC.

Best Bets:
There are two. First, Nevada will make the NCAA tournament. The conference tournament will be in Reno, the home of Nevada, which means the Wolf Pack will most likely earn the conference’s automatic bid for the field of 65. Second, Louisiana Tech’s Paul Millsap will lead the country in rebounding for a third consecutive year.

Best Shooter: Jaycee Carroll, Utah State
Best Playmaker: Ramon Sessions, Nevada
Best NBA prospect: Nick Fazekas, Nevada
Best Defender: Kyle Shiloh, Nevada
Most Versatile: Julian Sensley, Hawaii

Team Capsules

1. Nevada Wolf Pack (2004-05: 25-7, 16-2, 1st)
Starters:
Sophomore guard Ramon Sessions
Junior guard Kyle Shiloh
Senior forward Mo Charloh
Junior forward Nick Fazekas
Senior center Chad Bell

Schedule Highlights:
The Wolf Pack start the preseason with away games at UNLV, at Kansas and against UCLA in Anaheim in the Wooden Classic. They have a key six-game stretch in January and early February with four of six on the road, including Fresno State, Boise State, Louisiana Tech and New Mexico State. Nevada will appear in an ESPN Bracket Buster contest Feb. 18 in Reno, and the conference season ends with a home game against Fresno State.

Outlook:
The loss of Kevinn Pinkney hurts the Wolf Pack more than any other player departure. Last season, the senior forward was the team’s most valuable player, averaging 12.5 points and 7.7 rebounds per game. He was the team’s backbone because he did whatever it took to win games. The most likely replacements for Pinckney are Fazekas and fellow big man Bell, who will get the chance to start in the middle his senior season. He only averaged three points and 2.8 rebounds per game in 2004-05.

Another player who looks to help fill the void left by Pinkney is JuCo transfer Demarshay Johnson, a 6-9 post player who can block shots and score inside. Denis Ikovlev is another JuCo transfer who will get plenty of playing time.

Mark Fox returns for his second season with the Wolf Pack a year after his squad went 25-7 and reached the second round of the NCAA tournament.

Two redshirt players will be active this season, guards Marcellus Kemp and Lyndale Burleson. Kemp missed 2004-05 with a knee injury but averaged 4.6 points per game two years when he helped the Wolf Pack reach the Sweet 16. He should see considerable time in the backcourt this year. Burleson, whose brother Nate plays wide receiver for the Minnesota Vikings, will enter his freshman year and is an excellent defensive point guard.

The Wolf Pack should earn the conference’s bid to the NCAA tournament for a third consecutive year partially because they have the conference’s player of the year in Fazekas. They also get to play the conference tournament on Nevada’s campus in Reno, a place where they have only lost six games in the past three seasons.

2. Utah State Aggies (2004-05: 24-8, 13-5 in Big West, 2nd)
Starters:
Senior guard David Pak
Sophomore guard Jaycee Carroll
Sophomore forward Nick Hammer
Senior forward Nate Harris
Senior center Cass Matheus

Schedule Highlights:
The Aggies’ biggest games before conference play are against the biggest in-state opponents: at Utah Nov. 30 and home vs. BYU Dec.22. They have an early conference tilt at Hawaii Dec. 17. Utah State also has a tough back-to-back set in mid-January against Louisiana Tech and Nevada. A couple of weeks later, the Aggies have two tough road games at New Mexico State and Louisiana Tech.

Outlook:
The Aggies lose only one starter from last year’s team, forward Spencer Nelson. Last season, he averaged 16.0 points, 7.9 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game. JuCo transfer Hammer will try his best to fill Nelson’s void in the starting lineup, but look for Carroll and Harris to pick up most of the slack. Those two were the only other players to average in double figures in points.

The Aggies have eight JuCo transfers this year, and they are hoping a few of them step up soon to give them the depth necessary to continue the level of play they’ve set as a standard during the past five years in the Big West. In addition to Hammer, Utah State needs contributions from Chaz Spicer, Durrall Peterson and Chris Session.

Utah State was a strong contender to reach the NCAA tournament every year when it played in the Big West conference. But with the move to the WAC, the Aggies will have a much tougher road to the tournament for a fifth time in seven years. With Carroll and Harris, they have two players who should be all-conference at the end of the season.

3. Hawaii Rainbow Warriors (2004-05: 16-13, 7-11, 7th)
Starters:
Junior guard Matt Gibson
Junior guard John Wilder
Senior forward Matthew Gibson
Senior forward Julian Sensley
Senior center Chris Botez

Schedule Highlights:
Hawaii starts the season with a huge game against Final Four participant Michigan State before facing UNLV twice in a two-week span. Once again, the Rainbow Warriors host the Rainbow Classic in Honolulu, which includes Oregon State, Iowa State and Colorado State. They start the WAC season by hosting Utah State in mid-December before two big games early in January against Nevada and Louisiana Tech. Hawaii ends the regular season with two games at home against New Mexico State and Louisiana Tech.

Outlook:
Hawaii loses two starters from last season, forward Jeff Blackett and guard Jake Statos. With the loss of Statos, the point guard position is a question mark because Gibson is better on the wing. He led the team in scoring a year ago, so the Rainbow Warriors need Gibson to put the ball in the hoop in addition to running the offense. Sensley is the other player the Rainbow Warriors will significantly count on. Those two are the only returning players who averaged in double figures in scoring last season.

Hawaii’s ability to play away from the island is going to determine what kind of post-season hopes they have come March. Last season, eight of their 11 losses in conference play were on the road. This team has the experience to make a run in the conference. Their five starters are either juniors or seniors, and only JuCo transfer Wilder lacks experience among the starters. If Wilder can play the point well and let Gibson play on the wing instead, the Rainbow Warriors should be in contention for a post-season birth.

4. Fresno State Bulldogs (2004-05: 16-14, 9-9, tied 4th)
Starters:
Senior guard Dekyron Hicks
Junior guard Ja’Vance Coleman
Sophomore guard Donovan Morris
Junior forward Quinton Hosley
Junior forward Renato Cesar

Schedule Highlights:
The Bulldogs will face two schools from major conferences early in the season. Oregon State comes to Fresno Nov. 26, and the Bulldogs travel to Iowa State Dec. 3. They have a tough stretch to start the conference schedule, including Utah State, New Mexico State, Louisiana Tech and Nevada.

Outlook:
The biggest change for the Bulldogs is new head coach Steve Cleveland. His hiring has also led to several defections, which could eventually be good. The only significant loss is Mustafa Al-Sayyad, who was a good shot blocker and defender. Al-Sayyad wasn’t the only starter who is gone. Forward Chris Berry also left. Cleveland will have three JuCo transfers starting this year: Cesar, Hosley and Nicks. Nicks has the onus of replacing point guard Kevin Bell, who will come off the bench this season.

The two returning starters, Coleman and Morris, were the team’s top two scorers last season, and Coleman should earn all-conference honors. The junior guard averaged 16.9 points and five rebounds per game last season. The key to this year’s team will be whether the transfers can take some of the load off Coleman, who will again be the team’s biggest threat. If Cesar and Hosley can defend, rebound and keep opposing defenses honest, some of that pressure on Coleman may decrease, which could propel the Bulldogs into the post-season this March.

5. Louisiana Tech Bulldogs (2004-05: 14-15, 9-9, tied 4th)
Starters:
Senior guard Daevon Haskins
Senior guard Corey Dean
Junior guard Jerome Richardson
Junior forward Paul Millsap
Junior forward Chad McKenzie

Schedule Highlights:
The Bulldogs open the season against Nebraska Nov. 20 face Alabama a week later. In addition to those major conference opponents, Louisiana Tech plays at Texas Tech, Memphis and Wisconsin. During the most important part of its WAC schedule, Louisiana Tech plays Nevada, Utah State and Boise State at home in early February. Louisiana Tech will end the conference season with a road game at Hawaii.

Outlook:
The big addition to the Bulldogs’ attack is Richardson, a first-team All-American JuCo point guard. He is one of the favorites for conference newcomer of the year. If he’s able to run the offense and get the ball to Millsap, this team could surprise some people in the conference. This team will have to make up for the loss of two starters in guard Donell Alick and big man Wayne Powell. Both averaged in double figures in scoring a year ago, leaving only Millsap and Corey Dean as Bulldogs who averaged at least 10 points per game last season. The other new starter, McKenzie, is also a JuCo transfer and will join Millsap in the frontcourt.

Louisiana Tech will compete night in and night out because they have one of the league’s best players in Millsap. The 6-8 junior led the country in rebounds during his first two seasons and should do so again this year. He also poured in 20.4 points per game last season. Although Nevada’s Nick Fazekas gets a lot of attention, Millsap is the league’s best post player. The hopes for Louisiana Tech depend on whether Dean can provide the perimeter shooting necessary to open the inside game for Millsap. Also, Richardson must prove he can play the point guard position.

6. Boise State Broncos (2004-05: 16-18, 6-12, 8th)
Starters:
Junior guard Eric Lane
Junior guard Coby Karl
Junior forward Tyler Tiedman
Junior forward Seth Robinson
Senior forward Tezarray Banks

Schedule Highlights:
The Broncos play BYU Dec. 7 and Arizona State in the Sun Devils’ holiday tournament Dec. 21. Boise State opens the WAC season with five of seven tough games in January. They play at Utah State, Nevada and Hawaii during that run. This tough stretch ends with Nevada coming to Boise Jan. 26. The Broncos end the season with two of three at home and a road game at Fresno State.

Outlook:
Boise State must replace two major players, forward Jason Ellis and swingman Jermaine Blackburn. Blackbrun was the leading scorer last season, and Ellis was a four-year contributor who averaged nearly a double-double last season. JuCo transfer Tiedman will need to step up to replace Blackburn. Tiedman was forced to abandon a pitching career at Arizona because of an arm injury, but the coaches are high on his shooting ability and overall feel for the game. His progress will be a big factor in the Broncos’ success.

The Broncos are projected to finish anywhere in the middle part of the WAC standings. If Tiedman excels, they could finish as high as third thanks to their returning backcourt. Juniors Lane and Karl are back and make for an experienced guard duo. Lane averaged 9.5 points per game last season as the starting point guard, and Karl, son of NBA head coach George Karl, is the leading returning scorer at 12.7 per game. Karl also averaged more than three rebounds and three assists per game last year. He will lead the Broncos’ attack this season. If anybody can match Ellis’ production in the frontcourt, Boise State will surprise people in the WAC.

7. San Jose State Spartans (2004-05: 6-23, 3-15, 10th)
Starters:
Senior guard Donta Watson
Senior guard Alex Elam
Junior forward Harry Brown
Senior forward Demetruis Brown
Senior center Matt Misko

Schedule Highlights:
The Spartans play in Lubbock, Texas, as part of the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic to start the season. After that tournament, the Spartans look forward to a Nov. 30 meeting at California. They open the WAC season with two home games against Utah State Jan. 5 and Nevada Jan. 7. San Jose State then ends the season against those same teams on the road.

Outlook:
The biggest change in San Jose is new coach George Nessman. The former Cal assistant has already had a big impact for the Spartans because he signed Devonte Thomas, making Thomas the first high school senior from the Bay Area in 21years to accept a Spartan scholarship. Previously, San Jose State has made a living by signing JuCo recruits.

JuCo recruits Brown and reserves Menelik Barbary and Julian Richardson will strive to produce enough points to cover the loss of three key contributors from last year’s squad. The departed players include leading scorer forward Marquin Chandler, who averaged 19.6 points and 8.6 rebounds per game. They also lost Eric Bloom and Michael McFadden, who both averaged more than seven points per game. The Spartans will welcome back redshirt senior Brown, who should provide a spark for this team. He’s a 6-6 forward who started 16 of 25 games in 2003-04 and averaged 7.5 points per game that year.

The Spartans lost a lot from last season, but they have some depth in the frontcourt with Misko and Barbary. Their frontline can match up with others in the conference. This team has experience, as most contributors will be juniors or seniors. Elam is the leading returning scorer after averaging 9.8 points per game last season. Misko, Watson and Brown are all seniors who should start this year, too. The Spartans have a good chance to escape the basement of the conference for the first time since the 2002-03 season.

8. New Mexico State Aggies (2004-05: 6-24, 1-14 in the Sun Belt Conference’s West Division, 6th)
Starters:
Junior guard Elijah Ingram
Senior guard Mike Mitchell
Junior forward Supo Jegede
Sophomore forward Tyrone Nelson
Senior center Tyrone Lawrence

Schedule Highlights:
The Aggies open the season at UCLA in the NIT Season Tip-Off. The Aggies also play two games apiece against UTEP and New Mexico. Texas Tech also comes to Las Cruces Dec. 29. The toughest stretch of the WAC portion will be at the beginning of February when the Aggies face Utah State and Nevada twice in four games. They play four of their final five conference games at home and finish on the road at Hawaii.

Outlook:
The most noteworthy off-season change for New Mexico State is the hiring of Reggie Theus as head coach. The former NBA star comes from Louisville, where he was an assistant under Rick Pitino. He has brought enthusiasm back to the New Mexico State program.

Two transfers will play an important role in directing the Aggies this season. Ingram came from St. John’s after playing two seasons for the Red Storm in which he started 47 of 52 games and averaged more than 10 points per game. Theus needs Ingram to embrace the point guard position. The other key addition is Nelson, who came from Prairie View A&M. Nelson was named the Southwestern Athletic Conference freshman of the year while at Prairie View. In his only season there, he started 23 games and led the Panthers in scoring and rebounding at 15.1 points and 8.4 rebounds per game. JuCo transfer Jegede is also a projected starter.

This season could indicate which direction Theus will guide the program. He will use the fast-paced system that has worked so well for Pitino in Louisville, which will be a revolutionary strategy in the WAC. But this team lacks the depth necessary to be successful with this style. This team lacks experience beyond Lawrence and Mitchell, who are both seniors. If this team can win five games in WAC play, Theus can consider his first campaign a success.

9. Idaho Vandals (2004-05: 8-22 overall, 6-12 in the Big West, 8th)
Starters:
Sophomore guard Jerod Haynes
Senior guard Tanoris Shepard
Junior guard Keoni Watson
Sophomore forward Mike Kale
Junior forward Desmond Nwoke

Schedule Highlights:
Idaho open the season with three games in the state of Washington: At Gonzaga, Washington and Washington State. The Vandals open the WAC season against New Mexico State and Louisiana Tech, and their toughest stretch is on the road at Nevada and Utah State in January. Idaho ends the regular season with three road games at New Mexico State, Louisiana Tech and Boise State.

Outlook:
The biggest change for Idaho is their move from the Big West conference to the WAC. After struggling to 6-12 in the Big West last season, the Vandals will have an even rougher season in the more competitive WAC.

Aside from switching conferences, the Vandals must also deal with the loss of two of their top scorers. Guard Dandrick Jones, who averaged more than 16 points per game, and forward Anton Lyons, who averaged 11.4 points and 6.8 rebounds per game, were the most reliable options on an already mediocre team. Idaho must replace a third starter in forward Lionel Davis, who was second on the team in rebounding. Watson, a JuCo transfer, must help Idaho adjust to a new lineup. He can play either guard spot. Nwoke took a medical redshirt last season but now must contribute early and often.

The Vandals haven’t had a winning season since 1998-99, and with the conference switch, it’s going to be some time before they have another one. The confidence of this team could be fragile. It must learn how to win, which will be difficult in this conference. Idaho does have some size, with four players who are 6-8 or taller. The loss of three starters, however, will yield a tough season in Moscow, Idaho.

Conference Wrap Up

The WAC has one of the country’s best mid-major teams in Nevada. They are the first WAC team in seven seasons to be in both major top 25 polls entering the season, so they are definitely the favorite to win the conference. The Wolf Pack advanced to the Sweet 16 in 2004 and to the second round last season, which means the fans in Reno have high expectations for this season.

In addition to the team expectations, the WAC has two of the country’s most accomplished and noteworthy big men in Nevada’s Nick Fazekas and Louisiana Tech’s Paul Millsap. Fazekas, the conference player of the year in 2005, is the preseason player of the year and the top player on the conference’s best team. He is the WAC’s best NBA prospect. Millsap has the led country in rebounding during his first two seasons at Louisiana Tech, and he should do it for a third consecutive year. Both of these players should average more than 20 points and 10 rebounds a game.

The WAC’s biggest question is whether it will be a one-bid conference come March. Nevada will be in the NCAA Tournament, but will another team join the Wolf Pack? Most likely, no other team will merit an at-large bid. But should one team knock off Nevada in the WAC tournament, there will be two teams playing in the NCAA Tournament. Last season, Boise State knocked off Nevada on its home court in the conference tournament. Can it happen again?

WAC Offseason News

Pac-10 Conference 2003-04 Season Recap

by Scott Allen

Rice, SMU, Tulsa and UTEP are leaving the WAC at the end of this season for Conference USA, with New Mexico State, Utah State and Idaho set to fill their vacancy.

Reno will host the WAC tournament for the first time this season and will do so again in 2006. Reno has hosted Big West Conference tournament in the past.

The third annual Bracket Buster Saturday on February 19 will feature 11 nationally televised games selected from an expanded pool of 64 teams, including all 10 WAC schools. The 11 match-ups for Bracket Buster Saturday will be determined from the pool of 64 teams by ESPN in conjunction with the conferences approximately three weeks prior to the event.

Boise State Broncos

Despite protests from student and faculty, Boise State’s home court, formerly known as The Pavilion, is now Taco Bell Arena. Activist groups were initially incensed at the announcement, citing the alleged exploitation of Taco Bell’s tomato farm workers in Florida. Boise State officials responded to criticism by explaining that the Boise-area Taco Bell does not use produce from the Florida farms in question. The naming deal included the installation of a new basketball floor at the arena. While not entirely blue like its unique football brethren, the hardwood includes two huge Bronco logos inside each of the three-point arcs.

Head coach Greg Graham signed a five-year contract extension worth more than $1.3 million. Graham led the Broncos to a 23-10 record last season in advancing to the third round of the NIT.

The Broncos incoming class includes several JuCo recruits. Kareem Lloyd, a 6-foot-7 forward, who averaged 13.4 points and 10.3 rebounds per game last season at New Mexico Junior College is perhaps the most heralded. The Broncos also signed Seth Robinson, a 6-foot-6 forward, who averaged a true double-double (10.6 points and 10.6 rebounds per game) while at Scottsdale Community College. Antonio Fitzgerald, a 6-foot-9 forward from Kilgore College (Tex.), Rob Pankowski, a 6-foot-8 forward from Walla Walla Community College and Tezarray Banks from Cerritos College in Norwalk, California will also suit up for the Broncos this season.

Fresno State Bulldogs

Terry Pettis, who played parts of two seasons for Fresno State before being suspended and ultimately dismissed from the team, was arrested for the deadly shooting of Rene Abbott, 18, on April 27 in Fresno. Pettis was a high school standout in Minnesota, but his adolescence was marked by run-ins with the law, including previous charges for vandalism, battery and substance abuse. Pettis was extradited to California to face murder and robbery charges.

On a lighter and happier note, former Fresno State basketball star Rod Higgins was named general manager of the Golden State Warriors. Higgins played at Fresno State from 1979-82 and averaged 15.1 points per game in leading the Bulldogs to the Sweet 16 his senior year.

Hawai’i Rainbow Warriors

Longtime University of Hawai’i volunteer assistant men’s basketball coach Art Woolaway passed away in his home in Houston on August 21. The 92-year-old had been associated with the men’s basketball program for more than 30 years. His fervor for Hawai’i basketball was slowed for the past few years by the effects of skin cancer, and Woolaway would return to his home during the WAC season. “Art was a supporter of every coach here at UH,” head coach Riley Wallace said. “He was a friend of every player and taught both the coaches and players what Hawai’i was all about. He made sure that we all knew about the aloha spirit.”

The Rainbow Warriors signed Kris Groce, a 5-foot-9 point guard from Columbia Basin College in Pasco, Wash., who averaged 21.4 points and 7.2 assists per game. The Rainbow Warriors will also welcome Deonte Tatum, a 6-foot-2 point guard from Indian Hills Community College in Ottumwa, Iowa. Tatum averaged 8.4 points, 4.8 assists, and 4.6 rebounds per game and had an assist-to-turnover ratio of 2.28. Groce and Tatum will join fellow junior college transfers Chris Botez, Matt Gibson and Matt Gipson in Honolulu this fall.

Junior point guard Logan Lee, who started 26 games and averaged 4.2 points and 3.6 assists per game last season, left the Warrior program. Lee wanted to transfer to a school closer to his home in San Antonio.

Louisiana Tech Bulldogs

Louisina Tech inked junior college transfers Daevon Haskins and Michael Wilds, who join early signee Marcus Elliott as head coach Keith Richard’s 2004 recruiting class. Haskins, a 6-foot-4, 180-pound guard, played the past two seasons at South Plains College in Levelland, Texas, where he averaged 10.6 points per game and 5.6 assists per game as a sophomore. He helped lead the team to a 24-9 record and a Final Four berth in the NJCAA Region 5 Tournament. Wilds, a 6-foot-7, 230 pound forward, averaged 12.4 points and 8.4 rebounds per game as a sophomore at Chipola during the 2002-03 season and was named to the All-Panhandle Conference team. The Los Angeles native is a surprisingly solid outside shooter, as is fellow signee Jason Bray, a 6-foot-4 guard out of Collin County Community College in Plano Texas. There, Bray sunk 108 three-pointers last season and led the Express to back-to-back North Texas Junior College Athletic Conference championships. Bray averaged 15.8 points per game last season and shot 38 percent from long range. Two hours before the deadline for the late signing period, the Bulldogs inked Clarke Hale, a 6-foot-2 guard out of Azle High School in Texas. Hale averaged 27.3 points and 5.3 assists per game.

Nevada Wolf Pack

Already without their three best guards from last season, the Wolf Pack recently lost the services of Marcelus Kemp, who tore his ACL during a pickup game in August. He played every game last season, averaging 4.6 points per game.

After Trent Johnson departed to take over the head coach position at Stanford, Nevada named assistant Mark Fox their new court general. Fox, who was associate head coach under Johnson for the past four seasons, was also an assistant under Johnson at Washington in the early 90′s, and was an assistant at Kansas State for seven seasons until rejoining Johnson in 2000-01. Fox signed Dedrique Taylor as an assistant coach on his staff. Taylor was most recently an assistant coach at Portland State and also worked as an assistant at Loyola Marymount and UC-Davis, his alma mater.

The Wolf Pack also inked forward Mo Charlo, a 6-foot-7 forward from Diablo Valley College in Pleasant Hill, Calif. Charlo averaged 18.3 points, 7.2 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game during his sophomore season at Diablo Valley. Nevada also signed Lyndale Burleson, a 6-foot-3 point guard from Franklin High School in Seattle, Wash., where he averaged 19.1 points, 5.0 assists, 3.4 rebounds and 3.9 steals per game as a senior.

Rice Owls

After strongly considering moving to D-I AA or even I-AAA with an athletic department deficit of $10 million, Rice will remain D-I for the immediate future.

Shawn Respert was hired as Rice’s Director of Basketball Operations after spending last season as an assistant volunteer coach at Prairie View A&M. Respert replaces Carlin Hartman, who is now an assistant coach at Louisiana Lafayette. The No. 8 overall pick by Portland in the 1995 NBA draft, Respert played for five NBA teams over four-and-a-half years after a decorated career at Michigan State. With the Spartans, Respert scored 2,531 points (21.3 ppg), which ranks second all-time in the Big Ten Conference. He was a unanimous first team all-America as a senior and was named the Big Ten Player of the Year with a 25.6 scoring average.

San Jose State Spartans

The Spartans signed guards Kenny Smith and Alex Elam and forwards Mark Fresby and Menelik Barbary to National Letters of Intent. Smith averaged 16.3 points per game last season at Seminole (Okla.) Junior College.

Elam played two seasons at Cowley County Community College in Arkansas City, Kan., where he averaged 12.5 points and 3.5 rebounds per game. Fresby comes to San Jose from Mesa (Ariz.) Community College, while Barbary played two seasons at Bakersfield College.

That group will join guards Eric Bloom and Donta Watson and forward Matt Misko as members of the 2004 Spartan recruiting class. The 6-foot-4 Bloom averaged 18.8 points and 4.9 rebounds a game last season and the 5-foot-10 Watson poured in 21.0 points to go along with 4.4 assists per game. Misko, a 6-foot-10 forward/center, played at College of the Sequoias.

SMU Mustangs

New head coach Jimmy Tubbs, who was hired two seasons after he left to be an assistant at Oklahama, named Dean Christian an assistant coach on his staff. Christian has coached at the U.S. Air Force Academy Preparatory School since 2001 and also served as athletic director at the school. He previously was an assistant coach at the Air Force Academy for four seasons. Tubbs, who spent 12 years on SMU’s staff before leaving to join the Sooners, also named Tim Heskett as his Coordinator of Basketball Operations. Heskett comes to Dallas after two seasons as a graduate assistant coach at Clemson, serving under coaches Larry Shyatt and Oliver Purnell.

Tubbs replaces Mike Dement, who poasted a 138-120 record in nine seasons in Dallas. The Mustangs did not make an NCAA Tournament under Dement.

UTEP Miners

Doc Sadler replaced Billy Gilepsie, who took over the coaching vacancy at Texas A&M, as head coach of the Miners. Gillespie left a tough act to follow after guiding UTEP to a 24-8 record, second-place WAC finish and NCAA Tournament appearance. Sadler named David Anwar as the Miners Director of Basketball Operations. Anwar, who spent the past four seasons as an assistant at the University of Arkansas-Fort Smith, worked with Sadler when Sadler was head coach. UTEP also hired James Holland as an assistant coach. Holland was a scout for the NBA’s Washington Wizards this past year and has previous coaching experience as an assistant at Georgia, South Carolina-Spartanburg, North Carolina-Asheville and San Diego State.

Guard James Fontenet and swingman Shelton Johnson plan to walk on to the Miner basketball program. The 6-2, 180-pound Fontenet played one season at New Mexico State (2002-03) and spent the last year at Scottsdale (Ariz.) Community College. The 6-3, 200-pound Johnson played at Colorado State for the last two seasons. Both players will have two years of eligibility at UTEP, but Johnson will have to sit out the 2004-05 season. Fontenet averaged 18.7 points, 3.6 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 2.6 steals at Scottsdale Community College last season. Johnson started 28 games for the Rams, including 15 last season. He averaged 4.8 points and 2.9 rebounds per game.

Tulsa Golden Hurricane

Tulsa is set to makes its third appearance in the preseason NIT. The Golden Hurricane stormed through to the semifinals in 1996, knocking off UCLA and Oklahoma State before losing to Duke. Tulsa will face Wright State in the first round of this year’s tournament and will face the winner of Arizona-San Diego.

The Golden Hurricane signed prep star Deion James, a 6-foot-1, 180-pound point guard from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, who averaged 17.5 points and four assists per game. James led his Brewster Academy team to a 22-6 record, a runner-up finish in the State Prep Class A Championship and a No. 4 national ranking among prep schools. Tulsa also signed junior college forwards Yusuf Baker and Vernell Davis to National Letters of Intent. The 6-foot-8, 220-pound Baker averaged 12.4 points and 8.9 rebounds per game at the College of Southern Idaho, where he played for one season after transferring from the University of South Florida. In high school in Orlando, Baker was named the Florida Gatorade Player of the Year, and was a first-team Class 6A all-state selection his senior season. As a senior, he was widely considered the second best big man in Florida behind NBA first-round draft pick Amare Stoudemire. Davis, who is also 6-foot-8, 220 pounds, played at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M. A two-year starter, Davis averaged 9.7 points and 6.8 rebounds last season.

Sophomore guards Trevor Meier, a 6-foot-4 guard who played sparingly during his two seasons at Tulsa, and Kenneth Kelley left the program. Kelley played in all 29 games as a freshman and averaged 5.8 points and 2.0 rebounds per game. The reason for his departure was not disclosed.

WAC Season Recap

Western Athletic Conference 2003-04 Season Recap

by Joaquin Mesa

When Kirk Snyder was taken in the draft by the Utah Jazz, everyone who supports the WAC conference jumped in joy. A first-rounder! An actual first-rounder! The WAC Player of the Year was probably just as surprised as most of the NBA’s General Managers about the decision by the Jazz head honchos. The Utah Jazz, who have made a living by supporting the likes of good perimeter shooters like John Starks, John Stockton and Jeff Hornacek took an unproven shooter with a flare for the flashy. Nevertheless, the WAC conference was vindicated as it constantly claws its way into the upper-echelons of the college basketball’s major conference hierarchy.

The 2004-2005 college basketball season is upon us, and Duke, North Carolina, Kentucky, Connecticut, Arizona and Kansas are all prepared to defend their status as championship contenders. True, only one of these teams will win the title, but not one of these teams is questioned as to the high quality of their basketball program. However, most conferences live like the WAC conference, without a standout team ready to perform each and every year as a championship contender. Utah had a run at it for a while, but it wasn’t long enough to declare anything. Then they bolted for the Mountain West Conference, never to be heard from again. The best player to come out of the conference is Tim Hardaway, which speaks volumes about the quality of players that come to the WAC. They do have skills! It’s just that they don’t come with enough friends with them to make good teams. Keith Van Horn, Danny Ainge, Michael Cage and Melvin Ely round out the recently picked 25 Year All-WAC Team. It is a good team that would challenge any other major conference’s first team, but it took them 25 years to organize it.

Nevada had a spectacular season last year, advancing to the Sweet 16 for only the 23rd time in WAC history. They won their first two NCAA Tournament games after having been to the tournament only two other times, in 1984 and 1985. Kirk Snyder might thank his lucky stars that his team made it as far as they did; otherwise he could have been an easy second rounder, or even worse. Ex-Coach Trent Johnson can thank his lucky stars that his team went as far as they did, otherwise he might not be the coach of perennial powerhouse Stanford. There were a lot of people that benefited from the successful season that Nevada had, except for the Nevada program. They lost their best player and head coach. That is very tough to rebound from, even for an established program. Just ask UCLA.

On the other hand, some other notorious WAC teams might just take this opportunity to establish themselves as contenders again. UTEP, which finished second to Nevada in conference play, is poised to succeed in conference play this year. They have their top four scorers returning, and a freshman class that has the WAC talking. This is a team that played Maryland to the buzzer in the first round of the NCAA tournament. It is a no-brainer to pick these guys as the top team coming out of this conference, especially with all of the change that Nevada will be dealing with. Now, some of you might say that UTEP is changing coaches as well, and you would be right. However, they are returning their key players, which makes a change of coaches that much easier. Also, Coach Doc Sadler also acted as assistant coach for the Athletics during last season’s tournament run. Put two and two together and you have a team that is going to make their home crowd raucous.

However, don’t forget about the miraculous run that the WAC teams had last season. It was a glorious season for WAC hoopsters, so let’s take a look!

Regular Season

Nevada beat UTEP in the final conference game of the season to take the regular season title in the WAC by tie-breaker. It was a tough game that propelled Nevada into its first tournament berth since 1985. The final score, 66-60, showed just how hard fought the game actually was. The lead changed hands seven times in the second half alone, but Nevada’s Kirk Snyder took what seeded like every rebound helping the Miners to the victory. Nevada was playing catch up to the Miners for most of the season, as their early losses taught them valuable lessons that would translate to their successful run in the NCAA tournament. UTEP, though beaten in the final regular season game, was granted an at-large NCAA tournament berth.

The regular season saw some big games won by WAC teams. Nevada started the season against Vermont, which it promptly dispatched of 69-49. You might remember Vermont as the team that almost took out UConn in the first round of the NCAA tournament. Okay, not really. But they did make the tournament, a feat unto itself. It was wins over UNLV and Kansas that really sent the Nevada train chugging down its tournament-bound path. The Kansas game was part of the reason that two teams from the WAC made it into the NCAA tournament at all. If you can beat Kansas, you can beat anyone. Oregon State fell victim to Hawaii and Boise State while Washington State fell to Rice and Fresno State. All in all, the lone victory by the Pac-10 over a WAC team, except for Stanford’s wins over Rice (which we won’t count because it was Stanford), was USC’s win over Fresno State, which wasn’t impressive at all. Thus, the final tally against the Pac-10, the WAC was 4-2. This isn’t half bad against a major conference. Southern Methodist, though lacking in conference wins, had one big win against Texas Tech and Bobby Knight. How this happened, I don’t know, but the Mustangs are looking to improve upon this in the upcoming season.

The Runs

Nevada has a glorious run in the NCAA Tournament with a Sweet 16 appearance that was promptly ruined by Georgia Tech. The Wolfpack actually took a lead into halftime, and were poised to win with B.J. Elder of the Yellow Jackets on the bench with a bum ankle, a result of a heavy landing Kirk Synder. However, it was not meant to be as the Yellow Jacket’s defense forced too many bad shots in the second half. Nevada did beat upstart Gonzaga, which proved to be worth less than its weight in gold. However, this is a small prize in comparison to the title.

UTEP was stopped in the first round of the tournament, which was to be expected as they were paired against Maryland. However, it was a tight game that saw Maryland squander an 11 point lead in the second half. In the end, it was the clutch free-throws put in by Maryland that won the game, and sent UTEP back to Texas with a valuable learning experience.

In the NIT Tournament, Boise State, Hawaii and Rice led the WAC to a reasonably successful run in the tournament. Hawaii had one of the most surprising victories over ranked Utah State, a team that was a surprise omission from the NCAA tournament. Their 11 point victory in the first round of the tournament helped NCAA officials make a case for their controversial bubble selections, and it also handed Utah State their fourth loss of the season. Rice bowed out early to an overwhelming Wisconsin-Milwaukee team 91-63, while Boise State beat UNLV and then the very same Wisconsin-Milwaukee team to make it into the round of 16. Hawaii joined them in the round of 16 with a victory over Nebraska.

All-Conference Team

Kirk Synder, Nevada
Michael Kuebler, Hawaii
Aaron Hayes, Boise St.
Michael Harris, Rice
Omar Thomas, UTEP

Coach of the Year:

Billy Gillispie, UTEP

Player of the Year:

Kirk Synder, Nevada

Defensive Player of the Year:

Paul Millsap, Louisiana Tech

I went with the leading scorers on each of the top five teams in the league. I know some people really liked Filiberto Rivera, but I couldn’t justify the selection of a point guard who couldn’t lead his team past the first round of the NCAA’s. Paul Millsap is only a freshman, but he was a monster on the boards, leading the WAC with 12.5 rebounds per game. Add this to his already league leading 1.7 blocks per game, and it is a no-brainer for Defensive Player of the Year.

Nevada Wolfpack 25-9, 13-5

Team MVP: Kirk Snyder

Top Scorer: Kirk Synder, 18.7 ppg
Top Rebounder: Nick Fazekas, 7.6 rpg
Top Assists: Todd Okeson, 4.0 apg

Starters Leaving: Kirk Synder (NBA draft), Todd Okeson (graduated), Gary Hill-Thomas (graduated), Sean Paul (graduated)

Key Players Returning: Nick Fazekas, Kevin Pinkney, Marcus Kemp

Nevada is losing the core of their team, and that doesn’t bode well for first-year Coach Mark Fox. Fox has spent the last four years as the associate Coach for the Wolfpack, and he is going to have a few rough years before this team becomes a tournament team again. This team lost perhaps the best player to have graced the program in Kirk Snyder. He was a true small forward who was as tenacious as he was skilled. If not for the return of Sophomore standout Nick Fazekas, this team would be at the bottom of the WAC this year.

UTEP Miners 24-8, 13-5

Team MVP: Omar Thomas

Top Scorer: Omar Thomas, 15.5 ppg
Top Rebounder: Jason Williams, 6.1 rpg
Top Assists: Filiberto Rivera, 4.8 apg

Starters Leaving: Chris Craig (graduated), Roy Smallwood (graduated)

Key Players Returning: Omar Thomas, Filiberto Rivera, Jason Williams, John Tofi, Giovanni St. Amant

UTEP is returning most of its key contributers, which will help first year Coach Doc Sadler. It is lucky to retain their point guard position, which many people attribute college basketball success to. I like to think that big men get it done, especially if they are motivated. Jason Williams and John Tofi should be a fun duo to watch under the boards. They both averaged around 6 rebounds a game last year, and look to be getting the ball more. With Filiberto Rivera getting them the ball, this team might be a contender again, even with the coaching change.

Boise State Broncos 23-10, 12-6

Team MVP: Aaron Haynes

Top Scorer: Aaron Haynes, 14.6 ppg
Top Rebounder: Jason Ellis, 9.1 rpg
Top Assists: Bryan DeFares, 3.7 apg

Starters Leaving: Bryan DeFares (graduated), Joe Skiffer (graduated), Aaron Haynes (graduated)

Key Players Returning: Jason Ellis, Coby Karl, Jermaine Blackburn

Though the Broncos lose starting players Aaron Haynes and Bryan DeFares, the team is in good hands in Jason Ellis, Coby Karl and Jermaine Blackburn. Jermaine challenged Haynes for the scoring title for most of the year. Though he doesn’t rebound quite as well as Haynes, he is more accurate from behind the line. Haynes and DeFares were the core of this team for over two years. They shared their team’s MVP honors last year, and Haynes received the award this year. He was drafted by the Florence Flyer of the USBL, and this team will miss him.

Rice Owls 22-11, 12-6

Team MVP: Michael Harris

Top Scorer: Michael Harris, 17.5 ppg
Top Rebounder: Michael Harris, 8.9 rpg
Top Assists: Rashid Smith, 4.8 apg

Starters Leaving: Rashid Smith (graduated), Mamadou Yamar Diene (graduated)

Key Players Returning: Michael Harris, Jason McKrieth, Brock Gillespie, J.R. Harrison, Jamaal Moore

Rice will return 4 starters to their rotation this year, two of which have been touring in China with Athletes in Action. Jason McKrieth and Michael Harris will return to the team in good shape and ready to build upon the 20-win season that they put together last year. Rice might be the favorite to win the conference with its depth and experience.

Hawaii Warriors 21-12, 11-7

Team MVP: Michael Kuebler

Top Scorer: Michael Kuebler, 18.4 ppg
Top Rebounder: Julian Sensley, 7.5 rpg
Top Assists: Logan Lee, 3.8 apg

Starters Leaving: Michael Kuebler (graduated), Phil Martin (graduated), Jason Carter (graduated), Haim Shimonovich (graduated), Michael Kuebler (graduated), Paul Jesinskis (graduated)

Key Players Returning: Julian Sensley, Jeff Blackett, Vaidotas Peciukas

Too many players are gone from a team that won 20 games last year. There are three seniors left on the team, with most of the players having only one, two or no years of good experience. Julian Sensley will look to take over the middle with Michael Kuebler gone, but who else will step up as an outside threat? This question will need to be answered in the first few games or Hawaii might be in a bit of trouble.

Fresno State Bulldogs 14-15, 10-8

Team MVP: Shantay Legans

Top Scorer: Shantay Legans, 15.0 ppg
Top Rebounder: Mustafa Al-Sayyad, 7.3
Top Assists: Shantay Legans, 5.6

Starters Leaving: Renaldo Major (graduated), Shantey Legans (graduated), Jonathon Woods (graduated), Marcus West, Terry Pettis, Francis Koffi, Chris Adams

Key Players Returning: Mustafa Al-Sayyad, Dreike Bouldin, Jack Marlow

Now, the key returning players that I have mentioned are nothing spectacular. This team is in complete flux. There will only be three returning players from the team of last year. Coach Ray Lopes is welcoming seven incoming freshman, as well as two redshirt freshman from last year. He got a good Junior College transfer in JaVance Coleman, but other then that, this is going to be a team of the future. Look for the Bulldogs at the bottom of the standings.

Louisiana Tech Bulldogs 15-15, 8-10

Team MVP: Paul Millsap

Top Scorer: Paul Millsap, 15.6 ppg
Top Rebounder: Paul Millsap, 12.5 rpg
Top Assists: Donell Allick, 3.6 apg

Starters Leaving: JueMichael Young

Key Players Returning: Paul Millsap, Corey Dean, Donell Allick, Wayne Powell, Barry Thompson

This team did not lose too much. In fact, the core of their team is still sophomore star Paul Millsap. Millsap was a consensus Freshman of the Year in the WAC, and the team will be built around him for the next few years. The starters are still all there, so expect to see this team better their .500 record.

Southern Methodist Mustangs 12-18, 5-13

Team MVP: Brian Hopkins

Top Scorer: Brian Hopkins, 17.7 ppg
Top Rebounder: Patrick Simpson, 6.0 rpg
Top Assists: Brian Hopkins, 3.8 apg

Starters Leaving: Kris Lowe (graduated),

Key Players Returning: Brian Hopkins, Patrick Simpson, Eric Castro, Justin Isham

This is another team that will bring back a lot of its roster. It will only lose two seniors, and only one starter. Their top four scorers return, and their team leader Brian Hopkins is ready to take another step towards Southern Methodist Mustang history.

Tulsa Golden Hurricane 9-20, 5-13

Team MVP: Jason Parker

Top Scorer: Jason Parker, 16.9 ppg
Top Rebounder: Jarius Glenn, 6.1 rpg
Top Assists: Jason Parker, 2.9 apg

Starters Leaving: Jason Parker (graduated), Kenneth Kelley

Key Players Returning: Jarius Glenn, Anthony Price, Seneca Collins, Guilherme Teichmann

All the teams that did not have success last year are returning a lot of experienced players. Despite losing team leader Jason Parker, Tulsa has a chance to regain the glory that it has gotten used to in the last twenty years. In the last twenty-four years, Tulsa has won eight regular season conference championships, five post-season conference championships, gone to the NCAA Tournament thirteen times, the NIT five times, and won the NIT twice. They should be poised to continue that success this year.

San Jose State Spartans 6-23, 1-17

Team MVP: Eric Walton

Top Scorer: Eric Walton, 11.8 ppg
Top Rebounder: Eric Walton, 6.5 rpg
Top Assists: Bim Okunrinboye, 3.2 apg

Starters Leaving: Eric Walton (graduated), Bim Okunrinboye (graduated), Brett Lilly (graduated), Phil Calvert (graduated)

Key Players Returning: Marquin Chandler, Demetrius Brown, Michael McFadden

This team might have the most to prove with only one win in conference play last year. It also might have one of the hardest times doing so, with only one returning starter. Now this might seem like a good thing considering how the team did last year, so lets wait and see before we put the fork in the Spartans.

WAC Notebook

WAC Notebook

by Dean Austin

So let’s face it, you haven’t been paying much attention to the WAC. Every year Tulsa wins a boat load of games, Fresno State does something really stupid and ends up on probation and San Jose State stink out the joint. The excellent Tulsa coach takes his Golden Hurricanes into the second week of the tournament and promptly bolts for pastures new.

So there you are, casually perusing the results and standings; checking out who is going to join Tulsa in the Big Dance this year and all of a sudden there’s that sense of unease. Is this an episode of Sliders where unbeknownst to yourself you are in a parallel Earth? Sure most things still look the same, the right wing and the left are fighting over something, you still can’t find a radio station anywhere that plays four songs in a row that you like, nobody cares about the NBA or NHL until the playoffs, Duke keeps winning, the East Coast media is over ranking their clubs – again, North Carolina is a tournament train wreck waiting to happen and the Committee will screw one of the SEC teams again this year.

But for the love of Timmy Hardaway what is going on in the WAC? Fresno State has a losing record, Tulsa has lost 20 games, Rice and Boise State have both won over 20 and aren’t even in the top two of the conference and UTEP and Nevada are battling it out for bragging rights. At least San Jose State is trying hard to remain some resemblance of normalcy going a mind numbing 1-20 in their final 21 games.

Certainly you could make a case at the start of the year for Nevada to be the best team in the conference and there were enough national scribes to generate an occasional comment about a possible break out year for Rice or Boise State but UTEP? The Miners came out of nowhere.

There may be a couple of better coaching turn-arounds in the country this year but from 6 wins to 24 is a pretty darn impressive feat for coach Billy Gillispie and his UTEP squad. I’m generally not a fan of powder puff early season schedules, but the Miners showed how to schedule smartly. Easy games against the likes of Portland State and Arkansas Pine Bluff were bracketed around battles against Texas Tech, Houston and a rare home and home in season against a non conference opponent in New Mexico State. Sweeping the Aggies and beating the Cougars was offset by the one pre conference blemish in the loss to Bobby Knight and his Red Raiders. A 94-68 pounding of Rutgers finished off the excellent 9-1 pre conference schedule and set the stage for a good WAC run.

In retrospect of course combining four returning starters with a couple of JUCO transfers who made a significant impact is a good way to rebuild a program. Point Guard Filberto Rivera was all he was cracked up to be but it was Omar Thomas who stole the show leading the team in scoring while only sixth in minutes played. And the Miners had one other thing going for them, a 1.2:1 Assist to Turnover ratio. Now having such a ratio isn’t a prerequisite for a good team but if you have such a positive ratio then good things start to happen.

It will be curious to see if UTEP goes dancing, they are certainly right on the bubble and would be a nasty #11 or #12 seed that could upset one of the over rated #5′s.

Definitely going dancing are the Wolf Pack of Nevada who made sure winning the WAC tournament over the Miners Saturday night. Pre season WAC conference player of the year Kirk Snyder did not disappoint leading the WAC in scoring for the year and maintaining his 19.0 average through the month of February.

The only other team in the WAC to exhibit a 1.2:1 assist to turnover ratio was Hawaii and that goes some way to explaining why the Rainbow Warriors were nipping at the heals of the Top 25 for part of the year. A strong 14-3 start for Riley Wallace’s squad was derailed by a 4-4 February and the team limped home 5-7 over the last dozen games of the season to extinguish any chance of an at large bid. Particularly damaging was the loss on February 22nd to Southern Illinois, which ironically boosted the Salukis’ stature. Heralded recruit Julian Sensley was a disappointment in that game the sophomore scoring only 4 points in 38 minutes and while the local product has rebounded well (7+ per game – 4th in the conference) and has a very nice A/TO ratio of almost 2:1, his 12+ points a game are not as many as was anticipated.

Rice built on last year’s 19-10 team adding three more victories and improving their conferences wins by one as well. But like the Rainbow Warriors, February was the Achilles heal of the Owls who went 4-3 in seven contests. Coach Willis Wilson’s squad ironically was more defined by their losses to Stanford and Connecticut by a combined 13 points. Junior Forward Michael Harris made a move for all conference honors with four consecutive double-doubles down the stretch and maintained his 3rd place in the conference rebounding stakes.

Holding the No. 1 spot in the rebounding stakes was easily the freshman of the year within the conference, Paul Millsap whose presence in Ruston was enough to rate the incoming class highly by a number of services. Millsap was also a top ten scorer and it remains to be seen how long he will stay to be part of Coach Keith Richard’s transition from last year’s senior laden squad. Richards gets props for scheduling games at Alabama, Arkansas and UAB but unfortunately the Bulldogs lost all those games and a majority of their WAC contests.

Over in Boise Coach Greg Graham really turned around his program from his debut season of 13-16. An excellent 7-1 record in February combined with a signature win at Oregon State early in the year shows that this senior packed team bought into the coach’s program. I had a sneaking suspicion that the Broncos would make noise in the WAC tournament but they fell at the second hurdle to UTEP. Still the NIT would be smart to bring this team into the fold.

SMU remain one of the stranger teams in the country. A team that could beat Texas Tech and Purdue and yet perform so badly in conference that the Mustangs cost their Coach, Mike Dement, his job following a 39 point loss to Boise State. Ironically sophomore guard Bryan Hopkins played his best ball after Dement’s demise averaging 24.4 points down the stretch.

Coach Ray Lopes has major problems in Fresno as the senior and junior laden Bulldogs finished with a losing record after starting 2-5 and never fully recovered. Similarly in Tulsa Coach John Phillips has to have wondered what he got himself into. The Golden Hurricane fans are used to excelling in the Big Dance not losing 20 games and losing them convincingly. Only a one point victory at San Jose State prevented Tulsa losing every game in February.

The less said about San Jose State the better.

WAC Finals Recap

Western Athletic Finals Recap
		Recap by Steve Sheridan No. 1 Nevada 66, No. 2 UTEP 60 After being crowned co-champions of the WAC during the regular season, top-seeded Nevada and second-seeded UTEP faced off in the championship game on Saturday night, with Nevada escaping from The Save Mart Center with its first-ever WAC Championship, a 66-60 victor. Kirk Snyder, named the WAC Tournament MVP for his work, helped the team to victory despite a horrible shooting night. Snyder finished with 11 points on only 3-of-13 shooting, but also added 14 rebounds, as neither team was able to get any sort of rhythm going on the offensive end. UTEP shot only 33 percent from the field, while Nevada was able to pull out the victory despite hitting just 31 percent of its shots. Kevinn Pinkney led the Wolf Pack with 15 points, followed by Todd Okeson with 14 points. But Snyder, Pinkney, Okeson and Nick Fazekas, the top four offensive threats for Nevada, hit only 10-of-46 shots between the four of them as the tenacious UTEP defense combined to slow down the potent Nevada offense. However, the Wolf Pack did just as good a job on the Miners. Omar Thomas, who came into the game as UTEP’s leading scorer, scored 12 points, but all of those 12 came in the opening 20 minutes as he was unable to help his team down the stretch. Thomas, Filiberto Rivera and Jason Williams combined to hit only 13-of-37 attempts as each team displayed their struggling stars and intense defense for a national audience. The game was very close throughout, with neither team able to gain a huge advantage. There were seven lead changes in the second half, although UTEP held a lead for the majority of the final 20 minutes and seemed to have control of the game in the second half. However the last lead change came in the favor of the Wolf Pack at the 3:13 mark on a Snyder lay-up, one of his three field goals on the evening. Following that lay-up, UTEP was held to just two free throws as Nevada ended the game on a 9-2 run that sealed the championship. The WAC all-tournament team, announced just after the game, was populated entirely of Wolf Pack and Miner members. Snyder and Okeson were named from the winning Wolf Pack team while Miners Rivera, Thomas and Williams were all recognized for their excellent efforts. Snyder was serenaded with chants of “One More Year!” from the Nevada faithful that traveled to Fresno. The junior guard is considered a good NBA prospect, but all Wolf Pack fans are anticipating another excellent season with their star guard playing in a Nevada uniform.

WAC Quarterfinals Recap

Western Athletic Quarterfinals Recap
		Recap by Steve Sheridan No. 1 Nevada 75, No. 8 SMU 60 Reigning WAC Player of the Year Kirk Snyder had a huge game for the Wolf Pack, scoring 22 points and grabbing nine rebounds in Nevada’s 75-60 quarterfinal win over SMU on Thursday night. The Mustangs were overwhelmed by Nevada’s offensive attack, which also featured 18 points from Todd Okeson and Nick Fazekas’ 14 points. SMU, led by Bryan Hopkins (22 points) was able to stay close for the first half, but the home team was able to pull away in the second half. The Wolf Pack shot 49 percent from the field for the game, and shot the ball well during a key 16-3 run midway through the second half that put the game away. Okeson and Snyder each scored six points during the run, in which SMU mustered only three free throws, and Nevada never looked back after that point. After a hot start, the Mustangs shot just 26 percent in the second half, hitting only six field goals in the game’s final 20 minutes. Eric Castro added 15 points and seven boards for SMU, but in the end the team was unable to match the offensive firepower displayed by the top seed. No. 2 UTEP 62, No. 7 Louisiana Tech 55 The third time was not the charm for Tech on Thursday night, as the Bulldogs fell to the UTEP Miners, 62-55, behind the strong play of Omar Thomas. Thomas has 20 points and six rebounds off the bench for UTEP, as the Miners raced out to a big 42-30 halftime lead and never looked back. In a game in which neither team shot the ball particularly well, UTEP managed to hit 40 percent of its shots and escaped with the victory. Chris Craig was certainly unafraid to hoist up the shots for the Miners, as he went 4-of-10 from three-point range for 12 points, with all of his shots coming from behind the arc. Jason Williams also had a fine game under the glass, scoring nine points and grabbing 10 rebounds. Louisiana Tech had three players in double figures, but didn’t receive enough production from its bench. Using only three players off the bench, Barry Thompson scored all seven of the Bulldogs’ bench points on the evening, as the team as a whole shot just 35 percent. Paul Millsap led the way with 16 points and 12 rebounds in a losing effort. No. 3 Boise State 71 No. 6 Fresno State 54 If a team shoots nearly 60 percent from the floor over the course of a game, there is not much an opponent can do about that. Boise State gave out that lesson to the Fresno State Bulldogs the hard way on Thursday night, taking a 71-54 victory. The Bulldogs went almost six minutes without a field goal in a first-half stretch in which the third-seeded Broncos went on an 8-0 to take a double digit lead that would never be threatened. After that run, Fresno State was unable to get within 10 points the rest of the way, as Boise State, led by Aaron Haynes’ 14 points, shot 59 percent for the game. Three other Broncos scored in double figures, as the higher seed simply dominated play in the second half, cruising to an easy victory. Marcus West had a game-high 16 points for Fresno State, which also had four players score over 10 points, but the remainder of the team contributed only seven points. The Bulldogs simply had no answer for the red-hot Bronco shooting, however, as the lead grew to as much as 23 points in the second half. No. 4 Rice 70, No. 5 Hawaii 68 Michael Harris and Jason McKrieth combined for 48 points on Thursday night as the Rice Owls staved off a late Hawaii comeback in a 70-68 quarterfinal win. The first half of this game was all about runs, as the Rainbow Warriors came out strong, sprinting out to a 10-2 lead on 5-of-5 shooting to begin things. The Owls came right back, however, with a 12-3 run of their own to regain a 14-13 advantage. The teams battled back-and-forth for the remainder of the half, and Hawaii went into intermission with a slight 39-35 lead. The Owls were clinging to a 70-67 lead with 3.8 seconds left when Hawaii’s Logan Lee hit the front end of a one-and-one before deliberately missing the second, but Phil Martin was unable to knock down a short jumper upon corralling the rebound, a shot that would have sent the game into overtime. Michael Kuebler paced the Rainbow Warriors with 15 points, helped along by Julian Sensley with 14 points and Jeff Blackett with 13. However, the team’s respectable 43 percent shooting was not enough to hang with the fiery Owls, who hit over 56 percent of its shots on the day.

WAC Semifinals Recap

Western Athletic Semifinals Recap
		Recap by Steve Sheridan No. 1 Nevada 67, No. 4 Rice 59 For the Nevada Wolf Pack, Kirk Snyder is the one constant offensive force. But unlike Thursday night’s game, some other Wolf Pack members were able to step up to help the top seed avenge its last loss with a 67-59 win over Rice and advance to the WAC title game for the second time in two years. The league’s leading scored notched 20 points, but was helped out by three other Wolf Pack players in double figures, led by Kevinn Pinkney with 12 points and 11 rebounds and Jermaine Washington with 12 points and eight boards. The Owls were able to stay close, however, but they were never able to take the lead from Nevada, thanks to Snyder’s 14 second half points – including eight free throws – which helped his team stay in front. Nevada was able to take control of the game due to its domination both on the glass and from the free throw line, as the Wolf Pack amassed nine more rebounds than the Owls and, more importantly, took 13 more free throws than Rice, making 20 of them. Rice coach Willis Wilson was on the referees all evening long, as Nevada (and especially Snyder) was able to get to the charity stripe much more than their fourth-ranked opponents. Jason McKrieth scored 20 points to pace the Rice attack, while the team’s leading scorer Michael Harris added 14, but Harris battled foul trouble all night and fouled out with 6:52 remaining in the game, a huge blow to the Owls’ chances. The Owl bench also contributed only eight points to the team’s total, putting much of the load on the five starters. The starters managed to perform well, but in the end the starting five were unable to carry the team over a well-balanced and unpredictable Nevada squad. No. 2 UTEP 83, No. 3 Boise State 75 Five Miners reached double figures for UTEP as set up a championship battle with top-seeded Nevada by taking down Boise State, 83-75, the first win for UTEP against the Broncos in three tries this season. Omar Thomas again led the Miners with 21 points off the bench, while four of the five UTEP starters also scored 10 or more points to keep the team ahead of the pesky Broncos and keep its incredible season alive. Although behind for most of the game, Boise State was able to get to within 66-63 with four minutes left on a three-pointer from Coby Karl (whose dad, former Milwaukee Bucks head coach George Karl, was in attendance), but the Miners were able to hit six free throws while the Broncos suddenly went cold from the floor. As in the Nevada game, free throws were very important to the winning team, as UTEP hit 14-of-15 free throws in the game’s waning minutes as Boise State desperately tried to get itself back in the game. On the evening, the Miners hit 28-of-36 free throw attempts, compared to just 15-of-22 shooting for the Broncos. The constant fouling hurt Boise State on the offensive end as well, as both Karl and Eric Lane, who both had 12 points on the game, fouled out late in trying to keep their team alive. Bryan Defares scored 16 points to top the score sheet for the Broncos, but the miraculous season of UTEP continued all the way to the title game. The Miners reached the WAC final for the first time since 1993, as the team continues to break out of the shadow of last season’s team, which won only six games all last year. The turnaround is the biggest in school history and one of the greatest in conference history, and the Cinderella season with write one more chapter Saturday night.

WAC First Round Recap

Western Athletic Conference First Round Recap
		Recap by Phil Kasiecki (8) SMU 79, (9) Tulsa 60 Bryan Hopkins scored 30 points on 10-13 shooting to lead SMU to a 79-60 win over Tulsa on Tuesday night. The sophomore guard was 6-8 on three-pointers along the way to lead a 56% shooting effort by the Mustangs, including 68% in the second half, while they held the Golden Hurricane to 36.4% from the field. Patrick Simpson supported Hopkins with 20 points, as the Mustangs (12-17) advanced to take on Nevada in the quarterfinals on Thursday. Tulsa (9-20) was led by Jarius Glenn’s 17 points, while Guilherme Teichmann and Jason Parker each added 14 points. It ended the first 20-loss season for the Golden Hurricane since 1988. (7) Louisiana Tech 57, (10) San Jose State 51 Louisiana Tech opened the second half with a 13-2 run to break open a three-point halftime lead, then scored eight unanswered points to break a 49-49 tie en route to a 57-51 win over San Jose State. The Spartans (6-23) made a valiant comeback bid, using six three-pointers in the second half to eventually tie the game at 49 with 1:33 left. But the Bulldogs, who took the halftime lead with the last eight points of the half, scored eight in a row again to take the lead for good. Six of the final points came on free throws. San Jose State looked to be in dire straights when leading scorer Eric Walton fouled out with 14:44 left, but Marquin Chandler picked up the slack en route to 21 points to lead their rally. Louisiana Tech (15-14) got 16 points and 18 rebounds from Paul Millsap, the nation’s leading rebounder, and 18 points from Donell Allick. They advance to take on Texas-El Paso in the quarterfinals on Thursday.

WAC Notebook

WAC Notebook

by Phil Dailey

The Western Athletic Conference race is starting to heat up as it approaches the halfway point of the conference season. Leading the way for the WAC crown may be a bit of a surprise to some, but remind many of previous years.

After losing its top players from a year ago, Hawaii has made believers out of many doubters, including myself. Known as a poor shooting team away from Honolulu, the Warriors seem to have found their balance and just might be the team to beat come WAC tourney time. However, with the Warriors’ loss Wednesday night against Rice, the WAC now sports a tie for first place. Close behind is Fresno State, preseason favorite Nevada, UTEP and Boise State – all in the mist of tight battle for the regular season title.

Bulldogs find offense

Not much has been said about Louisiana Tech this season – largely because it has been unable to score enough points to surpass its opponents. Last week, LA Tech decided to change it up a bit by beating Southern Methodist, 75-61, in Dallas. Freshman forward Paul Millsap deserves some credit for his efforts all season long averaging 14.8 points per game as well as leading the nation in rebounds with 12.5 a contest. The Bulldogs improved their woeful road record to 3-6 on the year.

“It was a good win because it was our first road win in league play this year,” head coach Keith Richard said. “It was probably our best offensive performance of the year.”

La Tech went on a 9-0 run late in the game to seal the deal, giving Richard his 100th win of his career.

Richard believes a new found team balance allowed the Bulldogs to pull through with the win.

“This happened to be a game where, in particular, Corey (Dean) and Donell (Allick) made some shots, hopefully this will carry on for the next game,” Richard said.

LA Tech has yet another tough road trip again this week as it travels to Idaho to take on Boise State and then to Texas to battle UTEP.

Battle in Reno set for Saturday

This weekend, two of the top teams in the conference square off in Northern Nevada. Fresno State might want to take notice before they arrive on campus that this year’s Wolf Pack squad has been unstoppable at the Lawler Events Center. That is of course if you forget about that preseason loss in Reno, Nev., to Humboldt State back on Nov. 11. Well, that game didn’t count of course, and Nevada sure has redeemed itself as it has gone 9-0 with wins against Kansas, Tulsa and against Rice, 101-76, last Saturday night.

Despite its six losses on the year, Nevada is playing like a tournament team at home and Rice head coach Willis Wilson has one big reason why.

“We didn’t have an answer for Kirk Snyder; He looked like a man amongst boys,” Wilson said about the 25-point defeat to Nevada last week.

Snyder is averaging 17.9 ppg and nearly six boards per game.

Of course everyone is well aware of Snyder at this point, but people around the WAC are now learning of another stand-out player for the Wolf Pack. 6-foot-11 freshman forward/center Nick Fazekas is starting to play a much bigger role for Nevada. The Arvada, Colo., product is scoring 11.7 ppg along with his 7.1 boards a game.

“He’s in his comfort zone. He’s doing a good job on the offensive side of the floor,” Wolf Pack head coach Trent Johnson said.

Nevada is going to need all it can get this weekend from its two top players. The last time Fresno State and Nevada went at it on the hard-court, the Bulldogs squeaked out a 107-99 double overtime win in Fresno, Calif.

You can count on the Bulldogs to be prepared once more for a shootout.

“It’s going to be a very tough game,” Fresno State head coach Ray Lopes said. “If your not prepared for a fight…you’re just going to get beat down.”

Rice is all fired up

The Owls continue to impress as they took down one of the league’s best Wednesday night in Houston. Rice squeaked out a 76-73 home win against Hawaii to move into a tie for first place in WAC. Jason McKrieth led the way for Rice with 19 points while Michael Harris added another 18.

“He’s really starting to come into a zone; he’s become a very, very complete player,” said Rice head coach Willis Wilson earlier in the week about McKrieth.

“We certainly would not have the success without Jason.”

McKrieth averages nearly 15 points and 5 boards per game for the Owls.

Many folks may be surprised at the success of Rice this year, but for the most part they return a squad that won 19 games a year ago.

This weekend the Owls should have a cake-walk at friendly Autry Court against the WACs only winless team, San Jose State.

Quick hits around the WAC (listed in conference standing)

Rice (14-5, 6-2) – Win against Fresno State last week was the first win ever in Fresno for the Owls. Only team the last two years to not lose back-to-back games.

Hawaii (14-5, 6-2) – The Warriors had their six-game winning streak snapped Wednesday against Rice. It was the 15th longest in the nation. Center Haim Shimonovich is the WAC’s career leader in block shots with 132.

Fresno State (10-7, 6-2) – Shantay Legans, Senior transfer from California, continues to lead the WAC in assist with 5.4 per game. He is the first person ever in the WAC to do so on the lowest scoring team in the conference.

Nevada (11-6, 5-3) – 101 points scored last week against Rice was the first time the Wolf Pack has gone over the century mark in Trent Johnson’s four years as head coach. Senior Garry Hill-Thomas lays claim to the most career active free-throw attempts in the WAC with 549.

UTEP (13-4, 4-3) – The Miners are currently 10-1 at home. 71 teams won less than ten games last year including UTEP. Of them, the Miners have the best winning percentage (.765) this season.

Boise State (11-6, 3-4) – Bryan Defares, Booker Nabors and Eric Lane all sat out last week’s 64-58 loss in Hawaii due to unspecified rule violations. Defares (918) and Nabors (914) are projected to be the next two players in the WAC to score 1,000 or more points. Two more wins for the Broncos ties last years total at 13.

Louisiana Tech (9-8, 3-4) – No WAC player has ever led the nation in rebounds, and only one freshman ever has accomplished that feat. Paul Millsap averages slightly less than one board a game than Louisiana State’s Jaime Lloreda.

Southern Methodist (8-9, 2-5) – The Mustangs have lost five of their last six games. SMU is 3-4 in games decided by 5 points or less.

Tulsa (6-10, 2-5) – Its ten losses this year match last seasons total. Only six wins this year, but the Golden Hurricane have won 20 or more games each of the past five seasons.

San Jose State (5-12, 0-7) – The Spartans have lost 9 games in a row. Demetrius Brown leads the WAC in steals with 2.3 per game.

WAC Notebook

WAC Notebook

by Phil Dailey

The Western Athletic Conference season is well under way with many surprises. The biggest shock of this young conference season would have to be in El Paso. Currently the UTEP (12-3, 3-2) hoops squad is 10-1 at home and turning heads in the WAC as well as around the country. Some of the respect being tossed the Miners’ way should be directed at guard/forward Omar Thomas who was named the WAC player of the week for his efforts last week against Nevada (9-6, 3-3) and Fresno State (9-6, 5-1).

The junior from Philadelphia averaged 21.5 points and 6.0 rebounds as UTEP swept its two games against the Wolf Pack and the Bulldogs. Last Thursday, Thomas scored 28 points and added seven boards in a 79-76 win at the Don Haskins Center against Nevada. Saturday Thomas followed up with 15 points in a 72-58 win over Fresno State, giving the Bulldogs their first loss in conference play. For the week, he was 15-of-24 from the field (.625) and 13-of-16 from the free throw line (.812).

“He’s just on a hot streak, he’s playing very well,” UTEP head coach Billy Gillispie said.

As for such a great start by the Miners, Gillispie is proud of his team and the community of El Paso for the huge turnaround.

“I think we have improved quite a bit,” Gillispie said. “We have pretty good crowds and people support us.”

Maybe they can win on the road

We all know what’s been going on down in Hawaii over the past few years. A conference championship and two NCAA tournament appearances in the past three years has solidified the Warriors (12-3, 4-1) as one of the top-notch teams in the WAC. However, the lone drawback to most Hawaii basketball squads has been the inability to win on the road. So far this season the Warriors are 2-1 on the road in WAC play with their lone loss coming to first-place Fresno State. Yeah, that’s a good start and head coach Riley Wallace knows it.

Last Saturday the Warriors took down a feisty San Jose State (5-10, 0-5) in San Jose, Calif., 83-76.

“It was our best start there in a couple years,” Wallace said. “All of our guys were hitting their shots.”

Speaking of hitting shots, 6-foot-5 Michael Kuebler continues to lead the WAC in scoring with 19.8 points per game.

Wallace says he’s been compared to former Hawaii standouts such as Carl English and Predrag Savovic

“He’s a better player than English and Savovic, he’s got a 4.0 and they only had 3.8′s.” Wallace said “He’s more complete than the other two.”

The Warriors welcome UTEP and Boise State (10-5, 2-3) to the Big Island this week before making the long journey to Houston to play Rice (11-4, 3-1) and to Tulsa to take on the Golden Hurricane (6-8, 2-3).

Filling big shoes

Tulsa may not be playing as well as they are used to, but after losing as much talent as they did last spring, they are doing just fine. One reason they have lost (only) eight games and not more is due in large part to the recent play of Anthony Price. The Woodlands, Texas product has been stepping it up for head coach John Phillips and the rest of the Golden Hurricane hoops team the last few games.

“The last two or three ball games he’s really carried the load for us,” Phillip said. “He’s really playing well on both ends of the floor and we’re doing a better job of getting him the basketball in scoring situations.”

Price scored 32 points, grabbed 20 boards, blocked four shots and had six steals in two Golden Hurricane wins last week against Boise State and Rice.

Let’s not forget who the real leader of this year’s Tulsa team is, as Jason Parker continues to impress, averaging more than 17 ppg. Don’t count out Tulsa just yet, as they have made the NCAA tourney four of the past six seasons and they might start to have the balance to get them back.

Quick hits around the WAC

• Louisiana Tech (8-8, 2-4) sports the nations top rebounder in Paul Millsap who averages 12.5 per game.

• Boise State, which had won just 13 games total last year, has already notched ten victories this season.

• Southern Methodist (8-7, 2-3) beat Top 25 ranked Purdue last month and has since gone 3-4.

• Senior transfer from Cal, Shantay Legans leads the WAC in assist with 5.8 a game.

• Preseason conference favorite Nevada (9-6, 3-3) has dropped its last three road games.

• Rice forward Michael Harris is second in the WAC in scoring at 18.6 per game.

• San Jose State owns the WAC’s longest current losing streak at eight — the last time they won was Dec. 20 (at Baylor).

WAC Notebook

WAC Notebook

by Phil Dailey

It’s been a crazy start to the Western Athletic Conference hoops season. Not only are there a few teams making some surprising starts, but also many of the former conference title contenders are still continuing to struggle. Boise State (8-1) and Texas-El Paso (6-1) appear to be turning the most heads these days, while Tulsa (3-4) and Fresno State (2-5) are still not showing the championship form from a year ago. Nevada (5-3) and Southern Methodist (5-3) have the biggest wins of the early season as the Mustangs knocked off 17th ranked Purdue Sunday afternoon in the championship game of the Boilermaker Invitational and the Wolf Pack dismantled No. 6 Kansas in its home-town tournament.

The rest of the WAC teams are in the middle of the pack and there’s still uncertainly just how good they are at this point. Rice (6-2) has a four-point loss to its credit against 9th ranked Stanford, but other than that, it has not played any teams worth too much credit. The same can be said for Hawaii (5-2) and San Jose State (5-3) both of which are doing okay at this point, but are not playing any big-time teams.

Louisiana Tech (4-3) is fighting to stay over .500 in the early season despite unsuccessful match-ups against Southeastern Conference foes on the road.

So far in this young WAC season, there have been a few surprises. It’s going to be an interesting conference race to see who is good enough to make it to the post-season.

WAC starting to earn respect

On Sunday afternoon Bryan Hopkins made the biggest shot of his collegiate career. With less then 25 seconds remaining in the clock, Hopkins drove through Purdue defenders to score the game-winning basket pushing the Mustangs to 60-59 victory in the championship of game of Purdue’s holiday tournament.

“To win like this is tremendous for our guys,” SMU coach Mike Dement told The Associated Press. “It’s rare to win one of these.”

It’s about time SMU finally came through with a big win after all we gave them much respect picking it as one of the top teams in the conference.

Kris Lowe, Patrick Simpson and Justin Isham combined for 40 points in the victory.

Speaking of respect, our preseason conference champion has finally played as though we thought they could. Nevada made a statement on Sunday night in Reno coming out with force and taking a 20-point halftime lead against the former number one-ranked Jayhawks.

The game got as close as 68-61 with less than two minutes left, but the Wolf Pack would come through with clutch free-throws shutting down Kansas 75-61 at the Lawlor Event Center. Both teams made 23 of 57 field goals.

Preseason player of the year Kirk Snyder led all scorers with 29 points making 9 of 18 shot including three 3-pointers.

Free throws made the difference for the Wolf Pack as they shot 83 percent making 24 of 29, while Kansas shot 75 percent making 12 of 16. More than 100 fans stormed the court as 10,983 fans witnessed the game.

Both wins for SMU and Nevada may have shown the rest of the country that the WAC is not just another mediocre mid-major, but a conference that has the ability to hang with some of the powerhouse programs in the nation — every now and again of course.

Taking over on the big Island

Hawaii’s Michael Kuebler is taking over for the Warriors. Last year there was no doubt who was the man in Honolulu, but this year Carl English decide to take his skills to the NBA leaving a big question mark for scoring for head coach Riley Wallace. This season the Salem, Ore., native is leading the WAC by averaging 19 points per outing. Twice Kuebler has gone for 29 points.

Along with the Kuebler’s high-powered scoring, the Warriors are also getting much-needed production out of Phil Martin. In Saturday’s 92-64 win against New Orleans, Martin became the 11th player in school history to score 1,000 points. On the season, Martin is averaging 12.9 points and 5.9 rebounds.

At the beginning of the season the Warriors were not picked to do so good this year, but if Kuebler and Martin can continue to shine, this year’s squad should improve on last years disappointing finish.

Big man turning heads in Spartanville

6-foot-8 San Jose State center Eric Walton is starting to make some noise around the WAC. The senior from Pensacola, Fla. (Ventura College) scored a career-high 27 points and grabbed eight rebounds in the Spartans’ 85-77 overtime win against Cal State Sacramento last week. Walton was 10-of-18 from the field and 7-of-7 from the free throw line. Last season he averaged just 5.5 points and 3.3 rebounds, but this year the he has more than doubled his output with 14.9 ppg and 8.9 boards. Walton was named WAC Player of the Week for his efforts