Good and bad surprises in the WAC so far

Here's some of the good, the bad and the ugly emanating from WAC teams so far this season:

Boise State (7-5)

* Robert Arnold at 16.2 points per game, second in the league
* His unremarkable 14/29 assist-to-turnover ratio
* As a team, shooting 45% overall balanced by allowing opponents to shoot 46%
* Leading the league in steals at 9.7 a game and with a +5.3 turnover margin

Fresno State (4-6) (we've already hammered on the Greg Smith situation)

* No Bulldog in the top 15 in scoring -- amazing!
* Did anyone have frosh Kevin Olekaibe leading the team in scoring (10.7)?
* A 27% team three-point field goal percentage but only allowing 32%
* Leading in blocked shots at 5.2 per contest

Hawaii (8-3)

* Shooting 45% overall as a team, a league-leading 41% from three-point range as a squad, as well as being tops in field goal percentage defense at 37%
* Parlaying that trey accuracy into a tops in the WAC 7.6  three-pointers a matchup
* Hiram Thompson shooting 52% overall after last season's 42%
* 200 turnovers in 11 games -- although this is a brand new and a young squad

Idaho (6-5)

* As a team, a second-in-the-league 38% three-point shooting percentage and just behind Utah State with 13.4 assists per game
* Kyle Barone still not in double figures scoring(8.5 ppg.)
* 6-foot-3 Shawn Henderson leading the team with 6.4 rebounds a contest!
* 6-foot-6 Brandon Wiley with 18 blocked shots in 11 games

Louisiana Tech (9-5)

* Holding opponents to 41% shooting, 32% from three-point range
* A +4.7 rebounding number after losing Magnum Rolle and just getting 4.5 minutes a contest from junior center Antwond Roshell
* Second in the league with 6.7 treys made per game
* Olu Ashaolu with a 28/48 assist-to-turnover ratio

Nevada (3-9)

* The caboose in scoring defense, scoring margin and assist-to-turnover ratio
* Shooting 40% from the floor
* Newcomer Malik Story leading the team at 13.3 ppg. but shooting just 40% from the floor despite a 47% three-point shooting percentage, plus a 16/31 a-to-t ratio
* It's early but Olek Czyz must shoot better than his current 33%

New Mexico State (6-8)

* The current numbers won't mean a heckuva lot if/when Troy Gillenwater, Hamidu Rahman and especially Wendell McKines get back on the court
* The Aggies are eighth in field goal percentage defense at 43%
* Troy Gillenwater at 41% shooting, with around a third of his shots three-pointers and a 2/18 assist-to-turnover ratio
* Steady Hernst Laroche  shooting 45% overall, 45% on treys and owning a 60/32 a-to-t ratio plus 33 steals in 14 games

San Jose State (8-3)

* Tops in scoring offense (75.9 ppg.) and free throw percentage (77%) yet last in field goal percentage (40%)
* + 3.64 in turnover margin (second in the league)
* Justin Graham at 51% overall shooting (second in attempts on team) plus 58% on 33 three-point shots
* Frontcourters Wil Carter and Matt Ballard must shoot better than 37% and 24% respectively

Utah State (11-2)

* Still tops as a team in field goal percentage (46%), second in defense at 38%, tops again in rebounding margin at 8.9 a game
* Last in steals at 4.2 a contest
* Brockeith Pane with a 26/30 assist-to-turnover ratio balanced by Tyler Newbold's 40/9 assist-to-turnover figure -- but only a +4 total (146 to 150) in overall team TOs
* Brian Green at 48% on his 71 three-point attempts