Wednesday's WAC digest

Chris Murray has the news that Dario Hunt is Ukraine-bound, to be playing on the same team as Hernst Laroche.

Also, former New Mexico Stater Herb Pope is in Israel.

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Tai Wesley comes in as the runner-up in Matt Sonnenberg's latest post. Is Vegas posting odds on #1?

Thursday's WAC hoops digest

Chris Murray writes about the NBA draft-ability of Dario Hunt and Olek Czyz. After the guaranteed contracts run out early in the first round, it's better to be a free agent and get to the team most in need of your skills set and with roster opening possibilities.

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Answering our own question (hopefully correctly) this is the college lineup in the WAC come the 2012-13 year:

* Denver (non-football)
* Idaho
* Louisiana Tech (then to Conference USA)
* New Mexico State
* San Jose State University (then to the Mountain West Conference)
* Seattle (non-football)
* Texas San Antonio (then to Conference USA)
* Texas State (then to the Sun Belt Conference)
* Utah State (then to the Mountain West Conference)
* UT-Arlington (then to the Sun Belt Conference)

Do let PTW know if any of the above is askew or missing someone.

Nevada will be missed big time and also the 'new' Fresno State basketball program. Hawaii too.

Thursday's WAC-on-life-support edition

Chris Murray rightly plugs the play of Dario Hunt. PTW is hearing Joni Mitchell singing "... you don't know what you've got / Till it's gone ..."

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Kellon Hassenstab writes:

Another beneficiary of the live period in April could be 6-9 center Brekkott Chapman of Roy (Utah). He was a huge factor in Utah Hoops taking the 16U division in the tournament, as a finesse-oriented big man with good shooting touch and passing ability. After missing half of his sophomore year due to an injury, Chapman shook the rust off for a great performance in a run towards the title. He currently doesn’t have any scholarship offers, but with Utah, Utah State, Weber State and BYU all showing interest, that could change in the short term.

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Dayton Morinaga is all over the commitment of backcourter Manroop Clair to UH.

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Jimmy Watson covers Louisiana Tech's upcoming announcement about being C-USA bound.

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So does New Mexico State University land in the Sun Belt Conference? Teddy Feinberg covers that territory as well as noting that Texas State is headed there.

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WACocalypse is the term coined by Vandal Nation, leaving PTW a bit envious.

Although the WAC really has no other choice than putting on a brave front, it's reminiscent of the Monty Python famed Black Knight yelling it's just a flesh wound after losing both arms.

Dario Hunt and the NBA

Matt Kamalsky/Draft Express looks at Nevada's Dario Hunt's NBA prospects.

Friday and the WAC basketball galaxy

More accolades (PTW thinks) for the game night atmosphere in Logan:

"Majerus went on to say (the Spectrum) is like the Oakland Coliseum without the guns and knives."

It's from Rhett Wilkinson's article on USU in the Standard-Examiner.

Seattle Pacific topped Arizona last night so it's time for a Modou Niang update: in 13 minutes of play, the Utah State transfer went scoreless but did grab four rebounds.

Ex-Aggie big Gary Wilkinson receives more press in New Zealand.

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Dario Hunt responds to his Five Questions.

Chris Murray looks at the NBA draft rankings of Dario Hunt and Olek Czyz, plus much more.

Chris writes about the effect of the NCAA legislation passed today on Wolf Pack athletics.

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Dayton Morinaga covers another Rainbow Warrior scrimmage, this one worked by regular officials.

Another WAC MVP candidate

The Bigs have arrived. The Bigs have arrived.

Actually, the truth is some have been in the WAC for a while but are now ready to express some dominance

There's Vander Joaquim at Hawaii, New Mexico State's Tshilidzi Nephawe, Kyle Barone up in Idaho plus Nevada's Dario Hunt, who is entering his final season.

The latter is the one most ready to do consistent damage if 9.4 rebounds, 11.8 points and 2.1 blocked shots per game doesn't already qualify. Add 55% shooting from the floor and 68% on free throws.

By the way, Hunt jumped his foul line shooting up from 47.4% the previous year -- a remarkable achievement.

A Second Team All WAC selection after the 2010-11 season, Hunt will surely make the leap to the top five after the approaching season concludes.

But certain statistics, the length of his court appearances and the proficiency of the Wolf Pack backcourt will all be factors in his bid for the most valuable player honor.

1) There is a great deal of still untapped talent on the Nevada roster and thus the majority of shots will be shared among the quartet of Hunt, Olek Czyz, Malik Story and Deonte Burton. It's near impossible for top player in the league honors to be earned by someone tallying less than 15 markers a contest. Hunt can do this but will the shots be there?

2) Hunt fouled out five times in 16 conference games, a number that must be reduced in order to produce an overall effect on the court that is in the same territory as the other MVP contenders.

3) Concurrently, Hunt needs to be flanked by guards who can get him the ball inside when and where he wants it and who also can shoot the trey with enough accuracy so that double-teams inside are reduced. Besides Deonte Burton, who will fill this role for the Wolf Pack?